Hello from Morocco!
We arrived safely in Casablanca early Friday morning on a red eye from Ghana. We soon headed straight to Rabat via an old fashioned train I imagine probably used in the movie Casablanca (or in my dreams)...
We spent the last few days walking around the lovely capital city, eating our share of wonderful pastries and consuming loads of cafe le cremes. Caffeine and sugar - the other dynamic duo besides Team Feth.
We visited the Hassan Tower and ornately decorated mausoleum as well as an old Roman castle/casbah (now we know what the song Rock the Casbah refers to - kind of lame).
We're now in Casablanca waiting for our friend Becky to arrive from San Francisco (yay!). The next few days we'll travel around to Marrakech, Essaouira, and Fes.
It's chilly weather here but we're welcoming the nice change from Ghana and staying warrm with Moroccan mint tea!
Hugs from Maroc!
December 14, 2009
December 10, 2009
Medasi Ghana!
The time has come for us to leave Ghana and move on to our next adventure. It is amazing how fast the time has flown as it doesn't seem that long ago when Ghana opened it's arms those first few days of September with a huge Akwaaba!
Looking back, it took some time to get adjusted to the way of life here having just come from a whirlwind experience in Kenya. But it wasn't long before we making our way around the country visiting places like the Volta Region, Cape Coast and touting around the capital, Accra.
Ghana impressed us with it's safety and modernness. Ghanaians are very friendly and there is a strong sense of national pride resonating throughout the land.
I will miss the red-red dishes and Brian, the fufu.
To thank TechnoServe and say farewell to the colleagues and friends we've spent the last few months getting to know, we hosted a small gathering at our apartment yesterday evening. We enjoyed the company of about 15 or so folks and wished we had taken the time to have more gatherings early on.
Saying goodbye is always bittersweet because something new and exciting awaits while something wonderful and familiar is left behind.
In Ghana we made fast friendships and formed bonds out of the once-in-a-lifetime experiences shared during the short period of time we were here.
As we move on and go our separate ways, we will forever carry the lasting impressions stamped by our newfound friends and stored in that special secret once-in-a-lifetime compartment in the heart.
Medasi Ghana! You are always welcome in our home :-)
*We are off to Morocco and India for the next several weeks and look forward to sharing our stories and photos with you when we return*
~ Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ~
Love,
J* & CN
December 8, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving Ghana - You Are Welcome
We had a belated Thanksgiving dinner full on with turkey, stuffing, potatoes and all the other American fixings on Thursday, the 3rd of December. We were a total of 11 people gathered at our temporary home of Volta Lodge.
The day prior to our feast, I picked up the turkey which was raised in the backyard of a gentleman living in Osu. Mr. Turkey a la Ghana weighed in at about 15 lbs (6.5 kilos) and had most likely been 'prepared' that same morning. Brian made the comment that this was probably the freshest turkey he's ever had. It was indeed fresh from the farm....
That evening after a tough day at work sampling Guinness in the Accra brewery, Brian put together a rub for the turkster to marinate in overnight. There was a bit of confusion at first about the composition of the turkey given it still maintained parts usually discarded before making it's way to the grocery aisle back in the US (such as the neck and the behind). Despite this, Brian was able to successfully and manly prepare the bird. *so proud and thankful he likes to do this!*
The next morning I began cooking way too much food around 9:30am. I made a mountain of potatoes, boiling and then mashing by hand 15 in total (this is the Irish coming out in me). Next I made a baked squash, green beans sauteed with garlic and butter, a tomato and cucumber salad, a veggie pasta bake, chocolate chip cookies, fudge brownies, (no pumpkin pie - quite sad I know), and Brian prepared some delicious stuffing!
A friend came by early to prepare a brussel sprout and shallot dish. Another friend brought over two local Ghanaian dishes and others brought ice cream and beverages. People started gathering around 6pm and by 7pm we were getting our feast on. Brian gave a brief rundown of what Thanksgiving is all about and why we celebrate it in the US. Someone commented afterwards, "and people say Americans have no culture - this is culture!" That was cool.
We sat around and enjoyed the wonderful bounty we were so blessed to share with one another. It wasn't long before we were going around the room each saying what it was we were thankful for.
A wonderful belated Thanksgiving evening was had, as we were able to share our American holiday of thanks with newfound friends in Ghana.
The day prior to our feast, I picked up the turkey which was raised in the backyard of a gentleman living in Osu. Mr. Turkey a la Ghana weighed in at about 15 lbs (6.5 kilos) and had most likely been 'prepared' that same morning. Brian made the comment that this was probably the freshest turkey he's ever had. It was indeed fresh from the farm....
That evening after a tough day at work sampling Guinness in the Accra brewery, Brian put together a rub for the turkster to marinate in overnight. There was a bit of confusion at first about the composition of the turkey given it still maintained parts usually discarded before making it's way to the grocery aisle back in the US (such as the neck and the behind). Despite this, Brian was able to successfully and manly prepare the bird. *so proud and thankful he likes to do this!*
The next morning I began cooking way too much food around 9:30am. I made a mountain of potatoes, boiling and then mashing by hand 15 in total (this is the Irish coming out in me). Next I made a baked squash, green beans sauteed with garlic and butter, a tomato and cucumber salad, a veggie pasta bake, chocolate chip cookies, fudge brownies, (no pumpkin pie - quite sad I know), and Brian prepared some delicious stuffing!
A friend came by early to prepare a brussel sprout and shallot dish. Another friend brought over two local Ghanaian dishes and others brought ice cream and beverages. People started gathering around 6pm and by 7pm we were getting our feast on. Brian gave a brief rundown of what Thanksgiving is all about and why we celebrate it in the US. Someone commented afterwards, "and people say Americans have no culture - this is culture!" That was cool.
We sat around and enjoyed the wonderful bounty we were so blessed to share with one another. It wasn't long before we were going around the room each saying what it was we were thankful for.
A wonderful belated Thanksgiving evening was had, as we were able to share our American holiday of thanks with newfound friends in Ghana.
Gobble! Gobble!
Rubbing down Mr. Turkey
Hello Idaho!
Did I mention there's no AC in the kitchen? It was like cooking in a sauna, hence the foggy camera lens
Viola!
Hostess with the Mostess
A Happy Thanksgiving in Cape Coast
For our second to last weekend in Ghana we spent our Thanksgiving being thankful for the ocean, the waves, the sandy beach, some cold brewskies and each other.
We departed for Anomabu, a small beach town just east of Cape Coast, on Thursday afternoon via STC bus. Our Thanksgiving dinner was at the lovely Anomabu Beach Resort restaurant overlooking the ocean.
The following three days consisted of relaxing under beach umbrellas, Brian swimming in the ocean and lots of reading. Just like Elmina (west of Cape Coast) Anomabu proved to have an amazing collection of sea glass which we both found ourselves snatching up each evening when the tide was low.
The food was very nice especially when accompanied by a couple bottles of tasty wine. And Ghana continued to give us romantic walks along the beach underneath a dreamy sunset canopy.
On Saturday we visited the Cape Coast Castle and explored around the town. We enjoyed drinks at a local pub, chatted with a woman making palm nut stew and enjoyed the bustling sounds of people passing by.
Sunday came and we got in a bit more beach time before departing back to Accra. Overall it was a pleasant weekend and we both came away without sunburns - bonus!
We departed for Anomabu, a small beach town just east of Cape Coast, on Thursday afternoon via STC bus. Our Thanksgiving dinner was at the lovely Anomabu Beach Resort restaurant overlooking the ocean.
The following three days consisted of relaxing under beach umbrellas, Brian swimming in the ocean and lots of reading. Just like Elmina (west of Cape Coast) Anomabu proved to have an amazing collection of sea glass which we both found ourselves snatching up each evening when the tide was low.
The food was very nice especially when accompanied by a couple bottles of tasty wine. And Ghana continued to give us romantic walks along the beach underneath a dreamy sunset canopy.
On Saturday we visited the Cape Coast Castle and explored around the town. We enjoyed drinks at a local pub, chatted with a woman making palm nut stew and enjoyed the bustling sounds of people passing by.
Sunday came and we got in a bit more beach time before departing back to Accra. Overall it was a pleasant weekend and we both came away without sunburns - bonus!
What's on the menu for Thanksgiving?
Spaghetti in Coconut Juice; comes with ketchup of course!(?)
Down the beach a boy was dumping water out of a boat and onto his friend
Our room was surrounded by sand and palm trees
A young boy with a makeshift surfboard
Brian in search of sea glass
View from Cape Coast Castle
Cape Coast
Future surfers in training
A woman carrying bags of water on her head
This was heavy!
Seeking sea glass
Goodnight moon.
Happy Thanksgiving!
December 1, 2009
Today is World AIDS Day
Here is an article I wrote about World AIDS Day:
The message is loud and clear. Take action. Be accountable. Know your status. This message can be seen plastered on billboards and heard on favorite radio stations all throughout Ghana. Today that message not only ties a red ribbon around the hearts of Ghanaians but also on one that intertwines us all across the globe. The 1st of December is upon us and that means it is World AIDS Day, a day that takes a stand in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). HIV weakens the immune system as it destroys the ability for the human body to fight off infections such as pneumonia and tuberculosis (TB). It can be transmitted through bodily fluids including blood, saliva, breast milk and semen by ways of unprotected intercourse, sharing of drug needles, mother-to-child and open sores.
Started in 1988, World AIDS Day was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an opportunity to bring awareness and focus efforts on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Currently there are an estimated 33 million people living with HIV. Of the total world HIV population, around two-thirds are people living in sub-Saharan Africa, according to an AIDS epidemic update by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The top countries that bear the brunt of the transmission include 1) Swaziland (26%), 2) Botswana (24%), 3) Lesotho (23%), 4) South Africa (18%), and 5) Zimbabwe (15%), which are all located in sub-Saharan Africa.
In Ghana there are presently an estimated 260,000 people living with HIV, according to the UNAIDS. This puts the country at having one of the lowest prevalence rates in Africa at approximately 2% of the population living with the virus. However, this is still higher than the less than 1% of people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. For Ghanaians living with HIV/AIDS, roughly 30% of new infections were contracted despite being in what were perceived as low risk heterosexual relationships. Another 30% of new infections were transmitted by engaging in causal sex according to a recent UNAIDS chart.
Many who contract HIV are able to go on to live healthy lives with the aid of standard antiretroviral therapy (ART). Such therapy consists of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) administered in a cocktail to slow the progression of the virus. However, access to such medications is not widespread. With the majority of the HIV/AIDS population living in sub-Saharan Africa and more than 70% of the people living on less than US$2 a day most are unable to afford the very drugs that would not make HIV a certain death sentence. In a report by the WHO, UNAIDS and UNICEF there are more than 13,000 HIV positive people on ART in Ghana but roughly 87,000 people are still in need of access to medication. That’s over a third of Ghanaians living with HIV/AIDS without access to the medications that can maximally suppress the virus and give them hope for a healthier and prolonged life.
That is just the theme given to this year’s World AIDS Day: Universal Access and Human Rights. According to the Ghana Government Official Portal website, Ghana aims to enhance and advocate for leadership and accountability in addressing the HIV epidemic at all levels. All stakeholders in decision making at the national, regional, district, and community, family and individual levels must be engaged. Stigmatization and discrimination must be reduced and increasing and updating testing devices must be put into place. Ghana’s Vice President John Dramani Mahama urges all to help promote counseling and testing services and join the national response in preventing HIV/AIDS.
With 3,800 people dying each day from AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa there is much work to be done in fighting against this epidemic. However, despite being a long way from eradicating HIV/AIDS, there is still progress being made. When it comes to treatment, there are more people living with HIV than ever before as people are living longer due to the beneficial affects of antiretroviral therapy and population growth. In the recent 2009 AIDS epidemic update, UNAIDS finds that in matters of prevention, new HIV infections have been reduced by 17% over the past eight years. In sub-Saharan Africa the number of new infections is approximately 15% lower, resulting in 400,000 fewer infections in 2008. In a UNAIDS article on the matter, Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of WHO states, “international and national investment in HIV treatment scale-up have yielded concrete and measurable results.” “We cannot let this momentum wane. Now is the time to redouble our efforts, and save many more lives."
With the concerted efforts of international organizations, local and national governments, private and public sectors, NGOs and you, we can continue to fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS and advocate for healthy lifestyles without discrimination for those already living with the virus. There are many ways you can take action in response. Ghana’s Ministry of Health suggests promoting abstinence and faithfulness, reducing the overall number of sexual partners, promoting the use and consistent availability of male and female condoms and encouraging voluntary counseling and testing. HIV/AIDS no longer needs to be the death sentence it once was. But more notably it no longer needs to be one of the cruelest global atrocities of our time. With a focus on universal access and human rights, take the opportunity to learn your status today so you and others can live a long and healthy life.
Jalyn Feth - Correspondent (NGO News Africa),www.ngonewsafrica.org
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