Half-Assini Project

Dearest blog reading friends,

I apologize for my lack of blogging lately. So much has happened since I last blogged. In order to avoid a huge post, I will add several different posts each covering a different chunk of time. 

Last time I blogged I was in Half-Assini doing interviews. I interviewed all of the stakeholders of the Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) in the Jomoro region in Ghana. The Jomoro region is the region on the West coast, bordering the Ivory Coast. I was trying to get a grasp of the issues the stakeholders felt were crucial for the MTDP, if they were satisfied, and if there is a high level of community participation in the MTDP. My interviews were generally negative, and I witnessed many sides of one issue, everyone with their own side of the story. Grassroots development is not as utopian as it seems, and I left Half-Assini with a more dreary, though more realistic, perspective of the outcomes from development projects. Some of my interviews were conducted with District Assembly Members and other professionals in the Assembly building. For other interviews I was welcomed into stakeholder's homes and communities. I found these interviews the most interesting because not only did they tell me about their general unsatisfaction with the MTDP, but also showed me some of the problems first hand. As I have seen in fishing communities in Takoradi, Half Assini fishing communities also lack to some extent proper sanitation, education, and is struggling with getting the materials they need to catch, transport, and smoke their fish. The opposition between interviewing men in suits in Assembly bragging of their development work, and women under a tree in their communities, surrounded by children not in school and women doing physical labout while their husbands were at sea- was hard to bear. In Development Studies, we often talk about a division of wealth. For example, the West is Wealthy, while the East is Poor. Or, within developing nations: The corrupt government is wealthy. The people are poor. But as I more carefully study the interactions between people in one small region, the issues of division of wealth trickle down to the smallest regional areas. And as though not as extreme as when we speak of the division between the West and the East, I am seeing how these grand ideas are applying to one community, one family, one individual, and yet how even the grassroots, community directed projects like the ones FoN runs, have little hope of equalizing the wealthy and the poor.

I left Half-Assini feeling educated and a little depressed.

To give you an idea of the battles between the assembly men and the fishermen and fishmongers (women who cook and sell fish) I’ve added two excerpts from my interviews. While the fishmonger felt she was not treated well by the assembly men, the assembly man felt that fishing communities must obey fishing laws before they can become a part of the MTDP. Please note that this interview with a District Assembly Member does not represent the views of all Assembly Members and professionals. I interviewed many, and these were the views of one specific gentleman. Many of the assembly members were much more humble. These are not the full interviews. Additionally, this is only my experience.

Interview with the Chief Fish Processor:

Me: Specifically, how were you involved in the MTDP?

CFP: I told them I needed money for a net to smoke fish and a pan to carry fish from seashore to the houses. They asked me my needs but didn’t bring them. Now when I see people like them they annoy me because I think they are coming to deceive me. Now I do not like to take part in interviews.

Me: Do you have any other suggestions or comments?

CFP: Gather people to come and listen so they are able to take part.

I then explained how assemblies concerning MTDP were open to public and maybe this should be better advertised so people are able to gather.

CFP: The assemblymen, when anyone says anything about fishmongers, the men dodge the fishmongers and they do not hear about it. Fishmongers are poorly treated. They should come to the fishmongers; fishmongers should not come to them.

Me: Why are the fishmongers poorly treated?

Because they are not regarded as human beings. The assemblymen do not consider them human beings. Fishermen and fishmongers are doing a job to help Ghana, but assemblymen do not respect them or inform them.

Interview with District Assembly Member:

Me: Do you think the voices (opinions) of the general public are considered?

DAM: Yes, fairly. Depends on who speaks. If I am a farmer and I say something it may not carry weight, as much as a professional in a particular area. This is wrong.

I mentioned the Chief Fish Processor’s comments on assemblymen treating fishmongers as subhuman and asked him to comment.

We see their needs as something they can solve. The issues are: Where do they smoke the fish? How do they transport? They can get these things easily. Many taxis are available, lots available for them. Authorities think the fishmongers can solve the problems themselves, that their needs are not much.

Chief fisherman we met with and interviewed him and said they need to stop using light fishing and behold they said they would continue to use the light and would be arrested. They have been given the platform but they continue to go against the law, it’s a problem. Need to educate our people very well, education education! Nothing attached to fisherman, crop farmer, and end of question. They rely solely on fish; do not have enough attachment to the economy to make inputs.

Half Assini

Keep reading! There's more to come.

Hope it's sunny wherever you are in the world. 

Caro