Village life

At one o’clock in the morning, very punctually, the rooster beats his wings on the ground and crows a first time. At the latest at three o’clock and more and more often until six in the morning. Then the day and the light rise together. The cows moo and want to get out of the fence into the open air. The goats bleat, the dogs bark, the pigs grunt, the guinea fowl coo. The younger women begin to sweep the yard, and the heads of household make a first round of door-to-door checks to see if man and beast are well. The day has awakened. In December, the harmattan – the haze season – brings with it wind, desert dust and sand that settles on everything like a thin layer, creeping into the nose and irritating the eyes. Corona masks are not that bad, they protect against viruses and dust!

 

The sunrise is always punctual
The sunrise is always punctual

 

Cytnhia gets up first and sweeps the yard every morning

 

 

But by no means is everyday life at the homestead idyllic. Rather, it is laborious and tedious. It is a good 150 meters to the water well, and the younger women and children pump up the precious water in large quantities every day and haul all the water they need for the day to the farm. For cooking, washing the dishes, doing the laundry and also for bathing. In the brick house where my room is located, there is even a shower and a toilet. But the water only flows when the big water container on the roof is filled. If it is empty: No water! To wash my long hair now and then, I had to ask for a little hot water, mix it with cold in a bucket and then shower with a calabash. Worked great and was a treat. It is a terrific development that there has been a well and clean drinking water for some time. Not so long ago, water had to be fetched from a stream, far away and of course not very clean. Thirty-two years ago, I would not have been able to use the water even to brush my teeth. And I remember that at that time I drank only unfermented millet beer without worry, because it is boiled for hours. No bacteria can survive there.

 

Still some families must walk long distances to get clean water
Still some families must walk long distances to get clean water

 

The younger children nowadays all go to school, which is in the next village, Chebogo, about a kilometer and a half away. The school looks quite desolate, almost neglected. Nevertheless, it is progress that all children now have the chance to attend school. This was not a matter of course in 1989 or until ten years ago. Of my adopted brother Titus’ generation, there are some relatives who cannot read or write, speak little to no English. Even some of his nephews and nieces were not sent to school until they were eight or nine years old. That’s how Vitalis, who is now 25 years old, told me. He described how he herded cattle and worked in the fields as a child until he was allowed to go to school. If Titus had not persuaded Vitalis’ father, he would probably never have attended school either. Today, Vitalis is studying economics in his second semester at a technical college in Kumasi, Ghana’s second largest city. In the interivew with him, it became very clear: It is very difficult and it requires a lot of discipline and courage as well as, in addition to the parents, relatives who support and fully or partially finance the school education. It is a rocky road for young people in Upper West Ghana to get to university.

Until it gets dark, there is hardly a time when work is not going on here in the courtyard. The women are busy making straw mats or baskets, walking to the mill to have corn or millet ground, cooking, washing … Very laborious is the production of shea butter, which takes a good three days. Brewing millet beer, called pitó, is no less tedious. Both activities bring the women a small income of their own, even if it is not a huge sum. Rather, one could say the effort is hardly worth it. A small scoop of shea butter costs 20 pesewa, which is not even three cents. A whole bowl hardly brings more than 50 Ghanacedis, which is less than 10,- Euro, too low a wage for the much and very exhausting work. Later, after sifting through my material, I will post a video that will show HOW MUCH work it takes to make shea butter. When it is market day in Fielmong and every five days the women bake Cosí. These are fried balls made from bean flour, really delicious. This also brings a little cash to the women.

It is not until six o’clock in the evening, when the sun dips down on the horizon in one go, that peace returns, the cows patter back into their stalls, the goats are rounded up. The pigs lie down in the puddles, where the shower water always collects and the washing-up water is poured down. So everyone has his place for the night. In the dark, the women prepare dinner: Usually there is T-zet, prepared from corn or millet flour. It looks a little grayish, has a firm consistency and is eaten with different sauces. In the morning, coco porridge is drunk, it is also made of millet or corn and, liquid and warm. The food is not particularly varied …

The men are always served, the women continue to work until they go to bed. When neighbors still come or the men of the family sit together on narrow benches, there is still chatting, discussing or the next day or currently the upcoming big funeral. There seems to be an endless list of things to do. When the power is not out, the light from a tall lantern bathes the entire yard. The children are still romping around, playing catch or chasing the goats. The little puppy is all over the place looking for playmates and running after the kids. Out of the darkness, stomping can still be heard, one of the girls is preparing food at this late hour. The coals are still glowing on the stove. If you go out a bit, the stars shine brightly. One of the little pigs still grunts, then it becomes quiet. I could remain like this for hours and watch, simply observe, no more and no less. It is completely sufficient.