GhanaBlogging.com » February 18, 2010

Rain in Africa: New Favorite Blog: Silverjuggler

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:29:00 -0500

My friend Andreas is trying out life on a old-fashioned farm (well, minus the snow mobile and the website) in mid Sweden 7 km from nearest road and he writes beautifully about his experiences. The blog Silverjonglerier is in Swedish, but even if you can't read it I recommend it for the beautiful, snowy pictures.

The blog posts are about the daily labor at the farm, including awe for the influential older worker - "gammeldrängen", different types of firewood and work hazards - but also about the coffee breaks which we Swedes so affectionately call "fika".

It is also about a modern human being being confronted with a strict schedule, physical work and silence.

Pic: from Andreas' first day at Lillhärjåbygget.

Maya's earth: Rawlings drama... as usual.

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:30:00 -0500

Here's another nasty surprise. A man, Nana Darkwa, who in a radio interview claimed that Rawlings set his own house on fire has been remanded in custody, denied bail and will spend the next two weeks at Nsawam prison (Nsawam = a horrid, horrid prison just outside Accra). At the moment I am too tired to even go into detail and lay out what a disgusting breach of human rights and freedom of speech this is. For me, the past two weeks have been exhausting, emotional, tiring and scary, but it looks like things are turning around and there will be a brighter future, fingers crossed.

So instead of me trying to make sense of my sleep-deprived thoughts, please do let me know what you think, is there any way of justifying the imprisonment of Nana Darkwa?

Nubian Cheetah: Faso Foods - Ivory Coast consumer foods company

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:21:00 -0500

From site:

We are importers of high quality and wholesome products that are certified organic and fair trade, providing a sustainable and economic stimulus to farmers and food producers in Africa and around the world. Faso Foods represents a range of natural and delicious grains, nuts, teas and produce that American consumers are sure to love.

Nubian Cheetah: AFAS International Group - Agribusiness conglomerate Nigeria

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:17:00 -0500

From site:

Our mission is to produce fish and livestock feeds, and agricultural products that meet international quality standards. This will be an ongoing economy aligned initiative which will result in a decrease in poverty for beneficiaries conducting business with the company and an increase in economic productivity and other secondary entrepreneurial opportunities.
We aim to produce top quality feed products, hire, train and retain personnel with required knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to set in motion the growth of the agricultural economy of Nigeria and ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) through fish and livestock feed manufacturing. This will be accomplished through the following objectives:

Nubian Cheetah: Trigen Healthcare

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:10:00 -0500

Trigen Healthcare is committed to improving healthcare outcomes in resource-poor countries by providing continuing medical education, healthcare skills training and consultative services to healthcare professionals, medical facility managers and health policy leaders.

Nubian Cheetah: EGG-Energy - affordable power

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:59:00 -0500

About EGG-Energy

Since June 2008, a multi-disciplinary team from MIT and Harvard has been working on an innovative solution to bring affordable power to communities in the developing world. Their goal is to bridge the power distribution gap that keeps 1.6 billion people worldwide in the dark.

A Fork in the Road: Don’t play with knives

Fiona Leonard — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:56:00 -0500

The small girl stood by the side of the road, carefully slicing up a mango with a machete – a round ended knife with a blade about thirty centimetres long. Perhaps three years old she worked with persistence and focus, oblivious to the world around her. And then, without hesitation she stuck out her tongue and proceeded to lick from one end of the blade to the other.

We drove away to the sound of her screams – screams of rage because her mother had rushed to take the knife away from her at the sight of our horrified faces!

Nubian Cheetah: The Energy Center, KNUST - Center of excellence for Africa energy research

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:42:00 -0500

The Energy Center at KNUST, is an African energy research center devoted to sustainable energy sources. Their research in energy is pivotal to finding a sustainable long-term solution to the world-wide energy crisis.

The English version of it all: then appears someone who wanna tear you down

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:24:00 -0500

Today, although I'm feeling good and happy, I'm gonna share with you my heartache song.
At least it was long, long time ago when my heart was broken. I listened to this song on repeat and pitied my poor self. Now it is embarrassing to picture the teenager in her bedroom, feeling like the world was about to end. But the song isn't for teenagers. It is still great. Sung by another Norwegian singing lady, Lene Marlin. The song starts great. "You think you've made it, everything is going fine." That's how it usually feels, right before something will go wrong. Wether it's your heart being broken, or ...let's say... its getting FREEZING outside again, after a few days with some less cold days.

Anyway, ENJOY Maybe I'll go.

Osabutey ANNY: Pentecostal declaration: Come to church ‘All Ye’ in Jeans and dreadlocks,

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:17:00 -0500

You are no more going to be banished from the church for leaving your hair uncovered, so please come to church, senior officials of the Church of Pentecost have said, as the church seeks to increase its membership drive.

In a surprise communiqué issued by the church on Tuesday and signed by the Chairman of the church Apostle said women wearing dreadlocks are also allowed to come and fellowship with the church.

The communiqué which was issued after the end of the church’s annual prayer meeting in Accra, admitted the compulsory wearing of headscarves has no foundation in the bible and, it was time women break free from the tradition.

The church has been very vocal about members wearing scarves before entering the church to worship, and most members who had objected to the practice have been openly sacked from the church, labelling them ‘unholy’ elements who are not pure to come to the thrown of God.

The church has also frowned on members especially the women marrying from outside. However, the latest twist has come at a time when most churches in the country have become very lenient with their members about their mode of dressing, though they stress that decency should not be lost on any of them.

Among other things, the communiqué said; “ the issue of head covering, which has been the source of embarrassment to female visitors to the Church over the years, has no categorical biblical foundation as a requirement for salvation and should, as such, not be imposed on church members or visitors to the Church’s worship services.”

The church said having examined the book of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, which spoke extensively on hte issue, it has become clear that the import of the message has been lost on the church.

“That, a critical examination of the historical records, such as circulars of successive Chairmen of the Church from 1953 to 2007 revealed that the forefathers of the Church, particularly the Founder,
Rev. James McKeown did not discourage or encourage the covering of the head by women; but that he had rather admonished the Church through a circular letter of August 7, 1967, that the leaders should not meddle in the private affairs of church members by prescribing dress codes for them. He had taught that church members dress decently and modestly.”

The communiqué also said the practice of women covering their heads before entering the church was something that emanated from the kingship settings in Africa.

“The practice of head covering might have crept into the Church’s practices from the fact that it was traditionally required of women in Ghana to cover their head before speaking to their kings and this might have led foundational women of the Church to insist on appearing before the Lord, the King of kings, with their head covered;

the communiqué said the

The church said studies conducted over the socio-cultural situation in the country, indicate that though Ghanaian women were traditionally expected to cover their hair at a certain age, the practice has long been done away with.

The church also said some churches in the country equally have similar challenges and the best way of addressing the issue is to allow people to dress the way they want, but should be decent.

“The entire membership of the Church consider the issue of the covering of head by women in the spirit of Christian maturity so as not to offend anybody with regard to this controversial matter, which appears to have defied theological and hermeneutical agreement.”

“ Female visitors who attend church services without a head covering should be accepted as they are, without being either turned back or offered a head covering, since head covering does not subtract from a person’s salvation,” the communiqué read.

Again, the church also reminded strong adherents of the church who might find it difficult to come to terms with the new directive not to condemn those who come to worship at the church as lacking spirituality. However, it advised such women to respect the ethics of decency and be modest in their dressing so as to please God.

“That, church members appreciate the progressive changes in the socio-cultural environment in which the gospel is preached in order to make the gospel relevant to its hearers.”

The church, through the communiqué, also cautioned against the wearing of “seductive or sexually-provocative dress” to the church.

The communiqué concluded by calling on all members of the church to “accommodate one another in love, unity and for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:23-33), and joins Apostle Paul in stating: “Give no offence, either to the Jews, or to the Greeks or to the church of God (1 Cor. 10:32).”