I'm B.A.ck!

I recently went to a different part of the country.  I was in the Brong Ahafo region (B.A., hence the cheesy title of this blog post).  I went with my colleagues to complete a phase of Plan Ghana’s TAP (Transition and Persistence) Project.  Our role was to host a community meeting (with the help of a Plan Ghana community facilitator), sensitize the junior highschool children and their parents/grandparents on the issues of child rights issues and form a Child Rights Club in the school.  It was eye opening to see the conditions of schools in the rural regions.  It was even more interesting to see how excited the parents were to take on this new program.  The parents in these communities are really willing to do whatever it takes for their children to be happy and successful, they just need the opportunities.

Something that I can’t help but comment on is the stark difference between private schools and public schools in Ghana.  I was brought to a private school in the area we were working.  The facilities were wonderful, the classrooms fully equipped, the teachers happy to be working and the children calm and focused.  I asked the community facilitator who we were travelling with how much a private school cost compared to the “free” public schools  She told me that this private school cost less than 200 Ghana Cedis a semester.  That is less than $100 Canadian dollars per semester.  In Canada, that would not be a problem for most families.  Order ones less pizza a month and your tuition is covered.  What is so appalling is the difference between these private schools and the public schools.  One of the public schools we went to had no building for a JHS because it had been blown down in a storm...4 months ago.  The children were taking their lessons and doing their school work under trees.  Many of them had torn, mismatching uniforms, and most of the teachers do not want to be where they are.  Teachers often don’t want to work in rural communities, so the government sends newly-certified teachers to these locations and they are often counting down the days until they can get out.  It is amazing how such a small amount for most in Canada, is the difference in the quality of education in Ghana.

I am back at work now, feeling more focused and motivated.  We have a new volunteer, a woman in her late thirties who has come here with her husband.  She has a lot of experience, and has done a long-term placement in Malawi before.  I am really excited to learn from her and see what she brings to the organization.

The weather is getting hotter and stickier every day.  I am preparing to become a beach bum, will be a rough transition back to Canadian weather!

September Already?

It is now September and it feels a little bit strange that I am still here in Ghana.  All of the summer volunteers have left, everyone back home is starting school, and I feel like I am supposed to be doing the same.  It is becoming more and more real that I will be here for a long time, and that this is my home.  I even have a residence permit to prove it, I am currently a Ghanaian resident.

My mom's visit was amazing, we had so much fun and it was therapeutic to show her everything and have my normal life merge with my  new life.  She was such a trooper, taking the tro-tro with me, eating a variety of Ghanaian dishes, partying with my friends and trekking across the small wooden bridge at Kakum National Park in Cape Coast. She really learned to understand the saying "T.I.A"..."This Is Africa".  It was great to hear from her that she had the same type of culture shock I experienced when I first arrived.  And it was very interesting to hear her talk about how at home and relaxed I seem here.  Nothing better than having mommy-time.

Since mom's visit, things have gone back to normal.  Just working and going to the beach a lot.  Have discovered a very nice beach "resort" less than an hour away from Accra that has great food and amazing sun called Kokrobitey.  I am definitely taking advantage of the coastline, when will I live 20 minutes from the beach again?  Work has had it's ups and downs.  I have some interesting projects on the horizon, but I am finding it difficult with the slow pace that organization works at.  My office as a whole is not very motivated, and there is a lot of downtime, especially for those who are waiting to go into the field.  I did get exciting news that I can come up with a project and apply for funding and carry it out through CRI.   So now I'm working on a proposal for a girls empowerment training session to be carried out in the Rights of Child Clubs.

Supposed to be going to the Ghanaian version of American Idol called "MTN Hitmaker" tomorrow night.  I am very excited, am sure I will be screaming and cheering the loudest!

2-Month Mark

I cannot believe that I have been in Ghana for two months already.  Time has flown by!  I have been having so much fun, even in the day-to-day things that I didn't see a quarter of my time here slip away.  I really do feel that I have made the most of it, and can't wait to use the next six months for even more learning and growth!

At work I am starting to get more long-term projects, and am currently working on revamping the organizations reporting and documentation system.  I am really excited to get all of these documents in order and get the correspondence of the organization better coordinated.

This weekend I travelled to the Volta region for the funeral of my boss' mother.  I was worried that it would be a sad day and be uncomfortable for me.  It was the most joyful event I have ever seen.  We were all dressed in black and many had red cloth tied around their waists.  The music was played by a marching band and was upbeat and everyone was dancing and clapping.  The funeral ended with six men picking up the coffin and dancing with it.  And when I say dancing, I mean dancing!  They even azonto-ed with it!  If you don't know what Azonto is, please watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTUIlOudlHI  And then picture me trying to dance like that...all of the time hahaha!

My mom arrives in Accra tomorrow and I am beyond excited.  I can't wait to show her everything I have been doing here and how my life is day-to-day.  We are also going to explore Cape Coast and spend a few nights having a "tropical vacation" at an eco-friendly beach resort just outside Takoradi.  I am very interested to see what she finds shocking and interesting about Ghana and then explaining how normal it is to me now.  Will be greeting her with a loud "AKWAABA!"

Homesick

I would be very interested to learn the origin of the term "homesick".  I find the word slightly ironic from my experiences here in Ghana.  I have felt very comfortable here in Ghana, have had great friends and easy access to people at home through e-mail and very affordable international phone rates.  However, the past two weeks I have had quick bouts of homesickness.  Nothing too serious, no tears (which for me is surprising), but have found myself looking through photos from home, or needing the comfort of a familiar episode of Friends.  I found myself thinking about Canada more because I was at home sick twice over the last two weeks.  Just normal issues that my body is running into because it's adjusting to the African climate, food and lifestyle, but it was unpleasant nonetheless.  It's funny that the only time I have felt homesick here is when I am physically sick.  There's a reason they stuck the term "sick" at the end of that word.  They are definitely connected.

I have made a full recovery quickly both times, both from the physical illness and missing home.  It's so strange that I can feel so comfortable somewhere so different from what I'm used to.  I think that there is definitely an emotional survival mechanism that has kicked in.  Because at home, I cry almost weekly, about anything and everything.  It's a stress relief for me.  Here, I have only cried once and that was because it is a beautiful moment when Chandler proposes to Monica in season six of Friends.  I have definitely gained a strength that I didn't have before, and I am excited to see how that translates when I get home.

Work is continuing to go well, hoping to get more projects once my boss is back from the field.  And will be starting my research for school soon so I will definitely be busy.  Things are changing here in Accra, with one of my roommates and a big group of my close Canadian friends leaving tomorrow.  I am very sad to say goodbye to them, they have definitely shaped the beginning of my adventure here.  However, I am also excited to see how things are going to be different.  Without my daily support, I am entering a new chapter of my placement.  I will have to rely less on them and more on myself and the local people around me.  I think it's going to be good to have a different type of growing experience so ensure that I really get the most out of being over here.    There will be tears tomorrow, but I know that the girls are excited to get home, and I couldn't be more happy that I had them here to welcome me to Ghana.

Learning Experience

I just need to start out by saying how much I am learning through my job here in Accra. I had been warned that NGOs tend to move slowly and that volunteers are often underutilized. Essentially I was told that I should not expect to be given much work and that I would be frustrated easily.  I, however, have had such a positive experience at my work place. I have been given so many different projects and have been learning so much, not just about my organization, but about the legal system surrounding the rights of children both in Ghana and internationally.  A little background on my employer: Child’s Rights International focuses on the rights of children in Ghana, with emphasis currently on legislation, education and juvenile justice.  There is a more “paperwork” side which deals with ensuring that laws are implemented and clearly defined to protect children.  The other side is what is considered “fieldwork” and involves going into schools and educating children on their rights.  Many young girls do not know that they have the right to refuse an arranged marriage and a large majority of the children did not know that they have a right to education and that their parents cannot keep them home to have them complete household chores. 
I am really loving the organization and feel that it definitely suits my desire to explore social work more.  My first big project was to create a promotional booklet which would explain the Rights of the Child Clubs project.  I dove right into it and my boss has told me it has been sent to publishing.  My boss must be slightly crazy because next he had me edit and write the executive summary for his report to the UN on behalf of Ghana.  It still blows my mind to know that my words will be read by such important people!  My most recent project was a press release about a research report that CRI completed about the institutions of family and friendship and the effects of this on the wellbeing of children in Ghana.  I then got to go to a bunch of media houses (radio, television and newspaper) to deliver the press release.  A really cool moment was when I was on the trotro and heard the radio talking about the report and mentioning my boss and organization.  I just came back from “the field”.  I have been working in communities in Mankessim.  Children flocked to the orbuni at their school, and I learned a lot about the way school systems and rural communities operate in Ghana.  All of these projects terrified me at first, but it is so exciting to have done things outside of my comfort zone and to know that I am gaining skills that I can use in the future. 

I am still having a great time on the weekends (and sometimes weekday nights).  I went to a salsa night where you learn some basic steps and watch amazing dancers perform like they were born twirling.  We then moved to a reggae night on the beach and danced the night away.  This past weekend I went to Busua beach and went surfing!  Despite having bruised knees and my feet being covered in sandfly bites, the weekend was amazing.  Fell in love with an 8-month old baby named Nana and made friendships with some local surf instructors.   Constantly learning things here in Ghana, can't wait to look back in a couple of months and see how my experience has panned out.

Also, this is one of my favourite songs at the moment...not surprising.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpBBkyVfUJE

Feeling at Home

Had the strangest feeling yesterday when I got off the trotro in my neighbourhood and began my walk home. I had a sense of belonging.  Said my hellos to the woman at the corner who sells corn and will offer shelter in the rain.  Continued my familiar walk past my favourite little kid who is about three years old and determined to teach me Twi.  His mom told me she would have a loaf of bread for me today.  Rounded the corner onto my street, said hello the local convenience stand owner, and pushed through my gate to my house.  There is no better feeling than familiarity in a place, and I am really starting to feel that here in Ghana.  There are some moments where people make fun of me or times when I am really confused about what is going on around me, but to have a nice place to come home to is very special.  Sitting around with my housemates cooking or just chatting about or days really helps me to unwind.

The days at work are laid back and friendly.  The office is very nice and I have been working on an interesting project.  I have been compiling a book which showcases the experiences of students in schools who have taken place in Rights of the Child Clubs.  These clubs teach children about their rights and how their participation is vital in promoting awareness.  There are lots of local places to grab lunch around my office and I have been enjoying the local dishes.  I had fufu for the first time yesterday!  Fufu is a bashed plaintain and casava ball that is almost like dough and is used to sop up soup and meat. Delicious and FILLING.

The weekends here in Ghana are a great time.  I have been lucky to have great people to go out with, having fun on patios and at local "spots" (a Ghanaian bar).  And this past weekend was wonderful and relaxing at Safari Beach Lodge.  It was like a tropical paradise, except for the constant spots of rain.  The term "rainy season" is serious.  But that didn't stop us from going into the village, jumping rope with the kids and hiking up to the only place in the whole area with a television to watch the Eurocup final.  Depite being dirty, tired and hungry a lot of the time, my Ghanaian experience is turning out to be a blast.

Link to my photos: https://plus.google.com/photos/104909439993217170771/albums/5758269658755631089?authkey=CMP-5uOSh_LPSg

I am terrible at remembering to take photos, but will try my best to update with new photos from trips!