Dum Carving Program at the Accra Artisans Exchange

GENERAL INFORMATION

LOCATION:
Ghana is located on the West Coast of Africa, along the Gulf of Guinea, and is boarded by Cote
d'Ivoire, Togo and Burkina Faso. The Country covers an area of 238,305km2.

CAPITAL:
The Capital is on the Greenwich Meridian (zero line of longitude) with a population of 3 million.

CLIMATE:
Northern Ghana has a rainy season from about April to October. The rest of the year is hot and dry
with temperatures up to 38oC. In southern Ghana the rains last from April to June and again from
September to October. Generally temperatures are between 21o and 32oC.

AIRPORT:
Kotoka International Airport is situated 12km from Accra city centre. Domestic Airports are located at
Kumasi,(Ashanti Region), Sunyani, (Brong Ahafo Region) Tamale, (Northern Region). Hotel shuttle
buses and taxis are available.

Every aspect of life in Ghana reverberates with an unmistakable energy.
Ghanians are a warm and friendly people who pride themselves on the peace,
freedom, and tolerance of their country. They are strongly rooted in their
traditions and history, and carry that same fervor into their frequent
discussions of current political, economic, and social conditions. During the
recent Adae Kesie Festival in Kumasi, celebrating the 5th anniversary of the
reigning Asante King, groups of people decked out in the traditional Asante
cloths were venerating their once mighty kingdom and also passionately
discussing the upcoming presidential elections. It's normal. The heat and
humidity can be challenging at times, but there are plenty of opportunities for
respite. Leafy palm trees, abundant and cheap exotic fruit such as pineapple,
paw-paw (papaya), and mango, beautiful beaches, waterfalls, mountains,
nature reserves, and that laid-back "African time" make the heat a lot easier to
take.

For more information on Ghana, look at:

Lonely Planet:                  http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/africa/ghana
GhanaWeb:                      http://www.ghanaweb.com
Official Govt Website:       http://www.ghana.gov.gh
Ghanian Embassy:           http://www.ghana-embassy.org
The Africa Guide:             http://www.africaguide.com/country/ghana/

On a more personal note, a New Yorker's take on life in Ghana's capital:

There I'd be, walking down the street in Accra, using all my powers of concentration to traverse the surprise-filled
city terrain, when a woman will suddenly pass by me and proceed to maneuver her way effortlessly through
throngs of pedestrians and taxis while carrying a three-tiered, 50-pound set of metal buckets on her head, filled
to the brim with dishes, and a baby strapped to her back sleeping happily behind her. There is an unspoken
connection running beneath the seemingly chaotic bustle along the city streets here. On first look, this link is
indiscernible. But if you really watch, you can see that everyone, from the small girls selling water on the roadside
to the businessmen in their power suits, has an unconscious, or maybe super-conscious, ease about them as
they wind their way safely around each other. For me, coming from a place where, even on a relatively empty
sidewalk, you may still play the get-out-of-my way shuffle with the person walking straight towards you, it is
amazing to see that people here have this collective instinct within them; this instinct that guides them through
and around a crowd of people whom they don’t see as strangers, but simply as people they have not yet met.
Ultimately, it is this link, this bond, this connection, so often missing in Western societies, that attracts me most to
Ghana. During my time there, I felt that I got in touch with a part of me that had disappeared, the part of me that
is also a part of everyone else, the part of me that I had lost track of in a society where we all view each other as
wholly separate beings, willfully independent of one another. In walking down the street, in family life, in
friendship, at work, and in art, you will find this connectedness here, and whether you’re looking for it or not,
when you come, it will surely find you.

Making that leap and stepping across the vast divide between the West and Africa is an exhilarating decision,
but one that should be taken with care and consideration. Get all the information you need to be comfortable
with that decision. The above websites will provide you with the facts and figures. For all visitors, there are
mandatory, as well as suggested, vaccinations, and most will have to obtain visas. We will provide you with
written material concerning what you must do in preparation for your trip and what to expect when you get there.
We will guide you through the process and help you make a smooth transition, both before your trip and
throughout your stay. We are a very close-knit group and we are always at your disposal.