decolonization through peregrination

Oh Dumsor, not sure if I should love you or hate you. Off and on is our relationship. Leaving me hot or cold. You remind me constantly what a precious commodity electricity is, how easy my life has been, and that yes, it is possible to go without it. You surprise me every day anew. Always lurking around the corner. Never certain how long you will stay or when you go again, but grateful that you are with me while I am writing these lines. DUMSOR. My first Twi word I learned. Dum means off, Sor means on, as for the constant on and off for electricity. Jubilation is almost louder when its back on than when the Black Stars score a goal ;) The aforementioned Nkrumah, while controversial at the end of his term, was responsible for building the first large scale hydroelectric power dam in Ghana - Akosombo Dam. Finished in 1966, its construction created the largest man-made lake in the world - Volta Lake - to produce electricity for the aluminum industry they tried to bu

Sometimes I wish I would have chosen Trotros as the center of my research.  These mini-buses/transporters that are furnished with four row of seat in the back,  and on average hold 15 + people, including a driver and a "mate" who collects the fees and tells the driver when to stop.  In the past two months I have spent most of my time either waiting for a Tro to arrive, inside one of them (waiting for the bus to fill us in one of the many stations so we can start the journey) or sitting in traffic of Accra (which has be the great majority).  Seemingly uncoordinated and superficial chaotically organized the thousands of mini-buses make Accra move.  Here a pic on one parked on the side of the road in Jamestown... probably waiting to fill up ...or taking a break More soon... 

Last weekend I decided to see a bit more of the city of Accra, as the last weeks have been purely consumed by work stuff. We checked out Jamestown, the oldest district of the city right by the ocean, and seemingly the only "tourist attraction" in the city. I had already heard that the beach is not really suitable for swimming as sewage of this 2 million people capital is lead into it, but I utterly unprepared for what was to come. For one, Accra is a huge city, with huge mansions and fancy parts of town (e.g. Airport Residential), but fact is that many people still live in poverty, despite the rate being lowest in the capital, as inequalities are huge (and growing). Fish is a main source of protein for Ghanaian and with other opportunities of employment being slim to none (as products are to a large degree imported and industries are nascent or non-existent), fishing is a popular option to make a living along the coast. Traditionally it has been the Ga  com

When one is interested in Ghana you simply can not get around the guy that lead the then called "Gold Coast" to be the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to independence: Kwame Nukrumah.  A bit of a controversial figure, if you ask me. He has been called everything from visionary to dictator that made his opponent die in jail. I tend towards visionary till 1960 and more towards dictator until the coup in 1966.  Still, overall is was a pretty amazing person, chiefly responsible for bringing together African states into a union. A true pan-africanist, not quite as much appreciated by the West, nor his fellow countrymen and women towards the end of his reign, but now honored by a memorial in Accra.  In all his glory above.  In his final resting place below. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah  (1909 til 1972 - he did not return alive after the coup in 1966, but had died in exile from which he continued to write many impressive books...) Joyous d

So my initial optimism about living with a friend of a friend of a friend was cooled down a bit after the rent was raised from $200 to $300 per months. 5 days after arrival. Living in West Legon. Cumbersome and expensive without a car. Far away from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture ... and ultimatly and lonley place to be, if you are not part of Ghanas elite. Moving out after six weeks of stay sucked, but turned out the best solution to the greedy landlord that had no refrigerator, no bed, no wash machine, no generator... and hence mostly not even lights! Its a long story that shall be spread one of these days, to those to care to know. Best over a beer. Suffice to say that there are greedy people, independent of (passport) colors. This niece of Nana Akufo-Addo, sister of influential NPP man, and lady that tells you to talk to "her lawyer"for pre-paid rent she felt entitled to keep,  apparently didn't get enough... love? money? sense of justice?

Arriving in Accra was easy. I was allowed to take my two bags one literally full of 38 books, yet still only 23 kg).  My wonderful friends took me to the airport and even carried the bags to check in (thank you Bibi and Carmen!) . TAP allowed me to take my guitar along too, not knowing how poor my skills are and how many people  I will be annoying  with my attempts to improve : )  Nana, a lady I had met a few months early at the African Literature Association meeting in Bayreuth through a common contact of Prof. Abena Busia, did not  only pick me up, but also rented me a room in her house. Here in Ghana you always have to pay rent ahead of time or your apartment or room. So many people must pay for one year, even two years of rent in advance (even tough the law limits it to six months). In my case we agreed on three months.  Accra is a pretty big city, and my colleague Hanna had warned me already about the chaotic and congested traffic. Around midnight  the city

On the road again... aber jetzt mit offizieller "Reserach" Mission.  ....ich nun für meine sogenannte Feldforschung ein Jahr in Ghana, um Daten für meine Doktorarbeit zu erheben.  Das Thema ist grob gesagt Agrarpolitik in Ghana.  Im Detail geht es darum zu verstehen WER Einfluss auf den Agrarsektor nimmt und was deren Erwartungen und Wahrnehmungen gegenüber nachhaltiger Landwirtschaft sind. Das Jahr ist selbstauferlegt. Allerdings frage ich mich, nach noch nicht mal einer Woche, ob das eine gute Idee war… Selbst schuld wenn man sich ein Land aussucht für seine Forschung in dem man noch nie war.  Obwohl die Ghanäen sehr freundlich und hilfsbereit sind. Leben in einer Stadt in Afrika ist aber trotzdem anstrengend und teuer!!! Eins der vielen Paradoxe die meine Motivation die Situation besser zu verstehen aufrechterhalten: Warum muss ich in einem Land in dem 60% von Landwirtschaft leben MEHR für meine Lebensmittel (speziell Essen und Trinken) ausgeben als in Europa?? U