Humbled.
We have been humbled by the greatness that is a Yua welcome. From the back of the pickup which delivered us we could first hear the women singing. A group of twenty or thirty women garbed in a matching rich deep blue and white textile clapped from the shade of tree as their song emanated toward us. We looked forward to a crowd of maybe 1000 people.
First, we drove past the throngs to meet with the Chief and the 
Elders. The Elders had gathered outside of the Chief’s home, sitting on benches as low as the roots of the tree which provided us shade. Ceremonious banter bounced back and forth between our presenter, driver, and guide Pok, and the Chief. The Honorable District Chief Executive Emanuel Chegeweh arrived by truck and joined us. Trotta crouched to the seated Chief’s eye-level and presented him the traditional gifts of kola nuts and schnapps. We asked for the Chief and Elders’ blessing, and for permission to work with their community.
From here, we re-entered the vehicles, and proceeded back to the crowds. The few alongside the dirt road would holler and clap, even jump up and down and wave, as they recognized us as the long awaited team from America. The music—the drums and whistles—had already begun. We stepped out the back of the vehicle, each of us a bit pale from the shock, each of us overwhelmed in a manner we had never before conceived of us, each of us with goose bumps.
We walked forward toward the crowd and formed a line. The people had formed a wide circle 125 feet across into which we entered. David had taught us a few words. We would say “Poori” upon a hand shake. The receiver would reply “Azaare,” and we would respond “Nahmbaa.” An elderly woman moved by song took Jared’s arm and led him into the circle as she danced and grinned a toothless smile. We sat at behind the length of tables at the chairs appointed to us, seated beside the Chairman and the Honorable DCE.
An MC emceed, and the Chairman spoke on behalf of the community. Speakers included the Honorable Mac Adale, Assemblyman for Yua, and Nich Kumah, Director of Afrikids in Ghana. A procession of men entered and performed the War Dance, a dance typically reserved for the funerals of the most esteemed elders. We learned later that the Chairman was surprised the Elders had allowed the War Dance to be performed on this occasion, which speaks to the level of appreciation, the pinnacle of appreciation, the people of Yua have toward our visit and our work.
A welcome rain interrupted the proceedings, and we relocated to a classroom.
Engineers Without Borders sat in the front, underneath the chalkboard interspersed between the Chairman, the Honorable DCE, Nich and our guides from the Ghana Poultry Network. A floor was cleared in front of us some thirty feet. The first rows were reserved for the Elders; the other seats filled quickly. Everyone else remained outdoors, clinging to the concrete latticed walls.
Between speakers, dance troupes would enter. The majority of these groups were women’s groups, others were men, or younger women and girls. Most groups had no instrumental music; their own song, clap, and stomp proved more than enough accompaniment. The dancing was never lethargic, ranging from a swift pace to outright frenetic. The room was hot. Every dancer pooled sweat from their skin, and soon the heat rose and combined with the humidity, we all had a generous coat of sweat upon us. They would form lines and circles directly in front of us—I often found myself curling my toes to protect them from the heavy stomp.
Around mid-ceremony, Trotta was introduced, who spoke as Pok translated. Trotta introduced Danielle, who needed no translation to warm the people’s hearts as she cheered “Yua!” With David as her interpreter, Danielle asked for the community’s blessing and guidance in our work, and assured the crowd we will be meeting with the various factions of the community in the upcoming days to speak with them.
Dignitary after dignitary, dancers after dancers. Some minutes into every performance, the bell would ring, signaling that the group be off, that there was more to be done. The bell only seemed to invigorate the dancers; they would not be budged. Last minute half circles were formed around us for optimal viewing and individual dancers would showcase their powerful skills. The MC and other men would guide the dancers out the door, and the next speaker would speak. The welcoming was constant in its energy and its formality for three hours. Even after the meeting closed, other dance groups remained outside, insistent that they be allowed the opportunity to express their gratitude to us.
Finally outside, Jaina and Danielle were both pulled into the crowd of dancers, waving their arms and stomping in the mud to the music which continued, the drums and the whistles, by the kind hands of an elder.
Upon the insistence of our guides David and Isaac, we were ushered into another classroom, to sit and rest and breathe. A cooler of ice cold beer (in this community without power) was brought in. Guinness and the Ghanaian beer Star attempted to calm us, though most of us were eager to join the people outdoors. Darkness fell as were trucked and bumped over the puddled roads back to Bolgatanga, unsure of our ability to sleep this night.
--Jared
I have never in my life been so completely surprised and impressed with a day. The welcome that we received was overwhelming. When Akunz told us that there would be a welcome with dancing and singing I thought maybe there would be 15-20 women giving a performance. However, this is by no means what we received. As we entered Yua there were people lining the road- waving and clapping for us as we drove on. As we came closer to the center, a women’s group was singing under a huge baobab tree. Their singing trailed in and faded out as we drove past the center toward the chief’s palace. I could see in the distance hundreds of people had gathered in the center yet I still did not realize the extent of this event.
We came to the chief’s palace- a collection of traditionally built homes made of adobe and painted in the local style. The chief and elders were sitting under a tree to the side of the house. I was walking behind Nich (Director of Afrikids) and Pok (GAPNET representative) toward the tree. “Just watch us and follow what we do,” they whispered back to us. There were about fifteen elder men gathered there. We shook all of their hands before taking a place on the bench. As Pok and Nick began speaking with them in Frafra more and more people began to gather around us. Pok took Trotta’s hand and pulled him to his side as they knelt in front of the chief in order to present him with a traditional gift: Kola nuts and Schnapps. Trotta and Pok shook the hand of the chief and cameras flashed in the daylight. All of a sudden there were a lot of people there. I began to race. We had agreed on the way that I would speak on our behalf as the project leader yet I was beginning to realize that I wasn’t prepared to speak in front of such distinguished company and in front of so many. There must have been thirty people or more there now. Just then a very nice car pulled in- The Honorable District Chief Executive had arrived! He came under the tree with us and began to greet the chief. After some more formalities we all stood to leave. “Thank God!” I thought- now I won’t have to stand in front of all these people to speak. I snapped some photos before loading up into the truck again and heading back toward the center. As we approached it began to sink in: this is way bigger then I had imagined! Literally hundreds of people were waiting for us. We were ushered into a giant ring of people toward some chairs and a long table. 
An elderly woman grabbed Jared’s hand and began leading him down the path- cheering and dancing the entire way. We sat down all of us trying to keep our mouths from hanging open and our hearts from overwhelming us. In the middle of the circle there was a tree that was being occupied by an older man and a little girl. Within the next few moments we began to realize that the man was crazy and also unwilling to leave the center of the ring under any persuasion. Finally and kindly the community allowed the man to stay. Later I was told this was partly due to his threat he had given to the crowd: if they made him leave he would make it rain and offset the program. Shortly there were some brief introductions and greetings before the first group came out to present. Their performance was phenomenonal- about eight men dressed in traditional clothing beating drums and moving intensely. This was a war dance- little seen by anyone and little performed but for the rarest of circumstance. Later even the MC would pronounce he was surprised to see this dance approved for us. A second group came and a third before we heard Nich and the assembly man of Yua make a speech. I was also informed at this time that I would still have to present my speech. This time not in front of thirty but a thousand! My palms began to sweat.
The mad man in the middle was ultimately ushered out sometime during the assembly mans
speech after which the rain, as promised, began to fall. Again- I felt saved from my speech. The rain made it imperative to move into an empty school room nearby. They quickly set the room up with desks in the back for the elders, chiefs, and other respected leaders. In the front they set up a line of chairs for the esteemed and distinguished guests: The Honorable District Chief Executive, Executive Director of Afrikids and staff, and four students and a professor from Northern AZ University… were we in the right place? Surely we were because as soon as the room was set the MC began to thank us for our presence those guests who, “from America had gotten on the plane, flew over the ocean, and virtually risked their lives traveling to Yua.” All of a sudden we began to feel less like the pampered travelers we knew ourselves to be and more like extremely tough individuals we had been made to become.
After this warm introduction Trotta was called up to introduce me. I was to make the speech now yet somehow I suddenly wasn’t as nervous as before.
Luckily, David was there to fill in all my faults and mistakes with meaning and sense. Thank grace for that one. After that we heard from the Hon. DCE and a few others. Unfortunately, with the rain on the tin roof I couldn’t hear the DCE at all and began to notice the room around me. It was so full of life! Save a stage in the middle of the room there were people everywhere. People were standing along the edges, looking in from the small windows and flooding in from both entrances. You could also see countless people outside from the windows- dancing and walking about.
After everyone had finished speaking- in came the dancers: They spilled into the room from the right-dancing, singing and playing their heart out. They would get very close to us and take turns dancing- many of them going as fast as their body would allow and a great deal faster than
any of us have ever moved in our lives. One after another they would come in from the right and into the middle, everyone putting on a fabulous show only then to be
“gonged” so to speak by the MC with a giant bronze bell. After the bell would ring the dancers would try to win over the crowd with an even more exuberant performance. Some were allowed to stay and continue but most were ushered out very quickly. This went on for hours and way beyond the planned schedule. Before each group the MC would turn to us and apologize for yet another group who wanted to perform for us.
To say the least we were well welcome into Yua.
After the dancers all had a few minutes to shine we went outside to see the dancing that had continued there. I was looking into a circle curiously when an elder grabbed my hand and pulled me into the ring to dance. Very nice!
After this all the guests were served some beer and then we were on our way wondering if what we had seen was real.
For sure this day put our “small” Yua project in perspective. This project means a lot to these people and our welcome was their way of showing us this. They welcomed us in, making us “honorary citizens of Yua.” We all hope that this is the beginning of a partnership that will not only bring Yua a better quality of life but also give all of us a greater understanding of one another.
--Danielle
On closing of today’s blog, we would like to express our gratitude for the amazingly warm welcome we received by the community of Yua. We never imagined that our visit to this beautiful country would be welcomed with such a vibrant greeting. We stand in awe of the incredible people from Yua and our friends from Afrikids and GAPNET.
–-Jaina and Ben
A few of us got up at daybreak to catch the golden hour down by the piers. I had read that 
man who carried the bench spoke up first- you need to sign the guest book!" He pointed assertively toward the clerk behind the desk. The clerk bent down and retrieved a giant red book from one of the drawers of the desk.
Akunz handed him a five pesawa note (new Ghanaian cedi equivalent to about five dollars) and ushered us out the door chuckling to himself. Like many Ghanaians Akunz is very good at getting things done. This is one of his many qualities I admire.
celebration taking place. I took as many photos as I could- and wished sorely I had brought my better camera. It was beautiful- the entire beach was covered in a light fog and the morning light was still a reddish-orange. We only spent a half an hour by the beach before heading up the large stone stairway for the view. Although some people were still very adverse to being photographed some people outright demanded they be in a shot. One man came and introduced himself to me on the stairs and asked me an interesting question.
"How do you see this place?"
was a collection of small tin
The tour was really a sad one. It is hard to believe that people endured this kind of torture. My heart especially went out to those that were captured to be sold into slavery. What a dark period in the world’s history! 
traveled with the GAPNET crew (Akunz, Isaac, and David) to a nearby restaurant and then down to the market for some last minute gift shopping. 
