A rather African day...

Some days are more typically “African” than others, and this has to be one of them. My morning was spent showing a Ghanaian friend where to get nice Ghanaian presents (he was buying a wedding present for a Canadian friend) and then spent much of the afternoon with my seamstress as she fixed, then refixed, then adjusted my most recent dress.

However, the late afternoon was one of those “I live in Ghana” experiences!

I met Omar, a friend of Sister Marjorie’s. He started a project with Sr M and she wanted me to go along and see it and take some photos. Originally, we were to meet and ride there independently, but he couldn’t get a motorbike at short notice, so asked me to “pick” him. Thankfully I’ve had quite a bit of picking experience lately (thanks to all willing guinea pigs, both vols and brave guests!) so taking a rather small man on the back was not too big a deal.

We rode for what felt like ages along dirt tracks, over large bumps, through rocks, round bends, past villages and finally, on the home straight, came to a rather large puddle, with marshy bits on either side and no clear way through. As ever in Ghana, there was a friendly and willing passer-by to give advice on the best course of action. He recommended going round another route, which I think would’ve added several miles to our journey. So Omar decided to wait until some local men on bikes appeared, hoping they’d show us the best route through. They went across a less marshy grassy bit then back onto the road. After a brief conversation in Frafra, Omar decided he would ride my bike over a clearer patch and I would meet him on the other side. He attempted to do this, but got stuck in the mud just before reaching dry land. The two bicycle men quickly jumped off their bikes, into the mud and pushed him out effortlessly. I was looking for a suitable path to take, across some stepping stones perhaps, when one bicycle man came along, grabbed my arms, threw them round his neck and piggy-backed me right the way across to the other side. Very soon after, with me back in the driving seat, Omar pointed to a building up a small but very steep hill and across the grass – so somehow I managed to ride up the verge, across the grass and to the centre.

After seeing the project and speaking to some local people helping with some tree planting, we heard thunder rumbling in the distance and we set off back to Bolga, this time trying to miss the huge puddle by going a better route. Of course Omar had to “greet” and chat to all manner of people enroute as the thunder got louder and more threatening. At the moment in Ghana it is farming season, so there are huge tall fields full of corn, with only small dirt tracks running through them – I felt like a character in “Honey I Shrunk the Kid”! We managed to make it back to a road, very narrowly missing 3 stray chickens (the most stupid creature in Bolga), a small herd of sheep and one small child. All of a sudden, we seem to be in a village but are actually back in Bolga, Omar jumps off the bike and tells me to “follow that man” to take me back to the main road.

A slightly more successful day’s riding than Monday’s, where I got stage fright going through our local puddle, slowed down way too much and ended up IN the puddle, covered in mud, with the bike on top of my leg, and three ladies up to their ankles helping me out of the situation. It was a laugh or cry situation and thankfully laughing was the far better option!

Ghana musings, one year on

As I entered my late twenties yesterday (eek!!), I was reflecting on the last year, my trials, tribulations, mistakes, successes, and, of course, funniest moments.

Fourteen months ago, I never would have thought I’d hear myself say this, but my biggest and most surprising success to date has been the motorbike (Jack Yoko Biko MacBike.) Without my trusty wheels, I would have never have been able to do my job, see vast parts of the countryside and experience much of the Ghanaian way of life. I’ve also had a fair few passengers – thanks to all willing guinea pigs!

Emma asked me what my favourite thing about Ghana was and after quite a lot of humming and hawing, I finally replied “Ghanaians”. I’ve been so lucky in my work – virtually all colleagues have been friendly, welcoming and pleasant, and the director has always given the nod to anything I’ve wanted to do, which greatly helps in my placement. Sometimes, I wish they’d ask a bit more about what I’m doing as I’m often left to my own devices – but I’d certainly rather it this way round than the other way round.

Not only have colleagues been friendly and welcoming, but strangers too. Although Ghanaian customer service sometimes has a LOT to answer for, people on the whole are nice (nice not being a word I particularly like, but it’s true.) People passing on the street, particularly in our local neighbourhood, will greet you, ask you how your day is, your family, your husband (did I tell you I have a part time Ghanaian “husband”?) and children often run after you shouting “sulemia”, not normally expecting anything more than a wave.

I was torn between Ghanaians and my job in Ghana being my favourite thing here. Leaving class teaching behind has made me realise that I actually really enjoy… class teaching! The few chances I have had to be in front of a class have been great fun though challenging – the major challenge changing from behaviour management to what to do with a huge class and few resources.

The teachers I have worked with have been great too, taking many suggestions on board, making teaching materials and using them and helping to make my job easier. I have particularly enjoyed watching almost 60 teachers in the last 4 weeks of term and giving them feedback.

I have been one of the luckiest volunteers, visitor wise, and enjoyed two visits from both Rachael and Sonia, a visit from Mum and Dad and Emma and Hayley joining Sonia on her second trip here. I love being able to show people round – my house, my office, my schools… and it will make it easier for me when I come home that I can natter on to people and know that they have at least some idea of what Bolga and the Upper East is like. Anyone else is “invited” – get your diaries out…

The volunteer community throughout Ghana is an incredible network, and I think we’re lucky in Ghana to have such a strong and varied group of people, willing to help each other in many ways. In Bolga in particular, (just because I live here and so know about it J), I would not hesitate to ask anyone to help me if I was in need, whether it be getting shopping when I’m sick, helping me to move my moto when it falls over and gets stuck on the step going into the house or suggesting how on earth to cook the unknown vegetable I’ve bought in the market! Volunteers are also such a useful and important sounding board for work problems and cultural differences and how to deal with them. It’s sometimes just important to have someone you can moan to about how long it took for the meeting to start at the office, how hot you are… or to lament on matters of cheese.

I’ve already talked about people who look out for you, and that also goes for the people who work for us – Godwin, our faithful and reliable, if slightly drunk, nightwatchman; Janet our washing lady, and Rita my seamstress J.

No writing on Ghana would be complete without mentioning….Food!!! I think Sonia and Emma were shocked and amused at how much I was able to talk about cheese and bread whilst in Burkina. Being in Ghana makes you… experimental… when it comes to food, and I for one really enjoy the nightly challenge of what to make from eggs, tomatoes, garden eggs, alifi and cabbage… Sonia, Emma and Hayley – I think I exhausted ALL my recipes on you, had you stayed any longer, we would’ve been back to Ghanaian risotto again!

So after my Pollyanna enthusing, here’s what makes me not so chirpy in Ghana…

Customer service – and lack thereof – I’ll have to write further about this as have an array of funny stories in this vein….

The weather – sometimes. I like the heat and am so glad I’m not stuck in Nepal in the winter or even in southern Ghana, which is significantly cooler at certain times of year but always humid. However, sometimes, when you are sitting completely still under a fan going at full blast, drinking ice cold water and wearing very little, yet there is STILL sweat dripping down your face, you do wonder what on earth you’re doing here. Ah, and when, in mid-March, they decide to cut the power for a few hours around midday… you miss Scottish summers!

As someone who had never had a day off sick from work, I’ve certainly made up for lost time recently – around 2 weeks worth minor illness here – I won’t miss that!

I think most volunteers go to Ghana thinking that they know a bit about development, and by the end of their first few months, realise that actually its nothing like you thought it was.

Big NGOs have poured billions of pounds into Africa over the last 5 or 6 decades, and some days, you wonder where that money is now as you walk into a school with no tables, no seats, no lights, no doors and 100 children squashed into a room, being taught by a keen but untrained teacher who is being paid about £25 a month. Other days, you look at projects like Afrikids – Mama Laadi’s Foster Home, their Medical Centre – and see what a difference someone’s vision can make. Progress can sometimes be painfully slow, but it’s encouraging that many NGOs, VSO included, are now taking a much more bottom up approach to development, asking people what they need and want rather than giving them money and telling them how to spend it. The vast majority of the time, the people who know their needs best are they themselves – not someone sitting in an office in London.

Anyway, here’s to another year in Ghana! J