Shaun's Visit to Ghana 2
Ghana People
Here are some of the many people I met in Ghana.
Hannah, Elizabeth and Beatrice (first, second and fourth) are members of the Susanna Wesley Mission Auxiliary in Winneba, Central Region. Joseph (third) is responsible for the dress, hair design and dance. We had hoped they could come to our Hackney church to inaugurate a new Susanna Wesley Society. Unfortunately, it was impossible for them to get visas to visit Britain. I compare that how easy it was for me to get a visa to go to Ghana.
Nii Narh (left) and John (right) work with Very Rev Daniel French (centre) in the Libraries, Archives and History department in the headquarters of the Methodist Church in Accra. They are currently working on events to celebrate the 170th anniversary of the Methodist Church, Ghana.
This is Josephine with members of her family and household (Love, Teddy & Ebenezer), who I stayed with in Accra. Josephine learnt how to bake from her mother. She runs this small bakery in the home. It's a small family business but when she gets the capital, she hopes to expand the bakery, including new rooms to house workers.
George is on a rope bridge at Kakum National Park. There are seven rope bridges linking a series of tree platforms. The bridges are up to 120 feet above the rain forest. Don't look down George! The young people are from St Peter Church Youth Fellowship who offered me a warm welcome to their meeting. I had a go at making fufu by pounding cassava and yam together in a giant pestle and mortar. Don't look down Shaun!
Here are Junior & Edwin, and the Presiding Bishop Most Rev Dr Robert Aboagye-Mensah & myself. Many Ghanaians follow English teams. Junior supports Chelsea but he's never heard of Plymouth Argyle. He also supports Asante Kotoko who beat their rivals Accra Hearts of Oak 3-1.
There was also great excitement because the Ghanaian national team under 17s (the Black Starlets) reached the the African Under 17s final. They were beaten 1-0 in the final by Gambia in dodgy circumstances with a goal scored by Gambia when a spectator was on the pitch.
And finally... thank you to Ebenezer for finding me this hip-life CD in the market. It's 'Toffee' by Castro Destroyer. It combines not only traditional Ghanaian highlife music with hip-hop but uses various styles in a fresh and imaginative way. If you can't get to Accra, it can be sampled and bought at www.ghana.co.uk
Read more about my visit to Ghana... Ghana
Rev Shaun Sanders is the minister of Clapton Park and Hackney churches.