ABANTU @ 10: Celebrating 10 years of ABANTU!

On November 18th, ABANTU for Development's West African Regional Office (otherwise known as my workplace) celebrated a decade of amazing work in the struggle for women's equal rights in Africa. And in true Ghanaian style, they held their celebration just a tiny bit late... like a year late...their tenth year anniversary was last year. But the delay just granted the planners of this event more time to make it a jam-packed 9 - 5 day of engaging presentations, celebratory activities, food and, of course, dancing!

As a volunteer for ABANTU, the day provided me with a window into the history of the organization and enlightened me on just how much ABANTU has accomplished in a mere decade. I'll give you a summary of the day in pictures. It will read just like a children's storybook only without the condescending tone.

No anniversary in Ghana would be complete without some branded collectors items.










Stylish bracelets available in black and yellow, ABANTU's colours. All the staff were advised to wear these colours to the event. Most of us looked gorgeous, others, myself included, bordered on looking like honeybees.








Gertrude, my post-Ellen supervisor, pins an ABANTU pin on an attendee.

ABANTU's donation box. The organization must have made a great impression over the years as this box was pretty full at the end of the day.



















Adusei and Auntie Grace waiting for the crowds to show at registration.

Ms. Hilary Gbedemah, an absolute natural on the mic, was the emcee for the day. She has chaired and hosted many of ABANTU's conferences and events throughout my time at the organization. Definitely the funniest Ghanaian in town. Here, she has just finished asking the attendees to look at the conference agenda, look at the person to your left, and say to them: "we are here for the whooooooollleee day." Whenever energy was low in the room, Gbedemah was sure to remind us that we can't lose steam now, 'cause we're here for the whooooooolllllleeee day.

Meet Ms. Hamida Harrison, Programme Manager of ABANTU and one of the strongest women I have ever met. She's nicknamed "International Woman" by staff both because her work has taken her all around the globe but also because of her tendency to interrupt meetings to answer long-distance calls. The nickname sounds a lot better when my coworker, Joan, says it in a zealous cheering voice -"EEN TA NA SHIONAL WO MAN!"

Professor Takiywaa Manuh, the Chairperson of ABANTU's Board of Directors, acted as chairperson for the event. Expressed her deep sense of pride in ABANTU's work and commended Dr. Rose for her leadership.

Dr. Rose Mensah-Kutin, Director of ABANTU's West African Regional Office, welcoming participants. Everyone was so proud of her work with ABANTU and was sure to let her know at the event.

Mr. Kwasi Gyan Apenteng, the Programme Coordinator for Cultural Initiatives Suppose Programme, was invited to speak about the changes in Ghana with regards to gender equity and women's rights over the past ten years.

Dr. Angie Dawa, Regional Director of ABANT, Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office in Nairobi, Kenya. Dawa delivered her speech on "Ten years of ABANTU: perspectives from Kenya." Though ABANTU's ROESA office adheres to the same mission and vision as ABANTU's ROWA, their areas of operation are different. ROESA seemed to focus more on women's health and economic development (wealth creation). However, they also focus on gender and governance like the ROWA office.

Ms. Grace Yeaney, Exec. Director of Women's Movement for Sustainable Development. She is based in Liberia and thus offered a her own narrative of what Liberia has seen over the past ten years with regards to women's rights and equality. She assured us that even though Liberia is the first African country to have a democratically-elected female president, women are still at a large disadvantage given that the country is still recovering from a civil war.

Professor Takiywaa Manuh chairing a panel discussion on the presentations.

Attendee who obviously got the "yellow" memo.

Celebration!! ABANTU and its supporters cheer Ghandi's famous saying "be the change you wish to see."

ABANTU and their supporters. Everyone's so happy!! And not just because lunch is about to be served...Though that may have something to do with it.

Lots of hugs and smiles that day.

Dr. Rose interviewed by the press. 

Attendees watching a photo slideshow of ABANTU over the years.

Attendee that sat next to me. Every time an obroni would appear in the slideshow her and her friend would point and asked if I can see myself in the photo. "You are there!" she would say. And I would tell her it wasn't me... until the time finally came that I was in a picture. 

Lizzy and Rafkatu, the lovely National Service Students working at ABANTU who put up with every Ghana-related question I have. In exchange, I try to explain a few things about white people. Hard to speak for all of them though...










Priscilla, another National Service Student, giving a sneaky smile. Priscilla also doubles as my Twi teacher and cultural guide. Again, in exchange I provide a bit of insight into the odd ways of the west.

Alfreida, one of the student interns at ABANTU this summer. She's handing out the ABANTU @ 10 souvenir book which was used to raise money for the organization. Student interns who come back to volunteer for ABANTU's programs or just to visit are so common that the organization has given them the nickname "Abantulettes" 

Afua holding the money-bag, as an auctioneer auctions off ABANTU's souvenir book for generous donations. The highest bid? 1000 GHC!! Not bloody bad.

Gracie, another Abantulette (and this one is full of personality, let me tell you) hands out the souvenir book to the highest bidders. 

Hilary and a woman from an organization that works closely with ABANTU dance to encourage people to donate.

Awards ready to be handed out

Hajia Bilkisu Yussif, Board Member for ABANTU's country office in Kaduna, Nigeria, accepts an award for her commitment to advancing gender equity in Nigeria.

Veronica Mba, an amazing woman - the first ever blind woman to be elected to the District Assembly in Ghana. She has participated in ABANTU's capacity-building programs for women running for district assembly positions.

     Jacob, ABANTU's Security Officer, is awarded for his hard work in protecting us at the ABANTU office!

Adusei, Support Services Officer for ABANTU, humbly accepts an award for his hard work.

Auntie Grace gets an award for her amazing work as ABANTU's Administrative Assistant. The place couldn't run without her.

Auntie Hamida, a.k.a. "International Woman", also receives an award for her hard work at ABANTU.

ABANTU Staff: Joan, Follie, Afua and Gertrude

Dancing ensues after the WHOOOLLEEE day has come to and end. National Service Students join the party.

Back home, it might take a bit of effort to get a guy on the dancefloor (well, maybe not the guys I hang out with), but here in Ghana - men are the first to leap at the opportunity to show off their moves. Here Marfo and Jacob, usually very shy and quiet, come alive with some Hi life beats.

 

Musician, Gonje and his band, provide live music for the crowd. 

Adusei and Mabel get down.

Obroni finally makes it on the other side of the camera.

And We're Back! Theatre Review: Terms of Divorce

My apologies for the blogging hiatus... I know my absence has thoroughly disappointed millions.

And November has been such an eventful month! So I will slowly catch everyone up on the action packed Accra adventures, or “accraventures” as I like to call them... or rather, as I will call them from this point on.

Alas, the accraventures have been carried out at an increasingly slower pace this month as the heat and the sun become much more intense. The HEAT - it’s all expats can talk about these days. I hardly have anything else to say to people other than “geeze, it’s getting a lot hotter these days, huh?” To which they eagerly agree and we then enter our awkward quest for something else to talk about. If the conversation turns to sports, I plan my escape route - “is that an injured goat I hear in the distance?” - Otherwise, I generally welcome any other topic quite happily.

Commentary about the heat is not limited to expats, though. Ghanaians share their two cents about the weather. 

Example 1: “This African sun, it is too hot! How can we do anything? Ah!”

- My host mother on a scorcher of a day during a blackout.

Example 2: “It is raaiiiining today! Can you imagine what it will be like during the rainy season?!"

- My soaked coworker, upon entering the office during a rain storm that caused floods all over Accra.

So those may be the only two interesting comments that come to mind right now but I swear I hear more complaints! It’s the equivalent of hearing Canadians complain about the winter year after year after year as though every time November rolls around we’re surprised that fall still turns into winter. Every year. Leaves to snow... I don’t understand.  

Okay, enough about the cold, I can delay having to think about it for another month. Back to our eventful November!

Well the most important event of November was of course, my birthday. Birthday celebrations were slightly muted by the impending deadlines for the funding proposals I was working on. However, I did manage to celebrate the occasion with a visit to the theatre... which I choose to pronounce “TheATAH” for no particular reason other than it simply feels right.

I was accompanied by two lovely gents - one Neil, from England, and one Hafen, from the US. We stopped briefly at Koala, one of the few grocery stores where westerns can pay insulting prices for their comfort foods. We dished out the equivalent of the mean household income of an American middle class family for a bag of Doritos and a can of Pringles. What a steal!

We hopped in a taxi and made our way to the National Theatre to watch the hit theatrical romantic comedy “Terms of Divorce” by renowned Ghanaian playwright James Ebo Whyte. 

The house was packed! This was pretty shocking as the play wasn’t cheap... 25 Cedis a ticket. However, after having seen a few Ghanaian plays, I knew that the audience reactions alone are worth the price of admission. The best part about the audiences? No dirty looks whilst rustling our chip bags and crunching away on our snacks.

Terms of Divorce tells the story of Ralph and Ethel, a couple in the final stages of a messy divorce. At the opening of the play, we learn that Ralph and Ethel have been in a vicious tug-of-war over the divorce settlement for close to two years now. The process has been made that much more difficult because the couple have enlisted lawyers Michael and Baaba, who are themselves, bitter divorcees! 

We quickly learn that a court date is soon approaching where Ralph and Ethel will be able to sign off a final agreement, once and for all - authorizing their divorce before a judge. But before they do this, they must visit some kind of marriage counsellor who will rubber stamp the agreement.

The counsellor is an older, cheerful man married to a mad woman whom he adores passionately. He warns Ralph, Ethel and their lawyers that his wife will frequently interrupt their proceedings with odd hallucinations. He tells them that his wife becomes very upset at the mere suggestion that she is mad, so if everyone could be so kind as to accommodate her hallucinations and play along with her madness, that would be greatly appreciated. So as the counseling proceeds, we are met with bizarre and often hilarious intervals where the counsellor’s cooky wife serves invisible tea and snacks or alerts everyone about murderers surrounding the house. In an effort to appease both the counsellor and his wife, the group plays along and drinks from their make believe tea cups and kills the murderers with their pretend guns.

The counsellor’s devotion and love for his wife, who proves to be quite a handful, eventually inspires Ralph to re-consider the divorce with Ethel. And after about 10 more argument scenes between the couple. they finally decide that they shouldn’t throw away their 20 year relationship over a couple of mishaps. I must say it was a bit of a shock to hear the couple had been married 20 years as the actors looked like they were in their early thirties... but who am I to deny two 12 year olds from making a lifelong commitment to each other?

Eventually, Baaba and Michael, follow suit, clarify the misunderstanding that let to their marriage’s dissolution and decide to re-marry.

The moral of the story: divorce is for quitters. 

The play was definitely entertaining but went in some strange directions. For example, about two-thirds of the way through, the play suddenly turned into musical and introduced fantastical theatrical elements like smoke machines and angels (who doubled as backup dancers). Some of the numbers performed would be familiar to anyone who has seen a movie trailer for a romantic comedy in the last century like James Blunt’s “Goodbye My Lover” or Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One I Want.” Just a WEEE bit cliché.

Another drawback, and a complaint I have about most Ghanaian theatre I’ve seen thus far, is the length of the play - nearly 3 hours. I mean, if I were watching a staged rendition of War and Peace translated into Twi, this length might be acceptable. But the play was marred with repetition and redundancies that lengthened scenes unnecessarily. The pace of the play also could have been tightened by eliminating actions and dialogue that detracted from the narrative train. 

Other than these details, (oh, and the audio levels for the mics... let’s refrain from using max volume when your actors are screaming at each other for the majority of the play, thanks)  I was quite pleased with the show! And as expected, the audience played their role just as well as the actors - contributing their “oh!”s and “ah!”s with conviction and enthusiasm. One moment in particular sparked roaring laughter and heckling from the audience. Ralph and Ethel, now googly-eyed and lusting after each other, are dressed in their “make-up sex” costumes - towels. They flirt with each other, indicating that they are ready for another round in the bedroom and eagerly ascend the stairs to their love chamber. Just as they reach the final step, Ralph’s towel falls off!! Fortunately for Ralph, he was wearing boxers under his towel. But believe me, the presence of underpants did not hinder the audience’s riotous reaction.

The best part about that moment? I GOT IT ON VIDEO!! Too bad the internet just ain't strong enough for me to upload it.

All in all, a great night at the theATAH topped off by pizza and wine at my favourite joint. Yay birthday in Ghana!