Eating in Ghana: Where’s my Jollof and Chicken?

Michelle Robinson

mr200810@ohio.edu

One of the most notable experiences on any trip abroad is trying all the various types of food that are staples to the people and their culture. Little did I know that the Ghanaian food and dining experiences we had would become some of the moments that left the biggest imprint on our trip.

I was a little worried for myself and my classmates at first because a few of us are vegetarians or pescetarians, meaning eating fish but not other meat. I came to Ghana knowing that I’d be willing to try all types of food that I could, but food turned out to be more of a struggle than I’d expected.

This willingness to try anything took me by surprise though, seeing as on the second day of the trip THIS was my dinner. Never had I been served an entire fish on a plate before.

 Besides the obvious distraction of scales and picking bones out of my mouth, the fish tasted great. But Dr. Kalyango convinced me that I had to try the fish eye, which he said was the best part. I remember Dr K telling me that the eye would just slide down my throat like ice cream and that I would crave fish eye for every meal. I don’t know what he was thinking though, because that slimy eye had no resemblance whatsoever to ice cream….

Over the next few weeks we all had the opportunity to try some special Ghanaian staple-dishes. We became very familiar with the likes of jollof rice, waakye, red red, fried chicken, tilapia, banku, and the ever delicious fried plantains, which were my favorite. 

In fact, we began to expect (and in Josh’s case, CRAVE) jollof for every group meal.

A video by AdomHomeCooking on how to prepare Ghanaian Jollof

Everyone was very willing to try new things, but we found that group dinners became a little notorious for being disastrous to a degree. Now don’t get me wrong, I loved our group dinners and found they were a great bonding experience for all of us. But customer service in Ghana is so much different than that in America, which became one of the biggest learning experiences of all in terms of my ability to be patient.

Unlike what we expect in the United States, restaurants actually do have a limited supply of food for the day. I don’t think any local restaurant in Ghana expects a group of 20-something hungry young adults to swarm their restaurant all at once, therefore weren’t always able to cater to our needs and stomachs. We often joked that it took so long because the cooks had to go out and catch our fish or chicken before they prepared it for us. 

Oftentimes our meals would span over several hours, with some people being fed super early, some not getting their food for 3 hours, and some not being fed at all. When the kitchen would run out of a certain type of food they wouldn’t tell us until it was too late, and orders were sometimes forgotten. It was not uncommon to hear someone say "Where's my jollof and chicken?" at every meal. Although it was frustrating, we became very good at sharing our food family-style to make sure no one would leave hungry.

After two weeks I did get sick of eating rice and beans for every meal. Also, the Ghanaians were shocked whenever I ordered food without meat, and would try to force some protein onto my plate, much to my demise. 

Even though I was glad to try new things, I’m willing to admit that we all jumped on the chance to eat pizza whenever we could. I didn’t realize how much I’d miss bread and cheese, or other dairy products. And even though we may have all gotten upset stomachs from the food which led to nights with the toilet, and even though I don’t want to eat rice and beans again for a very long time, I’m happy that Ghana gave me the opportunity to expand my culinary diary and open my eyes to new foods. As I reflect on the food experiences from Ghana, I leave you with this closing haiku:

The fish was fresher

The pineapple was sweeter

Jollof is spicy

Preparing For Volunteer Work At An African Orphanage

Hannah May

Hmay2011@aol.com

Before traveling to Ghana and receiving our selected internships, I had in mind one of the main impacts I wanted to receive from this 25-day journey. I have had numerous friends and family members that have traveled to different countries in Africa working at orphanages and with young African children. When asking about their personal experiences, the only response I seemed to have received was, “You’ll just have to experience it for yourself.” This was my chance.

On our last day of orientation before flying overseas to Ghana, we met as a group to select our desired internships or places of volunteer. When in Ghana, I desired a unique experience, something far different than the student organization and internship work I have completed in the States. I saw Weep Not Child Foundation – Children’s Orphanage on the page and immediately wrote that as my top choice. Having several other students choose that as their first as well, I was ecstatic when I saw that my name was chosen with one other student to volunteer at the Foundation while in Ghana.

I have completed two full days out of four at the Weep Not Child Foundation. The learning process began within the first few seconds our car drove through the gates of the secluded orphanage. The knowledge I have gained from the two days working with the children and adults at the Weep Not Child Foundation is irreplaceable and immensely beneficial to the growth of who I am going to become as a person from here on out. Before starting at the Weep Not Child Foundation it would have been beneficial to have prior knowledge on the circumstances and emotions I was about to face. 

Things one must do in order to prepare for the first day of arrival at an orphanage:

1. Mentally prepare yourself – arriving at any orphanage is not an easy task. Contrastive to America, the conditions of some of the orphanages in countries like Ghana are sub par to say the least. You need to be aware that the bathrooms may just be dirt mounds, the live poultry squawking next to you may be fresh dinner the next day, and the showers may just be buckets of water. Aside for the conditions, you must be aware of the toll that these children will have on your heart. You will care for them immediately, you will love them like your own, and you will never want to leave their side.
2. Research – Ghana specifically is divided into different regions: Central, East, West, and Northern. Each of these regions is home to different Tribes found in Ghana. These different tribes also value different beliefs. These beliefs could contribute to how the orphanages are run, and also what the people inside of them believe. Research the orphanage you will be working with, research the location, the beliefs that area holds, research any piece of information that will make you as prepared as possible before entering the gates. This will catch you less off guard when entering the facility and hearing what the Madam has to say about the history of the orphanage and their daily activities.
3. Keep an open mind – After mental preparation and research, before stepping foot into the gates you need to remind yourself to keep an ope n mind. They will eat differently than you, cook differently, clean differently, and go about daily life differently than you. You must be able to accept and tolerate how these people live. An orphanage is the last place where judgments should be made. 

Last piece of advice: Take a step out of your comfort zone and volunteer at an African orphanage in your lifetime. Put it on your bucket list, save money, and make the trip to impact someone's life just as much as they will be impacting yours. As cheesy as it is, these children will change your life, forever.

Music: The universal language

By Heather Farr

In Lusaka, Zambia

"The March" by Robert Randolph and the Family Band is one of my favorite songs to hear performed live. The song/dance has no words, no set steps, and no rules but to move your body. In the words of Randolph, “as long as you’re moving, you’re doing it right.” Each time I see this song performed, I imagine him playing it all over the world. I imagine different crowds of people, of all colors, shapes and sizes, dancing separately but together. They might not dance the same dance, share the same beliefs or even speak the same language, but in that moment, they all share the music.

Music is an important and apparent part of everyday life in Zambia and has served as not only a common ground between our group and locals, but also as a way for many to connect and interact in a way that would not have been possible otherwise. From Catholic churches and rural villages to nearly any bar, restaurant or club, the sound of music welcomed us to Zambia in many forms.

Something borrowed, something new

Music in Zambia can best be described as eclectic. Similar to many other aspects of the country’s culture, the music embodies a mix of tradition and outside influence. Music classified as "Zambian music" incorporates distinct outside influences – from Rumba, jazz and reggae to rap, hip hop and gospel – but contains few distinctly Zambian elements aside from Zambian language. Nearly all restaurants and bars are music-oriented, and clubs often house a band or a DJ playing a mix of American hip hop, European techno and other African rhythms.

Along with singing and drumming, dancing is a huge part of everything from cultural celebrations and ceremonies to entertainment. Like music, dances are a mix of contemporary and reinvented or recovered traditional styles (many traditional dances were discouraged and lost during the colonial period as they were seen as threatening to authority and evil). Zambians dance to remember their roots, to attract visitors and, most importantly, to celebrate.

The connection point

As a self-proclaimed concert addict and a former competitive dancer of 14 years, I understand the connection one can have with another person or group through music and dance. However, I never expected to feel this type of connection through music in Africa. According to Augustine Phiri, the Lusaka-based dance instructor who trained our group in African dance once a week, dancing together allows people to interact on a different, fun and less intimidating scale.

“Those I teach and I are on different levels in life, but when we dance together, we can come up or down to meet each other,” Phiri said. “While I am teaching them, they are also teaching me. There is so much we can learn from each other in such a simple exchange.”

Similar exchanges happened when the comforting sound of familiar songs appeared at internships and other locations in Lusaka, sparking conversations and music file swaps. With the expansion of new media in Africa and elsewhere, the same song can be enjoyed by people literally half a world away. This makes music an instant connection point, no matter who you are.

More than words

Although English is the official language of Zambia, communication between foreigners and locals is sometimes lost in accents, foreign phrases and, of course, indigenous languages. This is where music broke the barrier several times throughout our trip.

We visited the Kasisi orphanage and many kids were shy or did not speak English, but soon opened up when they were given the opportunity to learn a new song or teach us one of their own – it’s amazing how far a little “Hokey Pokey” can go. Similarly, many widows at the Chikumbuso compound could not communicate with us using words, but touched us so immensely with their gospel-like and harmonized songs full of hope and joy.

“Using music, whether it be song or dance, to communicate is an easy way to reach common ground when there may be a language barrier or a cultural misunderstanding,” senior advertising major Rebecca Koch said. “It just makes the world a little smaller and less intimidating when you can connect by singing a simple song together.”

Heather Farr is one of 18 students from Ohio University, who studied abroad in Zambia over winter intercession through the Institute for International Journalism.

She is a senior public relations major with a certificate in the Global Leadership Center and a specialization is sociology.

Pursuit of Higher Education: Illusion of Equal Opportunity

By Lauren Nolan

in Lusaka, Zambia

The college search process is an almost ascertain part of many American students lives as they near the end of their secondary educations. University of California Santa Barbara, Indiana University, University of Tennessee, University of South Florida, Miami University, Ohio University. I visited five different states, thousands of miles apart, over the time-span of a few months, all in the search for a university that would be just the right “fit” for me. Four years and some odd months later, I still remember the college search processclearly. There was a lot of travel, a number of campus tours, meetings with department heads, and speaking to current students about their experiences. I was excited for what my future had in store, and not once did it cross my mind that I would do something after high school other than attend a university.

I feel the expectation to achieve post-secondary educa tion, whether at a four-year university, community college, or vocational school, is fantastically engrained in the culture of the United States. Not only do I believe that many U.S. students take these opportunities for higher education for granted, they fail to seize their education, instead merely sailing through their academic careers. Students in the U.S. also fail to acknowledge that the opportunities for higher education are unequal, domestically and abroad. There is an illusion of equal opportunity.

Furthermore, some students in the U.S. simply attend universities as a result of pressure and expectations from parents, guidance counselors, or peers. A number of freshman students across the country enroll as “undecided” in their major area of study. Even students who do enroll with a selected major will often change it at some point during their undergraduate careers. None of the university students I spoke with in Zambia enrolled as an undecided major, and from what I see, that is the norm.

Attending university in Africa is a major feat, and one that, as far as I can tell, is not undertaken lightly. The students I have spoken with in Lusaka enrolled at The University of Zambia (UNZA) with clear goals. Zambian students take their education seriously, they found the thought of skipping a class outlandish. I find this amusing as I think back to some of my larger lecture classes early on in my college career, where most days I was easily able to find a seat any place I wished, but, when exam day rolled around suddenly the room was jam-packed with students.

UNZA students and Ohio University students mix and mingle while walking to class.

Less schools, less opportunity

Zambia is relative to the size of Texas. While Texas has a complex education system made up of more than 77 universities, Zambia has only about nine universities. Texas has a much larger population than Zambia, about 11 million more people. However, even Illinois, which has about the same size population, at around 12.4 million, has more than 75 universities. To even have the opportunity to attend a university in Zambia is prestigious and a notable accomplishment, as the lack of educational establishments results in a lack of opportunity for attendance.

I find myself highly impressed with the motivation and commitment of the students I met at UNZA. Not to say I am not as equally impressed with some students in the states and at my home university. However, the UNZA students seem fully aware of the fortune of their opportunity for higher education in a country where the school life expectancy is 7 years for females and 8 for males, while U.S. students seemingly take it for granted. I think that level of awareness and appreciation drives them to be successful, motivates them to not skip classes, and learn as much they can, while they can. Many U.S. students don’t bat an eye at the thought of skipping a class, especially if they feel they either don’t need it for the career fields they hope to enter or believe they can successfully pass the course without attending. I think this is a huge mistake on the part of American students. We should all learn from the Zambian students, and try to take away as much as we can from the opportunities we are presented. Therefore, the next time you think about skipping that economics class because you’re majoring in journalism and you “don’t need it,” consider the fact that many people in the world don’t even have the opportunities for such intellectual growth. Advance your knowledge and understanding in any subject area you can, and appreciate the fact that you have the opportunities at all.

I am currently a student at The University of Zambia, attending seminars in Lusaka as a part of an annual journalism study abroad program put on through cooperation with UNZA, Ohio University, The Institute for International Journalism, and the Ohio University Office of Education Abroad.

Brenda Evans, another Ohio University student, and I, on our first day of class at UNZA.

UNZA students sit outside to enjoy the weather between classes.

Another OU colleague, Tom Ginley, and I in front of The University of Zambia campus map.