Plastic Bottles

These days, people of the camp, both young and old are engaged in selling water plastics. According to people, these old water plastics are used for recycling. There is a company in Accra that asked people to collect them and they will buy them according to bag.

People who got the information first hid it from the rest because they were getting their daily bread from it. When I went to visit Tina and Agnes, I gave them the information about the plastics and they said it is impossible to sell plastics especially the ones that are old and dirty. Additionally, it is shameful for one to do this job. People in the street there will consider you to be a mad
person.
Despite of their discouragement, mom and I joined the group the next day and we started picking the plastics too. Within few hours, we were able to pick one bag full. From one area to another, mom got tired and she decided that we should go home and rest so that we can get strength for the next day. We went home and rested.
The next morning, we started picking plastics again from one area to another. We tried our best to get one bag filled again with plastics before 12:00pm.

We went home and mom prepared a nice food for us to eat. I experienced what Agnes told me about picking plastics. It is indeed shameful and portrayed us like mad people. Every community we entered, we were looking interesting to the people. All eyes just on us. More people wondered how much are we going to get in return after selling those plastics.
For the whole week, we got two bags and they were kept on our porch. After a few days, the agent who can buy the plastics came around with his car.

We all carried our bags of plastics to the car and he purchased them. At least we were able to get some money from selling the plastics. When mom got the money, she asked me what should we do with the money? I told her to keep the money so that we can buy water and soap. We used some of the money to buy water and soap for some days. It really helped us too.

Plights of Gardeners on Buduburam Camp

Buduburam Refugee Camp is part of Central Region. This Region, in Ghana is not conducive for growing vegetable crops due to its hot weather condition. In addition to the hot and sunny weather condition, the soil texture can not support crops. Moreover, another problem added to the above mentioned is the lack of water. Gardeners have to carry gallons of water over some kilo meters in order to water their crops. Some of our neighbors are engaged in such job. My mom and I wanted to do such work too but it involves lot of hard works when the gardeners go to their gardens early in the morning, they will work until in the evening time before they come back home. I met one of the gardeners by the name of Blamo and this is what he had to tell me: the garden work is a hard task but it is profitable, said Mr. Blamo. He told my mother that he lives on the garden to pay some of his children’s school fees. Moreover, he stated to my mom too the difficulties involved. My mother thought that the work is easier to do. She wanted us to make the garden so that we can sell the crops to pay my school fee and buy some books for my study. She and I went to the garden several times to see how the work is like. The garden work is not only tough but has disadvantages and frustration for those gardeners who do not have money to buy materials like- fertilizer, cutlasses, hoes, etc… In the absence of the above mentioned materials, gardeners find it difficult to bring up their crops good. Some of them do not have good harvest due to this problem. As the result, their efforts are gone in vain because they do not realize good money from their crops due to poor harvest. The hard works have negative impact on their health as well. Some of them look like malnourished persons. Most of them do not look healthy at all. Many people on the camp advise their relatives and friends to desist from this so called garden works but this is what some of them have to say: I do this garden work in order to sustain my family and settle some domestic problems. If I quit this job, I will not be able to carry on my obligation as family head, said one gardener. I felt bad when I listened to them expressing themselves. With all these hardship and frustration, then I asked myself, when will these problems come to an end? Are we going to suffer until death? I pray that God should change this situation around one day.

The Missing Honey

In the Jayway community, it is forbidden to cut down tree that host the honey beast. The traditional people of that community believe that the honey tree has been placed there by their Gods. The chief of that community offer prayers to the honey tree. The chief by the name of Jolo, advised his people strongly and the surrounding villages not to violate the law or else the rafts of their Gods will come upon them. There are three boys who left the refugee Camp and went in that forest and cut the tree down. Jerome, Jerry and Peter stole the honey and brought it on the Camp for sale. They took the honey in the market and sold them to the people and went as far as the police station and sold some to the police as well. When the chief of |Jayways community notice about the honey tree, he quickly sent emissary to the authority on the Camp to search for the people who stole the honey otherwise; those who stole the honey and the buyers will de instantly. The messenger of the Camp went around and announced it to the residents. People who did not know about the stolen honey and bought it became concern. I personally met a woman by the name of Fatou. She cried at the market a lot. We shall die if nothing is done to appease the traditional people, said the woman. It was told in the refugee Camp that some years ago, some boys stole goat from the community close to the camp and consumed it. They sold some to other people. When the owner of the goat found out that his goat was stolen, he use juju to kill all those who ate the goat and the thieves themselves. Most people who are aware of this story do not want to see the repeat of it. Because many innocent people died from the behaviors of few people. Tina, my friend became concern and came to my house to find out whether my mom did not buy some of the honey and I told her no. WE are safe, said Tina. The authority of the camp searched for the doers and there was no avail. They therefore contributed certain amount of money with a goat and gave to the chief of Jayway community as ransom to the stolen honey. They begged him to appeal to his Gods to be compassionate and forgive them. He accepted their appeal but warned strongly that when it is repeated, he will be left with any option but to destroy lives of those who are involved.

The Cold Season

In Ghana, cold is expected to come in January every year. This year, the cold is very severe. The cold really has severe impact on people. Some people really admire the cold season while others do not like it again. People who like the cold will say that, they do not feel heatly at night and do not feel the severe sunshine during the day. I met my former school mate at the market, and she really looks different to me. Her hairs and skin color just changed. Her skin and hairs just looks dude or white. When I saw her from distance first, I asked Josephine, are you ill? It is cold that made me like this, said Josephine. She totally disagreed with people who like the cold. ON the other hand, Josephine asked me and said, what are using on your body and hairs that your skin is shining? Please help me too. I told her pay me some money before I can help her. I am willing to give you any amount of you I can afford if you will help me, said Josephine. I invited her to my house and gave her some of the cream that my mom bought from the market. IT resists cold and makes the skin to shine including the hairs. She was so happy to get this great cream from me. In some neighborhood, gather wood in the day and in the night time, they make fire and everybody sits around the fire. With the fire, no cold can use them. This can also be done again in the morning too. One thing that I like about sitting around the fire is the manner in which the chairs are placed around the fire. The fie is in the middle and chairs are placed around it. In the community, family sits in group and hearts their body. If it is your first time to see this, you may think that they are holding meeting but is not meeting. Some people on the other hand do not like to sit around fire but they use some heatly jacket they can wear to resist the cold. The first I saw people with jacket, I thought, it could not resist cold. I was convinced when Tina brought her jacket to my house and I wore fro some minutes. I did not really feel that there was cold. She told me that jacket was imported to them by one of their brothers who live in the USA. They are too fine anyway we do not have people abroad to import jacket as such to us will go in the forest in search of wood so that we make fire to heat our body.

My School Days

School days are the best. I indeed enjoyed the few years I stayed in School. Some of my best friends were: Marie,

Joy, Prince and Emmanuel. When I was attending School, I used to like those friends because they were all brillant students.

We had special time after school hours, we can meet and have general study together. Marie was good

at mathematics, Joy was good at General Science, Prince was good at History, Emmanuel was good at Environmental

Studies and I was good at English Language. As for me, Mathematics was my big problem in school.I hardly

understood mathematics. As a result, I used to go to Marie's house regularly for study just for me to be able to be among the

passing number. The most interesting and enjoyable part of my school's days was when our princepal- Mr. Williams togther with other teachers organized the inter schools quizzing competition, also known as meet the challenge. The year this competition was organized, I was in class 6. I can remember that year when we were chosen to represent our class.

We represented our class and became victorious in the competition. More interestingly, the talent shows, queen contest and inter schools' tournament organized by the Central Education Board. These occasions are used to expose students who have talents.

It was during one of the school talent shows I met Tina, Agnes and Annie. Those three friends danced well during a talent show

I can remember. Their performance and skill on the stage made more students to create a lovely feeling for them.

Our class organized an excursion to the Akosombo Dam, the biggest dam in Ghana that supplies the entire nation with electricity.

At the end of every school year, we had a picnic, that is each student will be asked to pay certain amount money for us to buy rice and soup and other things so that we can have a little get together. We ate together and have fun.

All these came to an end when my mother could not afford any more to pay my school fee. I was asked one day by the Principal

to stay away from school because my mother is incapable of paying my school fee. All of my joy and quest for knowledge died down. Most of my friends and class mates visited me several times and comforted me. Mom and I cried and cried!!! Up to this time,

I do not like to pass around the school premises because it makes me to feel bad and miserable when I see some of my class mates who are stay continuing their education. Now, I am just sitting home and doing nothing.

A Journey to Hunt Frogs

There are several kinds of frogs. There are frogs that live in the water, some live on the land but all of
them can go to where there is water and come back on shore. They do not have permanent living place. Not all frogs can be eaten, especially the ones with hard skin. It also has odour. It is popularly called toad frog.
The ones that spend most of the time in the water and come on shore for sunlight, has soft skin and make noise when they are grouped together. This frog is used for soup for most people in my community who can not afford to buy meat, fish from the market regularly.
There are two boys in my community who hunt for frogs regularly. Through this, they are able to buy food and copy books for school. Due to the fact that they hunt for those frogs and sell them to the community, they are called frog hunters.
Tom and Jacob are very good at their work. When I went to visit their mother, I saw the frogs stored in a big pen in water. Some making noise but not as compared to the ones that have not been caught. It was amazing to me to see frogs in a pen alive. I asked their mother where are your children? They went to collect some money in return of the frogs that they sold to people,
said their mother. I made an appointment with them to find out how the hunting is carried out.
The next morning, I told my mom everything concerning the frog hunting. This is not done by girls but only boys do that, said my mother.
I said mom, I will make an attempt and I know the boys will help me through. I purposely want to do this in order for us to be able to get some frogs for soup for a week or more, I tried to convince her. You can go with them but be careful, said my mother.
After convincing my mother, I went back to Tom and Jacob to let them know my desire. When I told them about taking me along when they go for hunting, both of them laughed at me for a while and Tom said, are you willing to pay the price for hunting frogs? Will you be able to go through pain, asked Jacob? Their questions portrayed different feeling about the hunting. They asked me to purchase a fishing line, fishing hook and prepared my food to take along. \

The next morning, by 3:00A.M, we began the journey. From the Camp to the river is about one hour thirty minutes. When we got to the river, with all our fishing equipment in our hands, they asked me to watch them for ten minutes and I did. When Jacob caught the first frog, it made some loud noise as if a young baby is crying. I got afraid and asked questions- can the frogs bite? can it harm people? They laughed at me once more.
After while,Tom said to me, you can now start. I took the flower and placed it to the fishing hook and began to throw the flower that attracts the frogs attention and they began to come to the flower. When they came very close to me, I changed the flower and put a piece of sponge on the side of the fishing hook exposing the hook so that it will be abe to hook the mouth or any part of the frogs.
For the first time, I hooked one frog and put it in my basket. Not only the frogs made me afraid but also the big river and big tree under which we were sitting. I enjoyed the cold weather under the tree as well.
That day I caught twenty five flogs and brought them home to my mother. She was so happy to see me with the frogs. The next day, she cleaned the frogs and washed them gently and dried some. Some of the dried frogs were cooked for some time as soup for our rice.

Our House

When my mother and I first settled on the refugee camp, UNHCR got a peace of land from the Ghanaian government and gave it to the refugees to build their shelters. We were living together with a lady from Liberia too whose children are grown up. They built a two room house where we lived together. My mother and I did not build a house our own because there was nobody to help us to build a house for us. After some year on the refugee Cap, UNHCR withdrew her support and the Ghanaians authority on the camp to stop to the expansion of the Camp. It means no refugee now is allowed to build house. If you want to build a house, you need to buy the land from the Ghanaian. The family that we lived with in the same house sold the house unknown to us before they left for Liberia. To our surprise, we were asked one day to leave the house simply because the owner has sold it. When the time reached for us to urn the house over, we begged one of our neighbors to help us to sleep on his porch and agreed. The porch was our room for few months before we came across a man who asked us to move into his small room. We were so happy because at least we will have a place on our own and we will have privacy as well. This man has been helping us with his room for three years now. Few weeks ago, he came to the house and asked us to find different place. I can not continue to allow you in my house anymore because some of my family members are coming from Liberia to live on the Camp and I do not accommodation for them, said the house owner. He gave us the grace period from January 2008 to March 2008 to turn the house over. When left, my mother and I went in the room sat for a while wondering what to do. But there is no solution because we do not have money to rent house. My mother started crying!!! I comforted her and told her that if there is no way to find rent then we will beg our neighbor to sleep on their Porch. This house situation is really worrying us. Sleeping on the porch too is risky to human’s health.

Watch Night

The 31st of January is observed at the end of every year because most people around the world use this day to go to Church and give thanks to God for his protection, mercy and forgiveness he has over their lives. Both Christians and non- Christians observe this day in our community. Some traditional believers hold the belief that January 31 night, by the time of 12:00pm, the old year, when it is about to depart in order for the New Year to come it will make a heavy sound to indicate to people that the year has ended. After hearing this story from some older people in the community, I told my mother and she has different thing to say regarding year end. She disagreed with the belief of the traditional people that the old year makes heavy when it is departing for the new to come I have observe the 31st January every year because it is the end of the year. I go to church to give thanks to God for keeping me safe to enter the New Year, said my mother. I said to my mother, this year I will go with you this year to observe this day and to find out whether the old year can make heavy nose or sound when getting into the new year. That night when I got in the church, I sat in a quiet place where I will be able to listen attentatively to every sound. We were in the church from 8:30p.m to 12:00p.m. Approaching to 12:00pm, the Pastor started preaching his year end sermon. By 12:00p.m, the pastor announced to the church that the year has ended. To my surprise, I did not hear any noise from the old year. People in the church raised a song of praise and all everybody began to sing and hug each other. When I went home, I asked a woman near our house by the name of Fatouma. Ma Fatouma, I did not hear any heavy sound from the old year as traditional people believe. She said: this is a belief that had been passed onto to us by our ancestors but some may not be true, but we do not stand in public and question what they believe. I was having problem with most of these beliefs when I was much younger, said Ma Fatouma. I fell little bit relief from my quest of knowing the true and reality. But it is a big secret between Ma Fatouma and me.

Beach Party

After Christmas, every young girl and boy in Wolo Town will like to go to the beach to enjoy themselves for the day. I and my friends-Tina, Agnes have been watching this event for two years and wonder what to do to be part of the most talked about Beach party. As for Agnes, she is very anxious and wants to know the details of every event that may occur and that have occurred in the Town. She always goes around people and asked for the activities undertaken at the Beach. When Agnes gathered her findings about the Beach party, she called Tina and me and explained everything to us. We began to get excited emotionally. I therefore asked, what should we do to be party of this Beach Party? I have found out everything pertaining to the trip, said Agnes. These are the requirements each of us needs. Registration fee for the trip, a new bath towel, food, etc. these are the major requirements. We gathered our registration fees and paid to the head of the organizer of the trip. A day to the trip, Tina suggested that we all sleep in one room so that we can cook our food in the morning on time so as to avoid lateness. The name of the Beach is called La Pleasure Beach. This name was given to that Beach due to the lot of pleasure activities that occur there. We slept in my little room and discussed throughout the night. Just imagining how the trip will be. The next day, early in the morning, we cooked our food and put the food in a big cooler with some soft drinks. We all bought new bath towels. We left the house and joined the long queue awaiting the bus to take us to the Beach. To our greatest surprise, we saw a fleet of bus coming to the town to take us to the Beach. We got in the bus and started singing from the town until we go to the Beach. We enjoyed the music and cold weather as well. Shared drinks with friends and had fun. I will not miss any trip to the Beach again until I can leave from the country, said Agnes. This is my first time to enjoy music and interact with people of different backgrounds, said Tina. We took some photographs and each time when I look at them, it reminds me of the trip. The trip was marvelous and colorful.

What A Wonderful Day

There is a man in my community by name of Dennis. He married legally with three children- two boys and a girl. His wife's name is Mary. Dennis is a tall and black man. This man loves writing a lot until he is being hired to write project proposals, speeches and other works that involve writing. He has nearly all equipment that can help a writer to make his works easier. He has equipment like- a laptop, pendrive, typewriter and digital camara. He dares not to give it up one day. It was this man that I asked to do me a favor by borrowing me his digital camara. Can you imagine that Mr. Dennis asked me to wait for the next two days to consult his family then he will get back to me. He finally got back to me and asked me to give some genuine reasons why am I asking for his camara. I stated the intended purpose briefly and he moreover asked me to go back to his house the next day so that he can educate me on how to use it and how to download the pictures to the computer. The next morning, I went to his house and he taught me how to use it. Finally, he warned me to take good care of it. You will buy brand new one when you make the least mistake to spoil it. Borrowing the camara out is like taking the life of someone away. He warned me over and over and again!! When my mother saw it in my hand, she asked; daughter where are you carrying the tape? I responded mom, this is a digital camara. I explained the fuctions to her. She said this is my first time to see this. At our house, I asked one of my neighbors by name of Flomo to take our pictures. Flomo started with me and took few for me. When he flashed my mother, she asked whether there was fire coming out of the camara. Everybody around us started laughing. That day was a memorial and remarkable day for us becuase this was our first time to use digital camara. I finally took the camara to the internet cafe and the cafe attendant helped me to upload the pictures to the computer. What a wonderful day!!!

Betrayer

Sawah is a poor little girl from a very poor family. Her mother’s name is Mamie.

Their family is the most talked about in the community they live due to the high level of poverty they find themselves. Sawah’s father, Kojo died some years ago from an illness which of could survive when there is money. At certain point in time, Sawah’s mother fell sick and she needed some money to treat her mother. She went all around people who she thought could help but all effort in carrying her mother to hospital failed. There is no help coming from friends and family members. But there was a man by the name of Kwabena that promised to help her out of the situation if she can sacrifice to render certain service. I want to you to take some kilo of cocoin to the U.K. After selling the cocoin, all your immediate problems will be solved, said Kwabena. But Mr. Kwabena, the drug dealer did not mention to Sawah the risks involved. The little girl sawah who wanted a savior to come her way to safe her from her situation, accepted Mr. Kwabena’s proposal. Sawah only told her mother that she was going for holiday in the UK to come back within the shortest possible time. When she got to the air port, while going through security check, she was caught with the cocoin and sentenced to prison for twenty years.

While in prison, she cried, cried and cried!!!! She expressed regret while crying:

He (Kwabena) never told me that I will go through security check.

He never told me that I will be arrested and jailed for 20 years.

He never told me that I will die in prison.

He never told me that my mother will die while I am in prison.

She shouted, Oh God what am I going to do?

New Year's Day

On New Year day, my friends ˆ Agnes, Annie and Tina decided to go to an entertainment center and entertain ourselves with music and drinks. It is the constant habit of some girls to go to entertainment center, listen to music and take in some drinks of their choice. It was against this background that we went there. Additionally, we really want to experience how one can feel to listen to music all night and drink liquor. When we got to the club, Agnes asked one of the club attendants to give us ten bottles of Malta Guinness. Just imagine four persons calling for ten bottle of Guinness. Everybody was excited and eager to taste it first thinking that it was sweet like soft drink. When Tina opened one of the bottles and tasted it, she set the bottle back on the table without telling the rest the taste of the drink. The rest of all tasted and were disappointed of the taste. It was so bitter!! We do not want to leave the drinks on the table after we have paid for them. We tried our best and drank the liquor but all of us did not drink the same quantity because some people were drinking with greediness. Out of the ten bottles, Tina alone drank four bottles and she was not able to leave for the entertainment center to her house. Agnes on the side vomiting excessively. We were like television people in the club watching. At the end of the day, we all decided not to go to the night club again and drink.

HOW TO PREPARE PALMBUTTER SOUP AND RICE

The way of preparing African dishes varies from African country to another.

Preparation of African dishes also depends on the tradition of the people of that country. Below is the common way of preparing palm butter soup and rice.

In cooking, the soup is prepared first before the rice. The palm nut is carefully washed and cleaned out of all dirt. After that, you put it in the cooking pot and put certain quantity of water there. Finally set the pot on the fire and allow it to boil for thirty minutes or more so that the palm nut can get done. There is no précised time for the palm nut to boil but there is an indication that it is done after it has boiled for some minutes. The common indication is the cook should use the cooking spoon to take few palm nuts and squeeze them with his fingers. When they peal, then it means that they are done. When you notice that the palm nuts are done, empty them from the pot to the mortar and pound it. After that, you put water in the pounded palm nuts and squeeze them with your hands. You separate the palm nuts from the other. At this point, the soft portion of the palm nut will be useful. You mix it with water and squeeze it wit your hand two or three times and finally put the mixed water in a filter and clean it gently. After this is done, then you put the water, which color has changed to red, in the pot again and set it on the fire. When you set it on the fire, you can either decide to put meat or fish there. It can boil for an hour or more to get done. When the palm butter soup boils for some minutes, then you put pepper, salt and magi cube there so that the taste of the soup can be delicious. When you notice that the soup is getting done, you can now set the rice water on the fire in different pot. When it starts boiling, then you wash the grain of rice gently and put it in the hot water and allow it to boil as well. When the grains of rice become soft then you reduce the quantity of water in the rice so that it will not become too soft.

When you notice that the water in the rice has reduced then you reduce the fire also so that the rice will not burn.

Finally, you can put the rice on stem which means reducing the fire under the rice and stir it using cook spoon to ascertain whether it is ready for eating. When it is ready, then you dish it up. Dishing up means sharing the soup and rice. The soup can be placed in different pen while the rice in another pen also. The food is shared in pair. Both soup and

rice.

My Future Dream

I thank God that I am able to see this day in a joyous and glad mood.
I and my friends always talk about our future plans or dreams especially when we see people on television performing their duties in the careers similiar to our future dreams.
Three of my permanent friends, Tina, Agnes and Annie will sit under the tree infront of my little shelter each night during our free time and discuss about our plans. We all have different areas of concentration when it comes to future career or occupation. As for me, I want to be a computer specialist to educate my people when I return home to Liberia. There are several reasons why I chose to be a computer specialist. Computer illiteracy rate in my country(Liberia) is very high. I want to learn computer and also educate my fellow citizens as my national contribution. Sometimes my friends make fun out of me saying a person who wants to be a computer specialist does not know computer software courses. I sometimes feel bad and funny within myself when I hear this remark but I always keep my dissatisfaction to myself and keep the hope that one day my dream will come to reality.

Living Condition on the Budumburam Refugee Camp

The Buduburam Refugee Camp was founded in 1990 to host numerous Liberian refugees who fled their homes from Liberia because of the civil war. It is situated between Kasoa and Winneba near the capital City of Ghana called Accra. The sixteen tribes of Liberia are represented on the Liberian Refugee Camp in Ghana. The Refugee Camp is lively and interesting due to the activities within it. The living condition on the Bujumbura Refugee Camp is tough and discouraging. There are people who are fully depending on their people either in Europe, Asia or America for supports while others engage into businesses to sustain their families. People who have their relatives abroad receive monthly help from them. But in general, the bulk of rest of the people depends on themselves for survival. Some make garden, sell water, open entertainments centers and even some do hard labors jobs just to survive. Due to the hardship on the camp, most children or young girls and boys engage themselves into some deviant behaviors just to make life easier for themselves. Some of these behaviors are - prostitution, drug abuse, lesbianism, homosexuals, etc... Most of the young girls are abandoned or living without any parental support or care. They therefore, live on prostitution to pay school fees, feed themselves and to meet other necessities for life. Most of the young boys and men sell drugs and take drugs excessively with the notion that anytime the is taken in, its reaction is high argue. Some men also have sex to each other for so called self satisfaction. All of these practices make the camp dangerous and interesting. The leading entertainments centers on the Camp are the video clubs and night clubs. Next to these above is the ghetto. Most people who can afford to eat three times a day also consider clubbing to be their tradition. They must visit the night club before the day comes to an end. Any stranger or visitor who enters the camp may ask question whether indeed this is a refugee camp. All these behaviors of other refugees give the outsiders or visitors the belief that Liberians are no longer refugees in Ghana but just do not want to return to their country of origin. The question that I always ask myself is who should be considered as refugees? The few people who can not afford to live normal life? Or should people who are living like citizens of Ghana be considered as refugees? This question is very hard to answer because everybody has been given an identification card by UNHCR and they are recognized by the Ghanaian government and out of Ghana. I think it will be fair on the part of those who are suffering to get some aids from UNHCR then those who are enjoying and have everything at their disposer. This situation is frustrating and confusing. God should really help us.