The drive varies depending on the village to be visited that day (Our students come from 19 different villages in the Central Region of Ghana.  We have over 100 applicants this year and will choose 36 as Anansi students). This past week I went with Daniel to two villages about an hour and hour and one half drive from Mpeasem/Cape Coast.  The highways are two lane, but reasonable, the dirt roads leading to the villages are challenging and the roads within the villages difficult to manage.  Most of the time we walk.  Me with my trekking poles and Daniel slowing down to stay with me while I try to navigate getting over streams and up rock and down sand.  It is a physical work out.

Their homes:  Most are small and made from cement blocks or clay.  All ten of the homes we visited on these two days had electric light, no water piped to the house, no cook stove nor television nor refrigerator.  Most roofs were made from sheet metal. One creatively held down with old tires on top of the metal.  We visited with the students and families outside the houses seated on either plastic chairs or wooden stools.  We were always offered seating.

The people:  Regal is the first word that comes to mind.  All Ghanaians learn at an early age to carry any heavy load on their heads.  This practice leads to perfect posture and thus a “regal” bearing.  Everyone.  They are poor so their clothes are often worn or at least well used.  Most village people are a bit shy, very gracious, proud and welcoming.  While walking from one home to another in Benyadzy, a man came to greet me.  He was the father of one of our Anansi students selected last year.  He was so very proud of his son and so thankful to Anansi for our help that his whole face lit up as he talked with me.  I have rarely felt so valued as when that man thanked me.  He returned later with a gift of six oranges, a pure from the heart gift of thanks along with a warmth in his eyes that will stay with me for a long time to come.  I wish you all could have been there.

 I hope this description of the people you all are helping passes a little of their gratitude on to you.  

I would like to use this opportunity to brief you on the state of the novel coronavirus in Ghana and how Anansi is managing.

It was on the 12th of March, 2020 that Ghana first recorded two cases of the virus. This lead to the president’s public address on the 15th of March to spell out measures to combat the canker. In his speech, he placed a ban on all social gatherings, be it funeral, religious services, parties, political campaigns,  schools, and all other public gatherings. He said this was to safeguard the public against the pandemic.

The closure of schools stroke Anansi since we deal with students in the high schools and the final years in the junior high schools. A closure meant our students would be returning home and we can’t proceed with our assessment of new students for the next academic year. It was blank for World as it was for Anansi. Our student’s wellbeing is at the heart of all that we do here in Ghana. Not forgetting there was a ban on all gatherings and fear of the unknown all over the place, so we couldn’t offer our assistance in the form of physical extra tuition as we are used to. We aren’t in ordinary times, the mantra of the season.

While we were on the drawing board brainstorming as to how best to address our students’ needs, the government readdresses the nation on the 27th March. This time run, it was harsh and rough to many, a lockdown of Accra, Tema, Kumasi, and Kasoa. These places were seen as the hotspots of the virus. The reason was to contain the spread of the disease, enhance surveillance in those areas.

The lockdown lasted for three weeks before the lift of the ban on movement. Many well-to-do Ghanaians demonstrated patriotism to the nation during these hard times. Many donated foods, medical supplies, monies to the government to complement its efforts in fighting the common enemy.

I think the government of Ghana has been successful in putting the virus under control. The wearing of Face masks is mandatory in Ghana. One can’t step outside of his/her house without it. It might sound funny though, in Kumasi, the second busiest city in Ghana after the capital Accra, some persons without the face mask were arrested and ordered to clean the gutters and the market areas. The government is serious about this. Market places which were not observing the protocols have been closed down even as I write. Hand washing and the application of sanitizers are urged. Now, all supermarkets and public offices have running water and soap installed for citizens to wash their hands.

Ghanaians for the first time are practicing physical distance without scorn or prejudice.

I must applaud the government of Ghana, Kathryn can testify. Human nature can never be underestimated, during the ban of social gatherings, a pastor was arrested and fined for flouting the law in a suburb of Kumasi. At Obuasi, the golden city of Ghana, the bride and the groom were arrested for tying the knot despite the restrictions. Private burials with persons not more than 25 are allowed.

Although, our governments have politicized many occurrences, never with Covid-19. The president has been frank and adhered to experts’ advice. Our health personnel must be recommended for their awesome sacrifices. Thorough contact tracing of infected persons was successfully done by these practitioners. Our testing centers have been increased from two to ten in just three months. This has enhanced the capacity and speed of the test.

The government has rewarded the frontline workers well to work their hearts out. There is a tax-free of their basic salary and a 50% increase in their salaries. Again, the government has absorbed all water bills and 50% of our electricity bills for three months. I am proud of the government and the steps put in place to handle the pandemic.

Yesterday, 31st May 2020 at 22:00GMT the president addressed the nation for the 10th time in the COVID era. As of yesterday, our positive COVID count stood at 8070, 36 deaths, and 2947 recoveries. The government reassured us of his commitment to fighting the pandemic till the end. Final year students in the universities, senior high, and junior high schools are expected to report at school on the 15th, 22nd, and 29th of June respectively. Churches, mosques, and other social gatherings are reopened with persons not more than 100, all in face masks and observing the physical distance.

Even though internally life is regaining its prowess, the borders are still closed till 31st July then the government will decide the way forward. However, Ghanaians who want to return home are welcomed. The government said it’s in talks with its embassies abroad to foster that.

In summary, I think what is accounting for the seemed success over the novel coronavirus are:

1. Fear – the videos from Europe and America about how the virus is ending lives, Ghanaian are mostly scared considering our weak health system
2. The media – the campaign on Covid-19 is everywhere on TV, radio, and newspapers.
3. Food – I think the type of foods Ghanaians eat helps to boost their immune systems. The president had even mentioned some foods we should patronize and consume.
4. Leadership (religious) compliance – religious leaders being at the forefront of the fight has deepened the government’s actions in the minds of their followers
5. Government proactiveness – this has won the heart of most residents both Ghanaians and foreigners.
6. Benevolent gestures – the support people rendered to the government during the fight spoke lauder of the existence of the disease to those who didn’t believers.

These are my personal notes from a sincere observation and analysis of how things are unfolding in Ghana.

Anansi is currently preparing to support its students and some more dire need students with face masks and hand sanitizers as they go back to school. Although we had exhausted the budget for the final year students with their school supplies, we shall offer one more supplies of provisions to ensure their successful completion of high school.

This one too shall pass, long live lovers of Anansi, long live Anansi.

Best regards,

Daniel

Managing Director of Anansi Education

Dear Friends of Anansi,

We are in this together, let’s obey the recommendations from the WHO to safeguard ourselves and that of our families and friends. We aren’t living in ordinary times, friends. We pray this to be over soon.

In the midst of this global pandemic, Anansi had been thinking of how best to support its students yearning for knowledge. With most of them have dummy phones, we decided to still offer some academic supports especially to the final year students in high school. If not because of the pandemic, they would have started their final school exams. Thoughts to support them differently emanated having in mind the severity of the disease, we decide to offer on telephone classes for Anansi’s students and many more students who might be sitting in the house barely doing something.

The idea of calling all of them on a conference popped up since it offered a cheaper means since Anansi would be paying for the entire session. Ah, unknown to me, I had a limit to the number of persons I could call at a time on conference. We had to improvise. We thought of a tree network. I could call five students a time, put other members under those I call to also call them. With this, students were put into groups. The leaders are those I call, leaders intend call their respective members onto the bigger call, which we call our SmartClassroom. We make airtime available for use by the leaders.

The students have been briefed to get set into a study mood during our session times. There is one at 9:00am, 1:15pm and the last class is at 7:00pm. Each session last for 45 -50minutes. The student picks his/her book and gets prepared for the class 5minutes to time. The students are advised to jot down critical points in the explanation. The lesson notes and other study materials are posted to a WhatsApp group created. Voice notes are also done to explain the notes. Students’ questions are posted on chat, voice note or on phone conversation. 

In order to ensure participation, students’ assignments are sent to me in private on WhatsApp or sms. I also do call the Students to give them feedback.

We can’t tell exactly when these students are going back to school, but we promise to support them with the necessary assistance so far as schools are locked down.

Thanks to my supporting team members: Victoria, Lalina, Frank and Elsie who have offered relentless commitment at this difficult times.

Stay safe.

—–

Thank you to Daniel and the entire Anansi team for their efforts to continue helping our scholarship students to improve their lives through education, even in these scary times. We are wishing the best to all members of our Anansi family, all over the globe.

Ten of them attended the party. We used the opportunity to advise the new graduates and shared some after school stories. We discussed parents, family and friends expectations now that they are done with high school. We also encouraged them to always be in touch with Anansi as well as offer to support other new scholars.

Again, we asked the graduates of feedbacks they have for us. It was mostly positive and contributions. One suggested we adding business submit and career talks to our annual meetings. It will get the students well prepared before exiting from school. This will be infused into our program going forwards.

In all, the outing with the graduates was success.

-Daniel Osei, Anansi Managing Director

We had our third event hosting Anansi students for vacation classes from the 24^th of May to 3^rd of June, 2019. We had twelve students in attendance, with six male and six female students.

The aim of the vacation classes is to instill in our students some values and certain character traits that are hard to learn or adopt from their high schools. We focused on building students who can stand tall among their colleagues to speak and submit whatever they are thinking of without any intimidation or inferiority complex. Speaking up among mainstream Ghanaian students isn’t easy to find. We encouraged such development through teamwork, group and individual presentations, as well as letting the students have a daily reflection.

Regarding teamwork, we had the students put into groups of four to brainstorm on the causes, effect and remedies to three social problems. We then sat at a distant to allow the groups to function. The students wonderfully contributed to the discussions. After the group discussion and writeup, we then asked each group to present its findings. Each member of the group was given a minute or two to contribute to the presentation. The result was incredible.

Again, we allowed the students to take charge of some of the classes to teach their peers anything they can; one of the students taught the group how to prepare “gari”. Others explained some classroom topics or some challenges they have overcome.

In addition, scenarios were created for the individual students to take a stance to speak for or against motions. One of the cases went like this: A businessman bought a taxicab for GHC100,000 and decided to let it out on hire purchase to a taxi driver who makes an initial deposit of GHC50,000. One driver went for a loan of GHC50,000 in order to get the taxi to drive and pay the remaining amount over a two year period. Immediately the contract documents were signed, the driver took the car and that day the car caught fire. The driver is asking for his GHC50,000 back and the businessman too is asking for his remaining GHC50,000. We had the students argue from both standpoints brilliantly.

Furthermore, we couldn’t do less on the main academic subjects of these students. We revised topics the students have treated in school and as well covered some advance topics in each of their subject areas. From the students’ reflections, I got to know that the revision we did with the students on each on the topics studied in school helped them to better comprehend the topics.

In all, the class was successful and the students were grateful and thankful to Anansi for such opportunity.

-Daniel Osei, Anansi Managing Director

LIVE AUCTION ITEMS:

Contemporary Bee Mask 25 inches high

This is a contemporary replication, by a Ghanaian artist, of a traditional Zaire Song Ye “bee” mask. It is beautifully carved and was purchased directly from the artist that carved it, north of Accra. Value: $500.00

Zaire Stool 10 inches high, 24 inches wide, 9 inches deep

This stool consisting of a male and female figure holding onto each other represents the benefits of a good marriage and the stability of a strong family. All stools are created to accommodate the need that important people are not obliged to sit on the ground. To this day, how one is seated when visiting a small village has great significance.  $1000.00

Butterfly mask, 37 inches wide, 9 inches high

This Butterfly mask is of the Bwa tribe in Burkina Faso. Only red, white and black can be used on butterfly masks and our typical example is carved from a single plank of wood. It symbolizes fertility expansion, growth and prolific-ness. It acts as an intermediary between the god, Do, and men, and restores harmony between man and nature. This mask would be used during agricultural festivals to encourage the gods to provide rain for the newly planted fields. Value: $120.00

Rhino 16 inches wide, 7.5 inches high

This fine contemporary carving of the indigenous rhinoceros was made out of very dense ebony wood.  It was purchased directly from the Ghanaian carver in an Aburi artist compound near the Botanical Gardens north of Accra.  Value $250

Ashanti Fertility Doll 13 inches high

This is a valuable old fertility doll and while we have had fertility dolls through the years, there is universality to their appeal. They are designed for women to carry in the waistband of their clothing to insure the beauty and health of their children.  Value: $175

Pair of Baule Spirit Spouses   12 inches high

The Baule of Cote d’Ivoire believe in a parallel spirit world. A troubled relationship in this world can indicate that a person’s sprit spouse has been neglected. These sculptures are kept and tended in the home.

Colonial era Baule figures from the first quarter of the 20^th century often emulate figures of success and authority such as students, businessmen, police, soldiers, clergy and government officials. This pair includes a businessman and a doctor. Value: $175.00

Kaogle Mask  17.5 inches high, 6 inches wide

This Kaogle mask of the Dan people in Cote d’Ivoire are characterized by protruding disc like cheekbones, triangular eyes and an overhanging brow. Kaogle masks typically represent chimpanzees, crocodiles or birds. This style had a strong influence on Pablo Picasso who gathered over 100 pieces of African art between 1907 and his death.

Value:$120.00

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil

each approximately 26 inches by 8 inches

The three wise monkeys carved here are a contemporary rendering of an original 17^th century Japanese proverb embodying the principle “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”. The three monkeys are Mizaru, covering his eyes, who sees no evil; Kikazaru, covering his ears, who hears no evil; and Iwazaru, covering his mouth, who speaks no evil.

On Wednesday last Daniel and I traveled to Kumasi via bus to check out the accommodations for our Anansi Safari next September. It was a good trip.  We found the Tumi Hostel to be all we had heard and more.  The founder, a young woman from the Netherlands named Milou, was interesting, beautiful and most helpful.  We now have the whole place booked for our passing through Kumasi both going to  and coming from Mole Park.   We won’t all fit in the hostel so we also checked out the hotel just next door where we can rent air conditioned rooms for our guests.  That, too, is a most impressive place.

Kumasi street scenes

Meeting the young women who are taking sewing lessons at the Tumi Hostel was a highlight for me.  They are girls whose lives are being changed by this program that is only one and one half years old.  They are all so very happy about what they are learning and the prospect of a better future.  Being there with them felt wonderful.

Women learning to sew at the Tumi Hostel

We, Daniel and I, then went to the Cultural Center where we bought things for the auction.  Not only did we find small brass and silver items, but Daniel found a couple of nice paintings done by an interesting young Ghanaian man, Evans.  This artist graduated from the University in Kumasi after working for some time as a waiter to earn money for school.  He now has his own shop at the Cultural Center and spends a good deal of his time teaching others the skills of painting.  I was also pleased that Daniel chose two paintings that are slightly abstract in nature as we have had long discussions at home about abstraction in paintings.  I was unaware that he had learned to value anything that was not completely realistic.  Another pleasant surprise for me.

Artist Evans, at the Cultural Center

While riding through the streets near the market in Kumasi, I thought about the good fortune of our Anansi students and those girls at the Tumi Hostel who were learning to sew.  Life on the streets selling and carrying things on your head is a hard life which often ends early in pain.  Years of carrying heavy loads on your head results in major damage to backs.

We are looking forward to the student competition and the Safari at Mole Park in September.  We hope more of you friends of Anansi will decide to join us.  I will be back in Bellingham in mid March when I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about the trip and help you plan your own personal journey to West Africa.

-Kathryn Roe

Victoria recently purchased three of these figures online, and sent the following message when she received it in the mail:

They are $35 each plus postage for sales outside Bellingham, WA.  You may choose the one you want by listing the name attached to the dancer.  A buyer may send money via Pay Pal on our website or send check or money order to:

Alisa Roe

8810 NW Lakecrest Ave.

Vancouver, WA 98665.

Thank you for your continued support of Anansi Education.

Abena (pictured above)

Adua (pictured above) - SOLD

Akhosua (pictured above) - SOLD

Akua (pictured above)

Ama (pictured above)

Baaba (pictured above) - SOLD

Emmefa (pictured above)

Kwame (pictured above)

Kweku (pictured above) - SOLD

Nana (pictured above)

Yaa (pictured above)

Lalina broke off the bottom of her right front permanent tooth when she was seven years old during a childish tussle that ended in her face crashing into a table leg.  “We were just fooling around “ she told me.  As a result of this mishap Lalina’s right front tooth is about one fifth shorter than her left front tooth.  The part that had just come through the skin was broken off during that altercation with the table leg.

Last week she and Daniel, another Ghanaian gem who is our Managing Director, started their junior high school talks about Anansi.  They contacted the headmasters and mistresses of the schools and arranged time to go to the schools and tell the students about the change in Anansi scholarships, the new criteria and just how those who qualify can apply.  Lalina came back to the Anansi office after the presentation at the Mpeasem school as high as I’ve ever seen her.  She was absolutely delighted with herself.  She had done the bulk of the presentation with Daniel’s support only when it came to the student questions at the end.  And she had done a good job.  Remember most young women here speak so softly that you can hardly hear what they are saying.  Not Lalina.

Yesterday she came back to this house as pleased with herself as she had been after her student presentation.  This is what she told me: “I was so happy when I left the hospital.  Not just because I’m getting my tooth fixed, but because of how I was able to do what I did at the hospital.  Mama, I walked in by myself, looked at all the people siting waiting to talk with someone, and I just walked up to the woman at the desk and said, “Good morning.  I’d like to talk with the dentist.”  She sent me up the stairs where I said the same thing to the nurse up there and she sent me to a door where I knocked and there was the dentist.  It was so fast and I did it all myself.”  Seeing Lalina’s satisfied smile and watching this young girl turn into a confident young woman after such a rocky start to her teenage years is the kind of thing that keeps me coming back to Ghana.  And the thirty dollars to get Lalina’s tooth fixed is the best money I’ve spent in a long time.  There is joy of a good kind around here.

-Kathryn

Lalina before

Lalina after

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