ORGANIZING GLADYS' FUNERAL....

Unlike the West where funerals are a whirlwind and the dead are buried at lightning speed, funerals in Africa are an elaborate, deliberate, time-consuming process to send of the departed in a dignified fashion. Again, unlike the West where funeral homes play a pivotal role in sending off the dead, in Africa, it is the family of the deceased who organize the logistics of saying goodbye to their departed. How elaborate the ceremonies are solely depends on the family's ability to garner the necessary resources to do honor to their loved one.

So Gladys' funeral is no different from what traditionally takes place in Ghana when someone dies. As I write these notes this Sunday morning, 20 days after Gladys' death, plans are afoot both on the ground in Ghana and also abroad as to how the funeral should be organized. The first family meeting was held eight days ago and a second family meeting will be held in Accra today to discuss the logistics. It is my understanding that various committees have been created and assigned different roles to bring this whole process to its logical conclusion. I am told that I am a member of the committee created to produce a brochure on my sister's funeral, together with my twin-brother, Paul, her son Eli and her daughter Akpene. Others have several other assignments. Those of us abroad have started sending in monies to help the family with the necessary financial resources needed for this whole operation. Gladys' own children have been very instrumental in this effort. We thank them for doing this for their Mama.

The Headmaster of Keta Secondary School, Mr. "Ho Chi Min" Kwawu, has agreed to have the funeral reception on the school grounds to honor Gladys as a former tutor at the school. Our family is profoundly grateful to him for this kind gesture. I am also told that the autopsy on Gladys' body has been performed but it will take a few weeks for conclusive results to be released.

The funeral rites and burial are slated for the weekend of October 30th, 2009. The body will be laid in state at the Tsikata family home at Abutiakope (Keta) and burial will take place at the Tsikata family cemetary at Srogboe, all in the Volta region. Already a team of seven of us strong are planning to fly out from the US and Canada to attend this funeral to honor our beloved Gladys! We pray for travel mercies to undertake this journey.