We have had many long bus rides during our time in Ghana. Traffic and difficult road conditions made these rides even longer. But the length of these rides has been a gift. A gift of togetherness and time with our Ghanaian colleagues. Time to learn songs. Time to talk with them about their families, educational experiences, and religious customs. And time to learn from them some phrases in the Twi language.
We have laughed together at my terrible mispronunciations as I tried to form my lips around new sounds that simply don’t exist in English. The Ghanaian teachers have been so encouraging and helpful, breaking complicated words down into syllables and repeating them many times so I could hear the individual sounds to string together.
I learned that embedded in Twi is the great respect Ghanaians have for family members. Older brothers and sisters are addressed not just with their names but with Bra and Na before the name to show respect.
During our time here it has been so amazing to listen to our Ghanaian colleagues speaking so many languages and dialects, and easily switching from one language to another, something they take for granted. In addition to English and Twi many also know Ga, Ewe. Dangbe, Fante, and more. One of our Ghanaian colleagues is also a sign-language interpreter.
One might add to this that the Adinkra symbols prevalent throughout Ghana are an additional visual language, where embedded within each symbol is a whole proverb or story.
The Witness Tree Institute program has also provided time to rest and reflect in beautiful natural settings, including Anomabo Beach on the coast. Here there was a quiet afternoon where we had time to slow down, observe, and draw and paint our surroundings. I sat with three colleagues, one American and two Ghanaians, and we all drew from the view in front of us.
Olivia very carefully observed our fellow educators while they played football (soccer) on the beach. With her visual language she captured so much about the gesture, outfit, and feeling of each individual coming together in friendship.
Godwin and I collaborated on a piece, he painting into a gestural ink drawing I made. I love how he created a halo of light around each figure with his technique.
Then Godwin created this carefully observed view of the stone jetties and sky, canoes in the distance, small figures running in the foreground, muted hues for rocks and sand.
Meghan approached the same scene with her own lens and visual language. No figures, no boats, but instead the simplicity of rocks, sea, and sky holds the space.
It is hard to believe that tomorrow many of us will already be leaving and crossing this sea on flights back to the United States.
The friendships we have made and experiences we have had here in Ghana have transformed us. We have helped each other cross rope bridges high up in the canopy of the rainforest. We have given each other confidence to try swimming for the first time, or even touch a crocodile. We have stood together in respectful silence with our feet in the waters of the river where captured people were bathed before being auctioned by slave traders.
Yes, we have sat together around conference tables and discussed the important work of lesson plans and classroom management, regular “teacher stuff.” But we have also held each other when we have fallen off swings or twisted a knee, played competitive Uno deep into the night, and walked into a botanical preserve to smell fresh cinnamon and bay leaves. All of our senses have been awakened. And we have deeply bonded with this country and our fellow teachers here.
Afie. Home. One of the first words I learned in Twi. The elder who blessed me on one of our very first days here told me, “Ghana is your first home. Please return many times.”
By Joanna Dunn, Ceramics and Fine Arts Teacher, Fenn School, Concord, Massachusetts, USA