George

Earlier today I was standing outside of my new home, attempting to speak Twi with George. I noticed a distinct scar on the left side of his face and multiple scars lining his right cheek. The scar on his left cheek is a tribal mark that connects him with his tribe, which his father was chief of for many years, in the eastern region of Ghana. The scars on his left cheek are not tribal, however. When George was young he was very sick, and his mom called a medicine man to come heal him. The medicine man was not an official doctor, nor was he associated with a hospital, which explains the unusual treatment that George received. He made cuts on the side of George’s face and put medicine into the open wounds, and the sickness was expelled from George’s body. Each person has a story, for George it is a story of his tribal background and the power of positive healing. I am looking forward to hearing more stories like George’s so that I can continue to learn more about Ghana and the different cultures that shape it.