Artifacts from the 1600’s @ Asoto village mountain cave.
















Community elders from Asoto village.










Women cleaning fish on the beach @ Lake Volta.












“Rustic” power pole!













Ebenezer new CU premises.

















This is the water heater I was so happy to see until I realized there was no hot water pipe coming from the tank!

Larry and I were presented with Volta Region Kente Cloth robes by the Jasikan CU board. We were called the Queen Mother and King!

















Larry and I were given credit for bringing much needed rain to the Volta Region!












What can I say? This was one very cool looking bug!

Saturday morning arrived a bit overcast. I got up early to have breakfast with Gene, Barry and Sammy before they went on their great adventure, which included meeting more than one Chief and ceremonies involving at least one bottle of schnapps!!

After they left I walked along the beach alone. I looked out to sea and thought about all my experiences over the last couple of weeks. Each credit union we visited was completely different than the previous one but they all had one thing in common. The staff and boards were very interested in what Larry and I had to say. At times I felt overwhelmed that these intelligent, educated people were looking to me for advice and assistance.

There were times when we would have a simple suggestion that was met with such gratitude. At times, one manager or board member would show us a policy or form they had created, asking for our opinion and upon review, we could not make it better it was so well thought out. When we would present our reports to the credit union boards and staff, the questions we were asked really showed us that they understood where we were coming from and were so excited to move the credit union system in general, and their credit union in particular, forward.

I thought of all these things as I walked along the beach, picking up shells to take home for my daughter's art projects. The beach was very, very clean so shells were few and far between.

Because this will be the end of this technical assignment, I do not know when I will return to Ghana, unlike last year when I knew I would return in 12 short months. The group of 10 coaches, and our "handlers" (from CUA and CCA) as I like to call them, have become more like family than co-workers. I will miss them all, but not right now.

I was the official welcoming committee when the rest of the group arrived from Accra. All the coaches and several interns (university graduates spending 6 month terms working in Ghana with the credit union system) showed up at lunch time. After huge hugs all around and a few quick stories of their trip, we were presented with a wonderful buffet lunch of western and Ghanaian food. After lunch which involved a great deal of catching up, the big waves called us and we spent some time trying not to drown or swallow the salt water. Let's just say that nobody drowned. A couple of Ghanaian women that had been part of the "Women's Mentoring Project" a two years past came for a visit. One of the women had stayed at Margaret's CU so they caught up on old friends. I am reminded once again that it is a very small world.

We are all going to CUA House now to present our final reports so I will say "until later................................"

Marcia

Well, We had a good meeting with the manager and board of Npando Credit Union. It was soon time to head for Techiman. This was on Tuesday the 13th. The view on our way continued to be beautiful and lush with mountains all around and the occasional stream. We travelled up, and up some more to go through one village quite high in the mountains and then travelled quite steep going down in a zig zag pattern like the switchbacks in BC. At times we were traveling quite fast and my stomach did the "roller coaster" flip as we went up and down the hills.
As night neared, we received a call from the regional manager of the Kumansi area credit unions. He told us that because of a breakdown in security, it would not be wise for us to travel at night through the Kumansi area. Because he was a native to the area, we took his warning seriously and found a hotel in the next available city.
I felt very pampered at the plush hotel we found and had my first hot shower since the 4th of February, not that I'm keeping track or anything! We had our supper beside the pool and watched the bats swoop down and catch bugs for their supper.
The next day we planned to have breakfast in Kumansi. Because of road construction and the busy highway, this turned out to be lunch. Our vehicle was air conditioned so we were cool for the bumpy ride. Along the road, we looked out our window to see two white people travelling up the highway in the opposite direction and on bicycles!!!! It was very hot, even at 9:30 a.m., and with the big trucks with their heavy loads racing along the road both Larry and I mentioned that they would be in a very dangerous spot. Pedestrians and bicycles do not hold priority when it comes to those big trucks.
Once we arrived in Techiman, we were reunited with Gene (my Ghana partner from last year) and Barry who had been coaching credit unions in the Eastern Region. Their driver, Sammy, was with them as well. Sammy had been teaching Gene and Barry many words and phrases in Twi, the local language of the area. Gene was up to 18 words and could manage quite well. I will have to practice to keep up. We want to practice Twi, and of course the Ghanaians want to practice English. It is a lot of fun to try!
Ebenezer Credit Union manager Michael was there to meet us as well as board members, including the board chairman who put off his trip to Accra to spend time with us. It was such a happy reunion. I feel very much a part of the Happy Family that is the credit union system in Ghana. After having a lovely refreshment in the Dymn's Hotel Garden restaurant, we got to have a tour of the new location for the Ebenezer CU. When we were in Techiman, in 2006, the site consisted of a plot of land and a pile of bricks. They have come along way as they are probably 1/3 of the way to completion. We also went to the office of Ebenezer CU beside the market. The office has been renovated and it is now twice as large, has a television for members to watch while they wait, a separate office cubicle for the manager and another staff member to help with the increase in traffic. The staff at Ebenezer CU is so focused on their members it was such a pleasure to see. This will be why Ebenezer CU is well known in the area for being excellent!
Next we were on to see the new premises of Abosomenkatere Credit Union. Abosomenkatere means cameleon because they adapt to suit the environment, and they sure do. Their new premises was open for business on the 14th of November,2006 and since then they have had 300 new members. They still operate their office out of the hospital grounds but that will eventually come to an end. My next blog entry will have pictures, I promise!!!!!
The best development I have seen in the last year is the addition to Prosper Aforbu's (Abosomenkatere CU Manager) family. His first born daughter arrived on January 7,2007. She is named Nana (queen mother) after her grandmother who is the queen mother of her village. We were told by Prosper that in Ghana when a woman gives birth, she moves back to her parents home for a few months so she is able to be looked after well by her family. Prosper asked Gene and me if we would like to go to his wife's family's home to see his new baby girl. It was such a privilege to be given the opportunity and, as I said, I promise pictures next time.
On Wednesday, we were able to go back to Ebenezer CU and Abosomankatere CU to have meetings with each of the managers. Gene and I took taxis everywhere we went and it was like when we were there last year. The big difference I found was that Michael, Prosper and Sammy (the assistant manager of Abosomanketer CU) were so much more than colleagues, they were friends and family now. It was much harder to leave this time as I do not know when I will return to Ghana. I do know I will return, I have so much love for this country and its people.
Once all our visits were through it was time once again to hit the road! Our driver Sammy is very good at his job and we travelled at times very fast and at times very slow due either to traffic jams in Sunyani and Kumansi, or road construction at various times throughout the journey. We all thought that Busia Beach Resort (our destination) was in Takoradi so when we got there we were surprised to find out that we still had a way to go! We finally arrived in the darkness around 10:00 pm. The restaurant stayed open for us and we walked on the fine sand and in the ocean a bit. We let the waves hit our ankles and a big one got our knees wet. Our rooms are fabulous and the service is second to none. One of the waiters, whose name is Wellington, has a wise phrase for every occasion. "When God posts a letter to you, no postman will delay it!" I will try to keep track for future use!
On our way to Takoradi this morning, we came through many little market stalls very close to the hotel. We did not see them last night as they would have been closed and it was very, very dark. We will go back to the hotel and await the arrival of all the other coaches. I am starting to get sad at the thought of leaving this beautiful country and its wonderful people. But, I must set those feelings aside and enjoy all the experiences the next 4 days will bring. And, like I said previously, I PROMISE pictures next time.......................................................................Marcia

Blog (via cell phone)

Subject line: Update for Marcia’s blog

Well it has been one week since you last heard from me. Internet connections have been scarce and we did not have cell phone coverage for some time.

We arrived in Hohoe Sunday afternoon. The hotel was run by a friendly woman named Hilda and her family. We were made to feel most welcome. The regional representative of the credit union met with us to welcome us, which is their tradition. We introduced ourselves, there were some small speeches and we shared a meal. This was explained as Ghanaian hospitality and over the next week we would have the pleasure of experiencing this many times.

Next is Monday Feb 5th. to Wednesday Feb 7th.

The first credit union we were at was Stazatan Teachers’ Co-op Credit Union. The premises were small and used well by the four young members who worked there. The chairman of the board looked after us very well. When we were not working we had meals in his home at his home compound. There were power blackouts daily and everyone, including Larry and I, learned to take them in stride.

While we were working board members would stop by to meet us. They would tell us what they teach and invite us to their school. We did not get to visit any class rooms, but we did get to take part in a meeting with a group of teachers. We were also invited to the home of the school principle, the chairman’s boss, to be formally introduced to him.

We have been so fortunate this trip, to be invited to the homes of people we meet. When our work at Stazatan Credit Union was over, we presented our report to the board. Many people were present, including the principal of the school who is not a board member but is a member of the credit union.

The meeting began with formal introductions, and then the rain began. We spoke louder and then it rained harder. The building we were in had a metal roof, so you can imagine how loud it was. We finished our report as the rain stopped. The credit union presented Larry and I with gifts of kenta cloth from the Volta region. They told us that when gifts of cloth are give they should be worn, so, two women board members helped me with mine and the men helped Larry with his. Mine had a headdress, Larry’s did not. I was to be like the queen mother and Larry was to be the king. There is a trick to getting the headdress just right, so I will have to practice.

On to the next Credit Union.

Thursday Feb 8th to Friday Feb 9th

Cajabi Teachers Co-op Credit Union is a smaller credit union. The woman who is the board treasurer is named Madam Stella. When this credit union began Madam Stella did everything in the office and worked as a teacher as well. The credit union position was voluntary. Cajabi Credit Union now has three office employees.

I felt that the staff were nervous with us at first, but soon they were asking us many questions.
I have never felt such hospitality as I did here. We were able to help them with issues, based on our previous experience. We were fed very well, too well at times.

The meeting we had with them at the end of it all was less formal in the way that it was at the credit union, and all members of the staff were present. There were only four board members, so it was easier to talk and answer questions. And it did rain but not as much.

Saturday Feb 10th

Today we visited Asato, a local village that is home to a mountain that has a cave that is full of ancient artifacts from the 1600s. We climbed the mountain, climbed into the cave, and were able to see the wonderful items the ancestors had left. On our adventure we were accompanied by the village elders and a local drum band. It was amazing.

Sunday Feb 11th

On Sunday we arrived at Cando Kpando, and we are in our hotel now. This morning we went to visit Lake Volta to see the largest man-made lake in the world, and we were also taken to Lady of xxxxxxx (signal drop out) which has life size … larger-than-life Stations of the Cross. There was a church service happening at the time, and we were able to listen to the music.

Larry and I have just gone for a big walk around the town and we have seen many telephones, so we should be able to update the blog more regularly for the next couple of days.

I will finish for now.

Marcia

Good morning again.I woke up way too early this morning. I always get excited when I'm going on a trip! This is a trip within a trip so I am doubly excited.
Yesterday was a huge day! Our luncheon at Mr. Darko's home was wonderful. The food was incredible and the stories Mr. Darko told of his personal life were exciting and made me admire him even more. He told us all of the vision he had to start a school in Ghana and then we were able to go on a tour of the school. We also got to see the training facility CUA is building and the adjacent accomodations, all in different phases of construction. The traffic through Accra on a Saturday afternoon was like nothing I had ever seen (except in the occassional National Geographic television special!)At the end of yesterday, we said our goodbyes to the four of our group that were leaving at 6 am. The rest of us all travel out to our assignments at different times throughout the day. Larry (Carnegie, from the Maple Creek area) and I head out around 9 am. From here we go to Hohoe and will visit 2 credit unions from that base. I do not know the internet facilities there but I have been told they exist so you will be hearing from me soon....................................Marcia

Good morning world!
Today, I woke up early, again. Yesterday was such a big day. We were all a bit confused as to what time we were doing what and when we were to be picked up but everything worked out in the end, as always. We had our first official meeting at CUA House. For those of you that don't know what that is, it is the Credit Union Association of Ghana facilities in the heart of the capital city of Accra, Ghana. The organization is very proud of their building and they should be. CUA has wonderful staff there and our meeting was in the board room very close to the top of the building. The room was air conditioned and they even left the air conditioning on throughout the entire meeting for our comfort. The meeting began very formally. There were introductions all around. CUA has new staff since last year and our group has two new members since last year too. We talked about where we were going, how we were going to get there and the size and age of some of the credit unions we were going to visit. There is a lot of planning involved with moving us throughout the country for two weeks and coordinating all the credit union visits we hoped to make.
Like last year, after the meeting, CUA invited our entire team to lunch. It was wonderful and I was soon reminded that I'm not quite used to the spices. I do know from last year that if I order fish, it comes complete with a smiling fish face and tail. The fish is wonderful and I don't mind staring down my food one bit!
Once we finished lunch, there was other business to attend to. We went to the foreign exchange department of Barclay's Bank to get some Ghanaian currency. The Cedis come in 10,000 and 20,000 denominations and the exchange rate for one US Dollar is 9,170. I walked out of there a millionaire!
By this time it was close to 5:00 pm. We all wanted to take a look at the "Art Market." It was close to closing time so we didn't spend too long.
Oh, good news. The bags that didn't make it on our arrival, arrived Friday night! Which is good because Gene and Barry were not looking forward to the pink razors we were offering them!
Today, we are to be given a great honor. We have been invited to the general manager of CUA's home for lunch. Mr. Emmanuel Darko is hosting our entire team. I am very glad that I thought to bring a "pretty" dress for the occasion.
I will tell you more about our luncheon next time..........................
Marcia

What a difference a day makes! Within 24 hours, I went from minus 30 in Saskatchewan to plus 30 in Accra, Ghana. I must say the most remarkable thing that I experienced today was seeing the landscape from my window seat from Frankfurt to Accra. Last year, we travelled across most of the African continent in the dark because of the timing of out flights. Today, I hit the jackpot with my window seat. We flew over the Swiss Alps, I think some mountains that could have been in Spain or France (they didn't have any snow on them). We flew over the Mediterranean Sea and I saw many islands that I will try to identify once I get home and start looking through our Atlas.
Then came some of the African country side. The desert was beautiful and like nothing I'd ever seen except for National Geographic specials on television. I didn't see any herds of anything roaming, but I was up pretty high! We flew out over the ocean and came around to land in Lagos. There were many trees/forests there which I wasn't expecting. We only landed there to let passengers depart and to refuel so all that were traveling on to Accra stayed on the plane. We then took off to go out over the ocean again to come round about to land back in Accra.
Getting off the plane, we were hit with the heat and humidity that we were all expecting. Because all of us checked our baggage at our original places of departure, we were all very happy to see each bag come through the door to the carrossel. That is, except for Gene and Barry. Two of their bags came through, but two did not. I'll let Barry tell you that story. Once we all settled into our rooms, we went out for a cool drink and now everyone is getting ready to settle in for the night.
Tomorrow will be a busy day and hopefully, Barry and Gene will get their bags delivered. I'm off for a good night's sleep.
Marcia.