Meet Daisy Chang, Golden Baobab's Communications Fellow

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Daisy (though the lady I buy oranges from knows me as Akua, meaning Wednesday born) and I am Korean-American, from New York, graduated from Wellesley, and figuring out life. 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I like to walk. Some places I really enjoy walking are across the Harvard Bridge from Cambridge to Boston, along the long dusty road from the Pastor's house to the river bank in New Longoro (Brong Ahafo), and up the mountain trail to the train tracks near my home in NY. I also like to bike, journal, and eat delicious things. 

In Accra, I find that I can't walk as much as I'd like, definitely not bike (because I fear for my life), and a lot of my favorite delicious things are not found here. I took Debbie's suggestion to use my 2-3 commuting-in-traffic time and have been going through audiobooks. I am currently making my way through LOTR; I just finished the Hobbit and am deep into the Fellowship of the Ring.

This is your second time in Ghana, what have been your impressions so far? How long are you in Ghana for?

I landed January 5 and will leave May 1, totaling four months overall. By this point, that initial honeymoon phase of traveling to a new country has definitely worn off. My view of Ghana has normalized a lot, in the same way people who idealize a country (like the United States or France) realize over time that every place has its own conveniences and struggles. However, I will say that I enjoy the friendliness and trust here; yesterday on my morning commute, a woman handed me and a stranger each a baby to hold while she held her third child. Sometimes though, that friendliness goes a little far...like the group of children who walk me home from the bus stop every evening. After walking me yesterday and in the midst of saying goodbye, one child picked an orange out of our tree and the next thing I know, there are like 30 crazy children stripping the poor tree of all its unripe fruits. They are a very threateninggang of 7 year olds.

How much of Ghana have you been able to see and what activities have you managed to do?

The furthest north I've been is to Brong-Ahafo. I've also been to the Bui Dam, Suame Magazine in Kumasi, and Elmina Slave Castle near Cape Coast. However, I am most proud of getting around in Accra and learning to navigate the trotro system. 

How did you decide to join the Golden Baobab team?

As a student, I had heard the name Golden Baobab because of its association with the Echoing Green Fellowship. When a friend offered to introduce me to a number of different organizations and listed Golden Baobab as one, I put it at the top of my list. I really believe that Golden Baobab is going to be big and push the frontier of children's literature, so it was an honor to be connected.

What is your role during your time at Golden Baobab and what about it excites you most?

My role as a fellow has been somewhere in the junction of communications and business development. I've been exploring the idea of corporate sponsorships as a means of distributing books locally and talking with key people in these corporations and writing proposals. I also have had the opportunity to support Nanama in finding the applicant base for the new Illustrators' Prizes, as well a number of other exciting tasks. For example, later this week, I get to go hunting for materials to prototype a Golden Baobab mascot.

What has been your experience at Golden Baobab so far? What are some of the opportunities you have received to learn new things?

My experience has been that the Golden Baobab staff is excellent and good at what they do, and a personal challenge for myself is to always learn from people and adapt habits I would like to have. For example, I admire Nanama's serious focus as well as her confidence and eloquence in voicing her thoughts; as for Debbie, I respect her vision casting and the speed at which she generates ideas. Her brain is like a high speed train and well.

Aside from those things that I am trying to learn from them, I've also learned how to use new software which was (is) a pleasant challenge.

Who was your favourite storybook character growing up? 

I had many. Thinking back to kindergarten, when I would sit on the story-time reading mat at the back of the classroom, the characters I can clearly recall are: Strega Nona for her pasta making prowess and ability to transport me to Italy through the words and pictures, the Rainbow Fish for his beautiful glimmering scales, Tikki Tikki Tembo for the rhymes and the challenge of reciting as many lines from memory as fast as possible, and--though I read this later in life--Punchinello from You are Special, for teaching me about God.

As I grew a bit older, I made new friends who (in their books) were also my age--I really liked Salamanca from Walk Two Moons and wanted to be Ella from Ella Enchanted, but I also lived through Ender, Harry, the Narnia children, the Animorphs, Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and so so so many more...I'll stop here so I can get back to work.

What are your plans for the future?

Stay in Ghana until It's time to leave.