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Of all the countries in Africa, including Kenya, the home of his father and ancestors, President Barack Obama chose Ghana as his one stopping point on the continent and I’m glad he did.

I traveled to Ghana on a grant from the NEA and Southern Arts Federation to document former President Jimmy Carter’s efforts to eradicate the scourge of Guinea Worm Disease. Given options of several African countries, I did research and asked everyone I knew with experience traveling to Africa for their opinions.

I received a lot of advice, but the statement that came up over and over was that Ghanaians were the friendliest people in all of Africa. I have to concur.

In several of the small, remote villages I visited, I was one of the few white people they had ever seen. Walking down dusty streets, people would cross over to greet me, shake my hand and smile.

There are many languages in Ghana and I tried to get a sense of a few words I could use of welcome wherever I went. In one town the accepted greeting was to say the word “naa” and slightly bow. It was a sign of respect if the person you were greeting were the last person to say naa. I stood for a minute with the chief of a village saying naa. I was determined, as was he, to show respect and we stood facing each other saying naa and politely bowing over and over and over until we both started laughing. I believe we ended in a tie.

The first thing to do in any village was a visit to the chief’s hut, after which everyone in the village knew you were officially approved and welcomed. As I left one village the chief sent a young villager away. He returned in a few minutes with two, live guinea hens which were ceremoniously handed to me as a gift.

My interpreter told me it would be rude not to accept. I thanked the chief and headed back with two guinea hens squirming in my lap.

Ghanaians have the coolest handshake in the world. As hands are clasped, the middle finger tightens and the two hands pull rapidly apart, resulting in both hands simultaneously snapping! Whenever I meet someone from Ghana I still tighten my middle finger, watch as their eyes go wide and pull my hand as they do the same. They always laugh, not expecting me to know their secret handshake!

Friendliness wasn’t the reason Obama made his choice, it was Ghana’s love of democracy and their success as a free society on a continent with few rivals in that department. We know Africa for its corruption and squandering of resources, but Ghana is a model of good governance that should be replicated. Obama is making a statement to this fact by stepping onto their soil.

Photographs from top: An Elder in Bulpela Village in northern Ghana; A one-room school in Changeshu Village; A woman and her child by a village’s only drinking source, a pond infected with Guinea Worm larvae.

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4 Responses to “Obama and Ghana”

1. Kitty says:

   July 12, 2009 at 2:14 pm

   What a wonderful introduction you’ve given us to the people of Ghana. It gives real insight as to why that country was chosen by Obama,that I had not gotten from any other media. More than that you have, as you always do, given us reasons to care for them as people and fellow travelers on our planet. Your amazing photos add the intimicy we would have missed otherwise. Thank you so very much for sharing this. By the way, I wonder how many of us will begin today practicing that handshake? And we Americans think
   we’re so cool. Naa Billy

   Reply
2. Tom Baxter says:

   July 12, 2009 at 3:54 pm

   That sounds like one cool handshake.
   “African Rhythm and African Sensibility,” by John Miller Chernoff, who studied drumming in Ghana, is a splendid book, even if you do have to wade through the musicological jargon. Also, before he became famous for other things, Kirkpatrick Sale wrote a book called “The Land and People of Ghana.” I have a copy but confess I haven’t read it.

   Reply
3. Terri Evans says:

   July 14, 2009 at 9:37 am

   I laughed out loud at the vision of you and the village chief in your bowing match. What a lovely story about lovely people (proven by your images). What happened to the squirming guinea hens?

   Reply
4. Billy Howard says:

   July 14, 2009 at 9:40 am

   The house keeper for one of my hosts from the Carter Center’s initiative cooked them up for dinner. Delicious!

   Reply

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