A&D in Ghana

One of our main projects in Nungua was the production of a tourist map of the village indicating the location of artists studios and shops. It's all a part of a larger effort by Cross Cultural Collaborative to connect local artists directly with people who want to buy their work.

Our mapping group spent their first week out and about visiting and interviewing local artists about their work. After gathering information, we designed and printed a small booklet featuring maps and bio's of artists and craftspeople in Nungua. The first publication was presented to Nii Bortralabi Borkete Laweh XIV, The Chief of Nungua, at the end of the trip.

Many thanks to Lead Dog Consulting http://goleaddog.com/ for providing us with digital maps of Nungua.

On Sunday, we said goodbye to Nungua and began our journey home. Ghana left its imprint on all of us in unique ways and we will continue to share them here as we process. For now, be patient if your traveller is stunned, saddened, or exhausted. It’s all part of the learning.

Lake Volta is the largest man made lake in the world. We stopped on the way to Odumasi Krobo at Akosombo Dam, where the Volta River turns into Lake Volta. The dam, built in the early 60’s, produces most of Ghana’s electricity. Many villages had to be re-located as the waters rose.

This is the group with Aba (of Aba House) and Musa, who drives us around Ghana!

The charcoal process has been an extremely interesting way to engage in Ghanaian culture. Though we built the press and did test runs in the U.S., so much has changed since we started trying to make the charcoal in its final environment. The marketing, fabrication, and opinions surrounding the process are totally different in Ghana than at home. They are also different from a coastal village to a rural farming community within the country.

There has been a great response to the charcoal we made by Ghanaians who have tested it. It works as well as their normal charcoal and is less labor intensive and so much better for the environment! The charcoal used on a daily basis here is made from trees that have been cut down. We here that the government may soon put restrictions on deforestation so what we're doing feels sort of like developing electric cars. Someday it may be of great importance.

The kids have joined in enthusiastically, despite what making charcoal does to your appearance! It is a process that has room for help from all ages, similar to their paper making process.

In the few days we have left, the plan is to get more presses made, finish an instruction manual specific to making charcoal in Ghana, and passing out these materials to people who may be interested in continuing the process once we're gone.

When the manual is finished, I'll put it up for all to see!

It's a rhythm that enters your mind and then your heart and then the beat resounds through your whole body and you begin to become the beat.  It's difficult at first, forcing your limbs to move in ways you never knew possible, and you get frustrated because your mind is trying to direct your body but your body won't cooperate.  Then finally you reach a breaking point, and the communication barrier between the control panel and the machine disintegrates and everything clicks.  You begin to move like you've never moved before, and you are in awe of your ability.  The beat of the tingo is now your heartbeat and the sticks resounding off the head of the kagang align with the movement of your limbs and your feet follow the constant rattle of the axatse.  You're doing it.  You remember all of the steps and you are concentrating so hard but then you catch someone else's smile across the circle and the concentration evolves into communication.  Into understanding.  You feel the challenge and you feel uninhibited and you know that the beat will always be with you, from now on, carrying you forward, because this is the beat of  collaboration, of community, of Ghana, of us all.              

I have been enjoying the patterns and textures of Ghana. This is a picture of thread that is being woven into kente cloth

Patterns inspired by Ghanaian cloth.  I hope to make prints of them later.  And I wish I could edit and tile the photos, but the humidity makes using the trackpad on my laptop way too hard.

Water tank for Aba House

We took a Day trip to Odumasi Krobo - a village where traditional beads are handmade from glass. We got a demonstration at Cedi Djeba's workshop, a world famous bead maker, and spent some time in market, where beads are sold every Wednesday and Saturday.

Hannah