Week 9 - Holidays, Tro-Tros & Culture

Our lives are crazy busy here in Africa.  The weeks speed by and I can hardly believe we have been here 6 weeks!  Seems like an eternity ago we arrived, but also like yesterday! 😁😎

HOLIDAY - INDEPENDENCE DAY

We recently had a 4 day work week due to a holiday!  Apparently, you never really know if there is going to be an official Ghanaian holiday until a day or so before the holiday.  The KIng is the only one that can declare it so!  So, we learned at 5 pm on Friday, March 3rd, that Monday, March 6th would be considered an official holiday with a day off from work.  Wahoo! 

The Independence Day of Ghana is a national holiday celebrated yearly. This day is an official state holiday for the citizens of Ghana to honor and celebrate the Heroes of Ghana who led the country to attain its independence.  Independence Day is celebrated on March 6th every year. This Day is a remembrance of the day that marks the declaration of Ghanaian independence from the British colonial rule. The first Prime Minister of Ghana; Kwame Nkrumah became the Head of Government from 1957 to 1960. On 6 March 1957 Kwame Nkrumah declared to the people of Ghana about their freedom that, "the African People are capable of managing their own affairs and Ghana our beloved country is free forever."

Each year, a new theme is chosen for the celebration.  I love this idea!  Here are a few of the past themes:

2013 & 2016 - Investing in The Youth for Ghana's Transformation 

2014 - Building a Better Prosperous Ghana through Patriotism and National Unity

2019 - Celebrating Peace and Unity

2020 - Consolidating our Gain

2021 - Working Together, Bouncing Back Together

2023 - Our Unity, Our Strength, Our Purpose

GHANAIAN PRIDE

Everywhere we go, we see how proud of their culture and country the Ghanaian people are.  The colors of red, yellow and green are abundant throughout the city and countryside.  Trees are painted with the colors and resemble the flag, small shops are painted in these vibrant colors as well as small taxis and trotros.

                   

TRO-TROS

In Ghana and neighboring countries, tro tro are privately owned vans/shared taxis that travel fixed routes, leaving when filled to capacity. While there are tro tro stations, these vehicles for hire can also be boarded anywhere along the route.

They are operated by a driver and a conductor (who collects money, shouts out the destination, and can also be called a "mate").  Many are decorated with slogans and religious sayings.  Fewer tro tros operate on Sundays.

The term is believed to derive from the Ga word tro, "threepence", because the conductors usually asked for "three three pence", which was the standard bus fare in the 1940s, when Ghana still used the British West African pound and later the Ghanaian pound.  

Three pence was the price per passenger in the early 1960s, when pounds/shillings/pence were still in use, including threepence coins, before the currency was changed into cedi and pesewa in 1965.

As we drive to and from the office, around and about for shopping, I always have my phone camera ready to snap a quick picture of some Tro-Tro Wisdom seen frequently.  Here are some from the last month:

      

                

                

 

CHURCH & CULTURE

There are so many things to learn from each other in differenct countries around the world.  Some of  my observations in the Ghanaian culture have surprised and delighted me. 

Relief Society

Today in church, all the women sat in the middle benches, to be honored and recognized for the celebration of the organization of the Relief Society on March 17, 1842.  Several women and men bore testimony of the power of this great organization in their lives and why they have been blessed to be a part of it. 

Women's remarks:

"We learn to be mothers."

"We should be the best women in all the world!"

We learn the doctrine of Jesus Christ."

"We provide relief in temporal and spiritual needs."

Men's remarks:

"Husbands encourage their wives to go to RS because they learn a lot!"

"A man who has grown up to be a man, must get a good woman next to him!"

"Life without women is like life without sunshine!"

"Women play a vital role in life."

"May your everlasting Charity never end!"

After the speakers, all the women stood and recited the Relief Society Declaration together (we had little cheat sheets).  It reminded me of the great purpose of RS and how blessed we are to be a part of such an amazing organization, one of the oldest and largest in the world. 

       

Sacrament Hymn

It is such a joy to sing with the Saints in Ghana.  As mentioned before, they truly sing with all their hearts!  You can't help but feel the power of the words.  Today, we sang one of the shorter hymns before the sacrament.  We finished before the priesthood was finished preparing the sacrament.  Without even a hesitation, at the end of the 3rd verse, everyone rolled right back to the 1st verse and we sang through the song again until everything was ready.  Loved it!

Birthdays & recognition

Each Sunday, the names of those having a birthday in the coming week, are read from the pulpit and everyone is wished a wonderful birthday!  

We love learning from these beautiful new friends!

Nya dapɛn a ɛyɛ anigye! Ɔdɔ pii!  (Have a wonderful week!  Love you!)