A Wedding
This weekend marks the end of week 7 and only 3 weeks remaining
of this cohort. Next week is already looking full with Ghanaian Independence
Day, Garrison day (tour of the barracks) and International Women’s Day.
However, did I take this weekend to rest and recuperate for the following week
ahead? No! There will be time for that when my team head home to the UK before
the next one arrives. Also, I sweat regardless of whether I am moving or not so
might as well make the most of my time here.
Last week in the office we had another session with our peer educators and visited our three communities to talk about child rights, focussing on child labour and marriage. Ghana introduced the Children’s Act in 1998 which aimed to give legal classification of a child, childhood, child protection and strengthened the system that dealt with child protection. This act defines a child as a person below 18 years old and prohibits engaging a child in exploitative labour meaning labour depriving child of health, education, development. However, children may be employed at the age of thirteen to do light work which is incentivised by the child feeling more mature and responsible for their age. As a result, when given the choice between sending a child to work to earn income, and sending them to school which consumes income, parents of poor families who do not understand the value of education usually pick labour over education. Children who could not have a normal education then grow into illiterate, low wage- earning adults, unable to succeed in their personal or social life. As a result, their offspring also might work to supplement the family’s income. In this way, poverty and child labour is passed down from generation to generation in an endless cycle not unique to Ghana.
After a full week, I went to my host mum’s friend’s son’s wedding. Tamale is a Muslim majority community, so this wedding was a mixture of religion and Ghanaian culture. We arrived on Saturday to help prepare the food for the party the following day. Most of the dishes here are made from scratch and it is possible to get caterers but normal for the female guests to pitch in and help prepare vegetables and dish out meals. I spent over 3 hours slicing onions for various dishes (I still can’t get the smell out of my hands) and finished off by separating a type of leaf from stalks. I obviously had people speaking to me and feeding/watering me during this time, so it was a nice social event that was relaxing in its own way. Early evening, we returned home and got cleaned up for the party at a local function hall. Traditionally, nearly all the guests wear all white with various coloured headscarves that match the theme. After the bride and groom arrive there are various dances where people scatter money on them (notes not coins) or give them general marital advice. We enjoyed a nice buffet like what you’d expect in the UK and then it was day 1 of the wedding over.
The next day we came back to the groom’s house and ate and ate and ate. Most women have their clothes tailored from yards of brightly coloured fabric and so, it is common for a bride to pick a fabric for her wedding days and the guests have different types of outfits all made from the same cloth. I thought seeing a room of people all dressed in dazzling white was impressive, but this was something else to behold, admiring how each woman had chosen her unique style of dress and accessories. The bride, her bridesmaids and family arrived later that evening for dancing with more money throwing. What an amazing experience it all was.
Last week in the office we had another session with our peer educators and visited our three communities to talk about child rights, focussing on child labour and marriage. Ghana introduced the Children’s Act in 1998 which aimed to give legal classification of a child, childhood, child protection and strengthened the system that dealt with child protection. This act defines a child as a person below 18 years old and prohibits engaging a child in exploitative labour meaning labour depriving child of health, education, development. However, children may be employed at the age of thirteen to do light work which is incentivised by the child feeling more mature and responsible for their age. As a result, when given the choice between sending a child to work to earn income, and sending them to school which consumes income, parents of poor families who do not understand the value of education usually pick labour over education. Children who could not have a normal education then grow into illiterate, low wage- earning adults, unable to succeed in their personal or social life. As a result, their offspring also might work to supplement the family’s income. In this way, poverty and child labour is passed down from generation to generation in an endless cycle not unique to Ghana.
After a full week, I went to my host mum’s friend’s son’s wedding. Tamale is a Muslim majority community, so this wedding was a mixture of religion and Ghanaian culture. We arrived on Saturday to help prepare the food for the party the following day. Most of the dishes here are made from scratch and it is possible to get caterers but normal for the female guests to pitch in and help prepare vegetables and dish out meals. I spent over 3 hours slicing onions for various dishes (I still can’t get the smell out of my hands) and finished off by separating a type of leaf from stalks. I obviously had people speaking to me and feeding/watering me during this time, so it was a nice social event that was relaxing in its own way. Early evening, we returned home and got cleaned up for the party at a local function hall. Traditionally, nearly all the guests wear all white with various coloured headscarves that match the theme. After the bride and groom arrive there are various dances where people scatter money on them (notes not coins) or give them general marital advice. We enjoyed a nice buffet like what you’d expect in the UK and then it was day 1 of the wedding over.
The next day we came back to the groom’s house and ate and ate and ate. Most women have their clothes tailored from yards of brightly coloured fabric and so, it is common for a bride to pick a fabric for her wedding days and the guests have different types of outfits all made from the same cloth. I thought seeing a room of people all dressed in dazzling white was impressive, but this was something else to behold, admiring how each woman had chosen her unique style of dress and accessories. The bride, her bridesmaids and family arrived later that evening for dancing with more money throwing. What an amazing experience it all was.
Gotta chop those onions and dice those tomatoes. Might as well have a catch up while we are at it
2 photos of me in 2 weeks, I must be going crazy or just want to prove I am doing things
Pot of Jaloff rice bubbling away
The venue with everyone dressed in white. The bridesmaids are at the front in coral and the groomsmen opposite in blue. There is a stage at the front for the bride and groom on their white thrones.
Bagging up TZ for the guests to be dunked in stew
The guests in their matching fabric.
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