People around town

Women dress beautifully to go out - a matching skirt and top and a matching head covering.

 

Kids know how to hang on from the time they are very small.

Hamza the tailor, made outfits for us from cloth given as a gift from GILLBT.

 

Our friend at the market persuaded us to buy a few things from his shop - Trinity!  We told him that our grandson attended Trinity Western University and he was pleased.

 

School girls on their way home. 

Transportation in Tamale

Traffic is fascinating!

The fronts of trucks often have interesting slogans or signs.   

We were standing on a major intersection, when Ken decided to take a video of the traffic.  Actually, it did not turn out to be all that busy, but then a bunch of animals showed up to add to the scene. Check it out in the video below.  Sheep, goats, and even cows walk along sidewalks and across streets.  No one seems to even notice.  Drivers are courteous to the 4-legged creatures. 

This very unusual vehicle is used everywhere for deliveries.  We thought it should be introduced in Winnipeg.

Flat 4-wheel carts are pulled by human power - along the streets or down very narrow alley ways in the markets. 

In the tangle of traffic, notice the car with the yellow side panel.  That is the mark of a taxi.  We have had many taxi trips!!  

Men and women alike enjoy a ride in the open air. 

Greater Heights International School

Greater Heights International School is a private school that is operated by Dan and Dianne Dzokotoe, our host family.  They do this in addition to their work in Bible Translation.  

Last year they started the school with 145 children and this past September they added a few more grades.  They do not advertise and they operate a Christian school with 90% Muslim students!  About 450 kids, from age 2 years up to grade 4 come to classes every day.  The little ones are awfully cute!  

It was very interesting to have a tour of the school.  In each class we said, “Good morning Class, how are you?”  They rose and replied in unison loudly, “We are fine thank you, and you?”  We responded with “We are fine thank you” and then the greetings were done! 

Mr. Seuli, the headmaster was taking us around, because that is part of his responsibility.  He would point out a few interesting things in each class.

Here is a class list, posted at the door of a classroom.

 

School starts at 7:45 am and the mid-day break comes at 10.  The students gather in the middle of the yard for assembly. 

The video that follows will give you a flavour of the drumming, singing and marching.
The students march to their classrooms for lunch, stopping to wash their hands in basins outside.  

About half of the students pay for a school lunch, so every morning Moses, the house help, cooks up a big meal – 100 cups of rice with sauce!  One day it was spaghetti – a picnic cooler was almost full of noodles! 

Here is classroom of older students - grade 4.

Ken put on his teacher hat and helped out in the classrooms.

After hours - a goat visits the classroom! 

The Compound

Sunday afternoon and Monday morning -

In 2000 our daughter Jennifer came to Tamale for 8 months to work alongside Sister Jacqueline, a Catholic nun who was providing assistance to women in distress.   Jen needed a place to live and she was able to rent a room in a compound in the center of Tamale.   It is the beige-coloured building in the background. 

Jennifer shared the courtyard with Ghanaian families who lived in the same compound.  They became her friends and her family.  In January 2001 we came for a visit and shared Jen’s home for 3 weeks.  Coming back to Tamale almost 12 years later we were eager to visit the compound.  Sunday afternoon we walked along Hilltop Road, trying to find the spot.  And find it we did, because it was the only compound along there with a door on the side. 

 When we entered the courtyard a gracious young woman welcomed us.  Sherry remembered Jennifer well, though she was only 9 at the time.  Her mother was the fish seller.  Sherry has started nurses training.  

 We visited with Ahmed, the owner of the compound, and he was willing to have his photo taken in front of the door to Jen’s old place. 

Ah, there's that red door!  So many memories here of our time in Tamale with Jennifer in 2001.

Rus (Roosh) arrived home while we were there.  He was a teacher who lived in the next room to Jennifer.  Rus had spotted us on the street the day before!  He walked right up to us and asked if we were Ken and Carolee!   He was pleased to show us that he has done well with the plants that Jennifer gave him when she left.  

 

  

Monday we were back to see Agnes, who runs a seamstress school in the small blue building next to the compound.  After we came someone called her on their cell phone – yes, cell phones are a way of life here too!  When Sister Agnes arrived she ran to meet us.
   

You can see her below with the fancy head covering that matches her dress.
 

 

We stayed to watch Agnes and the young women at work.

Then someone came by on a motorbike – none other than Gifty, another of Jennifer’s neighbours and a dear friend.   She now has 4 children.   

 Gifty was on her way to her secretarial job.
 

She told us that she is also going to school, studying business and administration. 

Sunday worship, November 11

 Check out the movie below!

Sunday, as we were sitting in church and perspiring, we realized that it was November 11^th and in Canada that is Remembrance Day!  Here is Tamale the service began with hearty hymn singing with an African swing.  There was a sermon on parenting and a baby dedication.  The morning was completed with praise and worship singing and dancing.  Finally the offering – for which we danced or walked to the front.  

While the service was going on inside, a crew was busy next to the church, doing cement work.  The men mixed cement and the women carried it on their heads!  The music and singing in the church inspired them to dance too!  

Bible Translation

We are in Ghana because of  Bible translation!  At the edge of Tamale there is the headquarters for one of Wycliffe's partner organizations, GILLBT – Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Translation. 

Dan Dzokotoe, took us here to see the work and meet the people.  Dan is Director of Human Resources and Administration.  

  

GILLBT won a UNESCO Award for their contribution to literacy in Northern Ghana.  In the last 50 years their work has helped 50,000 Ghanaians to read!

Carolee represents the board of directors of Wycliffe Canada as she meets the staff and directors of GILLBT.   Ken joins right in with the meetings and discussions. He’s getting to knows a lot about the deeper issues of Bible translation – what board and management are concerned about!  Ken has been a director of missions (with Mennonite Brethren) for 8 years so issues and concerns of mission leaders are familiar to him.  

Our first meeting was on Saturday, November 10, with Sayibu Imoro, who is the chair of the GILLBT board.  Ken found it very interesting to hear Sayibu and Carolee asking each other questions and discussing the work of being on the board.   It was an energizing 2-hour conversation! 

 

Emily Lamptey joins Carolee and Sayibu for a photo.  Emily is executive secretary to President Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah.  She hosted us on his behalf because he is away in the US for meetings.  

Tuesday, November 14, we spent a whole morning at GILLBT.  It started with attending staff devotions at 8:00. Carolee was introduced at the end and asked for “a few words.”  She talked about the rewards of seeing transformation in people’s lives.  That was followed by a meeting with 5 of the senior staff.   Carolee opened with greetings from the Wycliffe board in Canada and talked briefly about how God gifts the body of Christ with people who are uniquely suited for their positions.   Then followed an intense hour and half of discussion.  They had so many questions and so much to share!  Their passion for the work of Bible translation is huge!  

The meeting was followed by a tour.  I, Carolee, was thinking about 12 years ago when we had a tour of GILLBT.   At that time I knew very little about Wycliffe and Bible Translation.  What a change in the last 12 years.  By now I have been on the Wycliffe board for 7 years.

 

 

On our tour we had the privilege of meeting Mary Steele.  She has been doing Bible translation work for 50 years!  That's right - fifty years in Northern Ghana, working with several different language projects!  She is now a consultant.  Last year Mary was given a prestigious award, which was presented to her by Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth!! 

This large computer screen in fascinating.  It shows 5 different languages at one time!  We saw this in an office where 2 Ghanaians and 1 senior missionary were checking a translation to prepare it for printing. 

A highlight of the tour was praying over a newly translated New Testament in the Nawuri language.   The dedication is happening later this month, in a village about 4 hours drive from Tamale. 

This batik wall hanging shows the various aspects of Bible translation and literacy work.

Dzokotoes, our hosts in Ghana

Dan and Dianne Dzokotoe, invited us to stay at their home while we are in Tamale. 

They have a daughter, Dzifa, who is 14 years old.  We remember her from our last visit when she was only 2!  She has grown into a lovely young lady. 

Dianne is from Newfoundland and is happy to have Canadians around.  On this picture their family is joined by Elena from the US, who is also staying here.   

Ken joined a game of Canasta under the shade of a tree. 

Dan and Dianne have a lot of animals around – some raised to sell and some raised for enjoyment. In the backyard the sheep and turkeys are at home.

 

In the pens there are pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs and monkeys.  In the front veranda there  are various birds who sing mightily every morning!  Besides that there dogs and puppies!