BACK IN ACCRA


Late Monday night, I arrived in Accra at the Ackerson house. Yesterday, being Tuesday, I stayed home all day, rested and just took time to breathe Though it was a rest that was in order, it felt a little bit odd to be inside all day (though it was odd in a sweet, enjoyable sense).

Just over a month ago I found out that the New Year would bring a new placement – that news meant four weeks to complete the tasks that I was engaged with and to wrap-up in a manner that would make for a smooth transition for the next placement at Radio Justice.

We had just begun to make progress on a series of human rights public service announcements to be translated into the two major regional languages (Dagbani and Gonja). At that time, I was in the process of completing a review of the news department, full with obstacles face the station staff and suggestions in the form of an action plan. While times were busy, I continued to organize workshops and to work with various reporters at the station on an assortment of stories. A major part of each week was focused on producing “Freedom Thursdays”, which is the human rights show at the station. Training, networking, arranging interviews (which entails a lot in Tamale…), and assisting with script writing are all included in producing the weekly program. Due to the adversity that we were facing in having Layata hosting “Freedom Thursdays”, arrangements and preparations for the life of the show after I was to depart from Radio Justice was a priority to ensure that some of the major gains made were not immediately lost. The human rights case with the young girl that was cut up with a razor and had her life in danger was also taking a lot of energy. While a few of us were involved with her situation at it’s beginning, I became the only person that was doing anything to ensure that she was meeting the right people in Tamale and that her case was being taken seriously by the authorities. While I did ALL that I could, her uncle who assaulted her left town after the police waited nearly three weeks to attempt an arrest, the station was avoiding putting in a complaint to the human rights commission so that her case would be investigated (eventually, I just filed the complaint independently), and she moved back to the house that she had fled around a month ago. That was hard to hear. She doesn’t know if and/or when her uncle will return, and what – if anything – he will do if he finds her there.

Over those weeks, I spent growing amounts of each working with Samed, who was what they call an attachee to the news department at the station (an attachee is basically staff that is not paid). We worked on a lot of stories together, including a number of reports that were also broadcasted at our partner station (the most reputed station in the country) Joy FM. From traveling to Bolgatanga together for the Access to Justice conference to investigative reports on the state of the hospitals in the region, his drive and insistence added to a very full plate.

On top of it all was the handover document for the Justice placement and producing a placement plan for the new placement that I was to be starting with.

The days started early, and finished late. The days before leaving Tamale, as their number became smaller, seemed to evapourate. With so many tasks before me, and being in the dry, dusty weather that Northern Ghana receives from the Sahara desert, the approach of December and the holiday season was almost unnoticed by me. It wasn’t until I saw Home Alone 2 on television, which is full of Christmas carols and sentimental moments, that the time of year hit me. Nothing around me fit with what makes the season special to me. I found myself reminiscing and reflecting, but it feels good to be able to appreciate where I am and enjoy the Christmas season in Ghana (that will be much more attainable in Accra than it would be in Tamale).

On Friday, December 15th, I worked my last day at Radio Justice. I was there by 730am as I was to host Ms. World “Beauty with a Purpose”. She came with her sister and the morning went very well. We had some good conversations and plan to meet up again down in Accra.

As for the rest of the day, it was mainly about cleaning out my office and tying up a few loose ends. Razak, the General Manager, made it known that he would be organizing a going-away party for me when I come back to visit (most likely in February), before I leave from Ghana. Due to the delay on the going-away party, the day was very simple. While some expressed sadness that I was going, others wanted to make sure we stay in contact. Samed was pressing me to work on another story on that last afternoon. I assisted him, but my focus was on how much had happened over the past months, what was now before me, and how time seems to both speed by and stand still in my memory.

From one journey to another, my time at Radio Justice closed, and now new doors are opening.