after a month living in ghana, i have come to see some of the down sides. its as if i've passed this point, when i'm no longer a tourist, and am shown the other side of africa; a side that i don't love, and makes me sad, frustrated, and angry.
i don't love the crime, the constant threat of pick-pocket-ers and out-right forceful theft. i don't love the attitude about africa's future; the sad hopeless opinion that change is un-obtainable. i don't love the pollution, thrown out on the streets, the neighborhoods, the villages, and left to stain the beautiful landscape of africa. i don't love the corruption; the police perpetuated corruption that robs you only to feed their pockets. a system so far-gone that even i'm not sure it is fixable. and i don't love the health system, or lack of one. the concept of nutrition is absent, and the mis-information surrounding disease and illnesses breed a stigma so strong, i don't know if education could equally combat.
i'm frustrated after a month, because each of these hidden truths have crept out from the cracks, and been blatantly brought to light. and maybe thats good, and in some way i'm glad, because i'm getting to know the real ghana, the real africa. but its still so difficult to see all the room for improvement, and feeling so helpless to create it. and i know that change starts slowly, and starts from small ideas. i know that even one person can help. i do know that. but its difficult seeing how much help is needed; it makes me feel so insignificant and so very helpless.
at the orphanage there are so many projects that are being discussed, with us. a list of priority improvements that need to happen soon for the childrens future. within the year they will buy new land and build a new orphanage, equipped with a school, that they own instead of rent. this will enable the owners, cherubs foundation, to design a new orphanage that has everything they need to be sanitary, safe, and a positive environment for the children to grow. the foundation will also buy 60 acres of farm land, a couple of hours south of kumasi, from which they'll harvest food for the orphanage, as well as to export and sell to generate a profit. the farm is a necessary step for the sustainability of the orphanage. it will ensure that they never run out of food, and to always have an income to help support the orphanage. i am so impressed with the plan, because it shows insight, progress, and real hope for the children's future.
still, i feel so overwhelmed by all the work that needs to be done. the owners of cherubs orphanage, nicholas and felicia (who are my host parents), are asking us (the 6 volunteers) to help. we want to help, i want to help, but i'm not sure how much i can actually do. i get the impression that they expect us to all have an excess of money that we don't know what to do with. we all have magic wands that we can just wave and produce a new orphanage, complete with running water, electricity, and toilets. but we don't. there is so much need, and so much desire to help, but i don't know where to start.
i have two more months here in kumasi, and in that time i plan to take on a project, and help get it off the ground. the problem is that the list of projects is so long, and they are all important. however, the first project is abundantly clear, and takes immediate precedence over the rest: hepatitis b vaccinations.
richmond, who is 11 years old, was diagnosed with hepatitis b. i was with him when he got tested, and when the doctor read him the results, and explained in twi what that meant. afterwards, i delivered the news to nicholas and felicia, and to the orphanage mother, atta. i told them that it is so important to screen all of the children for hep b, because some of the others may be infected too. they all share food, water, and toothbrushes and the chances of other children having it is very high. i explained that vaccinations are also important, for the children that don't have it, because they can prevent it from spreading any further. they looked at me with profound sadness and hopelessness. felicia asked me "how will we pay?" i told her i didn't know.
the other volunteers and i have told felicia and nicholas that we want to help with this project, first and foremost. the screenings and vaccinations are pertinent for the children's health and safety. we have started brainstorming ways to get donations, from doctors or organizations or anyone, to help... but it's difficult to access information from here. if anyone has any ideas, or contact information that could aide us in this project, i would very much appreciate it.
ghana is an amazing place, and i am so honored to be here, living in it's ups and downs. i just hope that my time here can help, with some of the downs, even if in a small way.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
mole national park.
this last weekend i traveled north to mole national park, the largest national park in ghana. i went with my roommate, and two other volunteers who work at the orphanage with me. our journey began friday morning at 2:00 am, and quickly became quite an african adventure.
we woke at 2, on the sound advice of our projects abroad leader, gabby. he guessed that the bus from kumasi to tamale left around 3:30am (no one ever knows the exact bus schedules in ghana. there is no posted schedule, no website, no phone number. nothing. you just guess, go early, and hope you're lucky).
he was wrong. the bus didn't actually leave until 6:00am. and so we were very, very early, to a dark and shady bus depot in kumasi. four white tourists, with bags... looking very sleepy and un-alert. we sat together, and tried to stay awake, for 2 hours. finally we bought our tickets, and boarded the metro mass bus, direct to tamale. the bus ride is about 7 hours, stopping half-way in kintampo for bathrooms and snacks. the goal was to sleep the entire way there, but due to the extreme heat from the rising sun to my right, and the uncomfortably close quarters i shared with some man who smelled, it was difficult. smelly man did offer me a banana though, which improved matters immensely.
we finally arrived in tamale around 1:00, to 104 degree temperatures beating us down. the station was extremely chaotic, and we were immediately bombarded by locals demanding to know where we were going, and by a profound aroma of salted fish baking in the sun mixed with toilet. we quickly walked to the ticket booth, and asked for tickets to larabanga (the closest village to mole national park). they were sold out. all three buses for the day were already sold out. we did not plan for this.
we started to ask for help from locals, and were directed to the taxi station. there, i asked a driver how much it would cost to drive us to larabanga. he told me 100 cedi ($100). i laughed, and told him "debi debi debi!" (no no no!). he was impressed by my twi, and asked me how much i would pay. my friends and i quickly discussed our bargaining limits, and i started at 25 cedi. this went on and on for about 20 minutes, and eventually the driver said, "ah sista, fuel is 45 cedi, i have to make money!" i gave in a bit, because he called me sista, and settled on a price of 85 cedi, to take us all the way into mole national park, to our hotel. split four ways, it wasn't terrible... but it was much much more than we bargained for.
we get in the taxi, we leave the station. our driver stops a mile down the road to get a spare tire. not a good sign. we leave again. we stop again, this time to get water to cool the engine. again, not a good sign. we have already paid the driver, in hopes that he wouldn't try to ask for more at the end of the journey. in retrospect, not a good plan. but, we start to leave tamale, and hit the road to larabanga. we pass a junction, about half-way, and turn onto a very bumpy, very dusty road. we ride along on this road for an hour or so, literally dripping sweat, and getting coated by red dust, when slowly the car rolls to a stop. not a good sign. the driver asks for some water to cool the engine again, we comply. he comes back and tries to start the engine, no luck. i ask "should we get out and push?" in jest... he says "yes". so... i get out, and cecilia get out, and we try to push the heavy heavy taxi, along a bumpy dusty road. it barely budges. alexa and erin get out to, and we all push, the car moves, but it won't start. we try again and again, but nothing.
we are now broken-down, in the middle of a deserted dusty road, somewhere between tamale and larabanga, surrounded solely by acacia trees and emptiness. this is the point where i should have demanded some of our money back. however, i didn't think of that until much later, when it was too late.
down the road, we see a large, yellow, rv-type vehicle, blazzing down the road towards us. the taxi driver tells us to make it stop. we face it, and start to wave, but it doesn't seem to slow down, at all. finally, about 10 yards before hitting us, they brake. we quickly see fellow "brunis", and smile because we are sure they'll help us. they stop, and a dad, mom and son get out to greet us. they are from austria, and are driving from ghana to austria. they try to charge the battery, but have no luck, so they offer us a ride into the park. we abandon our driver, he wishes us well, and we board the massive camper that resembles one from jurassic park 2. its another hour before we finally arrive to mole national park, and then to mole motel.
we check in, and meet the absolute worst customer service representative, ever. after a verbal battle with her, we get to our room. we change into swimsuits, and have a quick dip before eating dinner by the poolside, overlooking the beautiful african savanna, showcased by the slow setting african sun. we crash, early.
we awake, early, and had planned to go on the morning safari walk, but due to extreme hunger, we headed to breakfast instead. complimentary coffee, egg and toast. perfect. we sit at the lookout, and watch as the other tourists walk down into the savanna. then, out of nowhere, i spot an elephant. a single elephant, started to walk from the north, towards the water hole. i bust out my binocs, and we all start snapping photos, of the large grey mass, moving across the grass. we watch, from above, as it gets into the water, and starts to bathe. the tourists catch on, and we watch as they get amazing photographs of the elephant from the shoreline. the guides let the people get close, very close. its very different from safari in tanzania, where a respectful distance was maintained.
a while later some fellow volunteers showed up, and we pooled until lunch. during lunch a swarm of hungry baboons showed up, and began stealing toast, crackers, and eventually a box of sangria from the tables. highly entertaining, a bit terrifying, and hilarious to watch, as they actually drank the sangria.
we joined the afternoon safari walk, hoping to see the elephants that were still by the water hole. our guide took a look at my shoes (new keen's i got for the trip), and said "you need closed toe shoes," to which i said "no, these are closed toe. look, my toes are closed. they're fine." i was absolutely not going to miss my safari walk, due to shoe dress code. i think he heard the conviction in my voice, because he said "ok". and that was that.
we headed down the rocky hill towards the water hole, following our trusty guide. he was really old, and carried a riffle "in case of aggressive animals". when we got down, the elephants were gone. our guide led us on a wild chase, to track them. finally we spotted the group, and we headed toward them. i think the guide wanted us to get close enough to snap photos, but it felt like chasing to me. we got fairly close, but they never turned around, so we only saw their backside. eventually we gave up, and headed back toward the water hole. the hike was so so so hot, but so so so awesome. just to walk around, on savanna ground, and feel the african feel all around, it was incredible.
that evening we ate dinner with our large group, and mingled a bit before an early night, for an early rise. our bus leaving mole left sunday morning at 4:00am, and delivered us to tamale around 9:00. we successfully bought tickets from tamale to kumasi, and had an hour to enjoy a cheap breakfast of scrambled eggs on buttered bread, with nescafe for 1.50. the ride south was longer, 8 hours, and hotter than the ride north. but we got home to kumasi, in the afternoon, and immediately showered, ate, and looked at our pictures from mole.
it was a fabulous weekend, and seeing the animals made all of the sweat and exhaustion worth it.
we woke at 2, on the sound advice of our projects abroad leader, gabby. he guessed that the bus from kumasi to tamale left around 3:30am (no one ever knows the exact bus schedules in ghana. there is no posted schedule, no website, no phone number. nothing. you just guess, go early, and hope you're lucky).
he was wrong. the bus didn't actually leave until 6:00am. and so we were very, very early, to a dark and shady bus depot in kumasi. four white tourists, with bags... looking very sleepy and un-alert. we sat together, and tried to stay awake, for 2 hours. finally we bought our tickets, and boarded the metro mass bus, direct to tamale. the bus ride is about 7 hours, stopping half-way in kintampo for bathrooms and snacks. the goal was to sleep the entire way there, but due to the extreme heat from the rising sun to my right, and the uncomfortably close quarters i shared with some man who smelled, it was difficult. smelly man did offer me a banana though, which improved matters immensely.
we finally arrived in tamale around 1:00, to 104 degree temperatures beating us down. the station was extremely chaotic, and we were immediately bombarded by locals demanding to know where we were going, and by a profound aroma of salted fish baking in the sun mixed with toilet. we quickly walked to the ticket booth, and asked for tickets to larabanga (the closest village to mole national park). they were sold out. all three buses for the day were already sold out. we did not plan for this.
we started to ask for help from locals, and were directed to the taxi station. there, i asked a driver how much it would cost to drive us to larabanga. he told me 100 cedi ($100). i laughed, and told him "debi debi debi!" (no no no!). he was impressed by my twi, and asked me how much i would pay. my friends and i quickly discussed our bargaining limits, and i started at 25 cedi. this went on and on for about 20 minutes, and eventually the driver said, "ah sista, fuel is 45 cedi, i have to make money!" i gave in a bit, because he called me sista, and settled on a price of 85 cedi, to take us all the way into mole national park, to our hotel. split four ways, it wasn't terrible... but it was much much more than we bargained for.
we get in the taxi, we leave the station. our driver stops a mile down the road to get a spare tire. not a good sign. we leave again. we stop again, this time to get water to cool the engine. again, not a good sign. we have already paid the driver, in hopes that he wouldn't try to ask for more at the end of the journey. in retrospect, not a good plan. but, we start to leave tamale, and hit the road to larabanga. we pass a junction, about half-way, and turn onto a very bumpy, very dusty road. we ride along on this road for an hour or so, literally dripping sweat, and getting coated by red dust, when slowly the car rolls to a stop. not a good sign. the driver asks for some water to cool the engine again, we comply. he comes back and tries to start the engine, no luck. i ask "should we get out and push?" in jest... he says "yes". so... i get out, and cecilia get out, and we try to push the heavy heavy taxi, along a bumpy dusty road. it barely budges. alexa and erin get out to, and we all push, the car moves, but it won't start. we try again and again, but nothing.
we are now broken-down, in the middle of a deserted dusty road, somewhere between tamale and larabanga, surrounded solely by acacia trees and emptiness. this is the point where i should have demanded some of our money back. however, i didn't think of that until much later, when it was too late.
down the road, we see a large, yellow, rv-type vehicle, blazzing down the road towards us. the taxi driver tells us to make it stop. we face it, and start to wave, but it doesn't seem to slow down, at all. finally, about 10 yards before hitting us, they brake. we quickly see fellow "brunis", and smile because we are sure they'll help us. they stop, and a dad, mom and son get out to greet us. they are from austria, and are driving from ghana to austria. they try to charge the battery, but have no luck, so they offer us a ride into the park. we abandon our driver, he wishes us well, and we board the massive camper that resembles one from jurassic park 2. its another hour before we finally arrive to mole national park, and then to mole motel.
we check in, and meet the absolute worst customer service representative, ever. after a verbal battle with her, we get to our room. we change into swimsuits, and have a quick dip before eating dinner by the poolside, overlooking the beautiful african savanna, showcased by the slow setting african sun. we crash, early.
we awake, early, and had planned to go on the morning safari walk, but due to extreme hunger, we headed to breakfast instead. complimentary coffee, egg and toast. perfect. we sit at the lookout, and watch as the other tourists walk down into the savanna. then, out of nowhere, i spot an elephant. a single elephant, started to walk from the north, towards the water hole. i bust out my binocs, and we all start snapping photos, of the large grey mass, moving across the grass. we watch, from above, as it gets into the water, and starts to bathe. the tourists catch on, and we watch as they get amazing photographs of the elephant from the shoreline. the guides let the people get close, very close. its very different from safari in tanzania, where a respectful distance was maintained.
a while later some fellow volunteers showed up, and we pooled until lunch. during lunch a swarm of hungry baboons showed up, and began stealing toast, crackers, and eventually a box of sangria from the tables. highly entertaining, a bit terrifying, and hilarious to watch, as they actually drank the sangria.
we joined the afternoon safari walk, hoping to see the elephants that were still by the water hole. our guide took a look at my shoes (new keen's i got for the trip), and said "you need closed toe shoes," to which i said "no, these are closed toe. look, my toes are closed. they're fine." i was absolutely not going to miss my safari walk, due to shoe dress code. i think he heard the conviction in my voice, because he said "ok". and that was that.
we headed down the rocky hill towards the water hole, following our trusty guide. he was really old, and carried a riffle "in case of aggressive animals". when we got down, the elephants were gone. our guide led us on a wild chase, to track them. finally we spotted the group, and we headed toward them. i think the guide wanted us to get close enough to snap photos, but it felt like chasing to me. we got fairly close, but they never turned around, so we only saw their backside. eventually we gave up, and headed back toward the water hole. the hike was so so so hot, but so so so awesome. just to walk around, on savanna ground, and feel the african feel all around, it was incredible.
that evening we ate dinner with our large group, and mingled a bit before an early night, for an early rise. our bus leaving mole left sunday morning at 4:00am, and delivered us to tamale around 9:00. we successfully bought tickets from tamale to kumasi, and had an hour to enjoy a cheap breakfast of scrambled eggs on buttered bread, with nescafe for 1.50. the ride south was longer, 8 hours, and hotter than the ride north. but we got home to kumasi, in the afternoon, and immediately showered, ate, and looked at our pictures from mole.
it was a fabulous weekend, and seeing the animals made all of the sweat and exhaustion worth it.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
the daily grind.
a typical day.
i wake up initially to intense sunshine, the sound of chickens on the roof, a rooster in the neighbors yard, and the hustle and bustle of break of dawn chores. i doze, until everyone leaves for school/work, and then fall back asleep under the silly comfort of my mosquito net. my roommate's alarm goes off an hour or so later, and i get up.
anti-maleria pill, vitamin, water from a plastic bag delightfully named "skywalker water". i bite off the corner, and squeeze the water into my mouth.
we boil water, and wait for nescafe mixed with milo, a wonderful concoction i named coffillo, that somewhat resembles a mocha. we smother our fresh bread with local groundnut (peanut butter) and jam. breakfast is good.
we have a couple of hours before work, so we do our wash. we gather 3 buckets, a bar of soap, and our clothes, and head outside. soak in one bucket, and scrub with soap. rinse in bucket number two, and then rinse and wring out, and put in bucket number 3, ready to dry. this chore usually takes an hour and a half.
then we get ready for work. we pack our cameras, sunscreen, money and water, and head down the street to sentasi roundabout. we get honked at and asked "where are you going?"from every direction, and called "obruni" from everyone on the street. from there we hail a line taxi, or a tro tro if we're lucky. taxi costs about 30 pesowes (equivalent to .30), tro tro cost's about .10. the difference is a comfy taxi, stuffed with only driver plus 4 passengers, versus a crowded stuffy van stuffed with driver plus 10-15 passengers. we arrive at apire junction 2 minutes later, pay, and exit. from the junction, we take a line taxi to ampetia, a small village about 20 minutes down a very bumpy, very dusty road. well known as the "best road in ghana", which sarcastically means the worst. this always costs .50 pesowes. we are instantly covered in red dust.
we arrive. the children are at school, so we greet atta, the orphanage mom, and ask how we can help. typically, we help make lunch, which consists of mashing tomatoes in a bowl, until they are paste. lots and lots of tomatoes. we usually mash a bucket full of tomatoes, which takes an hour or so, because we're not as good at this as africans. as simple as this sounds, it is not easy. sometimes we wash dishes, and if we're lucky, we are asked to scrub out the fish fridge.
around 1:00 we eat our lunch, and then wait for the children to get home from school. they start to arrive within the hour, usually the older girls first, then the older boys, and last are the little ones. they come to greet us, and say "good afternoon, good afternoon, how are you?" we help them change out of their uniforms, get ready for lunch. they eat, on our laps, and smile and laugh all the way through. after lunch, we help them do their wash, and other chores that atta has assigned. after a couple hours of chores, we are finally allowed to play.
sometimes we take the children to the park, a few minutes away, and play soccer, and skip rope, sometimes we just stay at the orphanage and draw. the children are so polite, and so well behaved, we don't really have to do much. the older ones take care of the little ones, even though the little ones pretty much take care of themselves.
around 5:00 we get ready to leave, and say goodbye to everyone. they smile and wave, and say "see you TOMORROW!", and walk us out to the road where we wait for a taxi. we wait, and wait, and finally one comes down the dusty road, and we head back to our homes.
once home, we shower, and attempt to get all the red dust off. its difficult. if it's a good day, there is running water, and the shower is nice. if we are unlucky, the water is not working, and we have "bucket baths". this is exactly what it sounds like. and really, it's knot that bad, but it can be tedious after a very long and very hot day. our host sister cooks for us, and brings us our dinner to our table in the back of the house, and we eat alone. our family never eats with us, unless we ask them to. after dinner, we usually watch tv with our family, they are particularly fond of american idol, or watch a movie with our host brothers, or walk to the internet cafe, or read books. we try to stay up, as long as possible, but we are always so exhausted from the day, and the heat, that we fall asleep around 9:30, every night.
the daily grind in ghana is easy to get used to. its slow paced, relaxed, friendly, and full of good music and interesting food. i'm constantly finding myself surprised, and baffled, but i'm learning to love everything about my home away from home.
i wake up initially to intense sunshine, the sound of chickens on the roof, a rooster in the neighbors yard, and the hustle and bustle of break of dawn chores. i doze, until everyone leaves for school/work, and then fall back asleep under the silly comfort of my mosquito net. my roommate's alarm goes off an hour or so later, and i get up.
anti-maleria pill, vitamin, water from a plastic bag delightfully named "skywalker water". i bite off the corner, and squeeze the water into my mouth.
we boil water, and wait for nescafe mixed with milo, a wonderful concoction i named coffillo, that somewhat resembles a mocha. we smother our fresh bread with local groundnut (peanut butter) and jam. breakfast is good.
we have a couple of hours before work, so we do our wash. we gather 3 buckets, a bar of soap, and our clothes, and head outside. soak in one bucket, and scrub with soap. rinse in bucket number two, and then rinse and wring out, and put in bucket number 3, ready to dry. this chore usually takes an hour and a half.
then we get ready for work. we pack our cameras, sunscreen, money and water, and head down the street to sentasi roundabout. we get honked at and asked "where are you going?"from every direction, and called "obruni" from everyone on the street. from there we hail a line taxi, or a tro tro if we're lucky. taxi costs about 30 pesowes (equivalent to .30), tro tro cost's about .10. the difference is a comfy taxi, stuffed with only driver plus 4 passengers, versus a crowded stuffy van stuffed with driver plus 10-15 passengers. we arrive at apire junction 2 minutes later, pay, and exit. from the junction, we take a line taxi to ampetia, a small village about 20 minutes down a very bumpy, very dusty road. well known as the "best road in ghana", which sarcastically means the worst. this always costs .50 pesowes. we are instantly covered in red dust.
we arrive. the children are at school, so we greet atta, the orphanage mom, and ask how we can help. typically, we help make lunch, which consists of mashing tomatoes in a bowl, until they are paste. lots and lots of tomatoes. we usually mash a bucket full of tomatoes, which takes an hour or so, because we're not as good at this as africans. as simple as this sounds, it is not easy. sometimes we wash dishes, and if we're lucky, we are asked to scrub out the fish fridge.
around 1:00 we eat our lunch, and then wait for the children to get home from school. they start to arrive within the hour, usually the older girls first, then the older boys, and last are the little ones. they come to greet us, and say "good afternoon, good afternoon, how are you?" we help them change out of their uniforms, get ready for lunch. they eat, on our laps, and smile and laugh all the way through. after lunch, we help them do their wash, and other chores that atta has assigned. after a couple hours of chores, we are finally allowed to play.
sometimes we take the children to the park, a few minutes away, and play soccer, and skip rope, sometimes we just stay at the orphanage and draw. the children are so polite, and so well behaved, we don't really have to do much. the older ones take care of the little ones, even though the little ones pretty much take care of themselves.
around 5:00 we get ready to leave, and say goodbye to everyone. they smile and wave, and say "see you TOMORROW!", and walk us out to the road where we wait for a taxi. we wait, and wait, and finally one comes down the dusty road, and we head back to our homes.
once home, we shower, and attempt to get all the red dust off. its difficult. if it's a good day, there is running water, and the shower is nice. if we are unlucky, the water is not working, and we have "bucket baths". this is exactly what it sounds like. and really, it's knot that bad, but it can be tedious after a very long and very hot day. our host sister cooks for us, and brings us our dinner to our table in the back of the house, and we eat alone. our family never eats with us, unless we ask them to. after dinner, we usually watch tv with our family, they are particularly fond of american idol, or watch a movie with our host brothers, or walk to the internet cafe, or read books. we try to stay up, as long as possible, but we are always so exhausted from the day, and the heat, that we fall asleep around 9:30, every night.
the daily grind in ghana is easy to get used to. its slow paced, relaxed, friendly, and full of good music and interesting food. i'm constantly finding myself surprised, and baffled, but i'm learning to love everything about my home away from home.
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