COMING FULL CIRCLE
by Kathy Armstrong
What an incredible year it has been! From our campaign kick-off/cd release party at Bridgehead Coffeehouse with a surprise visit from His Excellency Oliver Lawluvi, High Commissioner for Ghana, to the energy-drenched final performance with Akpokli at the National Arts Centre before leaving on the trip, it was a wild ride. In preparation for our journey we performed 30 concerts, and had monthly meetings with all travellers where we planned our fundraising and later learned about the fabulous country we were about to visit. We made deeper connections with each other, with the Ghanaian community in Ottawa, and with local businesses and merchants. We were all overwhelmed by the positive feedback and support we received from many individuals both near and far. This project sought to further the links that Rory Magill and I have made with the village of Dagbamete; to immerse Ottawa youth in a different culture: not only by reading about it or even performing the music but by living it, and making personal connections with the people in Ghana.
Although I have been back to Ghana several times since my first visit there in 1990, this trip provided me with an opportunity to see it again through new eyes. That was a great gift. I was so proud of the Baobab members. Their open minds, integrity, flexibility and love of the music gave them an open door to walk through. And did they! Traditional dancing at funerals, communal eating, games with the local kids, swimming in the surf, hiking in the rainforest, bargaining with the sellers, experiencing urinals (male and female), trying Akpoteshie (!) and greeting the elders like they'd done it all their lives. Magical, it was.
We were hosted in Dagbamete by the one and only Frederick Kwasi Dunyo. If you have met him or seen him perform, you know what I mean! Since our first meeting in 1990 and our subsequent successful effort to bring him to Canada, Kwasi has built a phenomenal career, which includes teaching at the University of Toronto. He has also just established in his village, an arts centre, the West African Cultural Exchange, where each summer he brings study groups to learn the traditional culture of Ghana. We were honoured to perform at the official opening ceremony on July 7, 2001 in front of many people including high ranking officials. I was especially moved that he has chosen to name the first building the Kathy Armstrong Lodge. I remember looking at it for the first time: the sheer beauty of the structure , the care with which it was built and the fact that it represented so much of what Kwasi and I have worked towards over the past decade. Išll never forget that feeling. I have been thinking a lot about the past, the present and the future. I am overwhelmed with the complexity and yet also the simplicity of the Baobab Tree circle. It continues to grow and consolidate with an energy of its own. I feel privileged to be within it.
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Somewhere where I loved to chill out was the infamous Spot. The village hangout, a place to relax. Numerous trips would be taken daily to this cement building, only a stone's throw away from the veranda of the wace Centre. There's not much to buy in the Spot, but we could find a Coke or a Fanta for only 1500 cedis (a small price for a cool, sweet drink on a hot day? about 30 cents). On a lucky day Lydia may have some of her chicken on the grill in front and on really special occasions the Spot may be altered into the Disco. Here people of all ages would go to dance along to some African pop music. We were lucky enough to witness a full night at the Disco and then found ourselves back at the Spot the next morning for yet another Fanta.
- Naomi Shields
Some of my favourite parts of the trip were the nick-names. Dalton was named Big D or just D, Conor was named after his chant, a long drawn out G-hana!, yelling that to the village kids. My name was very unusual at the end, because it changed and shortened. It started off as Mary, because not many people even in North America can pronounce Marah, and then the kids started to call me Sister Mary. Then it was Mary Mother of Jesus. Then Mother of Jesus. Then Jesus Mother, and sometimes they'd pronounce Mother in a lax way and it sounded like Mara. So Jesus Mara. Then by the second last day the kids just started to call me Jesus. It sure was flattering.
- Marah Shields
My favourite memory of life in Dagbamete is the funeral that Baobab attended just before we left. The twenty-three-year-old daughter of a prominent family in Dagbamete had died with about two days left in our trip. We decided we should stay and perform at the all night drumming party that is customary at a funeral. The show went very well and we had a chance to drum with some of the villagers. I spent the rest of the night dancing with the local folks. It was a great party and I will never forget it. P.S. Watch out for the Home Boy!
- Conor Shields
EVERYbody uses their horn like an instrument. Maybe drivers use their horns to replace playing drums. My theory is that there are honks that tell you to get out of my way: long honk. I'm coming so watch out: short honk. Or Yeah, I heard Ya. Then there is the "move over, I want to pass you" or the the menacing honk of "don't you dare stick your nose out of that driveway". If you want to go NOW, you toot like it sounds "come on, I want to go". And then there is the "hi honk", short and sweet, accompanied by a wave of the hand.
- Liliane Lalonde-McKennirey
One of the best memories of the trip to Ghana is that of the younger children in the village. It was a wonderful feeling to be walking around when suddenly this little hand would slip into yours. The children were so much friendlier than here! Here, if you go to the park and see a little two or three-year-old, they won't even come near you. In Ghana, they run to come and see you! There were the twins, Aji and Acha, there was Abigail who could speak some English, (she was very cute when she said, "baby how are you?" and would reply to herself "I'm fine") and the other little kids that were always around. I don't think that I'll ever forget any of them and I know I'll never forget the feeling of that little hand slipping into mine!
- Anna Cameron
One incident that keeps coming back to me from our trip was a day when we had stopped the van in front of a police station in a small village to report a break-in of the van while we had been swimming that afternoon. Most of us were sitting in the van with the windows and doors open, feeling down about the break-in and just putting in time on our own thoughts. Out of the blue we heard Sarah-Jane start to sing the Kpanlogo song. She was always bursting into song and we thought she was trying to cheer us up until we heard some squeals of joy and timid singing coming from the local children. Always thinking of children, Sarah-Jane had found a way to communicate with these children who knew nothing of our group or how these people in a van could possibly know their songs and their language. The next 15 minutes brought many more children who clapped and sang their songs with her. The sheer joy on their faces was a sight to remember. Our worries didn't seem so important as we started back to our own village with joy in our hearts.
- Arlene Armstrong
I really enjoyed the slower pace of life in Ghana. We were never in a rush, and everyone was always relaxed. At home I live a fast-paced life, but being in the village helped me slow down and enjoy life more. Some of the brightest smiles I've ever seen were on the faces of the children of Dagbamete. I'll never forget their delight when we sang songs with them outside the lodge, their excitement whenever we brought out a soccer ball, and the pleasure they found in holding our hands as we walked through the village. Some of the simplest things in life brought them so much happiness. One of my favourite memories is of the morning when we made the presentations to the school in Dagbamete. The children were clearly thrilled with everything, especially the soccer equipment, and they showed their appreciation with an adorable thank-you song. It's an amazing feeling to know that we truly made a difference in their community.
- Karen Hamer
Under the initiative of Board members Shelley Borys and Jeannie Hunter, Baobab arrived in Ghana with 25 duffel bags of clothing, sports equipment, books, money and other items to donate to the people of Dagbamete. A presentation was made to the school children, headmaster and teachers, with the elders present. None of us will forget the huge whoop of joy that erupted with the presentation of the soccer balls! In addition, Baobab acted as ambassadors for Chelsea Elementary School in Quebec, delivering a cheque for $1200 usd as well as a quilt handmade by a 6th grade class which depicts many different Canadian scenes. A booklet describing each square accompanied the quilt, making it a ready-made curriculum on Canadian life. Together with Baobab Youth and Akpokli, Chelsea School has been raising funds for the school in Dagbamete for the last seven years. This twinning project has resulted in the Primary building being roofed, painted, latrines being built for the students, a brand new Junior Secondary school being completed and general upkeep of the site. There is a noticeable difference in the learning environment including the small saplings that Kathy Armstrong & Rory Magill planted at the start of the project (1994) now providing wonderful shade which the children gather under for assemblies. Many thanks to Chelsea School and the Baobab Tree community for these ongoing efforts. A site has been established for the building of the Senior Secondary school in the village, which will make it possible for students to stay at home for their high school years instead of boarding at far away schools. The new funds will be used to get this project underway.
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