Educational Journey Home

Hello all! 

My name is Lydia Egbers, and I am a second year studying accounting and finance at UST.  

Our incredible day started with a visit to the Elmina Java Museum, a museum established to preserve and educate on the history of the Black Dutchman, the name Africans were called in the Netherlands. During the period 1831-1872, African men were recruited for military service by the Dutch. As this era was so soon after slavery ended, Africans were hesitant and unwilling to volunteer for military service and only 44 men volunteered. In response, the Ashanti offered to give the Dutch prisoners of war which created a system that made everyone involved content. Of the 44 men that volunteered for military service, one was named Manus Ulzen. His great grandson, Mr. Abraham Kofi Ulzen built the house that now contains the Java Museum. This museum helps uncover the once hidden history of the time the Africans were recruited by the Dutch. 

 

At this same time, the Ashanti king’s son and nephew were sent to the Netherlands where they were integrated into Dutch society and grew up learning their ways. When the Ashanti king died, tension ensued between the Ashanti people as the only two heirs were considered Dutch in their eyes.

 

We were each very interested in the historical impact the Dutch had on Africans, including their style. The Dutch poured wax into a tool called a tjanting that they used to create intricate lines for fabric designs. Through this process, they discovered that some fabrics became smudged and unusable for the Dutch. Fortunately for them, Africans loved the fabrics and vibrant colors, and it is from here that African fabric patterns of today began. After our tour of the Java Museum, we travelled to the Elmina Basic School, a private school with children ages 10-15. We divided into groups and visited the classrooms to talk with the students. Our purpose in our visit with the students was to provide hope and encouragement for a straightened path in their future, specifically in education. My group visited with the 10-year-olds.  

We were greeted with warm, welcoming and happy faces. We shared a little bit about ourselves and then moved on to learn more about the students. I was impressed by what these students wanted to be when they grew up - professional athletes, nurses, teachers and even a bank manager. Each of the students' questions were very thought out and intentional. One that stuck out to me was, “how do I achieve success in my future?”. We took turns explaining that the best way to achieve success was by working hard in school, believing in yourself and learning from challenges/mistakes. 

 

 

After the classroom visits, we all moved outside to engage in some fun dancing and music. After our drumming class on Saturday, I had so much respect for the drummers’ incredible tune and rhythm. The performers were incredible and put so much energy into their moves! Some from our group were invited to get out onto the dance floor and learn from the kids, and then we showed the students the moves we learned from our dancing class. The whole experience was so much fun, and we were all grateful to have been able to spend time with these students.  

 

Upon request from many in our group, we stopped for some KFC for lunch! Upon our return to Accra, we enjoyed a group debrief of the weekend and a delicious dinner followed by some games and relaxation after our trip to Cape Coast.  

Thank you for following along our eventful and impactful day! 

 Lydia