My fre Queen Mother of Development Nana Afoah Osei.

Today started off like a normal day in Ghana. We went to a school, talked with kids, then drove around Kumasi for three hours getting nothing accomplished regarding securing seats for our flight home. I do want to say that the school we ventured to first greeted us with drummers and dancers. Notice that this drum is a bowl turned upside down in water; the boy drums and the girl picks up the bowl to let water inside which contributes to the sound. You can't tell in this picture, but there was a group of girls dancing and singing a song that was welcoming us there, specifically naming each one of us. We each took about ten minutes speaking with groups of 30-50 children, answering questions they had. One 8-year-old boy asked, "What does your skin and body feel like?" I said "just like you", then I let each one of them touch me. They agreed that I felt just like them except my skin was softer.

I explained that it is probably because they are outside so much more than I. He then asked if I would turn black like him if I stayed out in the sun. He was quite confused when I said, "No, I turn red when I am in the sun for too long." They also asked questions about our constitution and our president. The kids very curious and so joyful. We were short on time there and they still had so many questions. We really needed to get moving though because we had several places to venture to before the day's end. And, boy, we had no clue what was really in store for us.


We made one last trip to the two towns where our partner schools are located, Mankranso and Dunyan Nkwanta. Our first stop was Mankranso where they presented us with gifts and expressed their sincere appreciation and commitment to this partnership. Then we headed to Dunyan Nkwanta where we expected much of the same.
Instead it ended up being a ceremony where I was named Queen Mother of Development, Nana Foah Osei by the Chief of Dunyan Nkwanta. I was escorted out about halfway through the ceremony and taken to an office where the Queen Mothers dressed me in wraps fit for a Nana (Chief/Queen). After being fully clothed complete with "Nana" sandals, we walked back out to the crowd where I was told to wave as I am now a Nana of their town. My seat was moved so that I was then seated right next to the Chief himself. He followed by announcing the name I would be known as from then on, Nana Foah Osei Queen Mother of Development. I have to tell you I really did not know what to think of it all. It was amazing and I couldn't believe it was happening and wasn't sure how to handle it all. The entire ceremony was amazing. They presented two poetry interpretations, one in Twi by a young man who was fantastic and a second by a group of children that was about the regions of Ghana. They also presented two dances, in which Ms. Perkins joined them in celebration by showing her great dance skills as well. It was so much fun and they loved watching her try the dances that the children were doing. All in all, I must say today was a day that we could have never expected.

The Ahafo-Ano South District has been wonderful and such a gracious host. It is truly an honor to have spent time in their communities; we have learned so much about them, ourselves, and what it means to work with people from completely different cultural backgrounds.