March 2006 photos

In the U.S., you're celebrating March Madness. In Ghana, I'm celebrating Funeral Madness. Funerals are very big here. They are very big, expensive parties and truly their source of entertainment this time of year. Anyway, there are a lot of interesting customs that go along with funerals, so I created a page to explain. Check it out HERE.

Ghana celebrated it's 49th Independence Day on the 6th of March!! On this day, all the school children in Binaba and surrounding villages came together to "march for Ghana". Each school wrote their own chant and did a salute to the political leader in town. My hat earned me the name "Madam Ghana" for the day.

Remember when I did a little traveling with my PC supervisor when she came to visit me in January??? Well, here are the photos from that trip!!

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1-4: More pics around Binaba. The women in #4 are processing sheabutter.

5-6: Bolgatanga is the capital for baskets!! They are so colorful and beautiful!

7-9: Sirigu. This a popular eco-tourism site near Bolga. The women of this community do these paintings, pottery, and other neat crafts. Unfortunately, this skill is going away as well as the desire for such type paintings, even though they are making good money from sales. The PCV there now is working to get the women to pass this skill down to their daughters. It's a part of their culture that I would not want to see go away.

10-15: Paga. Another popular eco-tourism site near Bolga. Remember that crocodile I said I "pet"? Well, here's proof! :) We also met the "cultural music leader" in the area (pic #10). He played his instruments for us and told us all about his life there in Paga ... truly fascinating guy! The guy in pic #11 is a PCV who works in both Paga and Sirigu. Since we are in the same region, we've become good friends.