Law and Human Rights - GHANA Volunteer Stories from Law & Human Rights Project

Robert Hasker - Law and Human Rights, Law in Ghana

Having never been to Africa before I didn’t know what to expect. I had seen countless films and documentaries on it, even read a few novels but nothing prepared me for actually being there. I had bought a couple of guide books, one that focused on Ghana specifically and another on West Africa, and although both were crammed full of useful information neither prepared me for the culture shock.

After being greeted at the airport by Nyame and the heat I was taken straight to my host family. There was one other volunteer there and he was kind enough to show me around. The following morning my host greeted me in person. She was incredibly friendly and helpful. I felt I could ask her anything and she always went out of her way to make sure I was happy. She was also very concerned about our personal safety which was reassuring. I had only been in Ghana for twenty-four hours but already I felt very welcome.

The next day I had my induction where I was introduced to members of the Projects Abroad staff, told where to go if I needed help and given a booklet on aspects of Ghanaian life. Most of the morning was spent on changing money, setting up an account at an internet café and sampling local cuisine. Ghanaian food is quite spicy but delicious. Fufu, a staple food of West Africa, was by far my favourite. Made by boiling starchy foods like yam or plantain it looks like a large dough ball that is served with soup and eaten with your hands.

Walking down the streets was an interesting experience. If you don’t know any Twi (the local dialect in Accra), I guarantee you will know at least one word by the time you leave – abruni. Meaning white man or white person I was called it at least twenty times a day, mostly by children. But I never felt threatened or intimidated by any of the locals. Everyone I met was genuinely friendly, keen to show off their country and make me feel welcome. I was also surprised at how many people greet you in the morning. In the UK this almost never happens, in Ghana almost everyone did!

Being a law student I had chosen to volunteer at the Law Trust Office. This was a firm that specialised in business and commercial law. On my first day I was shown around by my supervisor and introduced to the other volunteers. Mornings at Law Trust were usually spent shadowing lawyers in court, taking notes on proceedings and cross-examinations. Although Ghanaian law has its basis in English common law the procedure in court was very different. Nearly, if not all, cases were adjourned and there would often be three or four cases going on at the same time. After a quick lunch at a nearby spot bar (small restaurant/bar), afternoons were spent drafting agreements and writing reports on case law.

Initiative was the key. I quickly found it was no use waiting for the lawyers to come to you. Although they accommodated in every way they could they were often too busy to ask you to come to court with them. I made a point every morning to come in early so I could attend court sessions. And if you asked them if you could go along to court they were more than happy to oblige. On one occasion the lawyer I shadowed had three cases so we spent the entire day in court, grabbing lunch when we could in the court cafeteria.

After the first week I and two other volunteers took a trip along to Cape Coast. As I was only spending a month in Ghana I knew I had to make the most of each weekend. I must admit the tro (local mini-bus) journey of three hours was hard going, nothing like the twenty-minute one to work each day, but it was worth it. We spent the morning at Cape Coast castle, a fortification used in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Going down to the dungeons was certainly a harrowing experience but worth-while for anyone interested in African history.

In the evening we took a taxi, which suffered a puncture on the way, to Kakum national park. There we spent the night camping in the jungle which was a truly memorable experience and on Sunday arose early to walk across the forest canopy walkway, seven hanging bridges connected by platforms that resemble crow’s nests. It’s quite a hike to get there but the spectacular view of the landscape was definitely worth it.

Being interested in African history I also took in the memorial park to Kwame Nkrumah, an advocate of Pan-Africanism and the first Prime Minister of Ghana after its independence. The place was surprisingly peaceful, considering how close it was to the Supreme Court and the bustling National cultural centre. On my last weekend I went to Boti Falls, a seasonal waterfall in the forest reserve of huhunya. Spending the evening before at a run-down motel in Koforidua we were concerned the falls had dried up, considering how hot it had been. Thankfully that wasn’t the case and we spent the day there, swimming in the morning and hiking to umbrella rock in the afternoon. That was probably the highlight as you can climb the rock and gaze out at the landscape. With the wind in the right direction it was the only time in Ghana that I actually felt cold. And when we learnt that a person lived on the rock we all felt humbled. It was such a different living arrangement to anything back home.

When it was time to go I wish I could have stayed. I had settled in and was beginning to get accustomed to living in Africa, such as the irritations of a power-cut after a thunderstorm. The four weeks I’d spent there were the best of my life and I didn’t want to come back. My confidence had improved ten-fold and I did things I would never have done in England. And the people that I had met were some of the friendliest and welcoming I’d ever come across. I just wish I had spent more time there. My advice to anyone going – go for much longer than a month.

Robert Hasker

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