Martina’s New Wheels

Back in February, as part of our project research, the team and I travelled to Wiaga to meet a local women’s group to find out more about the Feok Festival. We’ve visited a number of women’s groups in the district to learn about how the groups are involved in the Feok and find out their thoughts on the participation of PWDs (people with disabilities), as we aim to include them in future festivals. It was an insightful meeting and the women of Wiaga were very warm and welcoming.

There was one woman in particular that stood out in the meeting. Her name was Martina, a young mother from Wiaga who was unable to use her legs. She sat with crutches beside her and a baby on her lap, who was often passed around. She was very vocal in the group, voicing her opinion on the Feok Festival and PWDs whilst laughing and joking. Martina was very positive, which was refreshing to see, and I later found out that she also works as a seamstress.

Considering her physical ability, whilst having to raise a child and go to work, I truly admired her positive attitude. Unlike a small number of PWDs that we have met, Martina had a fantastic ‘get up and go’ attitude. It made me realise that most of us take things for granted and moan and worry about the silliest things. Life on crutches alone with a baby cannot be easy.  

At the end of the meeting the women approached us to thank us and say goodbye, whilst Martina approached our national volunteer, Festus, to tell him about her mobility bike. Speaking in Buli, she told Festus that her bike had been broken for sometime and she cannot use it, making travelling and day-to-day tasks difficult. Festus acknowledged her request for us to help her, whilst she thanked us (in English) for visiting and said goodbye. 

We’ve had a lot of requests from disabled (and able bodied) people when visiting the different community groups in the Builsa District. We’ve visited a number of disabled peoples organisations, mental health organisations, schools and women’s groups who have all made requests. Some inform us of the problems they face and the resources they need, whilst others reel off a wish list of wheelchairs, stair lifts and mini buses.

Although we would obviously love to help with the said items, they all cost money - a lot of money. We do record these requests, which can be discussed at a later date, however, CBR, the organisation we work with, don’t have the money either. This is when I had a light bulb moment after hearing Martina’s plea.

Martina's new wheels!

I decided that I would pay for her bike to be fixed. If I brought the issue up with CBR it would have sat in a long queue of other requests and may have never been resolved. Knowing her story and having met her I decided that I wanted to help.

The following week en route to Fubisi, we asked our driver, Kwame, to make a stop off in Wiaga so I could visit Martina’s home and see what work her bike needed. After asking directions from pupil at a near by school, we finally found her at her home; a dingy concrete room filled with cooking utensils, with a large mosquito net filling half of the room with her baby daughter sleeping soundly beneath it. At the back of the room, underneath an old wheel chair, cloth and crutches sat the mobility bike. Coated in dust, it was obvious that it hadn’t been in use for a long time. Three years in fact, as Martina told us. She said that it was a gift from a group of Canadian volunteers, yet the wheels and chain needed replacing. 

We took her number and Festus contacted a repairman who later met us in Sandema town to buy the parts needed. In total, to repair and buy the new parts cost only 83 Ghana cedi, which is around £28.62. I spend that in a heartbeat whilst shopping in Leeds, so it was the easiest (and by far the best) £28.62 that I’ve ever spent.

Tyre shopping

Last weekend I received a text from Festus to hear that the bike had been repaired and was returned to Martina. I was so excited to see her on it so I asked if Kwame could drive me back to Wiaga for me to visit her. I met her earlier this week and she was so happy. The bike looked fantastic with its shiny new wheels. She got in it and cycled around to show me and kindly posed for some photos. 

Martina and her daughter

She told me that she was very grateful that I had it fixed for her as she had her mobility back. She can now travel around with ease and more importantly, take her daughter with her, who can sit beside her in the chair. In the past, Martina had to leave her daughter with someone else whilst she struggled with her crutches. Now, her little girl can travel with her wherever she goes.

It has been amazing to have had the opportunity to help Martina and to actually see the difference it has made to her life. I’m grateful that I’ve had the chance to come to Ghana and to not only help people as part of our project but to also help others in the community. I’ll certainly never forget Martina and her new set of wheels.

- Jenna

Festus' thoughts on the UK volunteers......

My presumption of meeting cheeky ‘f**k you’ little kids from Europe as we see in movies turned around when these guys proved drunk with good manners and  addicted to please and thank you. I have so far lived my life as usual and normal with no adjustments even with ‘different people’ I mean people from different cultural background. It’s been all fun as we work (work and happens). It’s all been a kind of cultural exchange kind of thing, I learn from them as well as the do from me. It’s really shocking to see how others do things at the other part of the world in which you live. My most shocking moment is to see and taste food that has been cooked with wine (risotto). Let me say that was ‘crazy’ but I could see everyone enjoyed it most. I have been having good time with my team and all the others. I’m now a teacher as well as a student; teaching Buli and learning Yorkshire accent. Just got to know about the dynamo magician and the ping pong show; these are mind boggling and unbelievable. I must say my team members are cultured in manners that are truly Ghanaian and can easily adjust to make up where they fall short in terms of culture. I like my team so much.

An update on LIFE

In a world that is cruising to complete its orbit, it really has little time to waste on sluggers. Time as it is said waits for no man, but in our case I think we have kept the pace. Though I have lost the count of the days, weeks and months, I know we are on course. We are almost done with meeting chiefs, with only one more to go. It’s been demanding but my fantastic team has proved to be more than ready for the job. This week we will wrap up our meeting off chiefs, and meet women’s groups and get our questionnaire answered by the general public. I have had a great time working on this project especially its research aspect. The amazement in discovering what is previously unknown to you, the thrills of having to make people understand and cooperate with you and the challenge of coping with different personalities, opinions and ideas. What’s more, my interest for scenery and for sightseeing is gradually developing!

- Festus

Spare time in Sandema

Although Sandema is not a bustling metropolis,  we've discovered a few things to do to see on a sunny afternoon. The market, which is held every three days in the town centre is a busy little place, filled with all sorts of smells and sounds; mostly of fish and kids shouting “smiley smiley!” meaning ‘white person’.

It’s always an entertaining trip and each visit we've managed to find something new; kola nuts, plantain, flip flops for Poppy, CHOCOLATE! It took some finding but this week (29^th Jan) we discovered chocolate for the first time in Sandema. I say chocolate, the one and only box in the market cost 18 Ghana cedis and the chocolate we bought is like cocoa OXO cubes. It’s not Cadbury’s, that’s for sure.

To get to the market we sometimes take a short cut and walk across a dry riverbed that has a sandy bottom. We call this the beach (as the nearest one to us is miles and miles away). Other things Sandema has to offer is the Resource Centre where you can surf the internet for 1 Ghana cedi an hour.

Once you’re hungry from all that surfing, Conifahs is the place to eat. It serves delicious food at amazing prices. One meal cost only 3 Ghana cedis, which is the equivalent to £1.00. Joyce, the cook, can whip up a mean vegetable sauce to compliment a rice and chicken dish; best served with an ice cold Star (the local beer) or an Alvaro (a soft drink we’re all a little bit obsessed with). Perfect for cooling you down after a long day at work meeting with the many chiefs of the Builsa District!

Jenna, Poppy, Festus, and Tracy having dinner at Conifahs

Back at HQ (Team Sandema’s little bungalow, now called The White House) you can visit the local radio station, Radio Builsa, which is a five-minute walk from our house. Take a personal tour around the studio or go on air to speak to nearly one million listeners of the Builsa District. The manager of the station, Ibrahim is keen for us to go on the radio, so expect to hear DJ Poppy and DJ Willy on the air waves soon!

Everyday we discover something new in Sandema. On Thursday (30^th Jan) Asiemi, our cleaner took us for a tour of the nearby villages and introduced us to some of the locals and showed us where they live. It was a great opportunity to meet new people and to briefly experience a Builsa’s life at home.  

We look forward to discovering more hidden treasures of Sandema. In the meantime we’ll continue to play ‘Skip Bo!’. If it hasn’t been previously mentioned in this blog, it’s a fun card game (the only one that I know the rules to) that goes down well with a glass (or mug, in our case) of Don Simon Sangria.

With two months to go (our time in Ghana has flown so far!), I’m sure that our ‘leisure’ blog posts will become more and more interesting with Team Sandema adventures. Watch this space…

- Jenna

Our lives in Sandema....

This week has been another busy one! Full days and busy nights make us a little tired but we are still all really enjoying ourselves. Follows is a few posts about general life in Sandema.

Our 'home town', Sandema

Sandema is the home of Builsas. Capital of its district – the Builsa district and located in the Northern part of Ghana, specifically the Upper East Region. Builsa people speak Buli and Saab (also known as the Tuo Zaafi in Hausa) with different kind of soups as their traditional food; mostly eaten at supper or dinner. Sandema, apart from Builsas, is also the home for all kinds of people from different backgrounds from Ghana and other parts of the world. Builsas are peace loving people and friendly to all manner of people or persons irrespective of race. The Builsa landscape can be described as a plain interspersed with few high grounds. The vegetation is purely savannah with few scattered trees. The Builsas have a rich cultural heritage which unites them. They celebrate Feok festival to commemorate their victory over the slave raiders and as a thanks giving sacrifice to their ancestors after every harvest. People of Builsa are always in jubilant mood during the Feok festival. It is lovely being in Sandema. 

- Festus

Our house, in the middle of our street?

We’re staying in a small compound on the grounds of FISTRAD, a stone throw away from work which makes the mornings a little easier. We each have a small bungalow/pod with a double bed and an en-suite bathroom – what luxury! We have a little kitchen slap bang in the middle and finally now have a table and chairs! I think it’s fair to say we’re living the life of it up here in Sandema in our little piece of home. The only downside in Poppy and Will’s room is the smell – no it’s not their feet! We are unfortunately placed above the water system and occasionally we get a rather pungent cabbage smell when the water is running through.

Will and Tracy sat on Tracy's porch...yes, her house is really called "Burger Komittee Stain Hagen" 

Working 9-5 

We’re all very passionate and excited about our project, LIFE – the longer we work on it the more involved we become. We’ve been working hard meeting over 10 chiefs, including the paramount chief of the Builsa District, the District Assembly and Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPO). We have been receiving endless positive feedback for the project from everyone involved and it is progressing well already. 

Meeting the Sandema Naab (in the salmon outfit inbetween Will and Tracy) and his sub-chiefs and elders

The team with members of the District Assembly (the gentleman inbetween Poppy and Jenna was rather forward in his desire to make one of them his wife!)

The team with the President, Gilbert, of the Sandema Disabled People's Organisation

Since meeting with us, the Kadema Chief has already met with his DPO and has promised them that they can be involved in the local Feok on the 9^th of February – result! What incredible news that was, I (Poppy) think I speak for everyone when I say we really do feel a part of something special here, something that could really improve the lives of many people with disabilities – and we’re only just getting started!! 

- Poppy

 Meeting Kadema chief was the highlight for me last week. We had already met him quickly at the District Assembly and he had already called us his brother and sisters and was looking forward to seeing us. When visiting he greeted us with a smile again and invited the women to come and sit in the meeting, which only a few chiefs did last week. He was very open to the idea of people with disabilities being involved in the Feok. His community had not yet had its local Feok but he invited us to attend on the 9^th February and said he would look into including people with disabilities. It was clear people living with disabilities were included in this community as there was a lady at the meeting with a disability and he invited her to show us her skills of basket weaving and dancing. On Sunday Maxwell our project coordinator said that the Kadema chief had called him and said he had been to see the local disabled people’s organisation. He spoke to them asking how they would like to be involved in the festival and what the problems would be for them being involved. This is excellent news as he is making the steps towards getting disabled people involved. He said that he had simply not thought to include them before but now that we have brought it to his attention he said he would make an active effort to include those with disabilities.   We shall be visiting the Kadema group and Chief again soon to see what happens!

 

- Will