macaroni and cheese, development, and ancestor worship

So I think I’ve decided I love Tuesdays.


I have to get up at 7 a.m. for 8 a.m. class, but I don’t mind at all, because the classes are so worthwhile and I’m learning SO much from them. Tuesdays I have my internship seminar first, and then right after that I have my Society, Culture and Modernization class. Both are really, really great classes, and I’m surprised at how much I’ve learned through my internship seminar. Because all of us in the internship program are interning at NGOs, NGOs and their functions and roles in developing Ghana are what the readings primarily focus on. Today, we talked a lot about how many people and societies (both in the African and in the West) view outside developmental aid as merely an extension of the colonial agendas established over a hundred years ago in Africa. Essentially, some argue that NGOs funded, implemented, or directed by the West are self-serving in that the goal is not necessarily to “develop” the country but to make it more western. As Westerners trying to come develop a developing world, we often see these countries as way far behind in infrastructure (both physical, social, political, etc.). However, the West fails to recognize that the state of Ghana (the first African country to gain independence from colonial rule in 1957) is only 50 years old (and every other country is much younger), and that America didn’t just become the progressive, developed country it is today in a matter of 50 years. We most certainly didn’t even face equal amounts of oppression and pressure and influence from other countries like Africans did. So to call these countries “underdeveloped” or behind is true, but only because they haven’t had the time to catch up. Additionally, this raises the question of whether our help is wanted. At least this is something I’ve been looking at and thinking a lot about. I think it’s great that the West is trying to advance Ghana and Africa, but it should be doing so for the sake of Ghana and Africa, not for its own sake (as is sadly the case). I wonder if Africans are resistant to our help because they are reminded of the colonial agendas, or if these programs are seen as valuable to their success and growth. A trite, but true, saying goes “Give a man to fish, he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.” I think the same motto should be applied for any truly effective development. The West cannot come in and put a band-aid on Africa’s problems, giving it a quick fix and moving on. In fact, we shouldn’t be solving any of Africa’s problems, but instead teaching them, and providing them with the resources and the education and the means to better themselves. We cannot continue to think we have to do the work for them—it only fosters a lack of motivation to change and grow in Africans, and a completely self-serving mentality in Westerners. Additionally, and briefly, the World Bank and the IMF lend so much money on loan to African countries, only to charge them high interest rates and include so many strings attached that by the time the funds have been exhausted, they owe more than they borrowed, and have to take out more and more loans. It’s a vicious cycle which isn’t assuaged by the fact that Africans will intentionally and often over-bid the budget for funding of roads, for instance, and then use only a small portion of the funding (the necessary portion) to pay for the development, and distribute the rest in both corrupt and uncorrupt (but still against the terms of their loans) ways. Therefore, the money we keep shipping on over to Africa isn’t getting distributed as it should be, and funds, time and efforts aren’t allocated as well as they could be. Ultimately, we need to teach them how to fish: how to be self-sufficient and how to develop in their own way. On the same token, we cannot assume that as a “developed nation” we know what development should look like for the whole world. Oftentimes, our way of doing things in America/Europe JUST DOESN’T WORK here. The culture is different, the attitudes are different, and changing some of these things means ultimately changing the fiber of these countries, and that is an injustice. So, I am stuck wondering, how much help is too much help? How little help is too little? Are the programs in effect right now actually doing good, or just disguised Western-agenda pushing? Do Africans even want our Western ways of doing things implemented here? (Who’s to say our way is the right way? Maybe they just want to be left alone to live and develop as they are doing on their own time and in their own way). It’s all very confusing and interesting, and I have a million more sentences to say about it all, but this is just the tip of the iceberg, and I know I’m rambling. Anyway, I’ll leave this topic alone for now, and leave you with a quote from the reading we had to do regarding this issue:

“As with the racist ideologies of the past, the discourse of development continued to define non-Western people in terms of their perceived divergence from the cultural standards of the West, and it reproduced the social hierarchies that had prevailed between both groups under colonialism. On this basis, the so-called ‘developing world’ and its inhabitants were (and still are) described only in terms of what they are not. They are chaotic not ordered, traditional not modern, corrupt not honest, underdeveloped not developed, irrational not rational, lacking in all of those things the West resumes itself to be” (“The missionary position: NGOs and development in Africa,” Manji and O’Coill). ß A very interesting read if you have the time.

Just something to chew on (I’m definitely still chewing).

Switching gears, though, my second class, “Society, Culture and Modernization,” was really great. Today we learned about religion in Ghana. I talked in an earlier post about their belief in a Supreme God (High God) and the lower gods (low gods). In addition to the belief in these, their religious practices involve ancestor worship, witchcraft, magic, and oracles/divination. Aside from the worship of the low gods, ancestor worship is the most prominent form of religious expression in Ghana. It is believed that if you live a good life, have children, AND die a good death, you will become an ancestor. If you die a bad death (which includes death from ailments, disease, suicide, accidents, execution or ulcers), or do not bear children, you will not become an ancestor and your legacy will not be remembered. Upon death, these ancestors are buried with things they’ll need for their adventure into the “land of spirits”. It is the Ghanaian belief that whatever the ancestor was (occupationally) in the physical life, he/she will be in the land of the spirits. Therefore, a king will be a king, and oftentimes, his servants would commit suicide, as a form of honor, just to be buried with the king to accompany him to the land of the spirits. Ancestors are also buried with money to pay they ferryman, as it is believed that the land of the spirits are somewhere across a river in Nigeria. (The knowledge that most people are buried with money is cause for a lot of grave-robbing.) Additionally, they believe that you are a reincarnation of an ancestor. Our professor said he was a reincarnation of his great grandfather. We asked him how he knew this, and he said he visited a diviner. Ancestor worship is also a form of social control, because if you do not lead a good, positive life on earth, you will not move on to the land of spirits after death or become an ancestor, yourself.

Divination is another tenant of religion here, and diviners are essentially psychics. They can tell you about your past (like who you are a reincarnation of) or can tell you about the future, all for a small fee. Anyone can become a diviner by taking a class on how to become one. Diviners can also use “juju,” a form of black magic, to manipulate certain events (a student could visit a diviner before a test to use juju to make the teacher give him/her an “A”).

Witchcraft is also very common, though not like we think of it in America. Almost all mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws are witches, which I found very funny, since one could argue the same thing in America! They are said to be witches because they cause a strain between the man’s relationship with either woman. Being called a witch is common in Ghana, and can be ascribed to anyone, man or woman, with unusual behavior (Even if this person is an outcast or just socially awkward). People believe being a witch is inherited, and often call people witches when they feel someone has slighted them.

All this was very interesting to me, and I love learning about Ghanaian culture through this class! Our reading for that class comes from our professor’s, book, entitled “Tradition and Change in Ghana: An Introduction to Sociology,” by G. K. Nukunya. It’s very comprehensive, and covers all major topics of Ghanaian society and culture. I will bring the book home with me and can lend it out to anyone who’s interested in reading it (I highly recommend it!).

After class, Gillian and I went to Melting Moments, a cute little restaurant down the street from us. We hadn’t been there before, but heard great things about it. I got a huge bowl of baked macaroni and cheese, which might’ve been just about the best thing I’ve eaten since I’ve been here. AND it was only 3 Cedi 80 pesewas! I left feeling so satisfied and FULL for once. We spent the rest of the day really doing nothing, though I did figure out some visa stuff for our upcoming spring break trip to Morocco, and booked the hotel rooms for Gillian’s birthday weekend trip we’re planning in early March! All in all, it’s been a WONDERUFL day, and I am happy.

Also, I got to Skype with Jon for almost an hour and a half, which truly warmed my heart, since I hadn’t talked to my dear friend in so long. Rebecca joined us for a little of the conversation, and it was great to hear from her too! I had a long talk with Eric, too, about all this development stuff, and where my heart is with all of it. It was a great day of communication and love.

love love love