In this, our third Roundtable Discussion here at OGOV, we are focusing on the unique perspective brought to the writing community by African women writers. This discussion features Emma Akuffo, Vida Ayitah and Mariska Taylor-Darko, and was moderated by Edith Faalong. After you are done reading, please be sure to use the comment section to join the conversation yourself!
Do you feel there are certain attributes women writers bring to their craft that are unique and necessary for telling the story of Ghana, or is gender not a factor?
Edith Faalong:
Personally, I believe women bring more to the table in all spheres of life. Just this morning I was watching a North African movie where there was friction between men and women due to inequality. At the end of the day however, it ended by acknowledging the disparity between the role and status of women in society, but sounded that it will never change!
I say that the extent of this disparity is determined by society. Gender is and will always be determined by society. But in this writing field, the issue of gender does not matter much. Yet women have a broader and richer coverage of emotion than their male counterparts. Their writings especially when it comes to social issues, are hence denser and more specific.
Lets take a book like Une Si Longue Lettre by Mariama Bâ. It recounts the personal narrative of a recently widowed Senegalese woman, Ramatoulaye, in the form of a letter to her best friend from childhood. Following the death of her husband, Ramatoulaye writes to her friend during the period of mourning mandated by her Islamic faith. It goes on to expose the trials of women in the typical African society. I say that a man would not have done as much justice to this story. As a woman born and raised in such a society, Mariama Bâ is able to pull readers to feel what the main characters feel.
Lets also consider the works of Ama Ata Aidoo, Efua Sutherland, or our very own Mariska Taylor-Darko and Emma Akuffo, and we will understand that women bring certain attributes to writing that are unique and indispensable in telling the African and for that matter, the Ghanaian story.
Emma Akuffo:
I agree with Edith. Women are generally more intuitive, more sensitive and more inquisitive than men. We tend to focus on detail whilst men tend to look at the bigger picture. It's nice to see on OGOV that we have captured and blended these gender differences quite nicely!
Edith:
Exactly. The emotions women bring to writing are dense and run too deep to ignore.
Mariska Taylor-Darko:
I also agree. Men tend to focus on the technical side of writing, whereas women tend to write what is in their hearts and I think that tends to have a greater impact on the reader. Sometimes I find it difficult to understand a poem after the first reading because of the elaborate and technical language used by the writer and these often seem to happen when reading male poetry (sorry guys!). I even heard one man comment that I did not have symbolism in my poems and that I was too direct and he went on and on about stanzas and all that. Excuse me, but poetry is an affair of the heart. It is to be read and understood at a glance, not to be analysed and theorised about.
Vida Ayitah:
Good point there, Mariska! A man once commented that I tend to be too "moralistic" in my poems. A kind of executioner thing, he said. But come on! If men can write about cars and call it a genuine "boy thing" why cant women write flowery, flowing girl-poems that speak of and defend their sisters? And yes, poetry is meant to be beautiful and easy, not some math equation to be analysed and brooded over for weeks. Without female writers, this whole world will be one sad grey slate.
Why has Ghanaian writing historically been so male dominated?
Edith:
Honestly I do not have a definite conclusion on this. I however think that Ghanaian writing has been historically male dominated because, in earlier years, the African writer was reacting to strong and sometimes violent social issues which our women were not encouraged to meddle in. It's in actuality a world phenomenon as it applies to early Rome and other modern countries, as well.
Education and socialisation also plays a role in writing and our women were well inadequately prepared in both areas. How then could they put their natural intelligence and sentiments into words? We realise that the advent of gender development and equality coincided with the emergence of the most well known female writers in our world today. I believe men dominated the writing scene because women were not given the opportunity to break in.
Mariska:
Ghanaian writing has been male dominated in the past because to be honest women were relegated to the kitchen and bringing up kids and learning home science, etc. The woman's voice was and is powerful and yet was stifled. Instead of listening to it, people concentrated on what the "learned" men had to say. There is a group in London called "Find your Voice" and I think that is what Ghanaian women are doing today.
Vida:
Honestly, I do not know why Ghanaian writing has been historically so male dominated. Maybe writing had been considered as some kind of "sport" that only the men could participate in. Or it was deemed unfit for women to venture out of the kitchen and waste valuable time on something like that. Don't forget though, that girl-child education had also been strongly opposed around that time, and even the most talented and gifted women do need some form of formal education to express their thoughts.
But I agree with Edith that in earlier times the African writer was reacting rather strongly and violently to social issues and women, as I suppose we all know, are said to be the demure type. But then again, maybe the world just never expected women to be so darn intelligent.
Emma:
We should encourage our girls, through word and deed to aim higher than is expected culturally. They should grow up with the mindset that nothing is impossible if they work hard and are determined. I think it is also a social class issue. The poorer, less literate, families will not prioritise education and may actively discourage girls from pursuing education to a significant level. Therefore, we must not forget to reach out/communicate to these less visible parts of our society. Certain traditions remain but there should me some means of compromise.
Edith:
True talking, Emma. It's all about what we put into the spirit from infancy. Encouragement always goes a long way. Nothing beats the gift planted in the mind, so that should be the target. We can infuse this into our writings from time to time.
Vida:
While I agree with both Emma and Edith, I must also say that from infancy, children should be taught self-reliance. I do not speak for everyone, but from my own family and close friends, I realize that we tend to believe and expect too many miracles. The old saying still rules: that God helps those who help themselves.
We have to, as a people, learn to fight and stay focused on what we want. We must learn to invest the appropriate time and effort into achieving our goals, not spend nights and nights in churches praying and thinking that things are going to happen just because we believe.
Life is no bed of roses, anyone who dreams of being successful must accept the plain fact that opposition is all around. It may come from within or outside. All I am saying is, childhood, for many, is difficult, but this does not mean we're bound to fail. Let us believe that as a people with abilities, we are meant to succeed no matter our background or history. All it takes is hard work. Then more hard work.
Showing posts with label Edith Faalong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edith Faalong. Show all posts
OGOV Roundtable Discussion #3 - About the Participants
Emma Akuffo: The daughter of a Ghanaian diplomat, Emma Akuffo was born in Russia in 1965. Her childhood years were spent in a number of countries including India, Italy and Ghana, finally settling in Britain with her parents, two brothers and two sisters, at the ripe old age of 11.
Emma holds a PhD in biochemistry and works as a Research Scientist. She lives in England with her husband and two children. When she is not pushing back the frontiers of medical science or engaged in a mad rush after her children, she enjoys cycling into the sunset, swimming in moonlit waters and creative writing, particularly from an inspirational perspective.
A number of Emma’s poems have been included in anthologies from Dogma Publications and Forward Press. Her work is also featured at, amongst other places, brightlightmultimedia.com.
Emma’s poem ‘Love spoke’ was awarded a diploma in the UK section of the Scottish International Open Poetry Competition, 2004.
Emma is currently leading a project to anthologise poems previously published here on One Ghana, One Voice.
Vida Ayitah: Vida was born on July 19th, 1978 in a small farming community in the Volta Region. She has three sisters and one brother. She is currently living and working in Accra. She enjoys music and dancing as much as she does writing.
Vida is OGOV's head of Ghanaian Promotions.
Edith Faalong: Edith was born on January 12th, 1986 to Mr. Joseph Y Faalong and Madame Hellen Tanye in the Upper West Region of Ghana. She currently lives in Accra, reading economics and geography as a third-year student at the University of Ghana.
Mariska Taylor-Darko:
Born in Manchester, England in 1956, Mariska attended Holy Child Secondary School in Cape Coast and St. Mary's Secondary School, Mamprobi. She then returned to the UK and attended Beresford College of English and Commerce, Margate, Kent and later Harrow College of Further Education, Harrow, Middlesex.
Mariska currently resides in Accra. She has two sons, one married and living in London, the other attending Golden Sunbeam Montessori School, Adenta, Accra in JSS1. She is a motivational speaker, poet, writer, beautician, fire walker and lover of jazz, blues, reggae and old time highlife.
For Alms Sake - Edith Faalong
We went to beg for alms,
so they called a roundtable of vultures
and passed round a basket.
Each dropped in it a metalic coin with glee.
I peeped in the basket:
It was the same old basket
lined with the grey of age,
the straw at its sides ripping slowly apart.
When it got to the end of the table,
it was barely full.
So they called their butler.
He stood before us all and,
pouring pressure and complexities,
he filled the basket.
We wanted to leave then.
But the sound of metal life against itself
in the basket weighed down our pants.
And so with our heads bowed,
we reached deep in our pockets, pulled
out our few gold coins,
wrapped them delicately
in white handkerchiefs
and handed them over.
Then the tallest among us cheered.
We all prostrated and gave our thanks.
The most leprotic of them lifted his glass
and everyone accepted his toast.
The deed had been done,
the deal closed.
Sitting back up and looking from face to face,
I saw men become swine.
From the centre of the table,
there was a loud noise then
I saw spider webs push out,
rush in all directions,
and bind each beggar
'til we were forced to drop the basket.
But we could not have our Gold
nor our white handkerchiefs back.
So in the end, in the end,
we went home with only
what the butler brought
clinging to us.
so they called a roundtable of vultures
and passed round a basket.
Each dropped in it a metalic coin with glee.
I peeped in the basket:
It was the same old basket
lined with the grey of age,
the straw at its sides ripping slowly apart.
When it got to the end of the table,
it was barely full.
So they called their butler.
He stood before us all and,
pouring pressure and complexities,
he filled the basket.
We wanted to leave then.
But the sound of metal life against itself
in the basket weighed down our pants.
And so with our heads bowed,
we reached deep in our pockets, pulled
out our few gold coins,
wrapped them delicately
in white handkerchiefs
and handed them over.
Then the tallest among us cheered.
We all prostrated and gave our thanks.
The most leprotic of them lifted his glass
and everyone accepted his toast.
The deed had been done,
the deal closed.
Sitting back up and looking from face to face,
I saw men become swine.
From the centre of the table,
there was a loud noise then
I saw spider webs push out,
rush in all directions,
and bind each beggar
'til we were forced to drop the basket.
But we could not have our Gold
nor our white handkerchiefs back.
So in the end, in the end,
we went home with only
what the butler brought
clinging to us.
Author Profile - Edith Faalong
Biography:
Five Questions with Edith Faalong:
Contact Edith:
Edith's Past Profiles:
Issue 2.1, January 5th - 11th, 2008
Issue 1.26, September 15th - 21st, 2007
Edith N. Faalong was born on January 12th, 1986 to Mr. Joseph Y Faalong and Madame Hellen Tanye in the Upper West Region of Ghana. She currently lives in Accra, reading economics and geography as a third-year student at the University of Ghana.
Five Questions with Edith Faalong:
1. Is it important for you to focus your writing on African themes, or are these just themes that are easily and/or naturally available to you?
I do not deliberately focus on African themes. But I have come to realize that in my heart burns a strong torch for Africa.
2. Your poems featured on OGOV are always politically charged. Is all your writing political, in a sense, or are our readers only seeing one side of your writing?
I am a writer and so I write on diverse issues. So far however, only my poetry on political themes have been featured. I am positive that readers will see and hear more of me on other issues.
3. You always manage to integrate political themes into your writing in subtle ways, avoiding becoming too polemical and bashing your readers over the head with your beliefs. Do you do this intentionally?
Being polemical is something I seriously avoid. I believe everybody knows the strong and wrong issues of our world today. But we all have different stands for various reasons. So I try to pull my reader first into the poem before I do the integration process. Then I leave it hanging for him/her to conclude (in as logical a way as possible). In this manner, I ensure that I do not impose my ideas, nor am I the source of your conception or misconception.
4. The line "the sound of metal life against itself" is a wonderful one. Could you discuss it more?
When I talk of "metal life against itself", I mean that money, although vain, has been made to take up so strong a quality that it has become the ultimate - it has become "life".
And so people/Africa, even in the face of loosing dignity, pride, resources...will endure in the name of aid, money. So although Africa foresees clearly the repercussions of accepting these alms we go to beg for, we are willing to take the "pressure and complexities" for that aid.
5. Is there a way to shake what the butler left clinging to the beggars? How can this be done for Africa?
There is no sure recipe to shake off what the butler brings in. No one can do it for Africa. We have to do it on our own. In many ways we all need to work towards it. It's time every man, irrespective of skin colour and tone, developed a conscience towards his fellow man. It's time we changed "Zero Tolerance for Corruption" to "No Corruption!". Maybe then the African pie would be able to go round every home so we would not have to assume beggarly positions to balance our budgets.
African leaders should learn to continue ideologies even if they belonged to their enemies - our leaders must adopt an "Africa First" attitude before self interest.
But in the light of all this, let us keep our development plans within the walls of achievement and avoid over-ambition. It is a long process, but as the bird patiently builds its nest, so will Africa grow from strength to might.
Contact Edith:
edithfaalong(at)hotmail.com
Edith's Past Profiles:
Issue 2.1, January 5th - 11th, 2008
Issue 1.26, September 15th - 21st, 2007
Without Roots - Edith Faalong
through the journey i rode behind the jolting bus and reminisced.
soon...
soon...
and my heart smiled.
soon i would glimpse Keta,
the jewel of the ocean that sired me and many.
i could barely wait to see gleeful children in tattered clothes rush to
greet me,
mouths wide with grins of anticipation,
old arms of aunties around me.
to smell fish, baking in the sun, smoking on fires, sizzling deep in hot oil.
to stub my foot on forgotten fish bones in the sand.
to laugh with Enyonam about my adventures in the city.
but when i alighted from the bus,
i found rubble and stone buried beneath huge waves of water...
in the stead of our house.
where is our family house?
no one to greet me.
only a cradling fire in the distance and an echo of bewilderment in the
stillness of the night.
where went our land?
after the bare bottomed children have swam and played, to where will they
retire?
shall day and night be spent in the embrace of foreign soil?
where went our land?
the tide came and went.
when it was gone, so was our house and land,
sucked into the hungry, roaring belly of the sea.
i drop my bag and begin to walk.
to where?
i don't know.
where does a girl without roots go?
"Without Roots" is part one of our five-part series of poems on Keta. Further installments will be posted weekly throughout January.
soon...
soon...
and my heart smiled.
soon i would glimpse Keta,
the jewel of the ocean that sired me and many.
i could barely wait to see gleeful children in tattered clothes rush to
greet me,
mouths wide with grins of anticipation,
old arms of aunties around me.
to smell fish, baking in the sun, smoking on fires, sizzling deep in hot oil.
to stub my foot on forgotten fish bones in the sand.
to laugh with Enyonam about my adventures in the city.
but when i alighted from the bus,
i found rubble and stone buried beneath huge waves of water...
in the stead of our house.
where is our family house?
no one to greet me.
only a cradling fire in the distance and an echo of bewilderment in the
stillness of the night.
where went our land?
after the bare bottomed children have swam and played, to where will they
retire?
shall day and night be spent in the embrace of foreign soil?
where went our land?
the tide came and went.
when it was gone, so was our house and land,
sucked into the hungry, roaring belly of the sea.
i drop my bag and begin to walk.
to where?
i don't know.
where does a girl without roots go?
"Without Roots" is part one of our five-part series of poems on Keta. Further installments will be posted weekly throughout January.
Author Profile - Edith Faalong
Biography:
Five Questions with Edith Faalong:
Contact Edith:
Edith's Past Profiles:
Issue 1.26, September 15th - 21st, 2007
Five Questions with Edith Faalong:
1. What inspired you to write "Without Roots"?
In writing "Without Roots", I was inspired by the plight of people who lost their homes to the encroaching sea and also by the late Kwesi Brew's "The Sea that Eats our Lands".
2. Have you ever been to Keta? If so, when was your last visit?
Yes, I visited Keta some five years back.
3. What comes to your mind when you first think of Keta, or hear someone mention it?
When I hear Keta mentioned, I think of a normal fishing town.
4. Do you think it is possible for people to understand Keta without having personally visited?
I think it is very possible for people to understand Keta without having personally visited it. That is why we write anyway...so people can understand and appreciate what they have not seen or been through.
5. Your previous poem featured on OGOV, "Sankofa," and this poem, both deal with the importance of history in our attempts to move forward - could you speak a little more on this theme, and how it connects with our theme of Keta?
I believe history is the people. It is the genesis, the basis. Without it, there is no people. It is our reference point to the future. From history, we carve our road to, and nature of, our destination.
With Keta, when we lose the land and homesteads, we lose history. And without origins and roots, we find lost, empty people. In effect, there cannot be a people without roots and origins.
Contact Edith:
edithfaalong(at)hotmail.com
Edith's Past Profiles:
Issue 1.26, September 15th - 21st, 2007
Favourite Poems of 2007
One Ghana, One Voice has had a great 2007. Founded in February and launched in March of this year, we have gone on to feature 39 poems by 27 poets. Our poets have been a diverse group, coming from all regions of Ghana (except Brong-Ahafo, a goal for 2008!). We have also featured poets from Europe and North America, as well as other parts of Africa.
In celebration of the writing produced this past year, over the last few weeks we have asked people to write in about their favourite poems they have read on this site thus far. Here are the results - click on the names to read the poems. We hope you enjoy this look back at 2007, and that you keep reading in 2008!
Readers' Picks:
Sankofa by Edith Faalong (Issue 1.26, September 15th - 21st, 2007)
Animal by Prince Mensah (Issue 1.18, July 21st - 27th)
Anthem of the Black Poet by Mbizo Chirasha (Issue 1.33, November 3rd - 9th, 2007)
Staff Picks (Rob and Julian):
Atonement by Vida Ayitah (Issue 1.8, May 12th - 18th, 2007)
Thoughts by Selorm Agbleze (Issue 1.14, June 23rd - 29th, 2007)
Beach by Prince Mensah (Issue 1.28, September 29th - October 5th, 2007)
Did we miss your favourite poem? Weigh in in our comments section.
See you in 2008!
In celebration of the writing produced this past year, over the last few weeks we have asked people to write in about their favourite poems they have read on this site thus far. Here are the results - click on the names to read the poems. We hope you enjoy this look back at 2007, and that you keep reading in 2008!
Readers' Picks:
Sankofa by Edith Faalong (Issue 1.26, September 15th - 21st, 2007)
Comments on Sankofa:
"What a beautiful poem. There is immense power behind these words, the power of the Ghanaian cultural heritage. Such powerful words, they made me shiver." - Elena
"Bravo! An incredibly enthralling piece from a promising poet. Call it contrast, the piece carefully plays with words in comparing true African Values with those of the West. This is indeed estimable. I am particularly proud of you. More grease to your elbows. Write on..." - Sulemana Iddisah
Animal by Prince Mensah (Issue 1.18, July 21st - 27th)
Comments on Animal:
"It says all most people living abroad want to say. I re-read it many times and enjoyed it." - Mariska Taylor-Darko
"I think that the poem, 'ANIMAL' deserves a lot of discussion. People who travel outside their countries of origins, especially Africans, face the envy and animosity of their fellow countrymen." - Anonymous
Anthem of the Black Poet by Mbizo Chirasha (Issue 1.33, November 3rd - 9th, 2007)
Comments on Anthem of the Black Poet:
"I like this guy's work because he is a natural, beautiful, completely African poet. His work is always very deep. He is true even if it means being a bit brutal; Mbizo never disappoints with his work. His descriptions are detailed and straight. He captures Africa with swift, sweeping words and lays it out in brilliance." - Edith Faalong
"This poem moves, it flies and take the reader with it. It is a masterpiece!! It does speak with Mother Africa on it's breath and I enjoyed it to the fullest!!!" - Mitzi Kay Jackson
Staff Picks (Rob and Julian):
Atonement by Vida Ayitah (Issue 1.8, May 12th - 18th, 2007)
Comment on Atonement:
"When we published Atonement, it was so topical, coming soon after the Ghana @ 50 celebrations. The way it blends the past and present, celebration and disillusionment, is very compelling. This poem really set the tone for some of the great poems that would follow on the site - and it stands as one of the best." - Rob Taylor
Thoughts by Selorm Agbleze (Issue 1.14, June 23rd - 29th, 2007)
Comment on Thoughts:
"Thoughts is deep and makes your emotions rise. It is a poem for people who understand and appreciate poetry; a deep poem which requires a lot of thinking." - Julian Adomako-Gyimah
Beach by Prince Mensah (Issue 1.28, September 29th - October 5th, 2007)
Comment on Beach:
"Beach is one of my favourites because of how it is so beautifully written - how it brings you right into that palpable moment at the shore, while still operating on intellectual levels." - Rob Taylor
Did we miss your favourite poem? Weigh in in our comments section.
See you in 2008!
OGOV Roundtable Discussion #1 - Politics and the Power of Poetry
In what will hopefully become a quarterly feature for One Ghana, One Voice (please let us know what you think of it, and whether we should do it more or less often), in lieu of a poem this week we will receive the privilege of "listening in" on a conversation on poetry held between some of Ghana's brightest up and coming poets, lead by One Ghana, One Voice's own Julian Adomako-Gyimah, and featuring Prince Mensah, Vida Ayitah and Edith Faalong. Thank you to the amazing texts of the past that featured African writers in discussion (such as African Writers Talking [Heinemann, 1972]), and to the "Virtual Roundtables" at OutsiderWriters.org for inspiring this project. So please have a read, and be sure to use the comment section to join the conversation yourself!
Julian Adomako-Gyimah: Politicians are killing millions with their lack of respect for rule of law and the suffering masses. How can we fight this via poetry?
Prince Mensah: The internet has made it easier to expose such acts of brutality. For a long time it has been journalists who have been in the forefront of this fight. I must add that writers, like Ken Saro-Wiwa, Wole Soyinka and Dennis Brutus, have been in this cause as well. Yet, it is imperative for any holder of the pen, poets in this case, not to sit down and write nothing about the realities that gaze at them. We may write about history, but let’s talk about the present. We may talk about the beauty, but let’s contrast it with the ugliness. It is our role to write about and educate our people about freedom. Poets are socio-political beings, but we can never be politicians. As poets, we must be careful of not allowing our biases to poison the beauty of our poetry. We are supposed to present the problem and question the conscience of our people. We are catalysts, not instigators.
We can use international poetry or literary organizations to bring attention or send aid to a country that has a repressive government. What we can do is to feature countries under repressive governments and give audience to poets from that country. We can write books of poetry that benefit such countries. We can create a YouTube-themed website that allows poets to visualize their experiences. Recent events in Myanmar have added credence to the fact that an outlet for outcry like the internet helps the world to understand how people suffer under their governments. Let us use the internet in fighting this archaic notion held by this bunch of miscreants who rape their countries’ resources.
Vida Ayitah: I doubt very much politicians read poetry or even appreciate the art. If they did, we wouldn’t have corrupt politicians in our countries. Because the soul of a poet is so transparent, to lie to his fellow man would be next to impossible. Our politicians have somehow devised of a way of hiding themselves, and nothing can reach them. Certainly not pity or compassion or even common respect for other people's needs. So how do you make someone like that understand the value of something when he’s not even aware of its existence? For as long as our leaders stay in their ‘self-centered’ worlds, no voice can reach them. All the poet can do is write his piece. Personally, the only way I think poetry can be used as a medium to reach politicians is to feed it to them before they go into serious politics.
Julian: Great answers from you and Prince, but as poets we need to make sure politicians live up to our expectations and do not amass wealth at the expense of the populace, as Kufuor is currently doing. Rawlings was bad and I wrote so many political poems and articles about him but Kufuor's government is worst, hence my poem "This Is The Time."
As a poet, the only way I can fight these idiots is to write political poems such as "This Is The Time" and books such as the one I am currently working on called "The Graveyard".
As Wole Soyinka said, "the pen scares liars like politicians", so we need to write more revolutionary and controversial poems to fight these people because they are creating graveyards all around us.
Join this revolution my fellow poets but never be politicians. Because the synonym for that word is liar. God bless us all. If they don't read their compatriots will read and carry the message to them.
Bush, Blair, Musharraf and Kufuor, to mention but a few, can be 'killed' with poetry.
Prince: Vida, I definitely do agree with your assertion. Politics demands an alteration of character. Poetry cannot suffer hypocrisy. The two are incompatible. Our politicians are mostly opportunists who take their posts to gain proper grooming for the positions they aspire to. The sad aspect is that they never learn, and, if they do, it is to learn more ingenious ways to fool the people. Politics is indeed the occupation for the self-indulgent. It is supposed to be an arena of service to a nation. Instead it has become a coliseum of non-sensical, ravaging beasts who have little regard for national benefit or social consequence.
A lady once told me "Read a book. It is your visa to other people's minds and countries." I cannot dispute that. We are who we are as poets because of our curiousity to learn what was hidden behind book covers. It is up to us to stir our nation to literacy, for, especially in Africa, an educated citizen is a threat to every form of tyranny.
Julian, I have had the same misgivings about the present government. It seems power is more than an aphrodisiac; it is an anesthetic that gives promising politicians the excuse to forget about the reason why the people chose them in the first place. We must find a way to get accountability and probity from our leaders. You cannot gain power through popular sentiment and transmogrify into a monster that haunts the existence of the very people you were supposed to liberate. This story has been told over and over again, with few modifications, from Nkrumah to Kufuor. It is time that our generation of Ghanaians sits up and finds ways not to repeat the sorrowful mistakes of our fathers. We cannot afford mediocrity as a way of life, corruption as a means of justice, and tyranny as the cloud over our land. Our poetry must stir; it must reach places in people's hearts that have never been reached before.
Julian: Good point and unfortunately there is always an atavism in the life of every politician and as poets I agree with the fact that we need to sit up and stop them and their aficionado who wish to see others suffer. Once we get on the international platform, we have to tell the truth about our callous leaders and collectively liberate the oppressed.
Those of you who are still on campus, I think we need to collectively put up a show which combines poetry with drumming, choreography or music. I've tried these abroad and they really leave an indelible mark on the hearts of listeners.
"On n'a jamais riens sans mal," and surely one gets nothing without trying, so let's get it moving because there are so many questions for us to answer. We can be the voice for the speechless and the light in this darkened world so let's not rest until we liberate the masses from the hands of the beasts called politicians.
Edith Faalong: I am very excited about this, especially our union. Politicians these days are rubbing our faces in mud. More amusing is their style which indirectly goes to insult our intelligence. It's like they assume we are all ignorant of their antics. Like masters of a puppet show...the ordinary people: the puppets. Every day they roll out fantastic shenanigans. It's got to stop. How do we do it? We start by gently shaking the people awake with the pen. We cannot reach the politicians, let's sensitize the people and they can on their own resist deceit.
Vida: Hola Edith, glad you're in now. This does feel exciting. It's like a secret army of poets plotting against our bad bad politicians! Together as we raise our voices someone will listen. Because to just sit down doing nothing will not bring about any change. I just hope that we're able to stick it out; in time many more people will join. And then we will have the poetry club that no one in Ghana has been able to organize.
I have always wanted to be a part of a group with shared interests and passion for the same thing. And this feels so right.
Prince: The stench of ineptitude can never be hidden for long. Our leaders forget that he who has a cotton tail cannot cross a trail of fire. We as poets must also not forget that as a man stoops to criticize the holes in his neighbour's trousers, the holes in his own trousers are open to the next man.
We must render our poetry with utmost integrity because that gives us the attention we need to propel our visions of a free and fair country. People might say we are building a tower of words with our words but we must buttress our convictions with action. There is so much promise in what we are doing now and we cannot afford the luxury of falling down on our words.
Julian: Interesting. We need to keep this fire burning and learn other languages if we can because we need to reach out to all and sundry every nook and cranny. Soldiers of the word arise!
Now, let's talk more about some of the ways we can make these changes we want to see happen: How do we touch the lives of the poor and help raise money for the underprivileged poets?
Edith: Because most efforts of helping the poor are geared towards giving them already caught "fish", why don't we teach them to fish, starting with the little ones who will tomorrow be the big ones?
I have visited my village so often, my face has become very familiar. The worst problem I have identified is ignorance. There is no worse road to deprivation and poverty than ignorance.
The books I read as a child have taken me so far. They opened up my mind and introduced me to the need for freedom of thought. I remember there was a library a little way from the house I spent my earliest years in at Tamale. I rode a bicycle with my big sister every weekend to this library. Though it was far away, we went even if we had to walk, because there I found an awesome place, a spring of knowledge.
And now my dream is that one day, when I can, I will go to my village, set up a reading room for children, and make the environment friendly enough to attract them. Because I know, that the only way to liberate a person and free him/her from poverty and the gnarled hands of ignorance is through a book. It worked for me. The only way we can help is to work on their minds through books.
What I am trying to say is that donations of money, food, or clothes will only work in the short run. Let's make a donation for the long run, a donation of knowledge!
Julian: You hit the nail right on the head. We need to train them or teach them a skill to enable them to fish for themselves.
Vida: The idea is a good one. You can't feed someone for a day and think that's it. They need to know to do that for themselves. But what approach do you guys have in mind?
Julian: We can teach them how to fund raise, put proposals together, draw up business plans and how to use basic ECDL. They can earn a lot doing these things. For business plans for example, they can earn a minimum of $2000 doing one.
We can also pay for them to learn a trade or teach them how to earn money from poetry, short stories and features, I guess. There are organisations in the writers handbook who pay for these. We can also raise money by putting up spoken word sessions and put them in school or give them grants to do something.
Another thing I do is to develop businesses as a financial and management consultant, so combining both skills will put bread on their tables.
For those who are already writing, I guess we can help get them publishing deals and that way, they can get royalties on sales.
Agoo!
Edith: Agoo Julian!
Prince: I love hearing knowledge bouncing off deep minds. It's cool.
Poverty is definitely a circumstance that embalms the potential of any gifted person. It is up to the person in that circumstance to accept or reject that. The "Fa ma Nyame" syndrome that has plagued our country is eating away our ability to soar above our circumstances. It seems we are at the zenith of our talents when we are outside our own country, which is understandable due to the stagnant nature of our home institutions. Bureaucracy, "the PhD (Pull Him Down) Syndrome," corruption, nepotism and cronyism are reasons why we are not seeing any excellence coming out of the land that produced Kofi Annan, Kwame Nkrumah and Kofi Abrefa Busia. How can we erase this anomaly of human conduct? How can we change our people's mentality so that we believe that when everybody has a shot at life, it ends up benefiting everybody else?
We can raise money. We can create fundraisers. We can bring home a billion dollars and more. However, the core issue at stake is the mentality. "As a man thinketh, so is he." This is where we come in. We must ensure that there is always a horizon of positivity in every poem we write. We must instill hope, faith and love in our people through our poetry. We must show them ways, as Julian proposed, to make not only tommorrow's wage but also to secure their grand children's financial security. We need to instill a futuristic essence to our way of life because greediness comes from the here-and-now way of mind. I do not mind doing a programme that raises funds. It is absolutely necessary to do so. Ghana is us and we are Ghana.
Au revoir!
Julian: Great vision, Prince. I am glad we are all thinking right and willing to help liberate people.
I guess we should embark on a project dubbed "Poets Against Poverty and Mediocrity," walk to every bank, hotel, market and every nook and cranny to raise money via poetry.
Edith: You have a point there about the mentality thing Prince. "As a man thinketh, so is he." So lets think the sky for our people and us and so we will be.
Julian Adomako-Gyimah: Politicians are killing millions with their lack of respect for rule of law and the suffering masses. How can we fight this via poetry?
Prince Mensah: The internet has made it easier to expose such acts of brutality. For a long time it has been journalists who have been in the forefront of this fight. I must add that writers, like Ken Saro-Wiwa, Wole Soyinka and Dennis Brutus, have been in this cause as well. Yet, it is imperative for any holder of the pen, poets in this case, not to sit down and write nothing about the realities that gaze at them. We may write about history, but let’s talk about the present. We may talk about the beauty, but let’s contrast it with the ugliness. It is our role to write about and educate our people about freedom. Poets are socio-political beings, but we can never be politicians. As poets, we must be careful of not allowing our biases to poison the beauty of our poetry. We are supposed to present the problem and question the conscience of our people. We are catalysts, not instigators.
We can use international poetry or literary organizations to bring attention or send aid to a country that has a repressive government. What we can do is to feature countries under repressive governments and give audience to poets from that country. We can write books of poetry that benefit such countries. We can create a YouTube-themed website that allows poets to visualize their experiences. Recent events in Myanmar have added credence to the fact that an outlet for outcry like the internet helps the world to understand how people suffer under their governments. Let us use the internet in fighting this archaic notion held by this bunch of miscreants who rape their countries’ resources.
Vida Ayitah: I doubt very much politicians read poetry or even appreciate the art. If they did, we wouldn’t have corrupt politicians in our countries. Because the soul of a poet is so transparent, to lie to his fellow man would be next to impossible. Our politicians have somehow devised of a way of hiding themselves, and nothing can reach them. Certainly not pity or compassion or even common respect for other people's needs. So how do you make someone like that understand the value of something when he’s not even aware of its existence? For as long as our leaders stay in their ‘self-centered’ worlds, no voice can reach them. All the poet can do is write his piece. Personally, the only way I think poetry can be used as a medium to reach politicians is to feed it to them before they go into serious politics.
Julian: Great answers from you and Prince, but as poets we need to make sure politicians live up to our expectations and do not amass wealth at the expense of the populace, as Kufuor is currently doing. Rawlings was bad and I wrote so many political poems and articles about him but Kufuor's government is worst, hence my poem "This Is The Time."
As a poet, the only way I can fight these idiots is to write political poems such as "This Is The Time" and books such as the one I am currently working on called "The Graveyard".
As Wole Soyinka said, "the pen scares liars like politicians", so we need to write more revolutionary and controversial poems to fight these people because they are creating graveyards all around us.
Join this revolution my fellow poets but never be politicians. Because the synonym for that word is liar. God bless us all. If they don't read their compatriots will read and carry the message to them.
Bush, Blair, Musharraf and Kufuor, to mention but a few, can be 'killed' with poetry.
Prince: Vida, I definitely do agree with your assertion. Politics demands an alteration of character. Poetry cannot suffer hypocrisy. The two are incompatible. Our politicians are mostly opportunists who take their posts to gain proper grooming for the positions they aspire to. The sad aspect is that they never learn, and, if they do, it is to learn more ingenious ways to fool the people. Politics is indeed the occupation for the self-indulgent. It is supposed to be an arena of service to a nation. Instead it has become a coliseum of non-sensical, ravaging beasts who have little regard for national benefit or social consequence.
A lady once told me "Read a book. It is your visa to other people's minds and countries." I cannot dispute that. We are who we are as poets because of our curiousity to learn what was hidden behind book covers. It is up to us to stir our nation to literacy, for, especially in Africa, an educated citizen is a threat to every form of tyranny.
Julian, I have had the same misgivings about the present government. It seems power is more than an aphrodisiac; it is an anesthetic that gives promising politicians the excuse to forget about the reason why the people chose them in the first place. We must find a way to get accountability and probity from our leaders. You cannot gain power through popular sentiment and transmogrify into a monster that haunts the existence of the very people you were supposed to liberate. This story has been told over and over again, with few modifications, from Nkrumah to Kufuor. It is time that our generation of Ghanaians sits up and finds ways not to repeat the sorrowful mistakes of our fathers. We cannot afford mediocrity as a way of life, corruption as a means of justice, and tyranny as the cloud over our land. Our poetry must stir; it must reach places in people's hearts that have never been reached before.
Julian: Good point and unfortunately there is always an atavism in the life of every politician and as poets I agree with the fact that we need to sit up and stop them and their aficionado who wish to see others suffer. Once we get on the international platform, we have to tell the truth about our callous leaders and collectively liberate the oppressed.
Those of you who are still on campus, I think we need to collectively put up a show which combines poetry with drumming, choreography or music. I've tried these abroad and they really leave an indelible mark on the hearts of listeners.
"On n'a jamais riens sans mal," and surely one gets nothing without trying, so let's get it moving because there are so many questions for us to answer. We can be the voice for the speechless and the light in this darkened world so let's not rest until we liberate the masses from the hands of the beasts called politicians.
Edith Faalong: I am very excited about this, especially our union. Politicians these days are rubbing our faces in mud. More amusing is their style which indirectly goes to insult our intelligence. It's like they assume we are all ignorant of their antics. Like masters of a puppet show...the ordinary people: the puppets. Every day they roll out fantastic shenanigans. It's got to stop. How do we do it? We start by gently shaking the people awake with the pen. We cannot reach the politicians, let's sensitize the people and they can on their own resist deceit.
Vida: Hola Edith, glad you're in now. This does feel exciting. It's like a secret army of poets plotting against our bad bad politicians! Together as we raise our voices someone will listen. Because to just sit down doing nothing will not bring about any change. I just hope that we're able to stick it out; in time many more people will join. And then we will have the poetry club that no one in Ghana has been able to organize.
I have always wanted to be a part of a group with shared interests and passion for the same thing. And this feels so right.
Prince: The stench of ineptitude can never be hidden for long. Our leaders forget that he who has a cotton tail cannot cross a trail of fire. We as poets must also not forget that as a man stoops to criticize the holes in his neighbour's trousers, the holes in his own trousers are open to the next man.
We must render our poetry with utmost integrity because that gives us the attention we need to propel our visions of a free and fair country. People might say we are building a tower of words with our words but we must buttress our convictions with action. There is so much promise in what we are doing now and we cannot afford the luxury of falling down on our words.
Julian: Interesting. We need to keep this fire burning and learn other languages if we can because we need to reach out to all and sundry every nook and cranny. Soldiers of the word arise!
Now, let's talk more about some of the ways we can make these changes we want to see happen: How do we touch the lives of the poor and help raise money for the underprivileged poets?
Edith: Because most efforts of helping the poor are geared towards giving them already caught "fish", why don't we teach them to fish, starting with the little ones who will tomorrow be the big ones?
I have visited my village so often, my face has become very familiar. The worst problem I have identified is ignorance. There is no worse road to deprivation and poverty than ignorance.
The books I read as a child have taken me so far. They opened up my mind and introduced me to the need for freedom of thought. I remember there was a library a little way from the house I spent my earliest years in at Tamale. I rode a bicycle with my big sister every weekend to this library. Though it was far away, we went even if we had to walk, because there I found an awesome place, a spring of knowledge.
And now my dream is that one day, when I can, I will go to my village, set up a reading room for children, and make the environment friendly enough to attract them. Because I know, that the only way to liberate a person and free him/her from poverty and the gnarled hands of ignorance is through a book. It worked for me. The only way we can help is to work on their minds through books.
What I am trying to say is that donations of money, food, or clothes will only work in the short run. Let's make a donation for the long run, a donation of knowledge!
Julian: You hit the nail right on the head. We need to train them or teach them a skill to enable them to fish for themselves.
Vida: The idea is a good one. You can't feed someone for a day and think that's it. They need to know to do that for themselves. But what approach do you guys have in mind?
Julian: We can teach them how to fund raise, put proposals together, draw up business plans and how to use basic ECDL. They can earn a lot doing these things. For business plans for example, they can earn a minimum of $2000 doing one.
We can also pay for them to learn a trade or teach them how to earn money from poetry, short stories and features, I guess. There are organisations in the writers handbook who pay for these. We can also raise money by putting up spoken word sessions and put them in school or give them grants to do something.
Another thing I do is to develop businesses as a financial and management consultant, so combining both skills will put bread on their tables.
For those who are already writing, I guess we can help get them publishing deals and that way, they can get royalties on sales.
Agoo!
Edith: Agoo Julian!
Prince: I love hearing knowledge bouncing off deep minds. It's cool.
Poverty is definitely a circumstance that embalms the potential of any gifted person. It is up to the person in that circumstance to accept or reject that. The "Fa ma Nyame" syndrome that has plagued our country is eating away our ability to soar above our circumstances. It seems we are at the zenith of our talents when we are outside our own country, which is understandable due to the stagnant nature of our home institutions. Bureaucracy, "the PhD (Pull Him Down) Syndrome," corruption, nepotism and cronyism are reasons why we are not seeing any excellence coming out of the land that produced Kofi Annan, Kwame Nkrumah and Kofi Abrefa Busia. How can we erase this anomaly of human conduct? How can we change our people's mentality so that we believe that when everybody has a shot at life, it ends up benefiting everybody else?
We can raise money. We can create fundraisers. We can bring home a billion dollars and more. However, the core issue at stake is the mentality. "As a man thinketh, so is he." This is where we come in. We must ensure that there is always a horizon of positivity in every poem we write. We must instill hope, faith and love in our people through our poetry. We must show them ways, as Julian proposed, to make not only tommorrow's wage but also to secure their grand children's financial security. We need to instill a futuristic essence to our way of life because greediness comes from the here-and-now way of mind. I do not mind doing a programme that raises funds. It is absolutely necessary to do so. Ghana is us and we are Ghana.
Au revoir!
Julian: Great vision, Prince. I am glad we are all thinking right and willing to help liberate people.
I guess we should embark on a project dubbed "Poets Against Poverty and Mediocrity," walk to every bank, hotel, market and every nook and cranny to raise money via poetry.
Edith: You have a point there about the mentality thing Prince. "As a man thinketh, so is he." So lets think the sky for our people and us and so we will be.
OGOV Roundtable Discussion #1 - About the Participants
Julian Adomako-Gyimah: Julian is an alum of Presby Boys Secondary School, Legon. He holds a B.A. in Business Studies at the Kensington College of Business, London, a Diploma in Journalism at the Writers Bureau College of Journalism, Manchester, UK, Executive Diplomas in Strategic Management and Management, a Diploma in Management Studies and an Executive MBA at the Huddersfield University, UK. He has worked as a Financial Controller at Brook & Whittle, after working as an Accounts Manager at Ryder Plc, both in the UK. Additionally, he is a Chartered Manager and a member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), also in the UK.
Julian is also the proud author of two bestsellers, namely Smile Africa and Recall, which are both available on amazon.com, bn.com, borders.com, and in major retail outlets around the globe.
Julian is a co-founder of One Ghana, One Voice.
Some of Julian's poetry: The Beautiful Child, This Is The Time
Some of Vida's poetry: Atonement, Mama
Some of Edith's poetry: Sankofa
Prince Mensah: Prince was born in August 1977 to Dr. Louis and Rose Mensah. He attended Adisadel College, Extra Mural Academy, African-American HIV University(USA) and Mediation Training Institute(USA). He has written an extensive body of work including plays that have been staged at the Arts Center in Accra.
Some of Prince's poetry: Animal, Beach
Sankofa - Edith Faalong
I met people baba…
They talked of things so fine.
They talked of skyscrapers and fast cars
and I remembered you grandpa: I remembered our holy village
with the mud houses and thatch roofs we so treasured.
The mud houses and thatch roofs we built with our hands.
and the old broken bicycle in the corner that Uncle Thom was so proud of.
They talked with such excitement about the disco
and I remembered the nights we sat around the fire
not wanting to breath lest we miss a word of your awesome stories.
They talked about the women who had faces like their palms
and clothes like skin.
and I smiled in amusement because my mind galloped back to
the full moon nights
when men drummed and children clapped and
women stamped their feet and twirled around
in smooth rhythm to timeless music.
Full bosoms heaving, paying homage to music that transcends
generations and age.
I remembered grandma and her friends
laughing toothlessly and trying without success to join the dance.
And yet they talked on…
and it confused me.
Because I didn’t come here to wine and dine, but to shine.
I remember our debut with nostalgia.
Grandpa, remember how we set off?
With a dream in our hearts and a vision in our eyes.
With your blessing on our heads and your advise in our ears.
The taste of the millet porridge still on our tongues.
But here I find so many ills vying for authority to pull me down.
Yet my spirit laughs loud.
The millet porridge may taste faint on my tongue,
but I remember I came from strong stock.
They talked of things so fine.
They talked of skyscrapers and fast cars
and I remembered you grandpa: I remembered our holy village
with the mud houses and thatch roofs we so treasured.
The mud houses and thatch roofs we built with our hands.
and the old broken bicycle in the corner that Uncle Thom was so proud of.
They talked with such excitement about the disco
and I remembered the nights we sat around the fire
not wanting to breath lest we miss a word of your awesome stories.
They talked about the women who had faces like their palms
and clothes like skin.
and I smiled in amusement because my mind galloped back to
the full moon nights
when men drummed and children clapped and
women stamped their feet and twirled around
in smooth rhythm to timeless music.
Full bosoms heaving, paying homage to music that transcends
generations and age.
I remembered grandma and her friends
laughing toothlessly and trying without success to join the dance.
And yet they talked on…
and it confused me.
Because I didn’t come here to wine and dine, but to shine.
I remember our debut with nostalgia.
Grandpa, remember how we set off?
With a dream in our hearts and a vision in our eyes.
With your blessing on our heads and your advise in our ears.
The taste of the millet porridge still on our tongues.
But here I find so many ills vying for authority to pull me down.
Yet my spirit laughs loud.
The millet porridge may taste faint on my tongue,
but I remember I came from strong stock.
Author Profile - Edith Faalong
Biography:
Five Questions with Edith Faalong:
Contact Edith:
Five Questions with Edith Faalong:
1. How long have you been writing poetry?
I started writing poetry when I was in primary school. I just feel words tumbling in my mind constantly and I have to put them to paper or I forget them if I do not.
2. Who are your favorite poets? Which poets have most inspired and informed your work?
My favourite poets are Anyidoho, Senghor, Awoonor, and Shakespeare. But I also read every work that catches my eye because I believe there is something for me to learn from every poet.
3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?
I hope through my poetry to bring gently to the realisation of people the need for true values. The need for roots and pride in Africa. That every man is equal and has unique but relevant thoughts and also for the liberation of emotion and thought.
4. What is your opinion about the state of poetry in Ghana today? The state of poetry on the campus at the University of Ghana, Legon?
The state of poetry is poor and not greatly recognised on campus but I believe there will be an improvement. Very few Ghanaians appreciate poetry. But the few who do, do so greatly. Poetry has become in Ghana, an intricate language spoken and understood by few. But I feel the passion of these few gently but surely going further. There are better days ahead.
5. "Sankofa" touches on the importance of remembering and learning from those who came before. Do you feel Ghanaians are respectful enough of their own history? If no, what can be done to improve this situation?
Ghanaians have lost pride in their origins. But to work on this will take longer than it has taken to lose it. Ghanaians should be drawn to the fact that we can live a standard, decent and fulfilling life without abandoning our culture for another. The relevance of poetry cannot be overemphasized.
Contact Edith:
edithfaalong(at)hotmail.com
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