Tuesday 21 October 2014

Ghana update: We're living in dreamland


COUNTRY: Ghana
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching
WRITTEN BY: Etta Napier

Every morning when I wake up, for the first few seconds of consciousness, I forget where I am. I forget that I'm halfway across the world, in a place most people would only dream of visiting. I listen to the early morning sounds of neighbours frying plantain, gossiping in fantè (the local dialect) and sweeping with makeshift reed-brooms, and for a moment I could be back in my room in Sydney. But then, as I walk to my window and add sights and faces to the sounds, it becomes real and I realise just how extraordinary it is to be on this adventure. How truly lucky we are. How much we all adore this country, warts and all.

These past few weeks in Ghana have become less like a dream and more like a lifestyle. We no longer are guests in our school, homes or town, but are accepted as just another - albeit paler - part of the community. We know our kids and how each one of them tick, and in return they all seem to know precisely what annoys us the most. Oh, do they use this to their advantage! We have begun to swap songs and nursery rhymes with the students, and in doing so have realised they have their own versions of 'Old MacDonald' and 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' that put ours to shame. We have also begun to use the money we have fundraised to improve the learning environments we are working in, much to the kids' excitement and appreciation (we are greeted with "God bless you, Madame" on an almost daily basis). So far, we have plastered and painted the walls, painted murals, bought two large whiteboards and are planning to install ceiling fans. It's amazing how far just a little Australian money goes in a developing country like Ghana.

We have also been spending a fair amount of time with the beautiful kids at the orphanage, which is both uplifting and depressing. Last Friday we took all 40 of them on an excursion to Winneba beach, and they absolutely loved it! The memory of children screaming with delight while running from a tiny wave is one that will stay with me for a while.




Our host families have been incredible, to say the absolute least. James and Tom (lucky boys) have been lucky enough to live with a bunch of little kids, who give them endless cuddles and love 24 hours a day. Nicole and Phoebe have Kelvin, a best friend in the form of a host-brother, who has been an irreplaceable source of support and guidance. Georgia, Sophie and I have a host-mother and father that are truly the kindest people on earth. This weekend we were invited to the family church to experience a Sunday service, and wow was it an eye-opener. Such energy and passion! It was one of the most fascinating (and at times even frightening) experiences of my life.



Our weekends have been the best way to relax after the exhausting week of volunteering. A few weekends ago, we travelled to Kakum National Park, about a three hour tro-tro ride out of our home town, Swedru. There, we hiked for two hours through the rainforest in pitch-blackness, to arrive at the secluded tree house we were to stay in. Our sleep that night was punctuated with the rustlings of native nocturnal animals, and, according to our, let's say 'interesting' tour guide, the spirit of the antichrist! We took that one with a grain of salt...

We began the next day with a canopy walk- a rope and ladder walkway suspended 100 meters above the floor of the canopy- which was undoubtedly incredible. As you can see from the photo above, it was pretty scary too!

Despite the amazing time we're having here, we do really miss home. We could spend an hour at a time talking about how we 'could so go for a cheeseburger' or are just wanting a cuddle from mum. This is to be expected though. We wouldn't give this opportunity up for the world.

That's all for now,
Hope you enjoyed!
Etta

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