SHAHERAH IN GHANA – SHAHERAH’S DAILY DIARY
Warmth of the people
Sertvice is phenomenal
Day 1
I genuinely had no clue what to expect on this short trip and walked into it with no expectations whatsoever. However, within minutes of arriving in Ghana the warmth of the people is apparent and it didn’t take long for me to find social and cultural parallels between Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago.
The service at the Cresta Royale is phenomenal and staff here is incredibly helpful. Although its only been a few hours I am glad that I chose to visit Ghana and look forward to seeing more of the country over the next few days
And it is Shaherah's birthday
Happy Birthday, dear Shaherah, happy birthday to you !!!
Meeting the Minister
At the Centre of the Earth
Ghana – Day 2
Today was quite hectic, but totally informative. Natalie and I started the day by visiting the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations where we met with Minister Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Laptey and shared the reason behind out decision to visit Ghana with and selected media. We were invited to sit in on a briefing session for a group of young Surinamese people who wanted to investigate Ghana for themselves. Natalie were overwhelmed by the history that the Minister was able to impart on the young people and intrigued by the perception that the young people had of Ghana.
After saying good bye to the Minister, we travelled to Tema where we met with Municipal Chief Executive, David Quaye Annang who welcomed us and presented with sashes made from genuine Kente cloth. It was at his office that we learned that Tema is literally at the centre of the earth due to its latitudinal and longitudinal location. Armed with this information we promptly went to the Presbyterian Church of Ghana which is located on the meridian.
Before leaving Tema we quickly viewed the rock which marks the exact location of the centre of the earth
A better understanding of the slave trade
I bottled in after the first bridge
Ghana – Day 3
At the end of Day 2 I was give a surprise party by the Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relations and local presenter Blackofe. The bash was attended by a number of well known Ghanaian personalities and I truly felt at home.
On our third day in Ghana Natalie and I travelled to the Central region and visited the ever popular Kakum National Park where we walked The Kakum Canopy Walkway. Natalie actually walked it – I bottled it after the first bridge and legged it to solid ground! The Kakum Canopy Walkway is Africa's first and only rainforest walkway, is composed of 350 metres of suspended bridge and six tree platforms that reach the height of 30 meters above the forest floor.
We left Kakum and went to Elmina castle which Natalie had been eager to visit since we decided to visit Ghana. The architecture of the castle is genuinely amazing and somewhat haunting. Our tour guide possessed a wealth of knowledge on the history of the castles and gave us detailed information on the various rooms in the castle. The structure and organisation of the slave trade is even more apparent after visiting the castle and I am pleased that I was given an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the slave trade.
Expressing my gratitude to Ghana Tours
Children seemed genuinely happy to see us
Ghana – Day 4
Today was the busiest so far. We started out by visiting the staff at Ghana Tours who sponsored our visit to Ghana. After expressing my gratitude I was whisked off to the launch of the Official Ghana Tourist Guide which was attended by the Hon. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Mr Yaw Diabah (Director of Talk5) and Nana Akuoko Sarpoong amongst others. We saw performances by Traditional Dancers and Symphony Orchestra and were presented with a copy of the Tourist Guide.
As soon as the launch was finished we went straight to the Korlebu Maternity Ward and were greeted by the Head of the Department, Prof. E. Y. Kwawukume. The need for monitors was addressed and I promised to investigate possible solutions to the issue.
From the Maternity Ward we visited the Osu Children’s Home which was quite moving. There are over 100 children at that orphanage and their ages range from 2 days old to 25 years old. The children seemed genuinely happy to see us and I was sad to say goodbye to them. Despite their current circumstances they are happy and staff members at the orphanage are to be commended for striving to create a comfortable environment for the children.
Once we said our goodbyes we stopped by the office of the Chief Director of the Department of Tourism, Bridget Katrisku, who welcomed me to Ghana and encouraged me to return. I promptly informed her that encouragement wasn’t necessary!
Shopping here taught me a thing or two
Justified in calling myself African
Ghana -Day 5
Our trip comes to an end and I can honestly say that I am exhausted.
Today was spent mainly interacting with the local people via my favourite medium – shopping! We visited the Arts Centre and it was an experience. I thought I had managed bartering in London markets but shopping here taught me a thing or two about haggling. I grabbed a variety of gifts for my family including Kente cloth and gold bracelets.
We will end our trip by attending a ‘leaving do’ this evening and then its off to the airport at 6 am and back to London by afternoon.
This short trip has left an impression on me. I’ve begun to learn Twi, I’ve adopted my African name – Abena – and I actually feel justified in calling myself African. If I never opened my mouth to speak I would blend right in. I hope to be able to return to Ghana early next year with either friends or family in tow.
I would encourage anyone who is interested in visiting Ghana to take the plunge and ‘just do it’.
Daily reports of the visit by Shaherah Williams and Natalie Galloway to Ghana are brought to you by
www.magnetpromos.com
