Disability Not Inability

  “Disability is not inability” was the closing statement of the team’s first active guided learning session, which was centred on the importance of equal rights and opportunities for those who are disabled as well as disability acceptance in Ghana.

Our team of volunteers from Ghana and UK working to provide business support to local enterprises took time off normal work schedule to interact with pupils of Bagabaga Primary School, Tamale, and encouraged accepting people with disability as a shared responsibility. The team delivered a presentation which explored three extraordinary people whom had all achieved great things in history. One by one, we read each of their brief biographies, informing the children of each individual’s achievements.

Volunteers explaining presentations to pupils

Our first individual was Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32^nd and longest serving President of the United States of America who is regarded a great role model and leader by the American people. Facts were told of his life as the President of the United States, through the struggle of the great depression and his successes in power. Each member of the group then went onto explain some of those successes and the children were highly impressed.

Next, was Stephen Hawking, a physics genius from Oxford, England. Just like with Roosevelt’s bio, the team shared some facts about Hawkins’ life, discussing his early years as a student and young physics protégé. The children were also told the long list of prestigious awards and recognition Hawking’s received throughout his life from all over the globe and, once again, the children were most impressed.

Finally, the team told the story of an individual from right here in Ghana. This man, considered an integral pillar of the community, is Henry Siedu Daanaa. Daanaa is a lawyer and the Minister for Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs of Ghana and once again the volunteers explored his successes in life and his ability to rise to assume such position despite all odds.

“Can anybody tell us what these individuals all have in common?” we asked the class.

Student enthusiastically making a point 

All of the individuals, at some point of their lives, experienced a disability. Roosevelt experienced Polio in his later life, Hawkings developed ALS as a young man which gradually disabled his nervous system and finally Daanaa was visually impaired and became the first blind Ghanaian lawyer. The team decided to leave these facts out of each profile, not to shock the children that people with disabilities can succeed, but more that each of these individuals achieved the things they did because of disability rights and public acceptance and support. Without that acceptance, or with the absence of simple human rights and equal opportunities, the World would have been deprived of a leader, a genius and a lawyer who never let his disability affect his dream.

Volunteers keeping students engaged

The team feel that we made a positive impact on the children of Bagabaga Primary School and sensitised them on what disability actually means. There is no time to marginalise and stigmatise people based on appearances in this day and age and we feel that through sessions like this, we can get this message heard.

“My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesn’t prevent you doing well, and don’t regret the things it interferes with. Don’t be disabled in spirit as well as physically.” -Stephen Hawking

   

Time in Tamale

The Challenges Enterprise Project UK Volunteers (UKVs) and I have been in Ghana for 15 days. After some brief training on cultural awareness, alongside receiving logistical information and training i.e. on risk assessment forms and the code of conduct, we were released into our host communities to begin the settling in and adjustment process of life in a different country and learning about different cultures. Our initial week also included ice-breakers with our project team mates, five In-Country Volunteers (ICVs), various team-building activities and a new cultural learning experience for everyone involved.

Volunteers excited about work after a training session

Some particularly useful parts of training have included UKVs and ICVs bringing together relevant key cultural differences, for example the UK youth’s avid drinking culture in comparison Ghana’s youth’s rare tendency to consume alcohol. In a business setting we explored the differences in conceptions of professionalism; ICVs explaining that long sleeved shirts tucked in and a tie is very important and UKVs highlighting the importance of time-keeping and a firm handshake. Both of these exercises drew out interesting cultural differences and have provided helpful tips and advice for the introduction into our businesses and a smooth host family experience from my perspective as a UKV.

Looking beyond our guided cultural awareness sessions I have been keen to see what else our team has learnt from each other and their experience in Tamale so far. I have enquired within our team about some personal cultural learning experiences and have found some interesting results. UKVs have observed that the community climate in Tamale is friendlier than in our own home cities, strangers will often wave, smile and greet you on the street. For some of us with a UK background this took a little getting used to as people going about their own business in the UK usually do it in silence! Our team leader Paulina Adjei and my counterpart Foster Ofori informed me that there are approximately 80 languages in Ghana. The amount of languages contributes to immediate bonding between speakers of the same language who are often from the same region/tribe. British English also differs from Ghanaian English for example a Ghanaian might “pick a taxi” or ask “what will you take for lunch?” whereas a Brit might “take a taxi” or ask “what will you have for lunch?”.

On the subject of lunch, both ICVs and UKVs have come to learn that mealtimes are structured and practiced differently. In Tamale, large lunches are taken and smaller dinners in the evenings before sleep.  ICVs have noticed that UKVs are often satisfied with a small lunchtime snack such as biscuits or plantain. Traditional meals in Ghana are generally made up of three components, a starch (fufu, banku, yam etc.), meat, fish or egg, and a sauce or soup. It is common for local people to eat with their hands or a spoon for fried rice or jollof and the pounded food such as fufu and banku are chewed less in favour of swallowing (as my host mother explained, the chewing has already been done!). I have found that both ICVs and strangers are keen to share their food, stating “you are invited” which to Brits symbolizes a kind, thoughtful generous gesture of friendship.

Foster has kindly contributed some of his own observational learning experiences from the first couple of weeks such as vegetarianism. I am the first vegetarian he has met and he has been interested to find out that some people choose not to eat meat and ask me about my personal reasons why, for example environmental impact, ethical farming and dietary nutrition. He also mentioned that we don’t “pay attention to happenings in the street” which I understood as being less likely to get involved with events unfolding in public. We talked about examples like a fight erupting on the street or a minor road collision and how in UK culture these would not usually draw such a crowd.

I have really enjoyed this introduction to what I’m sure will be a great learning experience for every volunteer involved in the three month placement and it seems that we have already begun to learn lots about each other. 

As a recent Cultural Anthropology graduate, I passionately believe that encountering other cultural belief systems and practices encourages self-reflection and self-awareness as well as flexibility, adaptability and the ability to step outside our own cultural comfort zones with new perspectives. These skills are essential to building the societies of our future.

Testing, Testing

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Wiaga Girls Club, CRB-Life (Ghana, 2015)