April 7, 2008
Story and pictures : Doreen Allotey
A Belgian crew working on a documentary that would compare the lives of people who have spent the same time on the globe have chosen Kwabi Hanson, a barber in Accra, as part of the project. He was born on October 5, 1968.
The crew have only made contact with Hanson on phone so far but intend to visit the country to do more. The interesting thing for the crew is that Hanson has a job( barbering), which is very recognisable to the Belgian audience, even though there may be little differences as a consequence of where Mr Hanson lives —Ghana.
I traced Hanson to an area in Accra popularly known as Abuja and found his wooden kiosk situated on what can pass for a hill in a little settlement near one of Accra’s markets known as Agbogbloshie. His shop is almost opposite a pile of firewood for sale and among many other kiosks that serve as workplaces and sleeping places for most travellers from other parts of the country, who arrive in Accra in search of jobs. His shop has “No money , no woman” boldly inscribed in front of it.
Hanson says he loves this saying very much because he has found from his experiences in life that women, whether wife, sister, friend, girlfriend or daughter, love to go where there is money and that women could easily disown you in the absence of money. Guided by this saying , Hanson is not married but has a 16 -year- old daughter— Dorothy Hanson— who is living with his relatives in Aflao, the border town between Ghana and Togo.
Hanson charges 70 Ghana pesewas for a haircut, but at the end of it all, the earnings are woefully inadequate to take care of his basic necessities.
In his barber’s shop sat a huge black box serving as a loudspeaker that has the notice ‘For sale’. To complement his earnings, Hanson makes these boxes himself for sale. He makes them one after the other as they get sold out and advertise this ware when he blares music out of it.
He has another love, which is acting. He has been working with Prime Media in Accra on a number of productions and showed me an album of himself in various acting scenes.
One of his favourite movies is “Finished man”. On a daily basis he responds to demands of carving out a career and hobby in film acting. As soon as he hears of places where auditions are taking place, Hanson dresses up and heads there.
His daughter Dorothy and one of his six siblings were in the album. The picture showing his siblings was taken at Osino, a town in the Eastern Region of Ghana, where Hanson hails from.
His father, Mr Awuah Hanson, a retired teacher and his mother, Joyce Ama Serwaa, a trader in foodstuffs, live in his hometown.
Hanson has travelled widely across the country. This is because he followed his father anywhere he went on transfer to teach.
Hanson did not train to be a barber; it was something that came naturally to him while in school. He found himself being asked by friends and mates to give them a hair-cut. With time and practice, he perfected the art of barbering.
This act was to become a major earner of his daily bread.
Hanson’s real dream of becoming an accountant was cut short when he was involved in an accident a few days to writing his final examination at the Rans Business College at Osino. He stayed in hospital for six months waiting for the injury to his leg to heal. At that time, he didn’t believe he could walk again.
Hanson explains that his time in hospital disrupted his whole direction in life, and because his father had as many as seven children, including him, resources at home were always very little. He is sometimes very angry with his father for having many children.
“ Wishes are not horses for me to ride; sometimes I feel like giving up but what would I eat if I don’t go on,” Hanson urges himself to go on.
“ But I will never take part in any illegal business. I like my freedom very much, maybe as much as I love reggae music.”
Before going into barbering, Hanson was doing some work as a draughtsman in the very kiosk that is his barber’s shop today. He took part-time classes at the Super Techinical College in Asylum Down in Accra in that field of study. He learnt to do that manually and with time, this became outmoded, causing his customers to leave him.
Even though Hanson lives in Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region, he often goes home at the weekends because he cannot afford to use all his earning on transportation from his barber’s shop in Accra to Amasaman everyday. He attends a Pentecostal church and even though he does not attend very regularly, he believes “that is where my salvation is”.
Hanson is not very clear about the objectives of the documentary and how beneficial it would be to his life but is keeping an open mind.
On what the documentary seeks to achieve, an editor on the project, Annelore De Donder, says “It has to do with an interest in other customs and traditions”.
“The responses to the search from Ghana by the project in Belgium were so many that I even had to stop accepting people who kept on calling. Strangely, most of the people who called were born on May 3, 1981,” she said.
In all, 20 responses from Ghana were received by the project. Other people chosen for the project are two other men living in Chile and Canada. The episode will result in parallel portraits of these three men and their Belgian counterpart— but in very different places all over the world. All four of them were born on October 5,1968.
The interesting questions the documentary will seek to answer are : What have been their life experiences? Did the cultural context in which they grew up influence those experiences? Are there similarities in the lives of these people? Does it really matter where you are born?
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Informal training...Story of Philip Aidoo, the sucessful carpenter
March 13,2008
By Doreen Allotey
` Ghana’s education has been organised along two main lines—the formal and informal.
Informal vocation takes place in the form of apprenticeship agreements with craftsmen and trades people. Training is on the average, a period between two to four years but this depends on whether the “master” thinks that the apprentice has learned enough to become a senior and carry his good name wherever he or she goes.
The master also determines how long an apprentice who qualifies to be a “senior” would serve under him/her and whether the senior can work with him or her on commission or what is termed “work and pay” basis.
Thousands of Ghanaian youth are engaged as apprentices in the private or informal sector throughout the country. While some of these apprentices have formal education of some sort, others have never stepped into the classroom but are making it their own way through hard work, determination, discipline, humility and patience.
Apprenticeships available include fitting, spraying of vehicles, hairdressing, tailoring, masonry, welding, plumbing, shoemaking or how to mend shoes, catering and carpentry.
In the carpentry business, one of such persons is Mr Philip Aidoo who started his apprenticeship in 1984. He left his parents’ home in Mankessim in the Central Region to become an apprentice at the Akan Centre of Furniture in Mateheko in Accra for three years, after which his master graduated him as a senior. With this new status, Philip served his master for a couple of years.
He then worked at the centre, supervising some of the new apprentices for another couple of years. When he left the centre, it was to enable him work for different companies on different contracts for three years, gathering experience as he worked. He has since 1992 established a furniture shop at the Awudome Estates with the name Green Wood Furniture Works, opposite the famous Bongo Bar. He obtained his certificate of registration in 1993.
For the apprenticeship agreement, Philip’s parents paid ¢2,500, the equivalent of 25 Ghana pesewas today, to the master at the Akan Centre of Furniture. They also gave two crates of soft drinks, known in Ghanaian parlance as minerals, and a bottle of schnapps. But this was after he had completed a probation period of some weeks to enable his master to assess his character. He had just completed middle school form four then.
Philip had no one to stay with in Accra and, therefore, slept in his master’s shop, bathed and ate there.
“ It was quite difficult in those days. Money for food was hard to come by”, Philip recalls.
The furniture shop doubled as the classroom and a sort of boarding school for him. His determination to learn the trade was what kept him going. The other apprentices had places to live in Accra but out of the 24 of them, three dropped out along the way; they could not take the regiment of learning under the feet of their master.
As a master himself, Philip tries to maintain discipline at his shop and has trained more than 100 young men as carpenters. Currently, he has nine boys under his tutelage.
He has his own entry requirements which he says is similar to that of other masters of his status: A prospective apprentice has to attach himself to Green Wood for three months during which Philip would assess his character to find out if “he can really learn the job” and the apprentice must be above 16 years but not as old as 40.
“ It is quite difficult to teach the older ones”, Philip explains.
“ I once had a 40 year old man as an apprentice but he could not cope and fell out”, he said.
The apprentice then pays GH¢100 and presents two crates of minerals.
On acceptance of these, the apprentice has his colleagues to deal with; those who started learning before him; to them he owes GH¢20. That money is referred to as “Anbantem sika” for the new apprentice would surely learn something good or bad from them too and their co-operation would be invaluable.
Then comes the tools for the trade. “The apprentice should come with the basic; a hand saw, pincers, a hammer and planner”, Philip requires.
Philip does not countenance obstinacy and disrespect to seniors. Theft is an abhorrence and speaking politely is a must. Disregard for any of these attracts caning, suspension for a period or both.
Learning is by observation in stages.
“If it is making a table, I ask the apprentice to observe me making one. At another time I guide him to make the legs of the table and then we move on and on”, he said.
If after three years Philip is not satisfied with the progress of work, he adds on another year to make sure the apprentice is well baked. He has a name to protect.
During training, Philip occasionally fetes his apprentices when business is good. He makes sure they get health care during illness, but “ if it is a serious one , I send them to their parents,” he said.
On graduation, the apprentice turned “senior” pays to Philip another GH¢100, presents two crates of minerals a sheep. Graduation parties are optional but if the graduation coincides with a festivity like Christmas, the celebration is grand.
The challenges of the job as enumerated by Mr Aidoo include the high taxes to the Accra Metropolitan Authority, Internal Revenue Service, payments for utility services and the collection of waste products generated by the trade. At the end of the day almost every earning goes into such payments.
Mr Aidoo suggests that there should be some kind of assistance to enable carpenters acquire new technology in the form of machinery to make carpentry less labour intensive.
Formal and informal education bears a lot of similarities. Before the introduction of formal education in the 1800s, apprenticeship as a mode of training had already started. It’s contribution to national development is obvious and will continue to be with Ghanaians for a long time.
By Doreen Allotey
` Ghana’s education has been organised along two main lines—the formal and informal.
Informal vocation takes place in the form of apprenticeship agreements with craftsmen and trades people. Training is on the average, a period between two to four years but this depends on whether the “master” thinks that the apprentice has learned enough to become a senior and carry his good name wherever he or she goes.
The master also determines how long an apprentice who qualifies to be a “senior” would serve under him/her and whether the senior can work with him or her on commission or what is termed “work and pay” basis.
Thousands of Ghanaian youth are engaged as apprentices in the private or informal sector throughout the country. While some of these apprentices have formal education of some sort, others have never stepped into the classroom but are making it their own way through hard work, determination, discipline, humility and patience.
Apprenticeships available include fitting, spraying of vehicles, hairdressing, tailoring, masonry, welding, plumbing, shoemaking or how to mend shoes, catering and carpentry.
In the carpentry business, one of such persons is Mr Philip Aidoo who started his apprenticeship in 1984. He left his parents’ home in Mankessim in the Central Region to become an apprentice at the Akan Centre of Furniture in Mateheko in Accra for three years, after which his master graduated him as a senior. With this new status, Philip served his master for a couple of years.
He then worked at the centre, supervising some of the new apprentices for another couple of years. When he left the centre, it was to enable him work for different companies on different contracts for three years, gathering experience as he worked. He has since 1992 established a furniture shop at the Awudome Estates with the name Green Wood Furniture Works, opposite the famous Bongo Bar. He obtained his certificate of registration in 1993.
For the apprenticeship agreement, Philip’s parents paid ¢2,500, the equivalent of 25 Ghana pesewas today, to the master at the Akan Centre of Furniture. They also gave two crates of soft drinks, known in Ghanaian parlance as minerals, and a bottle of schnapps. But this was after he had completed a probation period of some weeks to enable his master to assess his character. He had just completed middle school form four then.
Philip had no one to stay with in Accra and, therefore, slept in his master’s shop, bathed and ate there.
“ It was quite difficult in those days. Money for food was hard to come by”, Philip recalls.
The furniture shop doubled as the classroom and a sort of boarding school for him. His determination to learn the trade was what kept him going. The other apprentices had places to live in Accra but out of the 24 of them, three dropped out along the way; they could not take the regiment of learning under the feet of their master.
As a master himself, Philip tries to maintain discipline at his shop and has trained more than 100 young men as carpenters. Currently, he has nine boys under his tutelage.
He has his own entry requirements which he says is similar to that of other masters of his status: A prospective apprentice has to attach himself to Green Wood for three months during which Philip would assess his character to find out if “he can really learn the job” and the apprentice must be above 16 years but not as old as 40.
“ It is quite difficult to teach the older ones”, Philip explains.
“ I once had a 40 year old man as an apprentice but he could not cope and fell out”, he said.
The apprentice then pays GH¢100 and presents two crates of minerals.
On acceptance of these, the apprentice has his colleagues to deal with; those who started learning before him; to them he owes GH¢20. That money is referred to as “Anbantem sika” for the new apprentice would surely learn something good or bad from them too and their co-operation would be invaluable.
Then comes the tools for the trade. “The apprentice should come with the basic; a hand saw, pincers, a hammer and planner”, Philip requires.
Philip does not countenance obstinacy and disrespect to seniors. Theft is an abhorrence and speaking politely is a must. Disregard for any of these attracts caning, suspension for a period or both.
Learning is by observation in stages.
“If it is making a table, I ask the apprentice to observe me making one. At another time I guide him to make the legs of the table and then we move on and on”, he said.
If after three years Philip is not satisfied with the progress of work, he adds on another year to make sure the apprentice is well baked. He has a name to protect.
During training, Philip occasionally fetes his apprentices when business is good. He makes sure they get health care during illness, but “ if it is a serious one , I send them to their parents,” he said.
On graduation, the apprentice turned “senior” pays to Philip another GH¢100, presents two crates of minerals a sheep. Graduation parties are optional but if the graduation coincides with a festivity like Christmas, the celebration is grand.
The challenges of the job as enumerated by Mr Aidoo include the high taxes to the Accra Metropolitan Authority, Internal Revenue Service, payments for utility services and the collection of waste products generated by the trade. At the end of the day almost every earning goes into such payments.
Mr Aidoo suggests that there should be some kind of assistance to enable carpenters acquire new technology in the form of machinery to make carpentry less labour intensive.
Formal and informal education bears a lot of similarities. Before the introduction of formal education in the 1800s, apprenticeship as a mode of training had already started. It’s contribution to national development is obvious and will continue to be with Ghanaians for a long time.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Zero tolerance for FGM
Zero tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
By Doreen Allotey
Today, February 6, is International Day on Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices (IAC) with its national committees in 28 African countries and the group sections, in 16 countries outside of Africa observes February 6, 2008 as the 5th anniversary of the day
The theme for this year’s celebration is “Partnering with the media to reach Zero Tolerance to FGM.”
By “Zero Tolerance to FGM”, the IAC means that FGM should not be tolerated for any reason, at any time, place or on anybody. FGM has been recognised as violence against women and girls and coupled with other medical, social, psycho-sexual and economic consequences, the practice should not be allowed to continue under the guise of tradition or religion.
February 6 was adopted as a day to draw attention world-wide to the menace of FGM during the International conference on Zero Tolerance to FGM organised by the IAC and held at the ECA, Addis Ababa, from February 4 to 6, 2003.
The conference that drew over 400 participants world-wide was unanimous in adopting the day. Since that time several other bodies and organisations have recognised February 6 as world FGM Day.
The United Nations Sub-committee on Human Rights not only recognised February 6, but has also been marking the day in Geneva in collaboration with IAC Geneva office under the leadership of Mrs. Berhane Ras-Work, the IAC Executive Director. Also celebrating February 6, 2008, is the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva. It would hold a panel discussion and press conference on “How to end the practice of FGM”.
IAC and its partners the UN, Governments, International and local NGOs among others agreed to commemorate February 6 as a day to strategise, reflect, deliberate on FGM and to re-new commitment to end this human rights violation in the name of tradition.
All actions towards ending FGM is in accordance with Article 5 (Elimination of Harmful Traditional Practices (HTPs) in the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.
The World Health Organisation estimates that about 120 million African women and girls have been subjected to FGM. African immigrants have taken the practice to Europe, America and Asia thus making FGM a global concern.
It is the goal of IAC and other stakeholders that the millions of at-risk cases to FGM every year are prevented and that the traditional practice would be eliminated by 2015 in line with the Millennium Development Goals: -
Promoting Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment,
Reducing child mortality and Improving maternal health
The Inter-African Committee believes that to eliminate FGM, there must be a multi-dimensional approach that involves all stakeholders. IAC at the 2003 International conference on Zero Tolerance to FGM presented a Common Agenda for Action for the elimination of FGM which was adopted by the conference as a tool for harnessing energy to achieve Zero FGM world wide.
IAC partners with the media because the media reaches a wider segment of the population with powerful and lasting messages. Therefore their involvement in the campaign would likely accelerate the reaching of the goal of eliminating FGM.
From 1993 to date, IAC has been working closely with the media by organising media workshops, conferences, press briefings and through direct involvement of media professionals in programme planning and implementation in the different countries where IAC has National Committees.
Engaging the media in the campaign against FGM has resulted in some successes top of which is breaking the taboo on FGM and making it a public discourse.
The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices is an international non-governmental network organisation founded in Dakar, Senegal in 1984.
The vision of IAC is to see “A society in which African women and children fully enjoy their human right to live free from harmful traditional practices”.
IAC has its headquarters at the UN premises in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and a liaison office in Geneva, Switzerland.
By Doreen Allotey
Today, February 6, is International Day on Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices (IAC) with its national committees in 28 African countries and the group sections, in 16 countries outside of Africa observes February 6, 2008 as the 5th anniversary of the day
The theme for this year’s celebration is “Partnering with the media to reach Zero Tolerance to FGM.”
By “Zero Tolerance to FGM”, the IAC means that FGM should not be tolerated for any reason, at any time, place or on anybody. FGM has been recognised as violence against women and girls and coupled with other medical, social, psycho-sexual and economic consequences, the practice should not be allowed to continue under the guise of tradition or religion.
February 6 was adopted as a day to draw attention world-wide to the menace of FGM during the International conference on Zero Tolerance to FGM organised by the IAC and held at the ECA, Addis Ababa, from February 4 to 6, 2003.
The conference that drew over 400 participants world-wide was unanimous in adopting the day. Since that time several other bodies and organisations have recognised February 6 as world FGM Day.
The United Nations Sub-committee on Human Rights not only recognised February 6, but has also been marking the day in Geneva in collaboration with IAC Geneva office under the leadership of Mrs. Berhane Ras-Work, the IAC Executive Director. Also celebrating February 6, 2008, is the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva. It would hold a panel discussion and press conference on “How to end the practice of FGM”.
IAC and its partners the UN, Governments, International and local NGOs among others agreed to commemorate February 6 as a day to strategise, reflect, deliberate on FGM and to re-new commitment to end this human rights violation in the name of tradition.
All actions towards ending FGM is in accordance with Article 5 (Elimination of Harmful Traditional Practices (HTPs) in the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.
The World Health Organisation estimates that about 120 million African women and girls have been subjected to FGM. African immigrants have taken the practice to Europe, America and Asia thus making FGM a global concern.
It is the goal of IAC and other stakeholders that the millions of at-risk cases to FGM every year are prevented and that the traditional practice would be eliminated by 2015 in line with the Millennium Development Goals: -
Promoting Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment,
Reducing child mortality and Improving maternal health
The Inter-African Committee believes that to eliminate FGM, there must be a multi-dimensional approach that involves all stakeholders. IAC at the 2003 International conference on Zero Tolerance to FGM presented a Common Agenda for Action for the elimination of FGM which was adopted by the conference as a tool for harnessing energy to achieve Zero FGM world wide.
IAC partners with the media because the media reaches a wider segment of the population with powerful and lasting messages. Therefore their involvement in the campaign would likely accelerate the reaching of the goal of eliminating FGM.
From 1993 to date, IAC has been working closely with the media by organising media workshops, conferences, press briefings and through direct involvement of media professionals in programme planning and implementation in the different countries where IAC has National Committees.
Engaging the media in the campaign against FGM has resulted in some successes top of which is breaking the taboo on FGM and making it a public discourse.
The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices is an international non-governmental network organisation founded in Dakar, Senegal in 1984.
The vision of IAC is to see “A society in which African women and children fully enjoy their human right to live free from harmful traditional practices”.
IAC has its headquarters at the UN premises in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and a liaison office in Geneva, Switzerland.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Changing face of shopping in Accra
The changing face of shopping in Accra
December 23,2007
By Doreen Allotey
One of the ingenious means people are using to steal at the Shoprite Supermarket within the Accra Mall is to open drinks while they are in the supermarket, hide behind shelves and drink to their fill, leaving the empty bottles behind.
The shop has responded by providing more security. This is because in one stealing incident it lost two bottles of Brandy, each costing over GH¢100. The boxes containing the bottles were intact but the bottles containing the drinks were gone.
Apart from that, Shoprite is on the move, concentrating on the sale of fast moving goods such as perishables, while Game deals in durables such as televisions, cameras and other household appliances.
Enter Shoprite and you can see and smell the season of Christmas. Ten kilo turkeys, decorations, hampers and lots of goodies. You see the tellers happily smiling at the numerous customers pushing their trolleys up and down and filling them with goodies. Some toddlers sit on the trolleys, pointing at a thousand and one things they want their parents to buy for them.
The prices of the hampers range from GH¢20 to GH¢40 and they contain items like perfumed rice, biscuits, drinks and cooking oil.
Not too long ago, in this city of Accra, it was unheard of to go shopping for vegetables like pepper, tomatoes, okro and garden eggs in a supermarket. Now it has become very close to the usual with the existence of shops like A&C, Koala, Max Mart and, very recently, Shoprite in the newly opened Accra Mall.
So, instead of buying these vegetables and other items like fish from the market, where one will vie for space with other people, porters and flies, some have chosen to shop in comfort at these supermarkets.
And contrary to the situation in the past when supermarkets were not open for business on Sundays, these shops have realised that not all people go to church on Sundays and that even if they did, they love to shop after church.
“It is becoming a family outing kind of thing, a venue to meet friends and chat for a few minutes,” Mr Johann Koegelenberg, the General Manager of Shoprite, told the Daily Graphic in a chat.
For that reason, he said, Shoprite, for instance, maintained its 9.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. business hours, even on Sundays, and Sundays are the busiest days for the shop.
Mr Koegelenberg said the shop’s focus was to satisfy Ghanaians and foreign residents and that since the shop officially opened in November, patronage had been good.
He said the fire outbreak that occurred in April which prevented the shop from opening in May was a major setback.
“Some goods which had been brought in for the grand opening had to be taken back to South Africa because they had expired and new stocks ordered,” he explained.
And to meet the demands of the season, the shop has been stocked with a wide variety of items.
People have been employed specifically to work deep into the night stocking the shelves with food and other items.
The shop runs promotions on a regular basis and this season it has special promotions on many things we love to use at Christmas — rice, tinned tomatoes, drinks and more.
The positive thing is that most of the foods, such as vegetables and the meat products neatly packaged on the shelves, are made in Ghana, Mr Koegelenberg proudly said.
“We want to promote local business. We even have locally-produced fresh milk in bottles as we have in the developed countries,” he said.
Mr Koegelenberg observed that even though Shoprite was open to all, some still saw it as a place for a certain class. He, therefore, encouraged everyone to come in.
“Once at Shoprite, you will realise that the prices are truly affordable,” he said.
Mr Andy Shaw, the General Manager of Game, was very impressed with sales.
He said it was normal everywhere that sales went up by between 60 and 70 per cent during Christmas.
He said Game had learnt that Ghanaians liked to give themselves special treats at the end of the year and so they walked into the shop buying things they wanted like televisions sets, compact disc (CD) players, etc. for themselves.
At Game too, customers were seen busy with trolleys shopping, while others did window shopping.
As is normal every year, the human traffic at the central business district of Accra is heavy at this time of the year.
Auntie Connie, a cosmetic and ribbons seller, said although there were many people in town, they were looking more than buying.
By as early as 5.00 a.m., a number of shops were already open at the central business district (Makola Shopping Mall, Tudu and Aflao Station areas) and crowds of Christmas shoppers had filled them. Others stood in front of shops, waiting for them to open.
Sellers and pedestrians were vying for space at Okaishie, which has three lanes, leaving only the centre lane for vehicles.
The situation at Melcom, a supermarket at the Opera Square, was not different. The shop was filled to the brim with shoppers, some of them schoolchildren buying Christmas decorations especially.
December 23,2007
By Doreen Allotey
One of the ingenious means people are using to steal at the Shoprite Supermarket within the Accra Mall is to open drinks while they are in the supermarket, hide behind shelves and drink to their fill, leaving the empty bottles behind.
The shop has responded by providing more security. This is because in one stealing incident it lost two bottles of Brandy, each costing over GH¢100. The boxes containing the bottles were intact but the bottles containing the drinks were gone.
Apart from that, Shoprite is on the move, concentrating on the sale of fast moving goods such as perishables, while Game deals in durables such as televisions, cameras and other household appliances.
Enter Shoprite and you can see and smell the season of Christmas. Ten kilo turkeys, decorations, hampers and lots of goodies. You see the tellers happily smiling at the numerous customers pushing their trolleys up and down and filling them with goodies. Some toddlers sit on the trolleys, pointing at a thousand and one things they want their parents to buy for them.
The prices of the hampers range from GH¢20 to GH¢40 and they contain items like perfumed rice, biscuits, drinks and cooking oil.
Not too long ago, in this city of Accra, it was unheard of to go shopping for vegetables like pepper, tomatoes, okro and garden eggs in a supermarket. Now it has become very close to the usual with the existence of shops like A&C, Koala, Max Mart and, very recently, Shoprite in the newly opened Accra Mall.
So, instead of buying these vegetables and other items like fish from the market, where one will vie for space with other people, porters and flies, some have chosen to shop in comfort at these supermarkets.
And contrary to the situation in the past when supermarkets were not open for business on Sundays, these shops have realised that not all people go to church on Sundays and that even if they did, they love to shop after church.
“It is becoming a family outing kind of thing, a venue to meet friends and chat for a few minutes,” Mr Johann Koegelenberg, the General Manager of Shoprite, told the Daily Graphic in a chat.
For that reason, he said, Shoprite, for instance, maintained its 9.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. business hours, even on Sundays, and Sundays are the busiest days for the shop.
Mr Koegelenberg said the shop’s focus was to satisfy Ghanaians and foreign residents and that since the shop officially opened in November, patronage had been good.
He said the fire outbreak that occurred in April which prevented the shop from opening in May was a major setback.
“Some goods which had been brought in for the grand opening had to be taken back to South Africa because they had expired and new stocks ordered,” he explained.
And to meet the demands of the season, the shop has been stocked with a wide variety of items.
People have been employed specifically to work deep into the night stocking the shelves with food and other items.
The shop runs promotions on a regular basis and this season it has special promotions on many things we love to use at Christmas — rice, tinned tomatoes, drinks and more.
The positive thing is that most of the foods, such as vegetables and the meat products neatly packaged on the shelves, are made in Ghana, Mr Koegelenberg proudly said.
“We want to promote local business. We even have locally-produced fresh milk in bottles as we have in the developed countries,” he said.
Mr Koegelenberg observed that even though Shoprite was open to all, some still saw it as a place for a certain class. He, therefore, encouraged everyone to come in.
“Once at Shoprite, you will realise that the prices are truly affordable,” he said.
Mr Andy Shaw, the General Manager of Game, was very impressed with sales.
He said it was normal everywhere that sales went up by between 60 and 70 per cent during Christmas.
He said Game had learnt that Ghanaians liked to give themselves special treats at the end of the year and so they walked into the shop buying things they wanted like televisions sets, compact disc (CD) players, etc. for themselves.
At Game too, customers were seen busy with trolleys shopping, while others did window shopping.
As is normal every year, the human traffic at the central business district of Accra is heavy at this time of the year.
Auntie Connie, a cosmetic and ribbons seller, said although there were many people in town, they were looking more than buying.
By as early as 5.00 a.m., a number of shops were already open at the central business district (Makola Shopping Mall, Tudu and Aflao Station areas) and crowds of Christmas shoppers had filled them. Others stood in front of shops, waiting for them to open.
Sellers and pedestrians were vying for space at Okaishie, which has three lanes, leaving only the centre lane for vehicles.
The situation at Melcom, a supermarket at the Opera Square, was not different. The shop was filled to the brim with shoppers, some of them schoolchildren buying Christmas decorations especially.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Media joins war against FGM
November 28,2007
Story: Doreen Allotey, back from Addis Ababa
THE fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) continues to be top on the agenda of the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC).
To pursue its agenda more effectively, the IAC has decided to actively involve the media in its drive for the change of social attitudes and practices to protect women and girls from harmful traditional practices.
The IAC, therefore, held a two-day regional media workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for 20 journalists from Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Liberia, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan , Egypt and Ethiopia.
The workshop was organised to create a closer working relationship with the media for the promotion of gender equality through eradication of such harmful attitudes and practices as FGM.
Mrs Berhane Ras-Work, Executive Director of IAC, said at the opening ceremony that the IAC had realised the strong potential of the media to promoting positive values and norms, while discouraging negative attitudes that violated basic human rights principles.
She said the media could play a crucial role through information and communication since “harmful traditional practices flourish in the fertile ground of ignorance”.
“The lives of women and girls are governed by die-hard negative traditional values, since women are deprived of information and education on their basic rights to their health and general well-being,” she stated.
Presenting a paper on FGM, Dr Abebe Kebede, Executive Director of the National Association on Traditional Practices of Ethiopia, said FGM violated a number of recognised human rights that were protected in international and regional documents.
The rights include the right to be free from gender discrimination, the right not to be subjected to violence, the right to life, liberty and security of people and other rights issues.
He said that even though some compared FGM to male circumcision, it was not the same since the FGM, from a biological view point, was equivalent to the amputation of part or the entire penis with very similar physical and sexual results.
Among the widely held beliefs about FGM are that it suppresses women’s sexuality, reduces insubordination and controls women’s emotions, prevents them from breaking utensils, makes them absent-minded and too bold.
On when the practice began, Dr Kebede said the earliest-known writing on the subject suggested that FGM had been practised in Egypt for the past 2,000 years.
Leading a discussion on the role of the media in the campaign to eliminate FGM and other harmful traditional practices, Ms Helen Ovbiagele, Woman Editor of the Vanguard in Lagos, Nigeria, asked the media not to limit its role of educating and informing the society to the urban areas only, but should as well interact with the people at the grass roots, because exploring and questioning issues could urge society to abandon such practices.
She asked the media to avail itself of the relevant data and statistics concerning victims of harmful practices and the areas where they were prevalent in order to focus attention on them.
Ms Ovbiagele advised the media to regularly feed the government and the public with information about the progress made in the campaign against FGM and other harmful practices so that people would be encouraged to abolish these practices.
Pix shows Mrs Berhane Ras-Work, Executive Director of IAC,(right) in a chat with a victim of early marriage. The girl, who is now 16 years, was married at eight and had been continuously battered and abused by her husband until she ran away. She was at the workshop to tell her story.
Story: Doreen Allotey, back from Addis Ababa
THE fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) continues to be top on the agenda of the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC).
To pursue its agenda more effectively, the IAC has decided to actively involve the media in its drive for the change of social attitudes and practices to protect women and girls from harmful traditional practices.
The IAC, therefore, held a two-day regional media workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for 20 journalists from Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Liberia, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan , Egypt and Ethiopia.
The workshop was organised to create a closer working relationship with the media for the promotion of gender equality through eradication of such harmful attitudes and practices as FGM.
Mrs Berhane Ras-Work, Executive Director of IAC, said at the opening ceremony that the IAC had realised the strong potential of the media to promoting positive values and norms, while discouraging negative attitudes that violated basic human rights principles.
She said the media could play a crucial role through information and communication since “harmful traditional practices flourish in the fertile ground of ignorance”.
“The lives of women and girls are governed by die-hard negative traditional values, since women are deprived of information and education on their basic rights to their health and general well-being,” she stated.
Presenting a paper on FGM, Dr Abebe Kebede, Executive Director of the National Association on Traditional Practices of Ethiopia, said FGM violated a number of recognised human rights that were protected in international and regional documents.
The rights include the right to be free from gender discrimination, the right not to be subjected to violence, the right to life, liberty and security of people and other rights issues.
He said that even though some compared FGM to male circumcision, it was not the same since the FGM, from a biological view point, was equivalent to the amputation of part or the entire penis with very similar physical and sexual results.
Among the widely held beliefs about FGM are that it suppresses women’s sexuality, reduces insubordination and controls women’s emotions, prevents them from breaking utensils, makes them absent-minded and too bold.
On when the practice began, Dr Kebede said the earliest-known writing on the subject suggested that FGM had been practised in Egypt for the past 2,000 years.
Leading a discussion on the role of the media in the campaign to eliminate FGM and other harmful traditional practices, Ms Helen Ovbiagele, Woman Editor of the Vanguard in Lagos, Nigeria, asked the media not to limit its role of educating and informing the society to the urban areas only, but should as well interact with the people at the grass roots, because exploring and questioning issues could urge society to abandon such practices.
She asked the media to avail itself of the relevant data and statistics concerning victims of harmful practices and the areas where they were prevalent in order to focus attention on them.
Ms Ovbiagele advised the media to regularly feed the government and the public with information about the progress made in the campaign against FGM and other harmful practices so that people would be encouraged to abolish these practices.
Pix shows Mrs Berhane Ras-Work, Executive Director of IAC,(right) in a chat with a victim of early marriage. The girl, who is now 16 years, was married at eight and had been continuously battered and abused by her husband until she ran away. She was at the workshop to tell her story.
Friday, November 16, 2007
mental health of women
Mental health of women
November 20, 2007
Article : Doreen Allotey
THE general perception that more women than men get mentally ill has been debunked by Dr Akwasi Osei, the Medical Director of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.
Dr Osei says that even though certain types of mental illnesses are peculiar to women, almost the same proportion of women to men get mentally ill. Both men and women can also suffer from the kind of mental illnesses that afflict men.
“Out of the 23 wards in this hospital, for instance, 16 are for males and seven are for women,” he said.
There are, however, certain types of mental illnesses that women alone are vulnerable to. These illnesses come about as a result of the biological make up of women, the multiple roles they play as mothers, housewives and career women, as well as unofficial breadwinners of their families and the very environment and culture they find themselves in — an environment which suppresses women, an environment in which males dominate and would rather have women remain silent and unheard.
Dr Osei believes that if women would manage the time for their profession, domestic chores and church activities effectively, they would cut down on stress. He has observed that women often love to spend more time on church activities like all-night sessions, instead of sharing the time among their other activities, putting stress on themselves by so doing, instead of bringing them relief.
“ All-night sessions may be good but too many of them, especially when your partner does not agree, is likely to bring problems,” Dr Osei states.
By their very nature , women tend to harbour their worries rather than voice them out and in so doing they create a lot of mental stress for themselves. Even if you notice a change in their countenance and ask if something is wrong, they say “ it’s nothing”.
While men are more likely to talk about their worries and forget about them or steep themselves in alcohol, women would rather brood over their worries and get depressed. Even if they tell people about their worries, they tell many people who will gossip about them and the result is nowhere near a solution to their problems, bringing about acrimony.
To this situation, Dr Osei recommends that women learn to be a bit more open to a confidante, counsellor, mental health worker, religious leader, church elder, family member, trusted friend, etc who would listen to them and counsel them in order that they can let go off some steam and keep their sanity.
The process of pregnancy and childbirth, which has remained exclusive to women, is also something which could cause some mental problems to some of them. Depending on the individual, a woman may develop an illness called puerperal psychosis. This illness, according to Dr Osei, occurs within six weeks after a woman is delivered of a baby.
The woman may become aggressive towards her baby and may even try to harm it. She may refuse to breastfeed the baby. She may sit withdrawn, with no interest in what is happening around her, or she may either show signs of depression or become manic or over elated. If she has that illness it will not be out of place to find her screaming for no apparent cause.
Depression happens more in women than in men, at a ratio of 2:1.
Dr Osei ties this illness to genetic factors, marital difficulties and the lack of co-operation from partners as a trigger and states that a woman who has once suffered from mental illness is vulnerable to puerperal psychosis. The fact that a woman is carrying a second person could even present stress.
Fortunately, this kind of mental illness is easy to treat but it may recur in subsequent deliveries. A woman who has had this kind of illness should take her ante-natal care seriously and should be supervised during delivery by a professional health worker or a trained traditional birth attendant. A woman who has suffered the condition before should involve a mental health worker two weeks before and after being delivered of her baby to prevent a relapse.
Menopause can also have some mental health implications for women. Mild depression is associated with pre and post menopause and women who notice the signs should seek medical assistance if the symptoms become unbearable. The symptoms of menopause include hot flushes, sweating profusely, agitation at the slightest irritation. Other symptoms are mood swings, anxiety, disturbing memory lapses, hair loss, itchy crawly skin, trouble sleeping at night with or without night sweats and loss of libido.
This is likely to occur in women over 45 years even though there are indications that it is occuring in women who are younger.
With menopause, Dr Osei appeals to partners to be supportive and tolerant, showing the women more love and care.
What the doctor may do to help the situation will be to give the woman some hormone replacement therapy and monitor the situation, adjusting the therapy as he or she deems fit. He or she may also give a mild anti-depressant.
Another condition which is exclusive to females is the period before menstruation and after — pre and post-menstrual syndrome, which is termed “the blues”. This has to do with moods.
The first onset of menstruation can even cause fear in some females, hence the need to prepare girls psychologically for it. In the past this took the form of “bragoro” where the girl is ushered into puberty with some rites involving education on the subject of menstruation, among others. In the absence of this, parents and guardians should prepare girls through education on the subject.
Pain during menses (dysmenorrhea) can be a problem.
To protect the mental health of children, the medical director advises that parents should not entrust the care of their babies to other children.
He explains that if a child has a big fall, it could have implications for the child’s mental health.
Dr Osei is strongly against child battering and abuse. This is because he knows that corporal punishment, slapping and knocking a child hard on the head could have undesirable effects on it.
He is against the verbal abuse of children as well and says this could make children lose their self-confidence, become timid and react in a violent manner which could consequently become a problem for society as a whole.
Women can take care of their mental health and have a fruitful life if they make the consciuos effort of seeking medical assistance to solve their health problems.
November 20, 2007
Article : Doreen Allotey
THE general perception that more women than men get mentally ill has been debunked by Dr Akwasi Osei, the Medical Director of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.
Dr Osei says that even though certain types of mental illnesses are peculiar to women, almost the same proportion of women to men get mentally ill. Both men and women can also suffer from the kind of mental illnesses that afflict men.
“Out of the 23 wards in this hospital, for instance, 16 are for males and seven are for women,” he said.
There are, however, certain types of mental illnesses that women alone are vulnerable to. These illnesses come about as a result of the biological make up of women, the multiple roles they play as mothers, housewives and career women, as well as unofficial breadwinners of their families and the very environment and culture they find themselves in — an environment which suppresses women, an environment in which males dominate and would rather have women remain silent and unheard.
Dr Osei believes that if women would manage the time for their profession, domestic chores and church activities effectively, they would cut down on stress. He has observed that women often love to spend more time on church activities like all-night sessions, instead of sharing the time among their other activities, putting stress on themselves by so doing, instead of bringing them relief.
“ All-night sessions may be good but too many of them, especially when your partner does not agree, is likely to bring problems,” Dr Osei states.
By their very nature , women tend to harbour their worries rather than voice them out and in so doing they create a lot of mental stress for themselves. Even if you notice a change in their countenance and ask if something is wrong, they say “ it’s nothing”.
While men are more likely to talk about their worries and forget about them or steep themselves in alcohol, women would rather brood over their worries and get depressed. Even if they tell people about their worries, they tell many people who will gossip about them and the result is nowhere near a solution to their problems, bringing about acrimony.
To this situation, Dr Osei recommends that women learn to be a bit more open to a confidante, counsellor, mental health worker, religious leader, church elder, family member, trusted friend, etc who would listen to them and counsel them in order that they can let go off some steam and keep their sanity.
The process of pregnancy and childbirth, which has remained exclusive to women, is also something which could cause some mental problems to some of them. Depending on the individual, a woman may develop an illness called puerperal psychosis. This illness, according to Dr Osei, occurs within six weeks after a woman is delivered of a baby.
The woman may become aggressive towards her baby and may even try to harm it. She may refuse to breastfeed the baby. She may sit withdrawn, with no interest in what is happening around her, or she may either show signs of depression or become manic or over elated. If she has that illness it will not be out of place to find her screaming for no apparent cause.
Depression happens more in women than in men, at a ratio of 2:1.
Dr Osei ties this illness to genetic factors, marital difficulties and the lack of co-operation from partners as a trigger and states that a woman who has once suffered from mental illness is vulnerable to puerperal psychosis. The fact that a woman is carrying a second person could even present stress.
Fortunately, this kind of mental illness is easy to treat but it may recur in subsequent deliveries. A woman who has had this kind of illness should take her ante-natal care seriously and should be supervised during delivery by a professional health worker or a trained traditional birth attendant. A woman who has suffered the condition before should involve a mental health worker two weeks before and after being delivered of her baby to prevent a relapse.
Menopause can also have some mental health implications for women. Mild depression is associated with pre and post menopause and women who notice the signs should seek medical assistance if the symptoms become unbearable. The symptoms of menopause include hot flushes, sweating profusely, agitation at the slightest irritation. Other symptoms are mood swings, anxiety, disturbing memory lapses, hair loss, itchy crawly skin, trouble sleeping at night with or without night sweats and loss of libido.
This is likely to occur in women over 45 years even though there are indications that it is occuring in women who are younger.
With menopause, Dr Osei appeals to partners to be supportive and tolerant, showing the women more love and care.
What the doctor may do to help the situation will be to give the woman some hormone replacement therapy and monitor the situation, adjusting the therapy as he or she deems fit. He or she may also give a mild anti-depressant.
Another condition which is exclusive to females is the period before menstruation and after — pre and post-menstrual syndrome, which is termed “the blues”. This has to do with moods.
The first onset of menstruation can even cause fear in some females, hence the need to prepare girls psychologically for it. In the past this took the form of “bragoro” where the girl is ushered into puberty with some rites involving education on the subject of menstruation, among others. In the absence of this, parents and guardians should prepare girls through education on the subject.
Pain during menses (dysmenorrhea) can be a problem.
To protect the mental health of children, the medical director advises that parents should not entrust the care of their babies to other children.
He explains that if a child has a big fall, it could have implications for the child’s mental health.
Dr Osei is strongly against child battering and abuse. This is because he knows that corporal punishment, slapping and knocking a child hard on the head could have undesirable effects on it.
He is against the verbal abuse of children as well and says this could make children lose their self-confidence, become timid and react in a violent manner which could consequently become a problem for society as a whole.
Women can take care of their mental health and have a fruitful life if they make the consciuos effort of seeking medical assistance to solve their health problems.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Leticia Esi Sam— Driving is her passion
female bus driver ( women and children)
October 12,2007
Leticia Esi Sam—Driving is her passion
Pix and Story: Doreen Allotey
When the Border Guards were disbanded in 1985, Ms
Leticia Esi Sam, was one of six females who were to be integrated into the army as drivers. She was fascinated about the whole idea because the uniform had always appealed to her. Her father was a soldier and was happy that one of his six children was to take after him.
But there was one major problem; her mother. She kept telling Ms Sam that she was a girl and that she should choose a job for females. She however remained resolute and reported for training before her mother could know.
Her second obstacle was when her mother learnt that she was to be trained as a driver. She wept. But the girl from Assin Nsuta in the Central Region was determined and went along with the training.
She started with the pinzgauer and progressed to bigger vehicles through to the Leyland bus.
“When I started, it was difficult, but fright was not a word I even thought of” she told the Daily Graphic in a chat .
At the end of it all, she alone survived the training. The other five women she trained with were scared and could not complete the training.
As a border guard training at Kpetoe, Ms Sam found herself working as a nurse at the 37 Military Hospital where doctors had gone on strike in 1979. It was a not too pleasant experience for her . Some of her colleagues stayed and were trained as health professionals after the strike.
Ms Sam stayed in the army for six years . Her fond memories include when she drove journalists into the bush during a military operation known as “exercise teamwork” in 1985.
“The whole of Ghana thought there was a coup but the soldiers were just testing their readiness”, she recounted.
In 1986, Ms Sam applied to work for the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority as a driver. She was employed and has remained in that job for 21 years now. At 53 years, she is a shift supervisor at the transport section. She deals with fuel supplies and submits monthly returns to the transport manager.
Through the years, she plied all routes . She drove every where —in Accra , to the North, South , East and West of the country.
She was given no special concession by the men she worked with. She did night duties and would sleep among the men once she was on duty. She became popularly known among workers as Auntie Esi.
She sees driving as a way of gaining exposure and learning about different cultures. She became the love of workers of the authority especially because she had patience for them and was prepared to drive them anywhere.
“ I just feel happy behind the steer and even as a supervisor now , I just jump behind the wheel in the absence of any driver”, She said.
Auntie Esi said she had a lot of cheers as she drove through town and was even given gifts as she did so.
She did airport pick ups, drove the staff buses — Neoplan bus, Willowbrook, Space car, name it. She drives any vehicle.
At home, Auntie Esi enjoys washing , cleaning and cooking.
She advises women to believe in themselves to do whatever job they loved to do without thinking whether it is for males or females.
“The most important thing is to learn what you want to do very well and you will excel at it”, she said.
October 12,2007
Leticia Esi Sam—Driving is her passion
Pix and Story: Doreen Allotey
When the Border Guards were disbanded in 1985, Ms
Leticia Esi Sam, was one of six females who were to be integrated into the army as drivers. She was fascinated about the whole idea because the uniform had always appealed to her. Her father was a soldier and was happy that one of his six children was to take after him.
But there was one major problem; her mother. She kept telling Ms Sam that she was a girl and that she should choose a job for females. She however remained resolute and reported for training before her mother could know.
Her second obstacle was when her mother learnt that she was to be trained as a driver. She wept. But the girl from Assin Nsuta in the Central Region was determined and went along with the training.
She started with the pinzgauer and progressed to bigger vehicles through to the Leyland bus.
“When I started, it was difficult, but fright was not a word I even thought of” she told the Daily Graphic in a chat .
At the end of it all, she alone survived the training. The other five women she trained with were scared and could not complete the training.
As a border guard training at Kpetoe, Ms Sam found herself working as a nurse at the 37 Military Hospital where doctors had gone on strike in 1979. It was a not too pleasant experience for her . Some of her colleagues stayed and were trained as health professionals after the strike.
Ms Sam stayed in the army for six years . Her fond memories include when she drove journalists into the bush during a military operation known as “exercise teamwork” in 1985.
“The whole of Ghana thought there was a coup but the soldiers were just testing their readiness”, she recounted.
In 1986, Ms Sam applied to work for the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority as a driver. She was employed and has remained in that job for 21 years now. At 53 years, she is a shift supervisor at the transport section. She deals with fuel supplies and submits monthly returns to the transport manager.
Through the years, she plied all routes . She drove every where —in Accra , to the North, South , East and West of the country.
She was given no special concession by the men she worked with. She did night duties and would sleep among the men once she was on duty. She became popularly known among workers as Auntie Esi.
She sees driving as a way of gaining exposure and learning about different cultures. She became the love of workers of the authority especially because she had patience for them and was prepared to drive them anywhere.
“ I just feel happy behind the steer and even as a supervisor now , I just jump behind the wheel in the absence of any driver”, She said.
Auntie Esi said she had a lot of cheers as she drove through town and was even given gifts as she did so.
She did airport pick ups, drove the staff buses — Neoplan bus, Willowbrook, Space car, name it. She drives any vehicle.
At home, Auntie Esi enjoys washing , cleaning and cooking.
She advises women to believe in themselves to do whatever job they loved to do without thinking whether it is for males or females.
“The most important thing is to learn what you want to do very well and you will excel at it”, she said.
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