Features
OF SCIENCE AND ‘AFRICAN ELECTRONICS’
Chemistry is one of the most rewarding sciences in the world, in the sense that it can yield visible and sometimes spectacular results from simple experiments.
For instance, when the colour blue changes to red or green after a chemical has been added to it, or when en explosion occurs under water after certain chemical agents have been brought together one is I pressed, whether one believes in science or not.
That being the case, how can a teacher of chemistry refuse to believe that vaccination works in humans and other animals? Is the concept of immunity from disease a hoax?
I ask because the late President of Tanzania, Mr John Magufuli, not only denied the existence of Covid-19 but at the same time (rather illogically) he prescribed the breathing of steam as well as other “traditional” methods, for curing the (non-existent) disease!
But – wonder of wonders – Magufuli, according to Wikipedia, “earned a bachelor of science in education degree, majoring in chemistry and mathematics as teaching subjects, from the University of Dar-es-Salaam in 1988. He also earned his masters, and doctorate degrees in chemistry from the University of Dar-es-Salaam in 1994 and 2009, respectively.”
After graduating, he became a secondary school teacher. The question is: was he tutoring his students in subjects he did not believe in? Or did he think tat there was a “dichotomy” of reality in the world – one which produced accurate results in scientific experiments and another reality in which the only laws that operated were those laid down by the God in whom he fervently believed as a Catholic?
For he was quoted as saying that Covid-19 was “a devil, [which] cannot survive in the body of Christ… It will burn instantly!” Was he, in saying this, denying the validity of the concept of science, mastery of which had earned him his degrees?
The contradictions that filled Mr Magufuli’s mind are, of course, vibrantly present in many other Africans. I became aware of this very early in my own life.
My mother’s sister was a life-long Methodist. She would come and wake us all up very early in the morning and drag us to “morning service” (anᴐpasɔre)!
Now, I loved the Fanti songs that the Methodists sang, with all those beautiful unwritten improvisations that the women singers invented to add to the actual hymns. But I resented being torn from my dreams at such an early hour! I had no choice, of course, but to tag along.
One year, however (when I was about five) my young mind was thrown into a whirl when I heard, to my astonishment, that despite her obvious devotion to God and Jesus, this aunt of mine had travelled all the way from Asiakwa to Nkwantanang (in the Kwahu District: first, by truck to Bosuso; next, by train to Nkawkaw; then up the dangerous hills to Mpraeso and finally, to Nkwantanang) to go and “eat kola-nuts” and become a cult member of the Tigare fetish!
She went to the fetish because she wanted to have a child and her prayers in the Methodist Church were apparently not producing the goods – despite all those early morning devotions.
I learnt in later life that many so-called Christians in fact try to “insure” themselves against evil times by also paying their respects to several deities passed to them by their elderly family members, who believed in several deities at the same time.
There was, for instance, an old woman who was the priestess of a sacred River in our town called Twafoɔ. This old lady got presented with a lot of fowls from people who wanted to thank the River for all sorts of favours they had obtained from it.
Indeed, when the Second World War ended in 1945 and the men from our town who had gone to fight in Burma came back, one of them brought an amazing story about the River. He told our townspeople that the army truck he was driving had one day been hit by a bomb and blown into a deep valley. It caught fire after he’d been thrown out of it. He lay in a field unconscious.
But as the fire came nearer and nearer to him, he heard faintly, “from very far away”, a bush-cat calling him by name: “Kwaku Petro! Kwaku Petro! Get up!”
The cat wouldn’t stop calling his name until its cries got nearer and nearer to him. Finally, the cat’s cries became so loud that he woke up. He was able to drag himself away just as the whole truck blew up with a huge bang!
The noise brought some ambulance men to the site, and they laid him on a stretcher and carried him to hospital. “See these scars on my hands!” he showed the townspeople.
“It was River Twafoɔ who came and saved my life!” Kwaku Petro explained. He bought a sheep and slaughtered it, draining the sheep’s blood into the River’s water until the water was drenched red. He also poured libation into the water with a bottle of Schnapps.
How did he know it was the River that had saved his life? Silly question. How often do bush-cats talk and call someone by the name?
But by far the most amusing story in this country about juju – or “African electronics” as some smart-alec friends of mine call it – occurred during the days of the Supreme Military Council (SMC) in the early 1970s. A chap was caught and put on trial for attempting to overthrow the government of the SMC by recruiting the Army Commander of the regime to carry out a coup.
The chap apparently resided in Nigeria, where he had made a lot of money by dealing in crude oil. When he had convinced himself that indeed the Army Commander would like to succeed his head of state as “Number One”, he brought the Army Commander a huge sum of money and said the Commander should take it to a particular jujuman in Northern Ghana, so that the jujuman would “fortify him” and make him impervious to fear., during the coup operation.
But the coup-inciter had somehow not been able to fortify his own self, and so, was picked up on the instructions of the Army Commander during their final tête-à-tête!
At his trial, the then Attorney-General, a very humorous lawyer called E N Moore, made great play upon the superstitious elements in the coup plot. People laughed a lot when they were asked by their friends, upon undertaking some mission or other, “Have you taken the trouble to get fortified yet”?
In the midst of the trial, I attended a cocktail party given by the Government at the Castle, Osu. Whilst going round greeting people, I came across Mr E N Moore.
“Cameron, how have you been?” he queried.
Quick as a flash, I replied: “Unfortified, but still going strong!”
Mr Moore exploded into such loud laughter that people everywhere turned round to look at the two of us. I very swiftly slipped out of his company, leaving him to explain why he had laughed so loudly.
BY CAMERON DUODU
The driver stopped the vehicle at the gate of the large, fenced property along the Nsawam Highway, and Kakraba stepped out to meet the several workers who had gathered to wait for him.
He greeted them and went straight to the point.
“Gentlemen, I am glad to see that you have almost completed the clearing of the land. I’m happy to report that we have concluded all arrangements with Nana Serebour, and construction of the palace will start in a few days.
“I will need you to go and level the ground, and then come back to start this project. Some workers from a construction company will come and join us.
“My plan is to build twenty houses in four months. Then we will do twenty more until we reach two hundred.
“I am relying on you to help me deliver good-quality work to satisfy our clients and, as I have already indicated to you, I will reward you for your work.”
After an hour’s discussion, he closed the meeting and moved to drive away. Wofa Yaw drew closer.
“Director, can you please spare me five minutes? I would like to discuss a small issue.”
“Why, Wofa Yaw? Your wife has threatened to leave you?”
“No, Director. My wife will never leave me. This concerns a young niece of mine.”
“I hope it’s something I can help with. Please sit in the car and let me hear you.”
“Boss, my niece, Beesiwa, is a polytechnic graduate, very beautiful and with very good character.
“Unfortunately, her parents virtually forced her into a relationship with an idiot based in the US, which affected her badly. She has now recovered from that experience and, Boss, I am respectfully asking if you would find a job for her.
“I promise you that you will never regret it.”
“Well, Wofa Yaw, let me meet her and speak with her. I may be able to help, maybe not in the way you expect, but let me meet her.
“I will not be back here for another week, but I will be at the office throughout next week. You can come with her.”
On Monday morning, Wofa Yaw and Beesiwa were seated at the office by nine o’clock. Three young ladies welcomed them warmly, offered them soft drinks and assured them that Kakraba would be there shortly.
They then returned to their desks and sat behind computers with large screens displaying various building designs.
Kakraba walked in and greeted them warmly. After chatting briefly with the three ladies, he ushered Wofa Yaw and Beesiwa into his office.
“Director, this is my niece, Beesiwa. I mentioned her to you when you came to Nsawam.”
“Yes, indeed. Madam Beesiwa, you are very beautiful, just as your uncle said. Wofa Yaw is my colleague.
“We have just started a building project that will take about three to four years. He mentioned that you have a small problem, so I said I would like to meet you and see how I can help.
“So, Beesiwa, please tell me a little about yourself.”
Beesiwa described her childhood, her school experience, her brief work at the bank and the nasty episode with Sammy Abrokwa, which shattered her peaceful life. She also explained how she had been recovering from the experience.
“I am really sorry to hear this,” Kakraba said. “Now, here is what we are going to do.
“We are a small but very busy company. The three ladies out there spend most of the day on site and come back to report on their work in the morning.
“I have three main projects. The big one is an estate project in Nsawam, where your uncle is one of my main colleagues. I need a personal assistant who can take care of my activities, especially when I am not in town.
“Now, we will have to start with trust. Based on what I know about Wofa Yaw, and based on what you yourself have told me, I think we can start on a sound basis.
“So, Wofa Yaw will take you to my home. You can move into one of the four guest rooms.”
“Sir, I have taken some computer lessons, and I have even done graphics and web design,” Beesiwa said.
“Fantastic! I will give you a good phone and a laptop. I will also arrange computer lessons for you.”
“Now, Wofa Yaw, take her home. My sister, Kuukuwa, will meet you and show you around, and then you can return to Koforidua.
“When would you like to start work?”
“Sir, I would like to start today, but I would need to go and bring my things.”
“No problem. Take a taxi to my house, meet my sister, and let me know what you decide.”
Later that day, Kakraba and the three ladies met with some bank officials to conclude the sale of the three buildings at Adabraka.
They closed at five-thirty and, after rewarding the ladies for their hard work, Kakraba got home just after dark.
He was surprised to find Kuukuwa and Beesiwa sitting at the table enjoying supper.
“What’s happening here?” he asked. “Beesiwa, I thought you would return to Koforidua.”
“She changed her mind,” Kuukuwa said. “We went to the mall and bought a few things for her. Then we came back to cook. She has made some nice changes to your bedroom and cooked a couple of interesting dishes. Sit down; we will serve you.”
“Well, I certainly can’t refuse that. It’s been a busy day.
“So, what’s the plan now? Will Beesiwa go to Koforidua tomorrow, gather her things together and come down?”
“No, I will stay here for a while,” Beesiwa replied. “Kuukuwa bought me the things I need, so I may go back next week. I’m ready to start work. What would you like me to start with?”
“Well, you can come to the office tomorrow morning, meet the three girls and get a feel for what we do.
“Since you are living here, at least for now, we can discuss the plans for the next few weeks.
“Sometimes there are gaps when I travel up north. You can take care of things from now. I think the girls would like having someone like you around.”
By Ekow de Heer
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A frequent question following breast surgery is whether human tissue possesses the regenerative capacity to restore an excised organ.
From a strict physiological standpoint, a completely removed breast cannot regrow. Unlike certain organisms that can regenerate complex limbs or organs, adult human tissues—particularly specialised glandular structures—lack the cellular machinery required to rebuild an entire organ after its total surgical removal.
Instead, the body heals the surgical site through processes such as scar tissue formation and re-epithelialisation rather than complete cellular regeneration.
What a mastectomy actually removes
To understand why natural tissue regeneration does not occur, it is important to examine the surgical scope of a mastectomy.
Depending on the type of procedure and the medical reason for surgery, a mastectomy may involve the removal of:
Glandular architecture: The milk-producing lobules and ducts that form the functional core of the mammary gland.
Adipose tissue: The fatty tissue that contributes to breast volume, projection and contour.
Other breast tissue: The extent of tissue removal varies according to the type of mastectomy and the need to achieve appropriate surgical clearance.
Because specialised breast structures are physically removed, the body does not rebuild a complete mammary gland. Instead, healing occurs through tissue repair and scar formation.
Distinguishing residual tissue from “regrowth”
Patients or observers may notice changes in the chest area after surgery, sometimes leading to misconceptions about tissue regeneration.
Skin- and nipple-sparing procedures
Modern breast surgery may preserve the outer skin envelope or, in selected cases, the nipple-areola complex. Small amounts of breast tissue may remain depending on the surgical technique. Any changes in remaining tissue due to hormonal fluctuations represent residual tissue responding to the body, rather than the regrowth of a completely removed breast.
Adipose accumulation
Weight gain after surgery can increase the amount of subcutaneous fat across the chest wall. However, this is part of general body fat distribution and does not represent the regeneration of a mammary gland.
Modern reconstructive pathways
Because a completely removed breast does not naturally regenerate, modern medicine offers reconstructive options aimed at restoring physical symmetry, contour and body image.
The two main approaches are implant-based reconstruction and autologous, or tissue-based, reconstruction.
Implant-based reconstruction
Implant-based reconstruction uses synthetic medical devices, typically filled with silicone gel or saline, to rebuild the breast mound following a mastectomy.
The two-stage process: This approach may begin with the placement of a temporary tissue expander to gradually create space and stretch the surrounding tissues. A later procedure may then be performed to place a permanent implant.
Recovery profile: Implant-based reconstruction generally involves a shorter initial surgery and recovery period compared with procedures that require tissue to be harvested from another part of the body.
Long-term considerations: Breast implants are not lifetime devices and require ongoing medical monitoring. Some patients may need additional procedures over time because of complications or changes in the implant or surrounding tissue.
Autologous or tissue-based reconstruction
Autologous reconstruction uses the patient’s own living tissue to create a new breast mound. Tissue may be transferred from another part of the body, commonly the lower abdomen, using procedures such as a DIEP flap.
Natural look and feel: Because the reconstruction uses living tissue, it can provide a natural warmth, texture and softness. The tissue may also change with the patient’s body weight over time.
Long-term durability: Once healing is complete, autologous reconstruction can provide a long-lasting result without the need to replace an implant. However, some patients may still require further procedures.
Complex surgery: This option usually involves a longer operation and recovery period. In microsurgical procedures, surgeons may need to reconnect tiny blood vessels to establish blood flow to the transferred tissue.
Direct comparison
When choosing between these two reconstructive pathways, patients and their surgical teams must consider several physical, medical and lifestyle factors.
Surgical burden: Implant surgery is generally less invasive, while flap reconstruction involves surgery at both the chest and the donor site.
Foreign material versus native tissue: Implants involve the use of a medical device, while autologous reconstruction uses the patient’s own tissue.
Recovery: The recovery timelines and rehabilitation requirements differ significantly between the two procedures.
Recovery and physical rehabilitation
Recovering from breast reconstruction requires patience, careful pacing and, in some cases, structured physical rehabilitation.
Because implant-based and autologous tissue-flap procedures involve different surgical techniques, their healing timelines and physical therapy milestones can vary considerably.
Understanding these differences is important for patients considering reconstruction, as the choice involves more than restoring physical appearance. It also requires careful consideration of recovery, long-term monitoring, lifestyle and individual medical needs.
Part 2 will examine recovery timelines, physical therapy milestones and other factors patients should consider when choosing between reconstructive options.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
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