First Days in Konongo

Konongo-YMCA, May 6th.
One of the windows of my room faces this now familiar enclosed concrete courtyard where the communal tab is. This is where Sarah washes her laundry, Dasmani cleans the dishes and Eva washes the dirty hands of little-Nianema. The courtyard is also a place that every YMCA visitor has to cross before entering the communal hall for Church service on Sundays. Today is Sunday and this is exactly what I'm witnessing from my window. While listening to the people singing, shouting and clapping to express their faith, I look at Sarah's perfect and experienced movements and start to fall into a serious and hypnotic state of mind. Am I close to Paradise? I kind of believe it! In fact, this moment perfectly describes my first impression of Konongo.
What word would best describe Konongo? Is it a town? A village? Or simply a suburb of Kumasi? I can't say, because Konongo isn't like any place I have visited before: it doesn't look like any place that I know, people don't occupy the social space like in any other place that I know. First, this place is - like any other Ashanti community, no matter the size - lead by a chief, a queen-mother, the elders, and other members of the parliament. Our team had the chance to meet the chief at his palace. Actually, it is normally expected for every person involved in a new community project to go to the palace to receive the chief's blessing and confirmation of support. This was a good opportunity for me to practice the few words of Twi that I have learned. I must have done pretty well: Nana told me that He would be pleased to give me a Ashanti name. I don't know how usual or exceptional that is. Either ways, it is to be considered as an honor.
I know for sure that my knowing a bit of Twi makes it so much easier to establish the bases of relationships. "Maa kye, ye fra me Charles!" and all doors open wide! As wide as their smile! It doesn't take more than that to charm the many children who hang around or to get every adult encouraging you to continue your learning and to teach you new words and expressions. Hmmm... Well maybe I have something that my female colleagues don't have, something that makes it obviously easier for me to meet new people: I'm a man... and in this environment, men are socially and culturally advantaged... I hope this doesn't sound to paternalistic, but I feel that one of my roles in our team will be to ascertain that my female colleagues feel at ease in this environment and to support them in their own initiatives to meet new people, by introducing them. It seems that if I don't, men won't really show interest in chatting with them.
Apart from the social environment, I must say something about the nature around here. While on the ride from Accra to Konongo I noticed that our drive was leading us further and further into the forested areas of Ghana; exactly the kind of setting that I was expecting. Palm trees, banana and plantain trees, and many other kinds that I have never seen before... I simply couldn't stop looking at the scenery along the road. I could also notice that the further we were getting into the forest, the cooler the temperature was.
On our way here, I was secretly hoping for Konongo to be a place where I would continue to experience these positive changes. In fact, compared with the very hot, polluted and busy Accra, our new setting charmed me instantly. And you know what? I am still under its charm!

by Charles