Jerome Chandler is a founding member of Ghana Together,
having served since 2006. His interest in Ghana goes way back!
He served from 1958-1967 at St. John’s Senior High School
in Sekondi, Ghana---the first four years, as math teacher, and then as
Headmaster for five years. Sekondi is about 30 miles east of Axim.
It was a tumultuous time with Ghana becoming independent in
1957, followed by an unsettled period including a military coup in 1966, and
political turmoil generally. Not so easy
to be the Headmaster in a school that followed the English education system,
including administering the “Cambridge Exam” to his students---the same exam
English students were taking at the time—during those difficult years!
Jerome returned to the US and eventually, luckily for us,
he became a Science Instructor at Skagit Valley College for many years, here in
Mount Vernon, WA.
But, he never lost his interest and affection for Ghana
and its culture. And what better represents Ghanaian culture than its indigenous
textiles---especially woven kente cloth and printed adinkra symbolic motifs?
And, since in his senior years, Jerome has taken up
quilting, what better raw material than the beautiful Ghanaian cloth?
So, when our friend Kathryn Roe, Founder/Leader of Anansi
Non-profit in Ghana, brought back extensive yardage of traditional Ghanaian “cloth”
from Ghana, Jerome was thrilled! And he got to work!
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| First, he made a beautiful Adinkra symbols quilt for Kathryn herself, as a thank-you |
The adinkra symbolism is an old traditional art form,
which is still ubiquitous in Ghana. There is a record of a stamped Adinkra
cloth being sent back to England in 1817. The symbols have meanings.
See this website which beautifully documents the rich meaning. These symbols are still widely used in Ghana---not only on textiles but also as decorative art on buildings, signage, etc.
Having made that first quilt, now Jerome was on a roll! So he made another one for the Mount Vernon Kiwanis Club, which has supported our students since 2007!
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| Gary Jones, (left), International Program leader, accepts a quilt on behalf of the local Kiwanis |
One thing led to another! A few folks who have collected
and arranged shipping for hundreds of children’s books got their surprise
quilts!
He made this one below for the Axim Library, featuring the Gye
Nyame symbol meaning “except for God”, which may be the most common, and is
found on textiles, stores, restaurants, taxi cabs, signage. A common use might be "except for God, you and I would not be greeting each other today."
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| The symbol in the middle is the symbol for God---"except for God"... |
And one for our friend Bonnie who supported a student from...grade 3?...through nursing school...her "graduation gift."
And there are more, but this is a good sample! Some are going to our partners in Axim, who have worked so well with us to enable us to help them achieve our mutual goals.
We only wish we could honor every one of you, our dear readers and “investors” in so many ways,
with one of Jerome’s beautiful pieces!
Thanks to you, we’ve managed to enable
our partners, Western Heritage Home, to support 69 students this first term in
2018. We continue to support the library. We love this collaboration and are
eager to see what 2018 puts in front of us!!
(Notice our logo features adinkra symbols. Starting at 1:00, "nurture", lifelong learning, health & beauty, leadership, and "except God.")
Ghana
Together
808
Addison Place
Mount
Vernon, WA 98273
Website: http://ghanatogether.org
Email: info@ghanatogether.org
