Well, I’ve been back in the States for over a week and things have basically resumed to business as usual. I’d like to thank everyone who read the blog again for all of your awesome support!
This last entry is for all future travelers interested in voyaging to Ghana on a similar adventure. What follows is a not even close to complete list of things to bring or consider before traveling.
- Anti-mosquito weaponry. I sprayed myself at least every evening with bug spray (DEET, 30%). The mosquitoes weren’t such a terrible problem – they were much smaller than I expected, and really only came out during dusk and evenings. I took Malarone, a daily malaria prophylactic. There were four other pills I had heard volunteers take, and I would recommend a cheaper pill or one that is taken weekly. However, it is very important to take your meds; two people on the program got malaria while I was there, so the threat is real. You can also spray your clothes with Premethrin, a chemical that keeps mosquitoes away from your clothes and survives several laundry washes. It’s also a serious carcinogen and probably not worth it.
- Phones (like everything else in the country) are pay-as-you-go. Either bring a phone that would accept a SIM card and work in Africa (not all SIM phones do, check online) or buy a phone (~$30). I used a Tigo phone company, but all are essentially the same.
- I would recommend bringing a candy or food that reminds you of home. There are very few sweets in Ghana, and I had many chocolate cravings. Luckily I brought two bags of M&Ms, which were able to sustain my sugar fix for the six week trip.
- Bring shaving cream if you plan on using a manual razor.
- Bring or purchase in Ghana an electrical adapter with a ground plug (the third hole). They are available in Ghana for pretty cheap and mine worked fine, save for occasional sparking. In Cape Coast, all electrical outlets are the Great Britain style.
- Bring a Visa debit card. Master Cards and anything else aren’t accepted.
- Bring office supplies, if only as a gift for Ghanaians. Paper, tape, and pens are pretty scarce. I brought some mechanical pencils as prizes for students, and those were a pretty big hit.
- Try the fruit! It’s all very good, just be sure they don’t “wash” with common water or slice with a contaminated knife. Unpeeled or unsliced fruits are usually safe, and they’re delicious.
- Try FanIce! It’s a delicious bagged frozen yogurt. Vanilla is the best, though they have other flavors.
- There are very few mirrors in Ghana, so if you want to check your hair I’d recommend just snapping a digital picture. If you’re desperate, you can buy a mirror in the market but they’re expensive (by Ghana standards).
- Although riding in a taxi is a very rushed experience, take a moment to check the seat as you’re getting out for any forgotten items. While I was in Ghana, 4 different volunteers had lost an Ipod, camera, and 2 cell phones.
- A note about etiquette: Crossing your legs is considered the sign of a lazy person. Also, it’s offensive to point the bottom of your feet at somebody. Everything is done with the right hand – signaling a taxi, paying for money, shaking hands, etc. Often, taxis will pass you if you try signaling with your left hand. Eye contact or saying hello to strangers is acceptable and encouraged, especially if you’re white. Hissing at someone is how you get their attention (not shouting across the street), and clucking is a sign of disapproval.
- One last thing: Keep an open mind! You’re going to a third world country, and things won’t always work out as planned. The unexpected will routinely happen, and you’ll just have to go with it. If you are volunteering, try not to be disappointed if you encounter resistance to change. It’s impossible to change the world single-handedly – it’s a very gradual process. Think of your work more as laying the foundation for future volunteers, and take satisfaction in knowing that you really are making a difference, even if the changes aren’t immediately apparent.
Thanks again for following my blog! If you have any questions you can reach me at band.aid.dude (at) gmail (dot) com
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Tomorrow's Stars and Goodbyes
It’s been awhile since the last blog (SORRY HIRSH!) because I’ve been closing up shop and prepping for my return home. However, I should mention that George Weir (an alumnus of Phi Psi OH Epsilon at Case) arrived in Ghana last week and we’ve met up twice. George and his wife Kathy founded an NGO called Tomorrow’s Stars, and they’ve been supporting three schools in the Elmina area for several years now. Before the trip, I knew Tomorrow’s Stars as that organization that my chapter of Phi Psi raises money for via the annual soccer tournament. However, since spending time with George in Ghana, I’ve come to appreciate it so much more.
Last Saturday I met with George and Kathy to attend their friend’s mother’s funeral. Because it’s Ghana, we arrived an hour late and thus right as the ceremony was beginning. Ghanaian custom mandates that those in attendance to a funeral wear all black as a sign of mourning. But don’t let the black clothes fool you – the funeral was more a celebration of life. The family was cheerful and smiling as they greeted people. This may have been because the mother passed away two months ago, and she was kept on ice until a lavish funeral could be arranged. Needless to say, the casket was closed.
The family rented 5-6 large tents to cover about 200 people in attendance. It was a Pentecostal service, so of course there was lots of dancing and worship. There was a live band with the same instruments as the church service I attended: a keyboard, drum kit, bass guitar, and bongos. We were given the best seats in the house, smack in front of the pastor and family.
Then the casket came out. To say it was garish is an understatement. The body was large, rounded white metal, with a chrome Jesus on a cross at the head and large chrome handles. Clearly the deceased was taking a 60’s vintage Cadillac up to heaven.
There was a thirty minute procession in which Kathy, George, Rudolph and I walked behind a marching band and the junior cadets (kind of like a mini-ROTC with wooden guns) through the hot African sun, dressed all in black. The cemetery they buried her in was pleasantly disorderly, filled with overgrown brush and crumbling headstones. Many graves had collapsed in on themselves and the whole scene probably would have been much creepier at night, but was very pleasant during the day.
We took a taxi back to the funeral site, where I sat two seats away from the regional chief surrounded by his assistants, mightily holding his gold staff (yeah, we had good seats). There was some kind of donation/auction which I didn’t understand at all, and a band was setting up behind the auctioneers, soundchecking over their speeches. There was a high-life (a blend of reggae and hiphop) concert from which my ears are still ringing, and we decided to head out.
As we were trying to make an inconspicuous exit, George was called up to the mic to make an impromptu speech. He was introduced as “the obruni from Europe and his lovely family” (he’s from Pittsburgh). He explained Tomorrow’s Stars and how it has helped the schools in the area, and then we went on our merry way.
The second time I met up with George, he gave me the grand Tomorrow’s Stars tour, visiting all of the schools it supports and explaining the history. We started at Edinaman Secondary School, which looks like a small university (secondary schools are the equivalent of high school). In ten years, the population has increased fivefold because of its increase in academic standings. It now has a population of 1200, about 40% living in dormitories on campus. The computer lab had fifty computers, more than I’ve seen the whole Ghana trip. The school is built on a hill, meaning there’s a mega-hike to get to classes without the handy-dandy elephant stairs, but there are some great views of the beach and salt mines around the area.
Rudolph joined us and we headed over to Christ Cares, the original T Stars school. It is a primary and junior secondary school, like elementary and middle school. Since George has started his support, they have built a water tower and a two-story building, tripling the size of the school and providing much needed supplements like a computer lab. T Stars provides a scholarship to 25 Christ Cares students to attend Edinaman, and the scholarship has easily proved its worth from a simple examination of some of its recent graduates, like Rudolph. Rudolph is a curious, intelligent student with passions for Chemistry and Biology, and he’s starting university this week. At the Elmina festival, during our walk at the funeral, and on our hike down Edinaman, Rudolph fired off question after question about the sciences. As I would begin to answer, he would fill in the gaps and completely understood my responses immediately. I know he’ll succeed and go far in life, and hopefully he’ll pave the way for other bright students.
The last school we visited was Bantuma Primary and JSS. Richard was in the process of painting the school so that it would comply with the government-regulated colors of tan and brown, colors that would inspire any student to buckle down and learn. Bantuma has a good sized library filled with English children’s books as well as two computers.
It was great to finally see the impact T Stars has created on the education of so many students in Elmina. It was also a point of pride to know that a Phi Psi brother was responsible for kickstarting the organization, and that Phi Psis continue to donate and fund the programs. After the grand tour, George and Kathy graciously hosted me, Rudolph, and the librarian Solo to dinner at Coconut Grove. We said our goodbyes, and I wished Rudolph happy travels on his university adventures.
I’m going to Accra today, and will stay the night. I board my plane tomorrow to go home. This has been a truly fantastic adventure, and I’m both saddened and excited by its closing. Thanks for following my blog, and I can't wait to see friends and family!
Last Saturday I met with George and Kathy to attend their friend’s mother’s funeral. Because it’s Ghana, we arrived an hour late and thus right as the ceremony was beginning. Ghanaian custom mandates that those in attendance to a funeral wear all black as a sign of mourning. But don’t let the black clothes fool you – the funeral was more a celebration of life. The family was cheerful and smiling as they greeted people. This may have been because the mother passed away two months ago, and she was kept on ice until a lavish funeral could be arranged. Needless to say, the casket was closed.
The family rented 5-6 large tents to cover about 200 people in attendance. It was a Pentecostal service, so of course there was lots of dancing and worship. There was a live band with the same instruments as the church service I attended: a keyboard, drum kit, bass guitar, and bongos. We were given the best seats in the house, smack in front of the pastor and family.
Then the casket came out. To say it was garish is an understatement. The body was large, rounded white metal, with a chrome Jesus on a cross at the head and large chrome handles. Clearly the deceased was taking a 60’s vintage Cadillac up to heaven.
There was a thirty minute procession in which Kathy, George, Rudolph and I walked behind a marching band and the junior cadets (kind of like a mini-ROTC with wooden guns) through the hot African sun, dressed all in black. The cemetery they buried her in was pleasantly disorderly, filled with overgrown brush and crumbling headstones. Many graves had collapsed in on themselves and the whole scene probably would have been much creepier at night, but was very pleasant during the day.
We took a taxi back to the funeral site, where I sat two seats away from the regional chief surrounded by his assistants, mightily holding his gold staff (yeah, we had good seats). There was some kind of donation/auction which I didn’t understand at all, and a band was setting up behind the auctioneers, soundchecking over their speeches. There was a high-life (a blend of reggae and hiphop) concert from which my ears are still ringing, and we decided to head out.
As we were trying to make an inconspicuous exit, George was called up to the mic to make an impromptu speech. He was introduced as “the obruni from Europe and his lovely family” (he’s from Pittsburgh). He explained Tomorrow’s Stars and how it has helped the schools in the area, and then we went on our merry way.
The second time I met up with George, he gave me the grand Tomorrow’s Stars tour, visiting all of the schools it supports and explaining the history. We started at Edinaman Secondary School, which looks like a small university (secondary schools are the equivalent of high school). In ten years, the population has increased fivefold because of its increase in academic standings. It now has a population of 1200, about 40% living in dormitories on campus. The computer lab had fifty computers, more than I’ve seen the whole Ghana trip. The school is built on a hill, meaning there’s a mega-hike to get to classes without the handy-dandy elephant stairs, but there are some great views of the beach and salt mines around the area.
Rudolph joined us and we headed over to Christ Cares, the original T Stars school. It is a primary and junior secondary school, like elementary and middle school. Since George has started his support, they have built a water tower and a two-story building, tripling the size of the school and providing much needed supplements like a computer lab. T Stars provides a scholarship to 25 Christ Cares students to attend Edinaman, and the scholarship has easily proved its worth from a simple examination of some of its recent graduates, like Rudolph. Rudolph is a curious, intelligent student with passions for Chemistry and Biology, and he’s starting university this week. At the Elmina festival, during our walk at the funeral, and on our hike down Edinaman, Rudolph fired off question after question about the sciences. As I would begin to answer, he would fill in the gaps and completely understood my responses immediately. I know he’ll succeed and go far in life, and hopefully he’ll pave the way for other bright students.
The last school we visited was Bantuma Primary and JSS. Richard was in the process of painting the school so that it would comply with the government-regulated colors of tan and brown, colors that would inspire any student to buckle down and learn. Bantuma has a good sized library filled with English children’s books as well as two computers.
It was great to finally see the impact T Stars has created on the education of so many students in Elmina. It was also a point of pride to know that a Phi Psi brother was responsible for kickstarting the organization, and that Phi Psis continue to donate and fund the programs. After the grand tour, George and Kathy graciously hosted me, Rudolph, and the librarian Solo to dinner at Coconut Grove. We said our goodbyes, and I wished Rudolph happy travels on his university adventures.
I’m going to Accra today, and will stay the night. I board my plane tomorrow to go home. This has been a truly fantastic adventure, and I’m both saddened and excited by its closing. Thanks for following my blog, and I can't wait to see friends and family!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Nzulezo
Our numbers here at ProWorld are dwindling…we’re down to only five volunteers. We decided (sort of on a whim) to voyage out to the Western Region to see the fabled stilt-city of Nzulezo, a village built entirely on a lake.
Lauren, Lucas, Olivia and I departed via trotro from the main market Kotokraba at 9AM. Akhil wanted to sleep in late (yeah, I just called you out buddy). It was a 2 hour ride to Takoradi, the capital city of the Western Region. Along the way, we saw a rubber tree forest and processing plant, along with the much anticipated “Lion King plains” – an endless field of tall grass stretching as far as the eye can see, dotted with solitary trees and cacti. All that was missing was an oddly shaped rock mountain and Elton John. They speak a different language from Fante in the west, and so we had an even more difficult time figuring out how to get our connecting ride to Nzulezo. Eventually we figured it out, and it was another 2.5 hour ride to our destination.
Once we arrived, we were told that there were many groups ahead of us and we would be stuck waiting if we didn’t “open our hands [wallets]”. Fearing that it was noon already and we had a five hour trip back home, we paid the extra 10 GHC ($6) to be included in the next group, a Presbyterian church group from Accra (a 7+ hour ride at least).
The city on stilts was pretty cool, but the canoe ride to the village was the most excellent part. Navigating through the wetland marshes and lakes and hearing the splashing of the oars gave us all a peaceful easy feeling. Then we arrived at the village. No one understands why these people decided to build a village on a lake, but they did a pretty good job of urban planning. The dock leads directly to the main street, lined with shop huts and a school. The houses were off the main road, in compartmented blocks. Everything (streets, houses, stilts) was made of bamboo, and every so often the bamboo needs to be entirely replaced. Very expensive upkeep, but probably worth the price of being one of the largest tourist spots in west Ghana. The sun was setting on our return trip, and it was a very beautiful scene.
When we got back to dry land, we were elated that our adventure had gone so well. The enjoyment disappeared as soon as we tried getting a ride back home. The trotros had stopped running and there weren’t any taxis in the area. The Presbyterians we had travelled with were packing up their air-conditioned, spacious, shiny greyhound bus and graciously offered us a ride for the small price of saying a prayer for everyone’s safe return. Thinking of the bumpy dirt roads that I would get to experience in a bus with actual suspension, I diligently prayed. Everyone on the bus was super friendly, and we had a great time making friends and swapping stories and laughing at the terrible Ghanaian films all the way back to Cape Coast. It was an excellent adventure.
A side note: most establishments in Ghana are named after some Christian phrase, i.e. “Blood of Jesus Spot [Bar]” or “Our Holy Saviour Barber Salon” or “Believe and Be Saved General Store”. While walking around looking for the trotro terminal to get to Nzulezo, we happened across the “John Lennon Spot,” proving that in at least one instance John Lennon is, in fact, bigger than Jesus.
Lauren, Lucas, Olivia and I departed via trotro from the main market Kotokraba at 9AM. Akhil wanted to sleep in late (yeah, I just called you out buddy). It was a 2 hour ride to Takoradi, the capital city of the Western Region. Along the way, we saw a rubber tree forest and processing plant, along with the much anticipated “Lion King plains” – an endless field of tall grass stretching as far as the eye can see, dotted with solitary trees and cacti. All that was missing was an oddly shaped rock mountain and Elton John. They speak a different language from Fante in the west, and so we had an even more difficult time figuring out how to get our connecting ride to Nzulezo. Eventually we figured it out, and it was another 2.5 hour ride to our destination.
Once we arrived, we were told that there were many groups ahead of us and we would be stuck waiting if we didn’t “open our hands [wallets]”. Fearing that it was noon already and we had a five hour trip back home, we paid the extra 10 GHC ($6) to be included in the next group, a Presbyterian church group from Accra (a 7+ hour ride at least).
The city on stilts was pretty cool, but the canoe ride to the village was the most excellent part. Navigating through the wetland marshes and lakes and hearing the splashing of the oars gave us all a peaceful easy feeling. Then we arrived at the village. No one understands why these people decided to build a village on a lake, but they did a pretty good job of urban planning. The dock leads directly to the main street, lined with shop huts and a school. The houses were off the main road, in compartmented blocks. Everything (streets, houses, stilts) was made of bamboo, and every so often the bamboo needs to be entirely replaced. Very expensive upkeep, but probably worth the price of being one of the largest tourist spots in west Ghana. The sun was setting on our return trip, and it was a very beautiful scene.
When we got back to dry land, we were elated that our adventure had gone so well. The enjoyment disappeared as soon as we tried getting a ride back home. The trotros had stopped running and there weren’t any taxis in the area. The Presbyterians we had travelled with were packing up their air-conditioned, spacious, shiny greyhound bus and graciously offered us a ride for the small price of saying a prayer for everyone’s safe return. Thinking of the bumpy dirt roads that I would get to experience in a bus with actual suspension, I diligently prayed. Everyone on the bus was super friendly, and we had a great time making friends and swapping stories and laughing at the terrible Ghanaian films all the way back to Cape Coast. It was an excellent adventure.
A side note: most establishments in Ghana are named after some Christian phrase, i.e. “Blood of Jesus Spot [Bar]” or “Our Holy Saviour Barber Salon” or “Believe and Be Saved General Store”. While walking around looking for the trotro terminal to get to Nzulezo, we happened across the “John Lennon Spot,” proving that in at least one instance John Lennon is, in fact, bigger than Jesus.
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