Negotiating what's right: The art of social welfare

In Ghana, government organizations have a practice of giving their employees shirts with certain slogans on them.  But the other day was the first time I saw curtains. Of course I couldn't ask this government employee to let me take a picture of his curtains, so the above photo is the best I could do. I thought the title sums up how things get done around here.

In the U.S. we think of public service, public agencies as more of a...science -- wouldn't you say? There are set channels and set protocols. There are manuals for how to get things done.

Ghana has protocols, too, but they sometimes change..depending.

For example, George is helping an American friend finalize the adoption of his Ghanaian-born daughter.  Getting Faith home from Ghana wasn't so bad, but the two-year "interim" period is over, and it's time to make this thing permanent.  Some complications have arisen such as: the original attorney died.  The 2nd newly appointed attorney died.  The original judge died.  In Ghana, that's like starting over from scratch.

There is ONE attorney in the Upper West region, named Mr. Abou. (A-BOO). But you should know that because I kind of dislike him, in my head (and so far only in my head), I call him Mr. A-Boo-Boo.  I just can't help it.  Mr. Abou is really busy, being the only attorney in the Upper West.  So his method of getting cases through the system and representing clients can be summed up as "the more you give the more you get."

Mr. Abou is a young man who, at least to me, seemed disinterested and condescending. He was "A-Boo-Boo" to me after about 10 minutes with the guy.  When asked how quickly he thought this case could be brought before the judge, Mr. A-Boo-Boo pointed to the stack of files in the box on his desk.

"Two-three months if her file goes to the bottom," said Mr. Abou.

Then he removed his glasses and said, "Much shorter with an envelope!"  And we're not talking about jonesing for office supplies here.

On the way home, George explained that that's the way Ghana is and that's the reason we had a beer with the Bishop of the Wa Catholic Diocese the other evening:

I kid you not.

The Bishop of Wa can help us send used clothing to the children in the schools and not because he's a some kind of shipping wizard, owns a Fed Ex/Kinkos or because he's planning to pray for us.  The Bishop of Wa is good friends with the Regional Minister of Transportation and can influence him to allow George to receive the clothing duty-free.

But only if we succeeded in the "art" involved.