My life in Dzelukope

the Dzelukope beach after fisherman returned for the day

Finally I am writing to you from Dzelukope after leaving Accra. The internet connection in the city is down most of the time, so I expect updates from here will be few and far between but for today here I am!

Dzelukope is a welcome relief from the pace of life in Accra and much more familiar to me than was Accra. The size of the town, and the fact that I am free to walk around town, as well as the community feel, is much more like Yako and I am more at ease here than I was in Accra. That being said, now that I’m a week and a bit into the program, i’m beginning to have glimpses of some of the challenges of my time here.

“Un-kon-ne-na Adju” is the introduction I’ve learned to use over the past days in Dzelukope. Although I know my pronunciation needs work I can tell you that this means ‘my name is Monday born’. When I introduce myself as Brittany most people are confused, and ignore my name, or pronounce it similar to ‘brijly’. I’m okay with all of this because usually the next question someone will ask me is where I am staying and it’s then my turn to badly pronounce someone’s name.

“With Togbi” I say. This means with the chief. I’m not however, staying with the paramount chief, so there are many Togbis in Dzelukope. I struggle to pronounce my Togbi’s last name, and then say “you know, his courtyard is by the school, and the Jesus Cares Day Care Centre...”

Living in a courtyard is a huge learning process, not to mention living in a Togbi’s courtyard. The social conventions of life in a family courtyard, are for the most part, new to me. I’ve had a glimpse of life as an African daughter over the past days, as everytime I go or leave the courtyard i’m asked to explain my comings and goings, and explain exactly what time I’ll be home, or why i’m later than I said I would be (in Africa! Where everything is late.). This is a struggle, but my roommate and I have been learning to cope with this. And, I recognize my experience is only a glimpse as if I want to arrange to come home after the gates are locked I can, and the other girls cannot.

Our courtyard has several tenants in addition to the main family. One of them has three children that I’ve started “bonding” with when. The oldest is a girl, she often gives me hugs and always shows me a huge smile. Her younger brother speaks to me frequently in Ewe to which I respond with the three words I know. My favourite is “Eh” which means yes. Although I’m not convinced always answering him with yes is a good idea, it’s fun to see the look on his face as I talk to him.

Ghanain life, friends and food is one form of experience here. The other is completing school work and starting research. Learning how to navigate my way around a new culture, while learning how to conduct interviews, all within the proper theoretical constructs, is feeling a little overwhelming right now. Fortunately, all the other students are going through the same process, and we’re all working to support each other’s research.

More updates to come.