Akwaaba!!

By Jhon Arbelaez

I didn’t know what to expect when I landed in Ghana. I came with no preconceptions of what the country is and it’s people would be like, and did not google or look up anything on Ghana on purpose, so I may learn as I go. So far, I have to say I am impressed by everything so far. The people are extremely friendly and will help you out whenever they can, the accommodations are similar if not better to my apartment in Monterey, and I often find more vegetarian options in restaurants than I do in restaurants in the United States.

The Illusive Windfall: the Natural Gas “Bubble”

By Deanna Bitetti

In Ghana as farmland is taken over to pave the way for the natural gas sector to move in, food productivity is decreasing while prices are increasing. At the same time as food prices are increasing a shortage in housing stock is causing housing prices to rise as well, make it harder for local inhabitants to live and work. Transportation and maintenance prices are rising and large income inequalities are creating massive wealth distribution effects within local areas. Other externalities are also creating problems in the Ghanian coastal areas- closest to the Jubilee Oil Field- that are often not monetarily accounted for when discussing the development possibilities associated with developing the natural gas sector. As we seek out this illusive windfall- so to speak- we must be cognizant about the many high risk factors in continuing quickly forward with natural gas extraction.

Background on Mining in Ghana

Speaker: Mr. Sulemanu Koney – Director, Analysis Research and Finance, The Ghana Chamber of Mines

The Ghana Chamber of Mines is an organization that represents the collective interest of its member mining companies, about 90% of companies by production volume. Below is an account of Mr. Koney's presentation to our group. Next week we will be conducting site visits of this and several other industrial processes currently operating in Ghana so that we can judge for ourselves the accuracy of all testimonies we hear.

Cultural Note

Use of the Left Hand

By Samantha Malone

Ghanaians consider it an insult or rude to wave, eat, drink, or hand someone an object with your left hand; the left hand has historically been used for self-cleaning in developing countries. Even though most of Ghana has developed well beyond this point, and is in fact considered a middle-income economy, this southpaw must still be cognizant of how I use my left hand. More by Sam »

Akwaaba to Ghana!

Akwaaba Airport, Accra

Saturday July 3, 2011
by Nastassja Noell

The 22 E-LEEP participants came from the distant mountains of Hawaii to the cement jungles of New York City on Saturday afternoon to meet in the Atlanta airport at the departure gate for Accra, en route to Moravia. This was our first meeting 'in the flesh, and the beginning of our 28 day trip to learn about the context and issues of resource extraction in Ghana.