two dedicated artists
at work
in the united states and in rural ghana
Hi, I’m Linda Atwater.
I applied to Peace Corps a bit later in life, having raised two children, having my own business for over a decade and moving to Montana from Los Angeles. It was time to give back, make a difference in a small way and simplify my life. I was lucky to have a placement officer find an assignment for me teaching art in Ghana. I knew there was a possibility of teaching in a Deaf school and volunteered for a school while in training. We had a few weeks of sign language training before being thrown into the classroom to teach art.Upon arriving at the Deaf School I thought I was prepared by the three months of training but I still was surprised at the complete lack of not only art supplies but of educational materials and lack of budget for procuring any. Time to get creative. The students and I dug clay and pit fired items. I collected paper from Peace Corps and businesses in town and made paper for cards and covers for story books written by the students. With a small donation I bought straw and dye and with the students as guides, began a basket weaving group. Northern Ghana is known for it’s basket weaving and many Deaf students come from basket weaving villages. By trial an error we learned to mix dyes and create interesting colors and patterns. We developed some new basket shapes and at that point, I began marketing to the US.
I contacted friends and family back home and sold a shipment of baskets. The money became seed money for more straw, art supplies and now batik chemicals and fabric. I learned to do batik, tie and dye the African way and taught a group of students. The result of this endeavor was wall hangings, fabric and clothing that was also sewn by the students. Each student involved in basket making or batik, tie and dye was given a savings account and in addition, money was set aside for a general school fund to benefit a project of the student’s choice. The students used their pocket money to purchase soap, pencils, notebooks and transportation to town on the weekends. As my third year as a Peace Corps volunteer drew to a close, I made the decision to stay in Ghana and as part of what I do there, maintain an after school arts program especially the batik, tie and dye and the basket weaving. The students have become quite skilled and have a deeper understanding about design, marketing, cost of goods and how to determine profitability.
I have to say I had a wonderful experience, so much so that I extended my 2 years into 3 with Peace Corps. Since the school doesn’t have teacher housing, I was placed in a nearby rural farming village. I had the experience of village life and the experience of the Deaf school at the same time. As my time with Peace Corps drew to a close, I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. I decided to stay in Ghana on my own, continuing work in Gbeogo Deaf School, working with the community and living with my adoptive Ghanaian family in nearby Kaare village. When people ask me why Ghana? I don’t have a concrete answer except to say “the people”. It is not known for it’s wildlife, tourist resorts, architecture or food. However, the Ghanaian people are warm, hospitable, eager to share their culture and make you a part of their family.
Finding that Kirstin was of the same mind as me, to stay and work in Ghana was refreshing. She brings her knowledge of development work and positive enthusiasm for whatever projects or challenges we and the community face. We joined forces to make our existence in Ghana financially possible by creating Tro-Tro Trading Company. We hope it continues to grow and make “making a difference” in Ghana possible.
ANECDOTES
Linda's ceremony of acceptance
Dipo ceremony in kroboland
Cedi, the Krobo beadmaker
My name is Kirstin Green.
In my few years here on earth I have developed many different interests, and the real challenge of my life has been dovetailing them all into a more cohesive plan. The one thing, however, that has not faltered in the slightest is my interest in the arts and all things that require a creative spark. The mediums have changed over time, but the drive remains the same. I have dabbled in drawing, painting, ceramics, stained glass, silkscreen, printmaking, and sewing. I have delved more extensively in photography, graphic design, mosaic work, and, of course, beadwork.After finally obtaining a double bachelor’s degree in Classical Archaeology and Photography from San Francisco State University, I spent a couple of years in Los Angeles. During this time I realized that I would have to be an active participant in the betterment of my life and soul, and in 2001 found myself looking into the Peace Corps, an organization I had previously never given a second thought to. All of a sudden, it was the solution to all my problems! I would be traveling, learning a new trade, and Uncle Sam would foot the bill.
I didn’t pick Ghana; Ghana picked me. I was sent there to complete my Peace Corps service in 2002. The culture shock at first was overwhelming, but after the initial differences were understood, I found a wealth of beauty and hospitality in this small West African country. I embraced the culture, language, food, customs, and arts of the people I was living amongst as best as I could, and during those two years I made some big decisions. Although I had to look at a map of Africa to find Ghana before I went there, I came back a voluntary educator and activist for Ghana. I befriended another Peace Corps Volunteer, Linda Atwater, with similar sentiments about living and working in Ghana after the Peace Corps, and after I completed my service I packed my belongings and moved up to the Upper East Region to pursue this new dream. Even though I am no longer in the Peace Corps, I still live in Ghana part time and still do community development.
Our idea was and is to buy and sell West African Handicraft, especially beads. We could sell these beads, and we could make jewelry to sell as well. If we could support our existence there, we could continue to do the kinds of development work that we learned about during our Peace Corps service, the objective being to spend half the year in Ghana and half the year here in the U.S.
That was over a year ago and since then we’ve been true to our goal. Linda and I have been developing relationships with merchants and artisans in Ghana and Burkina Faso, buying their goods at a fair price and bringing them here to sell at a fair price. We have also started a Community Based Organization (CBO) in the area where we live and have secured funding from Rotary International to complete a water project for our CBO members. The CBO has embraced our ideas with enthusiasm and now are forging on with other projects bound to improve daily life for all, including income generation initiatives such as soap making and shea butter processing, as well as education programs and forestation projects in the area where we live.
Working in the development field has opened my eyes to a new career path. Being in Ghana has been another education for me. Staying true to my love for the arts and for all things creative has kept me grounded and whole. I feel like things are really coming full circle, and that the adventure is only beginning!
