Our first night was at an uncle's house in Accra. The house was large, to accommodate extended family members. Note the funeral announcement posters.
Maya takes a hand at closing the back of our overstuffed van.
Larry (back of his head), Lauren, Affie and Jamaar in Affie's van, which is also a business for her.
Mourning for Alberta as we pull into the house in Koforifua.
Closeup of the announcement for Alberta's funeral, posted outside the house in Koforidua.
Michael, a young deaf boy (age 5?), with a lot of charisma, at the family house in Koforidua.
The children generally did not come into the main house so there must have been rules about that.
Getting measured by the tailor for funeral clothes.
Most all of the sewing machines are hand cranked.
And for the guys, as well -- Jefferson getting measured.
Picking up one of Affie's sons at his school.
Making bread. One of the daily business activities that take place at the house.
Shawls and handkerchiefs were made with Alberta's face on them. T-shirts are also common as funeral gifts, though Affie did not do that for this event.
Mourning for Alberta. Some of her hair and nail clippings were placed in the small casket. She is actually buried in Baltimore.
Larry and Mable dressed in burial day black.
Me, with a photo of Alberta pinned to my shirt.
We shook a lot of hands on those two days. The camera man videotaped all of the events.
Emily and Jamaar shaking hands.
There was a lot of dancing -- and singing. Everyone seemed to know all the words to the songs.
An ambulance, with siren, takes the casket to Aseseeso for burial. The photographer, in the lead car, filmed the journey hanging out of the car window.
The family house in Aseseeso.
Making a donation into the green tub.
To the cemetery.
Note the shirt: "I Desire To Depart And To Be With Christ, which is better by far"
Passing by the "Presby Church of Ghana - Trinity Chapel"
Affie, Larry, Jefferson
A relative buried close by.
Lauren and Jefferson
Mable and Alan in front of an "Alan for Ghana" poster.
The Aseseeso Market.
Back at the house. Hands are ritually washed in the bucket of water before entering.
Kids dancing in the evening. They tend to dance after the adults.
Day two is the white day, for celebration and to go to church.
Jefferson, Lauren, Mable, Alan
Ready to shake more hands.
Getting into the groove! - Larry, Lauren, Maya, Emily and Jamaar.
Jefferson, Lauren and Affie - Dancing -- or at least moving. :D
At the church where Larry and Alberta were married. Their's was the first wedding in this church, 36 years ago.
Going up to make a donation.
Larry presents a gift to the church, with his American contingent at his side.
Singing and dancing in the pews. I think these were all with our group.
The second round of donations. The ladies in blue were a women's church singing group.
Emily, Jefferson, Affie, Larry
Jefferson with his dad, Larry
Alan and Lauren
Lauren, Larry, Jefferson
Affie and Mable
Close family friends from Nigeria.
Affie and Maya.
The colors were changed from black and red for the funeral day to black and white on the following day.
Women from a social club that Alberta's sister belongs to bring gifts for her. The yellow bar is soap (I think for washing clothes). The brown packets with a back of chilis on top of them are Kenke (or Kenkey - fermented corn meal)
Tomatoes, bags of drinking water, yams, more soap, and sodas
Singing and dancing.
More dancing and singing.
Cash gifts for Esther (I think?), Alberta's sister.
Affie and Esther.
The last day was an extended family meeting to discuss money and use of the house by family members (though it is fully owned by Affie).
Thankfully, some issues are less contentious than others. :-)
Every morning the entire house compound is swept.
Back of the houses -- seen from the path into town. (I have separate albums on Koforidua City and on Rural Ghana, mostly around Koforidua.)
Reminds me of Flagstaff!
Speakers: Panasonic? Nope Peacesnic.
Pounding yams into fufu.
Cooking for the event - fish and plantains.
Kenke and drinking water. You bite a hole in the packet to drink it.
Maya and kenke with a soup/stew.
Maya and Michael.
Maya finally warms up to Mable the day before we left.
These were the speakers just outside our bedroom window. And they like their music LOUD!
The room used by Mable and Me.
The shared toilet and shower area. Water was in limited supply and we mostly took bucket baths.
A creative way to packing the van for the return trip to Accra. (We had more people and stuff going back than we had coming.)
