We returned to finish our painting at the child development center. Today, we were a bit more alive after having a normal night’s sleep. As we were getting close to the center, our driver stopped, got out and started hitting the ground. He had seen a snake and got out to kill it before continuing down the road. Interesting…
Today, I got my first Ghanaian proposal. Ah yes, as I am enjoying myself painting trim, I realize there is a man that is overseeing my work. He directs me where to paint and then watches. He then asks me to marry him. I politely tell him I have a boyfriend. He then goes outside and I hear him laughing with his friends. I am flattered, confused and insulted at the same time.
For lunch we walk to a different stand, but stop to buy fabric first. Ghanaian batik fabric is made by taking a white piece of cotton (looks like a sheet), and stamping designs onto it with wax. The fabric is then dyed and re-dyed. We bought most of her stock – a very good day for her home business. She was kind enough to show us how she made these pieces of batik in her backyard. She showed us additional stamp designs she had and we told her we would be back for more fabric (unfortunately she did not finish them in time!).
We bought sweet bread and Fanta from a closer store and as we sat in the shade and ate, we noticed some children gathering. Several little boys were walking our way with a soccer ball. This started the juggling session between Stacey and the boys. Wow…Stacey didn’t mention that she is an all-star soccer buff as well…I am very impressed. In addition to my bend-it like Beckham professor, the Ghanaian boys were good…they were really good. More children began to gather as they walked home from school to watch the Obruni (white person)playing soccer. The younger children kept their distance from us and some even started to cry. We realized, later, this was because they had never seen a white person before and we scared them.
On the way back to the hotel, a mother with a child was begging for food from us. She kept repeating, “please, for the child.” I just couldn’t take it anymore. I gave her the rest of the loaf of bread I had bought at lunch. She looked so grateful for this tiny piece of bread and it made me feel really good for a moment. It also made me feel infinitely sad.
I was exhausted and sunburned from the long day of painting in the hot air. Our shower had been fixed! I took the best cold shower I have ever had (in Africa). We decided to go to a Lebanese restaurant for dinner. My stomach and body were starting to feel the effects of my unbalanced diet. I was eating mostly Special K bars and Luna bars during the day with the addition of a loaf of bread and a Fanta. This sugar rich diet was helpful for dehydration but my body was not use to it. I craved a salad and anything but the spicy, greasy Ghanaian fare. Dinner was amazing. I ate spaghetti with marinara and fatoush (an amazing salad). I ordered so much that I was able to take most of the spaghetti home to eat the next night. This was such a delicious meal, I craved that fatoush for the rest of the trip. Again we went to bed no later than 8:30, totally exhausted (I was fat and happy too).
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Day 2 (May 21) - PAINTING!!!
George picks us up in the blue VW at 8:30 this morning to take us to the Adotamen Child Development Center outside of Accra. The future school is located in a developing community nestled among the tropical forests. The community is surrounded by rolling hills and overlooked by the President’s retreat. Looking at the lush jungle and the President’s sprawling property juxtaposed against the red dirt schoolyard and its concrete buildings, made me slightly angry. We had heard about previous Presidents who had built themselves amazing palaces while their people were living in poverty. This is more than apparently still the case. It is frustrating to see how easily things could be implemented but there is a lack of governmental help.
It is so hot outside…and inside. The thick, humid air sucks every bit of moisture out of your body…and yet you are soaking wet. The concrete walls suck in the paint and the sun dries it mid-stroke. Multi-colored lizards run from shady spot to shady spot, stopping only briefly to feel the scorching sun. Huge spiders are drawn inside the classrooms, attracted to the cool walls. Anything outside in the sun for too long will bake. It feels good to keep moving so the air can move across your skin.
Midday we stop for a break and walk into the small town to find a store. I have amazingly cold peach Fanta and sweet bread for lunch. The shop owners always want their glass bottles back, as they can make money off of them. Everything in this country can be bought or sold.
After completing our painting for the day, we head to the Kwame Nkrumah National Memorial. Kwame Nkrumah, the“LIE founder and first president of the modern Ghanaian state, was not only an African anti-colonial leader but also one with a dream of a united Africa which would not drift into neo-colonialism. He was the first African head of state to espouse Pan-Africanism, an idea he came into contact with during his studies at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania (United States), at the time when Marcus Garvey was becoming famous for his "Back to Africa Movement." He merged the dreams of both Marcus Garvey and the celebrated African-American scholar W. E. B. Du Bois into the formation of the modern day Ghana. Ghana's principles of freedom and justice, equity and free education for all, irrespective of ethnic background, religion or creed, borrow from Kwame Nkrumah's implementation of Pan-Africanism.” (Wikipedia.com)
Tonight we got our first taste of Ghanaian beer, Star Beer bought from Strawberry (the beer shop and bar near our hotel). What a nice way to end a long, hot day. We ate dinner at the hotel on the patio. Dinner consisted of steamed vegetables and fried rice. We were exhausted and fell into bed around 8:30 pm.
It is so hot outside…and inside. The thick, humid air sucks every bit of moisture out of your body…and yet you are soaking wet. The concrete walls suck in the paint and the sun dries it mid-stroke. Multi-colored lizards run from shady spot to shady spot, stopping only briefly to feel the scorching sun. Huge spiders are drawn inside the classrooms, attracted to the cool walls. Anything outside in the sun for too long will bake. It feels good to keep moving so the air can move across your skin.
Midday we stop for a break and walk into the small town to find a store. I have amazingly cold peach Fanta and sweet bread for lunch. The shop owners always want their glass bottles back, as they can make money off of them. Everything in this country can be bought or sold.
After completing our painting for the day, we head to the Kwame Nkrumah National Memorial. Kwame Nkrumah, the“LIE founder and first president of the modern Ghanaian state, was not only an African anti-colonial leader but also one with a dream of a united Africa which would not drift into neo-colonialism. He was the first African head of state to espouse Pan-Africanism, an idea he came into contact with during his studies at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania (United States), at the time when Marcus Garvey was becoming famous for his "Back to Africa Movement." He merged the dreams of both Marcus Garvey and the celebrated African-American scholar W. E. B. Du Bois into the formation of the modern day Ghana. Ghana's principles of freedom and justice, equity and free education for all, irrespective of ethnic background, religion or creed, borrow from Kwame Nkrumah's implementation of Pan-Africanism.” (Wikipedia.com)
Tonight we got our first taste of Ghanaian beer, Star Beer bought from Strawberry (the beer shop and bar near our hotel). What a nice way to end a long, hot day. We ate dinner at the hotel on the patio. Dinner consisted of steamed vegetables and fried rice. We were exhausted and fell into bed around 8:30 pm.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
AFRICA: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles
" Westerners arriving in Africa for the first time are always struck by its beauty and size - even the sky seems higher. And they often find themselves suddenly cracked open. They lose inhibitions, feel more alive, more themselves, and they begin to understand why, until then, they have only half lived. In Africa the essentials of existence - light, earth, water, food, birth, family, love, sickness, death - are more immediate, more intense. Visitors suddenly realize what life is for. To risk a huge generalization: amid our wasteful wealth and time-pressed lives we have lost human values that still abound in Africa" (Dowden, 2009).
Day 1 (May 19/20): Akwaaba to Accra
We arrived in Accra, Ghana this morning at about 8 am local time (4 am our body time). Stepping off the chilly plane, the thick, humid heat instantly engulfed my body. The African air felt exactly like a sauna and I was almost immediately drenched with sweat.
After a relatively easy exit from the airport (much unlike our departure) we were met by Eric and Felicia Annan of the Sovereign Global Mission, our driver (also Felicia's brother) George, and another VCU Grad student, Cameron. Cameron is in the school of social work and is in Ghana for 1 month. It was definitely nice having her advice before and during the trip!
We climbed into an old VW van (our transportation for the entire trip), slid the windows open and melted onto the old leather seats for the drive. On the way to the hotel there was a lot to see and the driving itself was an adventure. Ghanaians’ driving style is a mix between New York City cab drivers and a crowd of excited young kids trying to siphon through a single door to get candy. I was amazed that there were no collisions but instead cars stopped inches from one another, with lots of honking and yelling. Other than the traffic, there is a lot to look at in Accra. There are huge gated homes and buildings next to straw huts and makeshift stands. The women carry their babies tied to their backs by beautiful pieces of fabric. Many of these women also carry anything and everything from water to tables balanced effortlessly on their heads as they navigate gracefully around other people, cars, goats, chickens and uneven surfaces.
The air in Ghana has a distinct smell. Sometimes it smells foul and sometimes its delicious. The air is a mixture of burning garbage, sewage, butter for frying food, car exhaust, body odor and spicy food.
Arriving at the Hotel President, we peeled our sweaty bodies from the van’s leather seats and were welcomed by rooms with air conditioning and fans and a mini-fridge! Jessica and I shared room #2 and began to settle into what would be our home for the next two weeks. The bed was two twin beds pushed together with a single sheet over top and one loose sheet folded at the end of the bed. Our corner room was situated directly above the Hotel Restaurant and there was always a lot of activity outside. One window looked out the back of the hotel to where the kitchen was located and the other looked to the driveway where we had entered. The décor was simple with dark wood furniture and long, dark merlot colored curtains. The tiny bathroom held a toilet that only halfway flushed and a shower that offered only a trickle. But, we were happy to be here and had prepared for much worse.
Climbing back into the van with George, we drove down the street to exchange our American dollars and cents into Ghanaian cedes and pesewas. Once we had money we could spend, we went to the internet café so we could check in with our families and Stacey could buy a phone. This is where I came to realize it would be impossible to stay in regular contact with my family. The café was crowded and overpriced, and being chained to a computer instead of taking in the culture was not why I came to Africa. Stacey purchased a phone with which we could call home and we would rely on this instead.
We then drove to buy water and boxed wine before heading back to the hotel. While stuck in traffic, a small child came to our van window begging for food. We had studied how giving money to these children perpetuates the begging problem and we had learned how adults exploit children to beg for them. I could not look at the child when she was at my window. I had nothing to give her and we were told not to do so. I watched her as she circled the van - her bright eyes shone under the desperate expression and layers of dirt she wore on her face. There are individuals selling everything at your car windows – gum, mentos, coke, bagged water, shoe polish, peanuts, fried plantains, hankerchiefs and cell phone minutes. Among all of this, starving children are begging to survive. My heart hurt and I knew this was only the beginning.
Once back at the hotel, we had a chance to shower under our trickle of cold water and change our clothes. Our meeting place became the hotel patio, where you could hide from the heat in the shade and slight breezes were often. I had bought a book the night before leaving home and had a while to do some reading in “Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles” by author Richard Dowden. I discovered this book at the last minute and have discovered in it the words to describe many of the feelings I would have. Dowden’s ability to explain Africa’s ordinary horrors and joys is insightful and written with tender detail.
We had dinner at the White Bell Restaurant, where I had jollaf, a spicy rice. We then sat and talked on the hotel porch, enjoyed some of our boxed wine, and planned our next day. We went to bed early, exhausted from the long trip and our bodies had not yet fully adjusted to the time or the heat.
After a relatively easy exit from the airport (much unlike our departure) we were met by Eric and Felicia Annan of the Sovereign Global Mission, our driver (also Felicia's brother) George, and another VCU Grad student, Cameron. Cameron is in the school of social work and is in Ghana for 1 month. It was definitely nice having her advice before and during the trip!
We climbed into an old VW van (our transportation for the entire trip), slid the windows open and melted onto the old leather seats for the drive. On the way to the hotel there was a lot to see and the driving itself was an adventure. Ghanaians’ driving style is a mix between New York City cab drivers and a crowd of excited young kids trying to siphon through a single door to get candy. I was amazed that there were no collisions but instead cars stopped inches from one another, with lots of honking and yelling. Other than the traffic, there is a lot to look at in Accra. There are huge gated homes and buildings next to straw huts and makeshift stands. The women carry their babies tied to their backs by beautiful pieces of fabric. Many of these women also carry anything and everything from water to tables balanced effortlessly on their heads as they navigate gracefully around other people, cars, goats, chickens and uneven surfaces.
The air in Ghana has a distinct smell. Sometimes it smells foul and sometimes its delicious. The air is a mixture of burning garbage, sewage, butter for frying food, car exhaust, body odor and spicy food.
Arriving at the Hotel President, we peeled our sweaty bodies from the van’s leather seats and were welcomed by rooms with air conditioning and fans and a mini-fridge! Jessica and I shared room #2 and began to settle into what would be our home for the next two weeks. The bed was two twin beds pushed together with a single sheet over top and one loose sheet folded at the end of the bed. Our corner room was situated directly above the Hotel Restaurant and there was always a lot of activity outside. One window looked out the back of the hotel to where the kitchen was located and the other looked to the driveway where we had entered. The décor was simple with dark wood furniture and long, dark merlot colored curtains. The tiny bathroom held a toilet that only halfway flushed and a shower that offered only a trickle. But, we were happy to be here and had prepared for much worse.
Climbing back into the van with George, we drove down the street to exchange our American dollars and cents into Ghanaian cedes and pesewas. Once we had money we could spend, we went to the internet café so we could check in with our families and Stacey could buy a phone. This is where I came to realize it would be impossible to stay in regular contact with my family. The café was crowded and overpriced, and being chained to a computer instead of taking in the culture was not why I came to Africa. Stacey purchased a phone with which we could call home and we would rely on this instead.
We then drove to buy water and boxed wine before heading back to the hotel. While stuck in traffic, a small child came to our van window begging for food. We had studied how giving money to these children perpetuates the begging problem and we had learned how adults exploit children to beg for them. I could not look at the child when she was at my window. I had nothing to give her and we were told not to do so. I watched her as she circled the van - her bright eyes shone under the desperate expression and layers of dirt she wore on her face. There are individuals selling everything at your car windows – gum, mentos, coke, bagged water, shoe polish, peanuts, fried plantains, hankerchiefs and cell phone minutes. Among all of this, starving children are begging to survive. My heart hurt and I knew this was only the beginning.
Once back at the hotel, we had a chance to shower under our trickle of cold water and change our clothes. Our meeting place became the hotel patio, where you could hide from the heat in the shade and slight breezes were often. I had bought a book the night before leaving home and had a while to do some reading in “Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles” by author Richard Dowden. I discovered this book at the last minute and have discovered in it the words to describe many of the feelings I would have. Dowden’s ability to explain Africa’s ordinary horrors and joys is insightful and written with tender detail.
We had dinner at the White Bell Restaurant, where I had jollaf, a spicy rice. We then sat and talked on the hotel porch, enjoyed some of our boxed wine, and planned our next day. We went to bed early, exhausted from the long trip and our bodies had not yet fully adjusted to the time or the heat.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Where am I?
This will be the first of a series of posts about our adventures in Ghana. Unfortunately, it seems I have brought a parasitic "friend" back with me and have not felt up to blogging. It has also been a hard week of processing what I have experienced and seen while in Ghana.
But, in the next few days, I will try to recount the ups and downs of my experience. To say the least it has been an extremely hard adjustment back to western culture and society with or without my "friend." Some days I wake up thinking, "where am I?" but also wondering where I actually want to be...
The question everyone wants to know is "Did you have fun? and "Tell me all about it!" It is difficult to gauge which individuals actually want to know about the trip or just want an Ghanaian answer of "it was great, everything is great." The word "fun" is not one I would use to describe my first trip to Africa. Yes there were fun moments and lots of laughing. But the trip as a whole was not for the purpose of "fun." It was an amazing trip...I learned a lot about a different culture, about myself, and about my place in the world as a whole. Another question that I have also been asked a lot is, "would you go back?" The answer is a strong YES and I am already planning when my next trip will be whether it is with the VCU OT department or on my own.
Our photos should be up soon and that will hopefully help to give you some images of what we experienced. However, a camera can never capture everything and sometimes I felt it was easier to just put my camera away.
But, in the next few days, I will try to recount the ups and downs of my experience. To say the least it has been an extremely hard adjustment back to western culture and society with or without my "friend." Some days I wake up thinking, "where am I?" but also wondering where I actually want to be...
The question everyone wants to know is "Did you have fun? and "Tell me all about it!" It is difficult to gauge which individuals actually want to know about the trip or just want an Ghanaian answer of "it was great, everything is great." The word "fun" is not one I would use to describe my first trip to Africa. Yes there were fun moments and lots of laughing. But the trip as a whole was not for the purpose of "fun." It was an amazing trip...I learned a lot about a different culture, about myself, and about my place in the world as a whole. Another question that I have also been asked a lot is, "would you go back?" The answer is a strong YES and I am already planning when my next trip will be whether it is with the VCU OT department or on my own.
Our photos should be up soon and that will hopefully help to give you some images of what we experienced. However, a camera can never capture everything and sometimes I felt it was easier to just put my camera away.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Bon Voyage
We leave for Ghana tomorrow, tuesday the 19th. I honestly can't believe how fast this semester has flown by and that our departure is so soon!!! Packing has been an interesting experience as we have only an idea of what to expect. The average temperatures in Ghana are in the 90's currently, with 95% humidity - its going to be H-O-T.
We also found out that we will be doing much more teaching than we first had expected. One of our other professors helped us prepare by giving us a quick tutorial in positioning, pressure sore relief and prevention, and transfers. It appears we will be wearing many hats while in Ghana: teacher, OT or physiotherapist, student, tourist and friend.
We had an understanding that shorts are inappropriate in Ghana...a fact that my Ghanaian friend found very funny. Apparently shorts are allowed for all casual situations- just not church, work or going to a club at night. I will be packing some more shorts after hearing this!
I will be updating my blog from internet cafes in Accra so tune in for first impressions in country!
On to finish packing and prepare to tackle the 11 hour flight awaiting us!!
We also found out that we will be doing much more teaching than we first had expected. One of our other professors helped us prepare by giving us a quick tutorial in positioning, pressure sore relief and prevention, and transfers. It appears we will be wearing many hats while in Ghana: teacher, OT or physiotherapist, student, tourist and friend.
We had an understanding that shorts are inappropriate in Ghana...a fact that my Ghanaian friend found very funny. Apparently shorts are allowed for all casual situations- just not church, work or going to a club at night. I will be packing some more shorts after hearing this!
I will be updating my blog from internet cafes in Accra so tune in for first impressions in country!
On to finish packing and prepare to tackle the 11 hour flight awaiting us!!
Monday, March 16, 2009
An Obruni in Ghana
In approximately 2 months we will be leaving for Ghana! Its amazing how fast the trip is approaching! The support we have gotten for our book drive has been fabulous. I am very thankful for Christina Hamner who has organized a book drive at Mango Salon in Richmond, Va. This is a perfect example of the ability for individuals to help immensely without having to travel.
We also recently had the opportunity to orient ourselves to the culture of Ghana through the eyes of Randi from the VCU department of social work. She has been going to Ghana for the past 6 years and has had the ability to see changes occur and be maintained. Randi not only discussed safety and culture issues with us but gave us a picture of the extreme poverty we will encounter. We talked about the street children in Ghana, many of which are orphans after their parents died from AIDS. Fortunately, the street children in Ghana are different than the street children found in other countries. In Ghana, children form tribal families and care for each other instead of fighting and competing. Interestingly, children are most at risk for exploitation from adults, not each other. But trying to survive without appropriate adult guidance is a 24/7 job when these children should be playing and developing.
Poverty in Ghana is not about a lack of access to resources, not material goods. Randi explained to us that the people are very happy, joyful and resilient; they are hopeful and have positive outlooks on life. This is uplifting and inspiring to hear that poverty has not affected the spirit of Ghana. Randi also explained to us that the return culture shock would actually be more intense than when we arrive in Ghana and see the extreme poverty. Coming back to the United States where water out of the faucet is safe and the rush of life drowns everyone, I honestly don't know how I will react. Currently I am trying to get rid of things in my house that I do not need so I won't give everything I have worked for away when I return! I am nervous to see how this trip changes me as a person and re-orders my values and priorities. However, it is helpful to mentally prepare for this trip and our return and to have friends to be able to share these experiences with.
I hope to bring back from Ghana the deep understanding that it takes very little to be happy. I want to bring back the positives as well as the negatives and grow as a person from both.
We also recently had the opportunity to orient ourselves to the culture of Ghana through the eyes of Randi from the VCU department of social work. She has been going to Ghana for the past 6 years and has had the ability to see changes occur and be maintained. Randi not only discussed safety and culture issues with us but gave us a picture of the extreme poverty we will encounter. We talked about the street children in Ghana, many of which are orphans after their parents died from AIDS. Fortunately, the street children in Ghana are different than the street children found in other countries. In Ghana, children form tribal families and care for each other instead of fighting and competing. Interestingly, children are most at risk for exploitation from adults, not each other. But trying to survive without appropriate adult guidance is a 24/7 job when these children should be playing and developing.
Poverty in Ghana is not about a lack of access to resources, not material goods. Randi explained to us that the people are very happy, joyful and resilient; they are hopeful and have positive outlooks on life. This is uplifting and inspiring to hear that poverty has not affected the spirit of Ghana. Randi also explained to us that the return culture shock would actually be more intense than when we arrive in Ghana and see the extreme poverty. Coming back to the United States where water out of the faucet is safe and the rush of life drowns everyone, I honestly don't know how I will react. Currently I am trying to get rid of things in my house that I do not need so I won't give everything I have worked for away when I return! I am nervous to see how this trip changes me as a person and re-orders my values and priorities. However, it is helpful to mentally prepare for this trip and our return and to have friends to be able to share these experiences with.
I hope to bring back from Ghana the deep understanding that it takes very little to be happy. I want to bring back the positives as well as the negatives and grow as a person from both.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
What can I do?
When I tell people I am going to Africa to help individuals with disabilities, the usual response is good for you that is very noble of you to do. No, it is not noble, it is humbling and it is what we should all be doing. I do not think that I am, in any way, better than my peers who are not going on this trip because that is not the point. I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this trip and for the chance to encourage others to do whatever they can. We need to take the heroism out of helping others and realize it is something that we all should be doing whether it is at home or abroad. It is easy to think, "I'm going to make a huge difference" but I am not. It is impossible to make a huge, visible change in the two weeks that I will be in Ghana. But it is not about me personally making a change, it is about helping the country and people of Ghana to make the changes themselves. Therefore, the focus of our trip is not on what can we do immediately but what can we teach the people we meet that will be sustainable. Heroes are great but we need a wider approach that will be larger in scope until systematic changes happen. For example, it will be great if we can make several children with disabilities wheelchairs so they can play chase with their friends. But it is more helpful if when we are making these chairs, to teach the caregivers or other children how to make them as well. That way, if another child needs this type of modality in future, individuals will already know how to do it. The grassroots approach should be the emphasis of any type of foreign aid, one in which people are trained to care for each other. Our focus is equipping ourselves with the knowledge and strategies we need to pass on. So in conclusion, do not read my blog and think I am a hero, please read it and think "what could I do to help?"
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