----Mail from Yasmeen's Mum,
Elaine
Just testing. I wanted to make
sure I have it correct before forwarding Yasmeen's
e-mails.
Elaine
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----Mail from Yasmeen's Mum,
Elaine
Michael here are the first of
Yasmeen's e-mails. If you read them
In order they will come
together quite well.
I love to hear from you after you
have read them. You can send your
Reply to my home e-mail
or work e-mail.
Thank you
Elaine
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Forwarded by
Elaine
Subject: Africa....
Hello everyone,
I sent an
e-mail about 2 days ago only to find that many of you did not
receive it or were left off my list so I apologize. I will
start from the beginning then.
I arrived here in Accra Ghana on
Saturday night. The flight was crazy.
The turbulence was
worse than any I have ever experienced. I got a little sick
but I'm not sure if it was from the flight or the curry mutton
that they served for dinner.
As soon as I landed, chaos
started. I was lost as I walked through the airport.
Fortunately, I had made friends with the man sitting next to
me on the plane and he guided me through customs and told me
where I should expect to meet my party. I had 7 bags (I was
able to take 4 full of donations) and there were 2 workers who
helped me transport them. They asked me for 20 each as a tip
so I gave them $20 to share and they were VERY happy. I now
know that they were asking for 20,000 cedis, which is really
less than $2.
I was just happy to see a man
holding up a sign that said "YASMEEN A. HARRIS" as I exited
the airport. I must have run to him. He is called
Senyo,
which means Gift from God. He is from the Ewe tribe and is the
program director here in Ghana. The taxi drivers got into a
heated argument over which would have the pleasure of taking
me to my guest lodge.
Senyo chose the one that gave us
the best rate and has since explained that you must bargain
everything here. I got my $ changed over and became an instant
millionaire. That was until I went to the store and spent
60,000 cedis on bottled water and pineapple juice.
The next
two days were a celebration of Easter. They celebrate from
Good Friday to Easter Monday, which is picnic day. Senyo took
me to the beach for picnic day and the journey there was very
memorable. We rode on the public transportation system called
the Tro Tro. It is a fleet of privately owed vans that run
along specific routes. If you can imagine, there were about 20
people in a 12-passenger van and it was VERY hot. We passed
through a village called Labadi, which looked like a typical
African Village. The houses were small cement flats with sheet
metal roofs. There were many markets with fresh fruit and many
animals such as chickens and goats roaming the dirt streets. A
man walked by with a wheelbarrow full of some kind of green
fruit that I had never seen before. I asked Senyo what they
were and he said coconuts. I asked, "Aren't they supposed to
be brown?" Senyo laughed and concluded that I am used to
seeing them dried up. These were fresh, just picked from a
tree. "They are filled with sweet water," he said as he
purchased one for me. The man cracked it open and I drank the
water straight from the center.
When we arrived at the beach, the
line was about 1/2 mile long. It was a beach party. The
"Coca-Cola Easter Jam". Somehow we got cut to the front of the
line and got in. I have never seen anything like the scene at
the beach. Miles and miles of Ghanaians having fun in the
ocean. Women were carrying around things to sell, everything
from large bowls of fruit and meat to boxes of Ice cream on
their heads! I was amazed at how they were weaving in and out
of the crowds with perfect balance. There must have been about
70,000 people or more on the beach that day. A woman came up
to me and said "Sista...." I could not understand anything
else she said as she was speaking in the local language. Senyo
explained that she was warning me that people were monitoring
my cell phone to take it. I became very aware of the danger in
my surroundings at that point but I was fine. I actually had a
great time.
That was the last day of freedom
and celebration however. Senyo advised me to prepare my mind
for what I would see the next day at the Osu orphanage. I did
a lot of meditation and prayer but I don't think anything
could have really prepared me for what I saw today.
The first part I visited was the
nursery. The electricity was poor and the flickering light
allowed me to see glimpses of the babies, 3 to a crib. They
laid there not even crying but staring with blank faces.
Obvious neglect, but it was not the fault of the workers. They
work hard there 24/7. They don't turn any babies away so they
don't have nearly enough staff to tend to all of them.
I
was assigned to the learning center for children from about 3
to 5 yrs old. As soon as I walked in, they attached to me
pulling my at bag and my water bottle. I thought they were
saying "open it, open it" but they were saying "obroni" which
meant white person. "White person?" I asked Senyo. "Yes
because your skin is fair" I had never considered my skin to
be fair until today.
After I was introduced, I was left on
my own. The workers kind of looked at me as if to say, "What
are you doing here" I walked over to 2 buckets filled with
water and began to wash the dishes to show them that I was
there to help, not observe. They got the picture because they
began to bring me more and more to wash.
I made friends
with a 23 yr old teacher named Victoria. She was surprised to
learn that I am a Black American. I am the first that many of
them have met. I think that is unfortunate but I see it as an
opportunity to represent my race well in case they never meet
another.
That brings me to the present. I am now here at a
small Internet center where they charge about $.60 per hr. I
will be here for about the next 45 minutes so if you have any
questions, you can e-mail me back.
Love,
Yasmeen
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----Mail from Yasmeen's Mum,
Elaine
As the title reads. Part two of
Yasmeen's journey.
Elaine
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
Forwarded by Elaine
Subject: Africa....part 2....HOT
HOT Tamale
Hello Again,
A lot has changed since the last
time I was able to write. I am no longer in the capital city
of Accra. I have traveled 12 hours north toward the Sahara
Desert to a very remote city called Tamale. The Tamale
Children's Home is one that the program (CATO) is trying to
adopt and I am the first volunteer that has ever made the
journey here. I can see why as it was quite a miserable one.
The bumpy, winding road leads us through the 'bush'. I will
call it the jungle because that's what it was to me. Senyo
explained that I would not see any animals as they are scared
of vehicles and stay back from the road. I enjoyed the scenery
until nightfall when it started pouring rain. That's when it
happened...the bus broke down in the middle of the jungle and
it was pitch black all around. The sporadic lightning flashes
revealed my surroundings only for 1 second at a time. I looked
right...palm trees. I looked left...'huts'. I looked ahead...
a tall mountain. Then blackness, pure blackness. I didn't want
to see anymore. I just closed my eyes and had to remove myself
from reality before I was overcome with fear. I'm sure it was
not long before the problem was fixed but it seemed like an
eternity. A broken fan belt... I should have known as the same
thing happened the day before when I took a bus to Cape Coast
to see the Slave Castle. Yes, I had been stranded in the
jungle the day before too, but in the, light it was not half
as scary.
My experience at the Slave
Castle was overwhelming. The castle itself was once a bright
white building but has since become a dingy shade of yellow/
gray. On top, overlooking the ocean, are large cannons and
lying beside them are the original cannon balls, rusted. I was
actually taken down into the dungeon that my ancestors were
held in. It was a hot, dark, damp place made of large bricks
with one window at the very top that was used to throw food
down. Hundreds and hundreds of slaves would be in this dungeon
at a time, so many that they did not have room enough to stand
and they were chained together. There is a line on the wall
about 3 feet high. This line marks the level that the human
waste reached and stayed. Only during excavation were they
able to find the original floor. I cried like a baby. It was
like I could feel the spirit of so many that had died in this
room. It was a feeling that I am so appreciative to have had
but I never want to feel again. I passed through the "Door of
No Return" which is the door that lead the slaves to the ships
where they endured even more. It's hard to even think
about.
If Texas in the summer can be
described as hot than there is no words to describe the
climate here in Tamale. In the afternoon it feels like I am
breathing into an oven. I try not to inhale if I am not in a
shaded area.
It hurts. Most are babies at this home. I have
fallen in love with a set of twins named Sanatu and Joe. They
are so beautiful. Their mother died while giving birth to
them. There is also a pretty, bright-eyed, 1 and a half yr old
girl who cannot yet walk. Her bones lack the calcium needed to
support her tiny, tiny frame. The home gets very little
funding because most people do not even know that they exist.
They are located in the middle of a village of huts far from
"town" or any type of medical assistance. I was informed that
when a child falls sick suddenly, a staff member must run to
town with the baby on their back and often the baby dies
before receiving the proper treatment. Also there is not
enough food here to feed the children and the little water
that they get makes the children break out in rashes and bumps
all over their bodies. One young girl came to me yesterday and
asked for $ to go to the clinic. She had a large bump that was
sticking up about 1/2 inch off her right hand. I asked her
what it was from and she said "The water." Can you imagine?
But they have no choice but to drink the water.
CATO is setting up a program
where people and organizations can adopt
projects at the
home like feeding the children or building a wall that will
keep the wild animals off of the land. Their hope is that in a
couple of years, it will be a livable place for the children.
I am here to figure out the specific needs, the cost, and
write a grant proposal. So everyday, after I get done
teaching, I interview the staff and the children to find out
what is needed most. Things will change.
I hope that this e-mail finds
everyone well and know that I am doing just fine. Senyo
commented the other day "You are doing what Americans love to
do, trying to change the world..." I responded "I am doing my
part....."
I will be in touch.
Love
Yasmeen
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----Mail from Yasmeen's Mum,
Elaine
Part three: Yasmeen has one more
e-mail to send. Her next one
Will center around her trip to
the slave market. Michael you cannot
Believe the incredible
journey my daughter has taken. It has truly change her life. I
will send part four of Yasmeen's journey when I receive
it.
Take care Michael.
Elaine
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
Forwarded by Elaine
Subject: Africa......Part 3
Hello again!
I hope everyone
is doing well and I am so glad that so many of you are
enjoying hearing about my experience here.
Where do I start? Life in Tamale
has been quite interesting. It is a city made up of villages
of circular mud homes with grass roofs. It is inhabited by the
Dagumba Tribe who speak a local language called Dag bani. As
in the rest of Ghana, English is the official language but it
is rarely spoken. The streets are lined with vendors selling
everything from live chickens to soccer balls out of shacks
that look like they would crumble if a strong wind blows
through. There are more goats here than people and more
bicycles than cars.
My work at the orphanage has been
extremely rewarding. When I arrive in the morning the children
run up to me chanting "Teacha, Teacha" then they jump on me so
hard that I almost loose my balance every time. We start the
day with greetings. I say " Good Morning children"
They
respond in unison " Gooooood Mor-ning Ma-dame"
"How are you
today?"
"Ve-ry well, thaaank you, and you?"
"I am also
fine."
They recite the Lord's Prayer then they stand at
attention and sing their National Anthem " God Bless Our
Homeland Gha-na...."
Once we get into the class room,
they recite the alphabet " A equals to
Apple, B equals to
Ball...." One day I stopped them and asked, "What
other
word does A equal to?"
They again stated "A equals
to Apple"
"No other words begin with A?" I asked.
They
just laughed at me and said, "No, A equals to Apple" Just as
I
thought, they have no idea why A equals to
Apple.
Every day I rediscover how deprived they are of an
education. One of the projects we are working on is getting a
full time qualified teacher for them. I do not believe that
their current teacher has more than an elementary level
education. I am doing my best to teach them new concepts while
I am here but I must be careful not to overload them with
information that they will forget when I leave.
The
children love the colored pencils that were donated. I pass
them out by asking them "what color am holing up?" That is how
I discovered that they did not know their colors, but they
learned quickly. They draw me pictures and come running up to
the front of the class so proud of their work. I act as if
each one is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. On my
last day working at the school, some of the older children who
realized that I was not coming back cried their little eyes
out. I wish I could have stayed longer. It breaks my heart to
leave them but I must go back to Accra this weekend. I am so
glad that I spent some time in Tamale.
I would not have
known True Africa without this experience.
Yesterday I took
a trip to Mole National Park. I woke up at 3:30 am and took
the early bus out to a town called Larabanga. A CATO program
worker named Selase was my guide. Senyo warned me that I may
not want to go because the road would be rough. I had no idea
how rough. There were times that I thought that the bus would
surely break in half or tip over. Some of the bumps shot me so
high into the air that I ended up in the next seat over.
I
should not complain though. Some on the bus did not even have
a seat.
They stood for the entire 3-hour trip. When we
arrived in Larabanga I found myself in the middle of a vary
run down village where every structure was made of mud. They
had a hardware store, a restaurant and even guesthouses. I
thought to myself "I'm glad I am not staying in one of THOSE
guest houses."
The hike to the park was about 5 miles. On
my way, a strange animal
crossed the road right in front of
me and I jumped back. It looked like a person. Selase laughed
at me. "It's just a baboon" he said.
"Oh" I stated as if I
was used to seeing them cross my path.
Mole National Park
is a Wild Game Reserve. Many exotic animals roam the land.
While eating my breakfast of toast and fresh pineapple I was
joined by about one dozen baboons. They were just walking
around as calm as if they were humans. When I finished, I went
out to a hilltop overlooking the land and watched elephants
bathe in a dark green pond. To my left and to my right were
wart hogs and monkeys watching right along with me. I don't
think that I have ever been more at peace as I was at that
moment. I am convinced that this has to be the most peaceful
place in the world. I wanted to see the elephants up close so
I decided to take a Safari walk. The Guide carried a large gun
on his back. "It is just protection in case the animals get
angry." he explained. In the jungle I saw wart hogs, gators,
antelope, and many species of monkeys. There were also Lions
and Leopards which I was glad not to see. However, the animals
that I wanted to see most, the elephants, had gone too far
back into the jungle and would probably not come back until
the next morning. I was very disappointed.
At the end of
the Safari, we climbed a hill and entered into a
village.
There he was....An elephant was standing right in
the middle of the
village. The people seemed to be more
fascinated with us than with than the elephant in their back
yard. I walked right up to it in slow motion with my mouth
gaped open. I could not believe my eyes. I must have taken a
whole roll of film.
We left right as the sun was setting.
Selase and I rented bikes to ride back into town. I have not
ridden a bike in years and it was very embarrassing. Even more
embarrassing was finding out that the brakes did not work. I
kept dodging baboons and antelope on way. It was mostly an
uphill climb through loose red dirt. It started getting dark
and suddenly I remembered what the guide told us. " Do not be
out on the roads come nightfall. At night the animals tend to
get more aggressive."
I turned to Selase and asked, " Do
you think we will make it to town by nightfall?"
He
responded with a doubtful look, " We will have to go a lot
faster"
I was so worn out by the Safari walk that I had
almost no energy left in my body but at that point it was like
my body turned into a machine. I was peddling with so much
determination, I felt like the Wicked Witch of the West from
the Wizard of Oz. There was no way that I would be caught in a
pitch black jungle at night....on a bike!
We made it back
just as the last bit of light was sneaking away only
to
find that there would be no more buses back to Tamale
that night. OH NO!
I would have to stay in one of THOSE
guesthouses. Two young boys from the Kamara Tribe acted as our
hosts and took us to our rooms. Everything I did was so funny
to them but I didn't understand why. I was visibly nervous and
scared I'm sure. They told me that there would be a party that
night.
One of the women in the village had given birth and
they would celebrate. We arrived in the center of the village
where about 400 people were circled around a light and a DJ
booth with speakers. As soon as the music started, the
children ran into the middle of the circle and danced their
hearts out. They were jumping and shouting and spinning having
so much fun. The DJ made an announcement. " We have a Black
American celebrating with us tonight. We would like for her to
come and dance with us." They put on a Sean Paul song and I
was pulled into the middle of the circle. I began to dance and
the people were trying to imitate my moves. I could not stop
smiling.
I left the party before it ended because I was so
tired from the long day. However, the last place I wanted to
be was inside that guest house. I crept into the room and
slowly sat on the bed. I just knew there were creatures in
there with me. I could feel it. My plan was to just stay up
all night but exhaustion took over. I woke up to see a small
furry animal crawling up the wall and darted out of the room
in about 2 steps. I sat outside for a few minutes and decided
to stay there for the rest of the night. I heard a lot of
movement to my left. I looked over and saw the silhouette of a
huge rat. OH NO! What do I do? I had two choices: Stay outside
with the rat or go back into the room with the mouse. There
was absolutely no escape. I had to go back inside. I decided
the best thing to do was to just keep my eyes closed until
morning. If I could not see it, I could act like it was not
there. That is exactly what I did.
The bus came at about
5:00 am and I arrived back in Tamale this morning
safe and
sound. The experience was entirely worth it. It all feels like
a dream to me but, at the same time, it is all so
real....
Tomorrow I plan to visit the Slave Markets then
head back to Accra.
Again, I hope everyone is doing
well and I will be in touch.
Love Yasmeen
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello Michael,
Here is the last installment of
Yasmeen's journey. Today I cried.
This is my child. This
is my baby. And thanks to her courage, we were able to travel
this amazing journey with her. So many people have comment
that they felt her joy as well as her pain. Thank you and CATO
for placing my daughter in good hands. I hope to meet you one
day.
Yasmeen's mom
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Forwarded by Elaine
Subject: Africa.....part
4.....Goodbye Ghana
Hello everyone,
I am writing
my last e-mail on this, my last morning in Ghana. I just want
to say how much I appreciate all of your positive comments. It
makes me so happy to have shared this experience with
you.
The last journey I took before
coming back to Accra was to the Slave Markets in a village
called Salaga about 4 hours from Tamale. Again, I woke up at
3:30 am and headed to the bus yard. Upon arrival, Selase was
told that they no longer send buses there. "Don't worry" he
said. "I know where we can get a bus to
Salaga." We went
down the street to another "bus yard" but there were no buses
there, only vans that were at least 3 decades old with so many
people stuffed inside that some were forced to ride on the
roof. I was just hoping that, at any minute, a real bus would
pull up but, in my heart, I knew that this was the "bus" that
Selase was referring to. Sure enough, 15 minutes later, I was
stuffed inside and pressed against the right window. The road
was just as rough as the one to Mole Park but this van was not
as well equipped to handle the shock and ...uh-oh my
reoccurring motion sickness had finally come back to haunt me.
I just started praying, "Lord please let me be able to control
the food that is in my stomach at least until I get to
Salaga." By the time we arrived and I got a breath of fresh
air, I was just fine.
Thank You Lord! I was first
introduced to the Chief who would grant me permission to tour
the area. He was a large, very tall gentleman with dark, wise
eyes. I could not stop looking into his eyes. He humbly said
"You are welcome" and not much more. Most of the people in
this region of Ghana have a naturally tall and strong build
and this is why about 80% of the slaves came from this area.
This is also why so many Black Americans have such a naturally
tall and strong build to this day.
I was carried on the back of a
motorcycle to what appeared to be a large barn. The guides
went inside and brought out 5 sharp spears, 3 large guns made
of wood, some rusted metal shackles, and a chain that formed a
circle with clamps connected to it. Before they even told me,
I knew that these were the ones that were actually used on my
ancestors. As soon as I reached down to pick one up, a tear
dropped out of my eye. I could not believe that my hands were
actually touching the shackles that were once around my
ancestor's ankles.
It sent a chill through my body
and I sat frozen for a few moments while they were completely
silent for me. I could see it all as if it were happening
right in front of me. I was taken down a dirt road which was
lined with beautiful green trees. This was the exact route
that the captives took when it was time for them to prepare to
be sold at the market. We stopped at some large holes in the
ground which, I learned, were once the slaves baths. They
would fetch water from the well and pour it into the hole,
wash, and are covered with shea butter to make them shiny and
presentable. Once they arrived at the market, they were picked
through like cattle and the ones that were not chosen that day
would be thrown into a warehouse and put back out the next.
When a captive passed away during this process, they were laid
at the foot of a large tree and left to rot into the ground.
The tree now has a white band around it in honor of all the
souls that were laid to rest there. Those who did survive were
lead, at gun point, to the coast where the slave castles are
located. To give an idea of how far that is, it takes 15 hours
by bus.
It all fit together just like a
puzzle and I have never been more proud of my heritage as when
I realized that MY ancestors survived all of this. They
survived being captured and taken away from their families and
everything that they knew. They survived being chained,
shackled, and lead at gunpoint hundreds of miles in the
blistering heat only to be thrown into a dungeon where they
were starved and made to live in their own waste. They
survived the journey overseas in the bottom of a boat where
they were stacked on top of each other and still bound at the
ankles and wrists. They survived the torture of hundreds of
years of slavery in America. They survived, and because of
that, I am here, because MY ancestors survived it. That is the
strength from which I come and now...it all makes so much
since. Every Black
American is the descendant of someone
who endured this and lived.
It is so hard for me to leave
Ghana after all of the experiences that I have had and all
that I have learned here. I came here to give my time but when
I did that, I gained an experience. I came to share my
knowledge but when I did that, I gained some true wisdom. I
came to give my love but when I did that, I received more love
than I knew existed in the entire world from people who did
not know anything about me and never judged. Here, I have
learned that there is really no "right way" to live. Right is
what makes one happy and people here are truly, truly
happy.
Last night I heard singing, drumming and dancing
right outside my window. They were celebrating for what I
would probably consider no reason at all but to them, just the
fact that they are able to sing and dance and play is reason
enough to celebrate.
The other day Senyo thanked me for all
that I have done here. He said that I have changed lives that
I may not ever know about. I just thank the Lord for using me
to carry out His work. Senyo explained that some people just
come and go but he can see that, in me, is the ability and the
power to change things. He invited me to become a member of
the CATO Children's Fund Board. I was very reluctant to accept
this responsibility because I do not want to take on a task
that is too big for me. However, it did not take me long to
realize that this was exactly why The Lord lead me here. I had
been asking Him to show me the entire time. I was once told
that He will never ask you to do something if He is not
prepared to help you do it. That is why I am now a member of
the CATO Children's Fund Board and responsible for the
fundraising in all of North America. I have no doubt that it
will all work out...
Once again I thank you so much
for all of your positive comments and I hope that you have
enjoyed reading about my experience...
Love
Yasmeen
----
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