Recovery in Cape Coast

Two and a half hours West of Accra you will find Cape Coast Ghana. Well known for its famous slave castle, for me it will also be remembered as home to a growing recovery community.

 My first stops with Dr. Eugene Dordoye was Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital where an AA meeting was held. The twelve steps is still a new concept in Ghana and for many gathered in the circle this was the first they had heard of it. Some spoke with surprising openness and other with great hesitation and reluctance but the seeds are being planted and I am confident that as this group grows we will see lives changed.

While in Cape Coast we also had the pleasure of spending time with Sister Rosette and a recovery community she has developed. This was a real treat! We met with this group of six or so for two days. It was obvious that they had done a lot of work on recovery. People shared their stories and each reported several months of sobriety. "Me" had turned to "we" and they genuinely seemed to care for and support each other. One day was spent together in a conference and this is where the work they had done as a community became apparent. Instead of the reluctance that is often experienced in the company of strangers the men and women in the circle shared openly with each other. They were able to speak about where they were and where they are now and to offer encouragement to each other. While still early in their recovery it was obvious that a foundation had been laid and that those in attendance had genuine hope for their future.

While Sister Rosette's group was one that provided a lot of encouragement it was also one that provided the greatest concern. Sister Rosette was a visitor to the country and had received word that very soon the church was sending her home. "What will happen to this group when the sister leaves?" is a question that bothered me then and "what has happened?" is a question I continue to ask. While I have specific concern for this group I think the question "what will happen?" is a general one for recovery in Ghana and that the question emphasis the importance of our support to this growing but fragile work.

Maybe the better question is What will I do? What will you do? What can WE do to continue to support and grow recovery in Ghana?

 

Submitted by

Mark Webb