Projects in Africa
Since 2005, I have had the great opportunity to travel and work in Africa. These narratives and photos speak of my impressions and experiences. It is my pleasure to share them with you.
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Pokuase, Ghana January 2009
This was my third trip to work with the KamiAmi Women. Pokuase is feeling like a second home.
Some things in Pokuase are the same. The main road from Accra is still not done. The dirt road that leads from the place I stay to the place I work (a 30-minute walk) is still only partially finished. It is hot, dry, and dusty. A cold beer at the end of the day is really refreshing.
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Bolgatanga, Ghana and Kabale, Uganda 2008
As a consultant for SERRV, I worked with basketmakers in both Ghana and Uganda. SERRV International is a nonprofit organization that promotes social and economic progress by marketing handcrafts in a fair and just manner.
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Pokuase Ghana August 2008
I was greeted by hugs and cheers and dusty children. It felt like home. I was back in Pokuase to work with the KamiAmi Women. My official mission this trip was "marketing and product development." It was a success on many levels, interspersed with the frustrations that seem to always occur when you are trying to make something happen in Ghana.
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Pokuase, Ghana January 2008
Another incredible trip to Ghana - this time to Pokuase, a town of 20,000, about an hour north of Accra. Pokuase is off the main road, rarely visited by tourists. The streets are mostly dirt, with huge potholes and occasional pavement. There are roaming goats, chickens, dogs, and many, many people. Despite its size, it feels like a village. The stalls in town are for the residents, and sell almost anything you might need.
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Bolgatanga and Nungua, Ghana 2007
Ghana, a country of dusty roads, roaming goats, great street food, and welcoming people - smiles, greetings, and laughter as we practice their language. It was wonderful to be back, with another lifetime of experiences stuffed into just a very few weeks. This adventure was shared with my daughter Dani, who had recently finished her Peace Corps service in Namibia.
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Nungua Ghana 2006
In 2006, I had the opportunity to share the wonders of Ghana with special friends. We traveled to the Volta Region and Kumasi, to the slave castles and the canopy walk. We learned about Kente, Adinkra, fantasy coffins, and beads. We laughed and sang and shopped.
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A journey to Namibia, December 2005 (photos by Dani Abrams)
It was a great visit with my daughter Dani, a Peace Corps volunteer in Namibia. Formerly known as Southwest Africa, Namibia became an independent nation in 1990. It is twice the size of California, with less than 2 million people. Namibia is home to both the Namib and Kalahari Deserts, Etosha National Park, an innumerable number of animals and birds, and several seaside towns.
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A journey to Ghana, August 2005
I am home, with visions of Nungua (our Ghanaian neighborhood) still dancing in my head. Aba House, where we lived and taught and ate and danced, was our center - a place filled with the art created by both visiting and local artists, and even with the artists themselves - who were in and out all the time, just visiting, taking classes, bringing new work to the gallery, or coming to do some community drumming and singing. The yard filled with activities - our classes (papermaking, making books, even occasional baskets) as well as tie-dye, batik and Adinkra workshops. Even a pet monkey.
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