Arrival in Accra

January 19

Accra

Am overwhelmed…by the volume of people, the hustle and bustle, the smells of this city where so many people coexist under trees and flapboards, selling goods while others practice urban herding of goats and sheep. Am overwhelmed by the child who motioned he was hungry outside the shiny, western style grocery store, and the woman whose eyes I’ll never forget carrying oranges on her head. All of it is part of daily life here and everything is for sale. Spent the day with JHR folks talking then touring Accra. A human rights lawyer came to speak to us and briefed us on many human rights issues of current concern in the country. She says there’s much to do and I feel both inspired and shocked by the stories she shared. We were denied entrance to the parking lot of the country’s parliament and spent the afternoon by the Atlantic Ocean instead. T.