Day 5

Today was a day of goodbyes.  First at Yorogo, where I was treated to music, dancing and presentation of a smock.  Then back to the education office, and some gifts from St Charles.  Thanks!!

Day 6 - please view with care, not for the fainthearted.....

The killing of the guinea fowl… these pics aren’t for the faint hearted – turn away now Sonia!

1.       Francis shows us how to hold it down.

2.       “So you just cut it there…”

3.       “Am I doing it right?”

4.       “Oops, it wasn’t quite dead before…”

5.       “Are you ok Hannah?!”

6.       The guinea fowl is dead.

7.       And cooked.

8.       Including the claws.

9.       Hannah eating her kill.

10.       The bird’s claw is put through its mouth for cooking…

11.       Kisses…?  Rachel!!

12.       Eating a claw…

Day 7

Groundnut soup and rice balls with my friend Patience.  

Rice balls are basically overcooked rice made into a ball.  Groundnut soup is a spicy soup made from peanuts (groundnuts).

Day 8

This is the Afrikids Centre in Sirigu, where I stay when I’m there for a few days.

Day 9

Taken at an Afrikids Quiz, organised with some of the money that Grandma and Pa gave me to give to worthy causes in Bolga.  The children are part of a Child Rights group, which learns about the “spirit child” phenomenon, where children with physical disabilities like cleft palette are killed by “medicine men”.  These children help to educate their families about “spirit children”.  They also have cross school quizzes, where children compete to show their general knowledge and knowledge on child rights.

Afrikids in Sirigu have done such good work with the medicine men that men who formerly worked as medicine men now educate communities about “spirit children”, encouraging parents to get professional medical attention for their children.

Day 10

 My friend Janet’s sister died very suddenly last week.  She died of sickness.  She was poisoned apparently, though this is a common explanation for an otherwise unexplained death.  She left behind two small children, baby Frank (aged one) and Martin (aged 6).  Janet is now mum to two small boys.

This kind of thing happens all too often in Ghana, and unexplained and sudden deaths in young people, and acceptance of such events without questions, is something that takes a lot of getting used to.  Post mortems are very rarely performed in Ghana, and death is accepted as an act of God. 

Hopefully Frank and Martin will be happy in their new home with their aunt.

Day 11

Sleeping on the roof – when it’s just too hot to sleep inside…  It’s been into the forties lately, even at night, so the best place is to sleep is on the roof at Hannah and Ellie’s house.  A few sofa cushions, a couple of pillows and a torch is all you need.

Day 12

Zomkom.  Water, with ginger, spices and flour, all shaken up.  A filling and refreshing drink – just try and get it in your mouth rather than down your front!

Day 13

The beautiful alphabets at one of my new schools!

Day 14

The humble water filter.  We have two in my house.  You put “candles” inside them (after first boiling the candles often) then let the water go through once.  Then you fill up again, and water goes through and is ready for drinking.  Water in Bolga really isn’t that cloudy as it is in some places, but filtering appears to work to get rid of small impurities and is a real necessity when living in a developing country.

Day 15

6^th of March, Independence Day.  Although this is my third year in Ghana on 6^th March, it’s my first in Bolga.  I went to town to see some marching, where children from throughout Bolga are picked to represent their school, marching in the large playing field in their carefully pressed uniforms.  They are then given the next day as a holiday so they can wash their school clothes!!

Standing on top of the sign for the cathedral.

Day 16

Two photos for today as I had two nice Ghanaian experiences.

Fufu and light soup for lunch… erm, not me, but I watched on as Donald gobbled it up!  Fufu is pounded yam or plantain or cassava.  It’s rather sticky and stodgy, a bit of an acquired taste.  Light soup is a spicy, light, tomatoey soup.

Then a trip to see Francis and his lovely girls l-r back then front -  Francis, Emmanuella, Audrey, Maribel and Monica.  He has recently moved into his own house which he has built from scratch.  This is what Ghanaians generally do – save some money, start building their house and when it is possible move in.  Then keep saving and complete parts of their house when possible.

Day 17

Tonight, Hannah and I were invited to join the GES senior staff at a farewell meat and drinks.  It was a nice gesture, though in some ways a less extravagant get together, with the people we actually worked with on a day to day basis, might have been more appropriate.  However, I’m not complaining as the evening was very pleasant, following typical evening event format with a welcome, introductions, naming of the chairman, speeches, responses from the honoured guests and a closing prayer!

Madam Rose (Girl Child Officer), Joachim (AD Planning) and Madam Vic (Community Participation Coordinator)

Madam Agnes (Director of Education), Hannah, me, Madam Janet (AD Human Resources)

Day 18

Boris the dog! 

Boris is the honorary VSO dog.  The longest serving of all non-VSO staff in the Upper East, he has belonged to many volunteers, including Andrea (until March 2010) and then Anthony and Laura (until July 2011).  He has since had a few homes, and is currently living between Ellie’s and Helen’s.  One of the nicest dogs I know, he’s not had an easy time of it, living with a monkey who liked to tease him, having an infection after an operation and not knowing quite where his home is.  But he is also the most spoiled dog in Bolga, getting tinned meat and sausages fairly often.  Boris – know what side your bread’s buttered on!

Day 19

Some mangoes, not quite ready to eat but looking very tempting hanging on a tree at my favourite Sirigu spot!

Day 20

Some inspirational quotes on the wall at Ayeltige Primary.  Quite impressive to see a head teacher thinking about who inspires him and displaying it for all of his staff to see too.

Day 21

You see women walking for miles with firewood on their heads – just like this.  

Day 22

Today, the children of Sirigu were learning how to march, in preparation for 6^th March next week.  Big kids, wee kids, everyone joins in the marching.  They practise for weeks beforehand, and the best are chosen for performing on Independence Day on the 6^th March.

Day 23

Sausage stew and flatbreads for tea – tasty!

Tasty spicy sausages, barbequed at our local sausage man.

Stew cooking.

Flatbreads.

Day 24

Jordan turns one!  I’ve grown very attached to Jordan over the last year.  He’s certainly the baby I’ve ever known the best, and likes me more than any other Ghanaian baby (which isn’t hard, most of them cry!)  I’m going to miss him very much when I get home!

Day 25

Today we learned how to cook with Josephine!  She showed us how to make very tasty jallof rice and agoshi stew.  Jallof contains fish or corned beef, lots of ground tomatoes, much oil, pepper and flavouring from stock cube type things.  Agoshi stew has several different types of fish, lots of palm oil and many different packs of spices and agoshi seeds, which are like white, melon seeds that you grind and put into stews.

We did our bit for Josephine too, showing her how to make shortbread – we tried her version a few days later, very tasty!

Day 26

Ghanaian food....

Small fish, smaller than the palm of your hand, deep fried, for lunch.  You eat the whole thing (eyes, insides, bones!) and they are really very tasty.

Fried yam and shitor – the Ghanaian chips and ketchup!

Fried plantain and shitor.

Snack at a workshop.  Tea, coffee and biscuits?  Not quite.  Coke, water and savoury biscuits (or a meat pie) is how we do it in Ghana.