So I have been working through a lot in my head and just trying to figure things out. I am so torn about whether to stay here longer or go home. I would be missing my high school graduation and a lot of graduation parties but I can't even think about leaving on time without feeling sick to my stomach. I realize that staying longer would mean that it would be that much harder to leave but I think that it would be a good amount of time. Yesterday I told one of the boys that I wasn't sure if I could stay longer and he just looked at me and said so when are you going to come back and visit us? The reality of it all is that I am not sure if I could come back to visit them. When I told him that he said he understood but it broke my heart to realize the truth of it all.
I wish I had more to write but I am just not sure exactly what to write today. I am loving every moment here and trying not to get too caught up in the future. But at the same time I can't put off the decisions I need to make about staying here and college. Raymond has been sick the past three days and every morning I come in and just hold him until he falls asleep. The other morning I spent an hour trying to get him to take some medicine. I don't know how these kids get sick without a mom. I know it sounds crazy but whenever I was sick my mom was there to make me soup and love on me. When you are feeling crappy all you really want is to be with your mom, am I right? So I have been holding him and hugging him and kissing him. Hopefully I don't get sick. I have also been bathing him frequently to try and get his fever down.
I am at loss of things to say even though there is so much I am sure. I'm sorry I haven't been writing very often and that I have stopped writing about the boys. I will start up again soon. I am so excited for my parents to come and see me. I want to show them everything and it will be great!!!!! Anything you guys are wanting to know about? Let me know!!!!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Good Update
So after feeling so worn out yesterday while writing the e-mail my past day has actually picked up. Yesterday afternoon at the orphanage I met some of the older kids. It was funny because some of the kids were actually older than me. They told me that I either looked 14 or 19. I am not sure how that works. There is this one boy Alfred who is 18 who I really connected with. He was easy to understand and reminded me of one of the kids from El Salvador, Samuel. It is really easy to get along with older boys because they remind me so much of my brothers.
So there was a man who showed up at the orphanage yesterday named Antonio and he is a flight attendant from Italy. He is in Ghana flying once a week and every week he comes to see the kids. This week he took them all to the beach. There were 5 of us volunteers and we each took a taxi down to Labodi beach. There were about 30 kids and this was an all boys trip. I of course didn't know about the beach trip and so was not prepared, my jeans and t-shirt got a little sandy and wet. It was so fun to watch the kids run into the water and draw pictures in the sand. We even got a soccer game going on the beach with some of the older boys.
I met another volunteer John who is not through Projects Abroad but here by himself living in the orphanage. He is only here for another week but we were talking about different ways I could spend my money that was donated to me before I left. He was telling me that two of their kids are not being treated for HIV so I need to check out the prices on that and see if it would even be possible for me to use the money that way. The kids are all starting to learn my name and even greet me when I come to the orphanage, which is really enjoyable.
On our way back from the beach we shoved 30 kids into a tro tro and sent them off with Antonio back to the orphanage. Then we had our second quiz night last night. My team won!! I feel like I am really connecting with a few volunteers here, which is helping a lot. The good thing is that I am really connecting with two girls, Jessie and Christina and a boy, Patrick and they don't leave until after I am gone. I managed to connect with people that will be here for my entire stay which is a relief.
Bad news: I think I have been sleep walking, and I am not sure where to. hmmmm my roommate woke up in the night and the door was open and I was out of my bed. That makes me really nervous and might explain why I am so tired and why in the past couple nights I have gotten a lot of mosquito bites. I am feeling stronger today and happier. I am excited to go back to the orphanage in the afternoon and this morning was the first morning that me and Claire (another volunteer) got ALL the toddlers to sleep before we left.
For those of you sending me e-mails I really appreciate them. I am sorry if I can't respond back as detailed but know that they are helping me keep chuggin'. I am going out to buy a French English dictionary today to teach myself French so that I can talk with Abdoulsalam. I miss you all and keep writing me!!! Love you.
So there was a man who showed up at the orphanage yesterday named Antonio and he is a flight attendant from Italy. He is in Ghana flying once a week and every week he comes to see the kids. This week he took them all to the beach. There were 5 of us volunteers and we each took a taxi down to Labodi beach. There were about 30 kids and this was an all boys trip. I of course didn't know about the beach trip and so was not prepared, my jeans and t-shirt got a little sandy and wet. It was so fun to watch the kids run into the water and draw pictures in the sand. We even got a soccer game going on the beach with some of the older boys.
I met another volunteer John who is not through Projects Abroad but here by himself living in the orphanage. He is only here for another week but we were talking about different ways I could spend my money that was donated to me before I left. He was telling me that two of their kids are not being treated for HIV so I need to check out the prices on that and see if it would even be possible for me to use the money that way. The kids are all starting to learn my name and even greet me when I come to the orphanage, which is really enjoyable.
On our way back from the beach we shoved 30 kids into a tro tro and sent them off with Antonio back to the orphanage. Then we had our second quiz night last night. My team won!! I feel like I am really connecting with a few volunteers here, which is helping a lot. The good thing is that I am really connecting with two girls, Jessie and Christina and a boy, Patrick and they don't leave until after I am gone. I managed to connect with people that will be here for my entire stay which is a relief.
Bad news: I think I have been sleep walking, and I am not sure where to. hmmmm my roommate woke up in the night and the door was open and I was out of my bed. That makes me really nervous and might explain why I am so tired and why in the past couple nights I have gotten a lot of mosquito bites. I am feeling stronger today and happier. I am excited to go back to the orphanage in the afternoon and this morning was the first morning that me and Claire (another volunteer) got ALL the toddlers to sleep before we left.
For those of you sending me e-mails I really appreciate them. I am sorry if I can't respond back as detailed but know that they are helping me keep chuggin'. I am going out to buy a French English dictionary today to teach myself French so that I can talk with Abdoulsalam. I miss you all and keep writing me!!! Love you.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Tired
So I am feeling so exhausted. Everything about being here wears me out. Don't get me wrong I love being here but it wears me out. Yesterday when I went to the orphanage in the afternoon there was a boy standing there kicking a soccer ball around. He kicked it towards me and we started to kick back and forth. After a while he walked over to me and introduced himself. His name was Abdoulsalam (he told me how to spell it). I don't know if you remember but a couple of days ago I told you about a friend of mine who had met the boy from Darfur. Well that was Aboulsalam. He told me the same thing he told her which was that he was 13, walked from Sudan, and that his family was killed in Darfur (when he said this he made the imitation of a machine gun with his hands and voice). The government took him in as a refugee and put him into Osu children's home because they told him that there the caretakers would speak French. However, that is not true. No one in the entire orphanage speaks French except for the little French a couple of the volunteers know. So now he is living in a place where he cannot understand anyone and they can't understand him.
The only real connection he has to any of them is that he knows how to play soccer (better than all of the other boys). We tried to have a conversation but it was so hard considering I studied Spanish for 5 years and he barely knows any English. When the caretakers would give him his food he would eat half of it and then share with all the other kids around him who still wanted more.
Then there was a baby who came to the orphanage. 6 months old, about the length of a football and as thin as you could ever imagine. The baby's name is Ivan and he has HIV and malaria. You have to feed food to him so slowly or else he will just throw it up. But the aunties don't understand that so a volunteer will spend an hour feeding him slowly and then an auntie will come up and pour the rest of the bottle into his mouth and he will throw up everywhere defeating all the work that was just done, leaving him as skinny as when he started eating. He has six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot.
Another boy Kojo, who has special needs pooped in his pants yesterday, while no one was watching be started playing with it. It was all over his arms and legs. So I spent 45 minutes trying to get him cleaned up ending up with poop all over me. Being with these kids is so much different than being with the kids in El Salvador. It is so much more difficult because there is not that spiritual connection. I struggle with this because there is only so much love that I can personally give them and I take that with me when I leave in three months. When I am feeding a child spiritually I know that it is something that will stick with them long after I am gone.
I know this is not the upbeat e-mail some of you were hoping for but this is what I am struggling with. I am tired, hot, and dirty. There are times when I feel like curling up into a ball and wishing that someone else would take over for me. I am ok, I am just seeing so much that I wish I could ignore. I need prayers of spiritual and mental strength. I love you guys and I hope everything there is good.
The only real connection he has to any of them is that he knows how to play soccer (better than all of the other boys). We tried to have a conversation but it was so hard considering I studied Spanish for 5 years and he barely knows any English. When the caretakers would give him his food he would eat half of it and then share with all the other kids around him who still wanted more.
Then there was a baby who came to the orphanage. 6 months old, about the length of a football and as thin as you could ever imagine. The baby's name is Ivan and he has HIV and malaria. You have to feed food to him so slowly or else he will just throw it up. But the aunties don't understand that so a volunteer will spend an hour feeding him slowly and then an auntie will come up and pour the rest of the bottle into his mouth and he will throw up everywhere defeating all the work that was just done, leaving him as skinny as when he started eating. He has six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot.
Another boy Kojo, who has special needs pooped in his pants yesterday, while no one was watching be started playing with it. It was all over his arms and legs. So I spent 45 minutes trying to get him cleaned up ending up with poop all over me. Being with these kids is so much different than being with the kids in El Salvador. It is so much more difficult because there is not that spiritual connection. I struggle with this because there is only so much love that I can personally give them and I take that with me when I leave in three months. When I am feeding a child spiritually I know that it is something that will stick with them long after I am gone.
I know this is not the upbeat e-mail some of you were hoping for but this is what I am struggling with. I am tired, hot, and dirty. There are times when I feel like curling up into a ball and wishing that someone else would take over for me. I am ok, I am just seeing so much that I wish I could ignore. I need prayers of spiritual and mental strength. I love you guys and I hope everything there is good.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Random Things I haven't said Yet
So I feel like there has been a lot that I have been meaning to say but just haven't gotten around to it. So this e-mail is going to be mostly random facts.
1. Ghana is so polluted that the sky stays hazy almost everyday, I haven't seen blue skies yet since I have been here. This also leads to no sunsets, which is sad considering the sunsets I saw in Zambia.
2. I found out today that the little girl Efia I have been playing with is old enough to go to school but can't because her legs are too weak. This is actually the case for a lot of the kids I am working with in the morning
3. My once white and elegant mosquito net has turned brown from the dust. Sad.
4. Yesterday morning I went to go and sit on my bed and it collapsed. Right now it is being propped up with a chair until they can fix it.
5. My malaria medication has been giving me hallucinations at night. At first I thought I had a different medicine but in fact they just changed the name. Last night I started screaming and woke up my roommate because I thought there was a snake in my bed. woops
6. There are no major left turns in Ghana, it is kind of like Michigan. If you want to go the opposite way you take a U-turn.
7. Anytime I am hungry and not at the house I can eat at a chop bar. A chop bar is a stand on the side of the road where they make traditional Ghanaian food. It can make you sick but I have been careful and make sure to ask volunteers which Chop Bars serve safe food based from their experience. The other night I had amazing Jollof Rice with a really spicy sauce and now I am addicted.
8. When I am walking to work I often see a woman carrying pineapple on her head. For 30 cents she will take a machete, chop off the outside skin. By that point it looks like a drumstick (chicken drumstick) of pineapple, then she will cut it into small enough pieces to eat. She provides a skewer to stab the pineapple with out of the plastic bag she has put it in. AMAZING!
9. No matter where you are in Accra there are stands on the side of the road. They are trying to get you to buy anything. They are lined up and just stand there and beg you to come and look at what they have to offer. I am putting off shopping for as long as possible because I know that once I start, I won't ever stop.
10. I am not sure if I have described a tro tro so that you get the full affect of it. A tro tro is a conversion van with the door about to fall off on every one. The van is no more than the mere shell of the car. It is simply the metal body of the car with seats "Screwed" inside, although most of the time the seats aren't attached to the floor so when you stop or turn your seat moves with you. There is "mate" in charge of the tro tro, which is the person who hangs out the door yelling the location of where the tro is headed. He also collects money. Most tro tro's don't have headlights so it is not very safe to ride in them at night. Tro's also break down multiple times a day and will not give you your money back if it breaks.
11. Fan ice is ice cream in a plastic sachet. You tear off the corner of the satchel and suck the ice cream too. It is not as creamy as ice cream but it is cold and that is all that really matters.
12. Plantain chips are dried plantains. They are the closest thing to potato chips you can get here. Some taste like potato chips but then occasionally you will get the very banana tasting chip.
13. Every night before I go to sleep I use baby wipes to wipe myself down since I have no shower and my sheets will not be changed. I think I have gotten sun before I use the wipes but then come to realize all that "color" from the sun was really just dust.
14. Finally, I would like to tell you guys how much Ghanaians look out for us Obrunis. While I know that not all people are nice, here in Accra, people have more good intentions than bad intentions. Riding on the tro for my first time the mate tried to cheat me out of my money but the man behind me made sure that he gave me the proper change by yelling at him. Also, when president Bush was in town a lot of the roads were closed and so people that had to take tro-tro's to the beach bonfire had problems getting there. They ended up having to get off the tro's in places they did not know, yet a Ghanian on all the tro's would put them on another tro and tell the driver to make sure that they got to the right destination. It actually came down to someone walking a volunteer to the beach to help them out. Ghanaians are looking out for us and it is a good feeling. I know that they should not always be trusted but I feel I have pretty good judgment. Sorry this is so long, Hope you got more of a feel.
1. Ghana is so polluted that the sky stays hazy almost everyday, I haven't seen blue skies yet since I have been here. This also leads to no sunsets, which is sad considering the sunsets I saw in Zambia.
2. I found out today that the little girl Efia I have been playing with is old enough to go to school but can't because her legs are too weak. This is actually the case for a lot of the kids I am working with in the morning
3. My once white and elegant mosquito net has turned brown from the dust. Sad.
4. Yesterday morning I went to go and sit on my bed and it collapsed. Right now it is being propped up with a chair until they can fix it.
5. My malaria medication has been giving me hallucinations at night. At first I thought I had a different medicine but in fact they just changed the name. Last night I started screaming and woke up my roommate because I thought there was a snake in my bed. woops
6. There are no major left turns in Ghana, it is kind of like Michigan. If you want to go the opposite way you take a U-turn.
7. Anytime I am hungry and not at the house I can eat at a chop bar. A chop bar is a stand on the side of the road where they make traditional Ghanaian food. It can make you sick but I have been careful and make sure to ask volunteers which Chop Bars serve safe food based from their experience. The other night I had amazing Jollof Rice with a really spicy sauce and now I am addicted.
8. When I am walking to work I often see a woman carrying pineapple on her head. For 30 cents she will take a machete, chop off the outside skin. By that point it looks like a drumstick (chicken drumstick) of pineapple, then she will cut it into small enough pieces to eat. She provides a skewer to stab the pineapple with out of the plastic bag she has put it in. AMAZING!
9. No matter where you are in Accra there are stands on the side of the road. They are trying to get you to buy anything. They are lined up and just stand there and beg you to come and look at what they have to offer. I am putting off shopping for as long as possible because I know that once I start, I won't ever stop.
10. I am not sure if I have described a tro tro so that you get the full affect of it. A tro tro is a conversion van with the door about to fall off on every one. The van is no more than the mere shell of the car. It is simply the metal body of the car with seats "Screwed" inside, although most of the time the seats aren't attached to the floor so when you stop or turn your seat moves with you. There is "mate" in charge of the tro tro, which is the person who hangs out the door yelling the location of where the tro is headed. He also collects money. Most tro tro's don't have headlights so it is not very safe to ride in them at night. Tro's also break down multiple times a day and will not give you your money back if it breaks.
11. Fan ice is ice cream in a plastic sachet. You tear off the corner of the satchel and suck the ice cream too. It is not as creamy as ice cream but it is cold and that is all that really matters.
12. Plantain chips are dried plantains. They are the closest thing to potato chips you can get here. Some taste like potato chips but then occasionally you will get the very banana tasting chip.
13. Every night before I go to sleep I use baby wipes to wipe myself down since I have no shower and my sheets will not be changed. I think I have gotten sun before I use the wipes but then come to realize all that "color" from the sun was really just dust.
14. Finally, I would like to tell you guys how much Ghanaians look out for us Obrunis. While I know that not all people are nice, here in Accra, people have more good intentions than bad intentions. Riding on the tro for my first time the mate tried to cheat me out of my money but the man behind me made sure that he gave me the proper change by yelling at him. Also, when president Bush was in town a lot of the roads were closed and so people that had to take tro-tro's to the beach bonfire had problems getting there. They ended up having to get off the tro's in places they did not know, yet a Ghanian on all the tro's would put them on another tro and tell the driver to make sure that they got to the right destination. It actually came down to someone walking a volunteer to the beach to help them out. Ghanaians are looking out for us and it is a good feeling. I know that they should not always be trusted but I feel I have pretty good judgment. Sorry this is so long, Hope you got more of a feel.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Obruni, Will you Marry me?
The past couple days have been crazy. I spent Friday afternoon with the older kids, which was really rewarding after struggling so much with the toddlers. The older kids wanted to talk, play, and laugh. There wasn’t the stress of crying toddlers although they were still there in the afternoon. All the older boys were playing soccer out on the playground and it reminded me of El Salvador, I wanted to play so badly but refrained since I am so horrible. I will wait until they can appreciate my bad soccer skills.
On Friday night I went with a couple volunteers to an outside Jazz club, which was really fun. Then after the Jazz club we went and met up with the other volunteers who were doing local Karaoke, which was hysterical. I slept really well on Friday night because I got the fan all to myself. Then Saturday I got up and met up with six other volunteers. We took a 45-minute tro ride east to see the Senya Beraku slave fort. It was right on the coast, which was really neat. We got to see where they kept the slaves before they took them on ships to other countries. This fort in particular was made by the Dutch. Then after we were done looking at the fort we walked down the side of a cliff to the beach and walked down there for a while. The rocks all along the shore had human crap on them. It was so disgusting. We had to climb over these rocks and you seriously had to watch where you put your hands and feet because there was poop everywhere. It was a cool little adventure though.
So one thing I have realized being here in Ghana is that if you give men eye contact it is an invitation for them to come and hit on you. The problem is that when everyone is trying to look you in the eye and you are used to looking people in the eye you get talked to a lot. I get winks, smiles, thumbs up signs and conversations way too much. I should start starring at the ground. Over seven times a day I hear Obruni Obruni I want to be your friend, I want to marry you, I want to be by your side, I want to care for you. Obruni Obruni, let me take you to lunch, let me escort you, let me be your boyfriend. Obruni, Obruni, I want your number, I want your contact, I love you, Obruni you are so beautiful. But what is nice about it is that it is never in a malicious way. They are never forceful or angry. At most they are persistent, but in a very friendly way.
Funny story, before I left for Ghana I was trying to put on weight because I was worried about losing too much weight, well I think that I actually won’t lose any weight while I am here and I might actually gain weight. That would be funny. Well that’s all for now but I will e-mail soon with some more random facts. Oh yeah last thing, I got to shower yesterday morning! It was amazing!
On Friday night I went with a couple volunteers to an outside Jazz club, which was really fun. Then after the Jazz club we went and met up with the other volunteers who were doing local Karaoke, which was hysterical. I slept really well on Friday night because I got the fan all to myself. Then Saturday I got up and met up with six other volunteers. We took a 45-minute tro ride east to see the Senya Beraku slave fort. It was right on the coast, which was really neat. We got to see where they kept the slaves before they took them on ships to other countries. This fort in particular was made by the Dutch. Then after we were done looking at the fort we walked down the side of a cliff to the beach and walked down there for a while. The rocks all along the shore had human crap on them. It was so disgusting. We had to climb over these rocks and you seriously had to watch where you put your hands and feet because there was poop everywhere. It was a cool little adventure though.
So one thing I have realized being here in Ghana is that if you give men eye contact it is an invitation for them to come and hit on you. The problem is that when everyone is trying to look you in the eye and you are used to looking people in the eye you get talked to a lot. I get winks, smiles, thumbs up signs and conversations way too much. I should start starring at the ground. Over seven times a day I hear Obruni Obruni I want to be your friend, I want to marry you, I want to be by your side, I want to care for you. Obruni Obruni, let me take you to lunch, let me escort you, let me be your boyfriend. Obruni, Obruni, I want your number, I want your contact, I love you, Obruni you are so beautiful. But what is nice about it is that it is never in a malicious way. They are never forceful or angry. At most they are persistent, but in a very friendly way.
Funny story, before I left for Ghana I was trying to put on weight because I was worried about losing too much weight, well I think that I actually won’t lose any weight while I am here and I might actually gain weight. That would be funny. Well that’s all for now but I will e-mail soon with some more random facts. Oh yeah last thing, I got to shower yesterday morning! It was amazing!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Good Toilets and Crying Babies
So the past day has been an interesting one. Sadly, I am still feeling sick and it only seems to be getting worse. Because I am still feeling sick I have decided to pass on Cape Coast this weekend and hang around Accra with some of the other volunteers. Last night I went out with a few volunteers to their Thursday night spot, Ryan's Irish Pub. It is the one night a week that all the volunteers feel like they are back home. They serve fairly decent "American food" and have AMAZING BATHROOMS, also air conditioning. The bathrooms have toilet paper, a seat, flush, and have a lock on the door. It was pretty amazing considering the conditions I have been living in.
One thing I am really having a problem with is talking to the other volunteers. I feel like I speak a different language, Brits are soooo hard to understand and sometimes they look at me like I am crazy. We get along great but the communication is hard. Still no water, so I am still very dirty. But I am going to tell you a few things I don't believe I have told you about yet. For fresh water, my host family buys water in sachets. Basically a sachet is a plastic casing holding the water inside. You are supposed to rip the corner off with your teeth and suck the water through. We use this water to brush our teeth as well.
Now I am basically going to list a bunch of facts that I haven't told you yet. 1. Every night when I go to use the bathroom there is a lizard in there waiting for me. 2. The big house I am living in is set up kind of in apartment format a little bit but it is all the extended family of my host family. 3. There are huge trenches (sewers) on all the streets and I sometimes forget to look where I am walking and almost fall in, that is one of my fears. These sewers are where people stop on the side of the road to pee or throw their trash and what not. I know there is more but for some reason I can't think of other random facts. I have decided to work two hours in the morning with the toddlers and then two hours in the afternoon with the older kids because it is too emotionally difficult to spend 4 hours in a row there.
Today I found out that some of the toddlers I thought were boys are actually girls (they all have shaved heads). I spent a lot of time with this girl Efia and she was so sweet. I would tickle her until she couldn't breathe. She loved to be spun around and thrown up into the air. At one point she put her hand up against mine and I saw how tiny it was. I forget sometimes how fragile these children are. Such fragile kids living in such harsh conditions.
Bad news of the day: I got peed on again, a little girl picked up a branch and smacked it across another toddlers face, and my tro-tro took me 20 minutes past where it was supposed to drop me off. The hardest thing of my day was leaving the toddlers, when I had to put Efia down to leave she looked up at me and tears just rolled down her face and she started to scream. She grabbed onto my legs and wailed. I am not quite sure how I am going to leave these kids after 3 months. I might just have to take one home with me. It is hard enough leaving them when I know I will be back on Monday or the next day even. I am still struggling to understand why the world is the way it is. I'll try to send pictures soon. I have to figure out how to do that. Keep praying. I really need emotional strength. I love this country and I love the people but it is hard. E-mail me and ask questions, it makes my day when I get e-mails from you guys!
One thing I am really having a problem with is talking to the other volunteers. I feel like I speak a different language, Brits are soooo hard to understand and sometimes they look at me like I am crazy. We get along great but the communication is hard. Still no water, so I am still very dirty. But I am going to tell you a few things I don't believe I have told you about yet. For fresh water, my host family buys water in sachets. Basically a sachet is a plastic casing holding the water inside. You are supposed to rip the corner off with your teeth and suck the water through. We use this water to brush our teeth as well.
Now I am basically going to list a bunch of facts that I haven't told you yet. 1. Every night when I go to use the bathroom there is a lizard in there waiting for me. 2. The big house I am living in is set up kind of in apartment format a little bit but it is all the extended family of my host family. 3. There are huge trenches (sewers) on all the streets and I sometimes forget to look where I am walking and almost fall in, that is one of my fears. These sewers are where people stop on the side of the road to pee or throw their trash and what not. I know there is more but for some reason I can't think of other random facts. I have decided to work two hours in the morning with the toddlers and then two hours in the afternoon with the older kids because it is too emotionally difficult to spend 4 hours in a row there.
Today I found out that some of the toddlers I thought were boys are actually girls (they all have shaved heads). I spent a lot of time with this girl Efia and she was so sweet. I would tickle her until she couldn't breathe. She loved to be spun around and thrown up into the air. At one point she put her hand up against mine and I saw how tiny it was. I forget sometimes how fragile these children are. Such fragile kids living in such harsh conditions.
Bad news of the day: I got peed on again, a little girl picked up a branch and smacked it across another toddlers face, and my tro-tro took me 20 minutes past where it was supposed to drop me off. The hardest thing of my day was leaving the toddlers, when I had to put Efia down to leave she looked up at me and tears just rolled down her face and she started to scream. She grabbed onto my legs and wailed. I am not quite sure how I am going to leave these kids after 3 months. I might just have to take one home with me. It is hard enough leaving them when I know I will be back on Monday or the next day even. I am still struggling to understand why the world is the way it is. I'll try to send pictures soon. I have to figure out how to do that. Keep praying. I really need emotional strength. I love this country and I love the people but it is hard. E-mail me and ask questions, it makes my day when I get e-mails from you guys!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Here We Go Again
Well the past day has been a huge adventure for me, which is good. Yesterday after working, I hung out in the room for a while falling asleep cause I was so hot and tired. But then later that night we went out. We started by going to a local pub called Champs to watch the soccer game England vs. Italy (local teams). The pub was filled mostly with British and a few Ghanaians. After that we went out salsa dancing where some of the Ghanaians taught me how to salsa. SO FUN but SO SWEATY. They certainly do know how to dance. After leaving salsa dancing we took a taxi a few minutes down the road to a beach where there was a bonfire and reggae music with some more dancing.
For all of you worriers who are thinking this doesn't sound very safe I PROMISE you I was being careful and aware. I was never alone and always in a large group. I wouldn't put myself in a situation that wasn't safe. The beach party was great because I got to meet some more volunteers, walk in the water, and learn some things about the religion behind Rastafarians (quite interesting, true Rastafarians don't drink). After a long night I arrived back at the house safely and slept.
This morning I went to the orphanage again. There was a lot of licking of my t-shirt and skin from the young ones? Oh yeah and I got peed on yesterday, I forgot to mention that part. I had a little boy named Eppiah today lean against my knees and fall asleep standing up. All the kids got haircuts today so any lice that existed is gone for the time being. I have started to befriend the Aunties (the women who live in the homes with the children).
One thing that I find myself struggling with everyday is how this crap happens to these pure innocent children. When I hold the babies and look down at their smiling faces I can't help but be angry that they are suffering yet there are child molesters, rapists, and murderers living lives of elegance. It makes me sick because every child in the home has to compete for love and attention. There is a boy who came to the orphanage a couple days ago. He is 13 and a friend of mine met him. All he kept saying was I'm from Sudan, I'm a refugee, my whole family is dead in Darfur. And I wonder why I have trouble sleeping at night.
Well I will end on lighter note. I haven't been able to shower in a few days because the area I am living in is having a shortage of water so we do not have enough water to eat and shower. So not showering it is. Good thing I wear sweat well. I am amazed how much I learn each day. My stomach is still pretty upset which I am not happy about so I might wait another weekend to be traveling. Prayers for understanding is what is most needed right now. Hope all is well with everyone, if I haven't heard from you I would really love to! I love getting e-mails from you guys!
For all of you worriers who are thinking this doesn't sound very safe I PROMISE you I was being careful and aware. I was never alone and always in a large group. I wouldn't put myself in a situation that wasn't safe. The beach party was great because I got to meet some more volunteers, walk in the water, and learn some things about the religion behind Rastafarians (quite interesting, true Rastafarians don't drink). After a long night I arrived back at the house safely and slept.
This morning I went to the orphanage again. There was a lot of licking of my t-shirt and skin from the young ones? Oh yeah and I got peed on yesterday, I forgot to mention that part. I had a little boy named Eppiah today lean against my knees and fall asleep standing up. All the kids got haircuts today so any lice that existed is gone for the time being. I have started to befriend the Aunties (the women who live in the homes with the children).
One thing that I find myself struggling with everyday is how this crap happens to these pure innocent children. When I hold the babies and look down at their smiling faces I can't help but be angry that they are suffering yet there are child molesters, rapists, and murderers living lives of elegance. It makes me sick because every child in the home has to compete for love and attention. There is a boy who came to the orphanage a couple days ago. He is 13 and a friend of mine met him. All he kept saying was I'm from Sudan, I'm a refugee, my whole family is dead in Darfur. And I wonder why I have trouble sleeping at night.
Well I will end on lighter note. I haven't been able to shower in a few days because the area I am living in is having a shortage of water so we do not have enough water to eat and shower. So not showering it is. Good thing I wear sweat well. I am amazed how much I learn each day. My stomach is still pretty upset which I am not happy about so I might wait another weekend to be traveling. Prayers for understanding is what is most needed right now. Hope all is well with everyone, if I haven't heard from you I would really love to! I love getting e-mails from you guys!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Another Update
I am getting to write you again today and I once again am excited. I think it will be fairly easy for me to get out here once a day cause I am only working half days. Although after the first couple of weeks my updates might not be as long. To be honest, yesterday I was very discouraged with work. When we took the tour of the orphanage it was hard to even look at the babies. Babies are supposed to be chubby and rolly, and some of them are. But then there are the kids with knees bigger than the diameter of their thigh. For the kids that are in special care they have trouble even moving on their own so when their mouths hang open, flies will sit on their tongue.
These kids are so desperate for love and affection that it is almost sickening. They fight and are naughty because they get attention from that, even if it is being yelled at. If you are holding a child they will hit the other child until you stop to yell at them because then they know that they exist. So I went back again in the morning today. However, this time I didn't go into the school with the 5 year olds but stayed in the house with the babies-4 year olds. They are so adorable. Love to be tickled, and love to show their stomach. They will pretend to cry just so that you will go and pick them up. I am heartbroken for these kids. They would do funny things like get on the ground and roll around inside of a carpet and spit water at me just so that I would look at them. I wanted to have enough arms to hold them all but we all know that is not possible. So I will be with them because they need it so badly.
I met a boy named Kwame and Tampico. Kwame came yesterday to the orphanage and no one had even asked him his name yet. He sat on my lap for almost an hour and I just tickled him and loved on him because that is what he needs. It is so amazing but so difficult. On the bright side, yesterday I decided to venture out on my own into the city. I got the tro-tro all by myself to and from the home. It was a great confident feeling. I love everything about this country, even the things that are hard to look at.
Then last night we had "quiz" night for the volunteers. All the volunteers meet at the Projects Abroad Office and split up into teams and play a trivia game. My team got second, and I met a lot of other volunteers. There are now four girls named Claire that are working as volunteers haha. Our taxi ride home was breezy and we were going probably 70mph on a side road right along the ocean. We were back around 11pm and just hung out and tried to sleep again. Everything is great here; I am great. Oh I got some Ghanaians number right before I came here. It is hilarious being an American. Well that’s all for now. Prayer requests are the same except that one girl has been throwing up every night for the past three weeks and they are trying to figure out what is wrong with her so pray for that.
These kids are so desperate for love and affection that it is almost sickening. They fight and are naughty because they get attention from that, even if it is being yelled at. If you are holding a child they will hit the other child until you stop to yell at them because then they know that they exist. So I went back again in the morning today. However, this time I didn't go into the school with the 5 year olds but stayed in the house with the babies-4 year olds. They are so adorable. Love to be tickled, and love to show their stomach. They will pretend to cry just so that you will go and pick them up. I am heartbroken for these kids. They would do funny things like get on the ground and roll around inside of a carpet and spit water at me just so that I would look at them. I wanted to have enough arms to hold them all but we all know that is not possible. So I will be with them because they need it so badly.
I met a boy named Kwame and Tampico. Kwame came yesterday to the orphanage and no one had even asked him his name yet. He sat on my lap for almost an hour and I just tickled him and loved on him because that is what he needs. It is so amazing but so difficult. On the bright side, yesterday I decided to venture out on my own into the city. I got the tro-tro all by myself to and from the home. It was a great confident feeling. I love everything about this country, even the things that are hard to look at.
Then last night we had "quiz" night for the volunteers. All the volunteers meet at the Projects Abroad Office and split up into teams and play a trivia game. My team got second, and I met a lot of other volunteers. There are now four girls named Claire that are working as volunteers haha. Our taxi ride home was breezy and we were going probably 70mph on a side road right along the ocean. We were back around 11pm and just hung out and tried to sleep again. Everything is great here; I am great. Oh I got some Ghanaians number right before I came here. It is hilarious being an American. Well that’s all for now. Prayer requests are the same except that one girl has been throwing up every night for the past three weeks and they are trying to figure out what is wrong with her so pray for that.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Ghana Begins
I should have a little bit of time to write to you today, which I am excited about. Saying goodbye was harder than expected but once I got to Ghana I knew that this was right for me. For starters everything here is very hot and humid.
Being here reminds me of a mix between El Salvador and Zambia. There is a very big mix of wealth and poverty, tropical and dry, and city and rural. ahhhh I am having a good time, I have a roommate living with me which I am happy about, she is 25 and her name is Amy. There are also two other volunteers in the same house as us, all girls. I am the youngest but am very very happy. The toilets are repulsive I would have to say. I thought I would have either a hole or a running toilet but oh no! I got a toilet with working pipes but no water… so basically you do whatever you need to do on other people’s crap and pee (splashing happens, sick!).
My shower consists of a bucket with water in it with another cup to pour it over my head. Yesterday I had my orientation and walked all around Accra and ate at a traditional restaurant called Asanka Local. We had food called fu fu (plantain smashed with yams in a soup that you swallow and don't chew) red red (plantains and beans) and a tomato rice dish. I guess even though I haven't like bananas since I was a baby I will be forced to eat them now.
Dinner was amazing! My host mom and dad are very nice but don't talk much. We had a traditional meal and we get fresh pineapple every night, which I think is amazing. I still suck at sleeping like I did in the United States, big surprise. I take a tro-tro to get everywhere, which is like a big conversion van that has a door hanging on by a rope and the floor almost falling out. :)
The food is spicy which I wasn't expecting but good. Today was my first day at my job and let me tell you it was not what I was expecting! I was shoved into a 100-degree room with 10 five year olds who decided to get into a fight, for two hours. hmmmm this is not what I was expecting. I am not sure what to think about this, I might end up going in the afternoon to work with the older kids because that is more what I had planned on; although, I might go to the baby house because the babies are not picked up enough. A result of this is that since they have a soft skull they will become flat headed from lying down too much.
Everything is harder here. Even lying down at night is harder- trying not to get eaten alive and to cool down. I had to force myself to use the bathroom. This weekend my roommates and I might travel to the Cape Coast to stay at the slave fort and be at the beach. The beach at Accra is very dirty and has a lot of trash on it. I know this is all very jumbled and doesn't make a lot of sense but that is just cause my thoughts are all over the place. Ask me questions and that way I can answer them cause otherwise I don’t know what I'm going to do. haha. I hope everything is well back at home. Trust that I am safe and happy here. IF you are praying for me please pray for: my sleeping habits, stomach (its been a little upset), understanding, peace in all this chaos, safety, and help meeting others. Oh yeah I have already been proposed to! hah I am overwhelmed but happy, broken down but learning. I love you guys, Claire
Being here reminds me of a mix between El Salvador and Zambia. There is a very big mix of wealth and poverty, tropical and dry, and city and rural. ahhhh I am having a good time, I have a roommate living with me which I am happy about, she is 25 and her name is Amy. There are also two other volunteers in the same house as us, all girls. I am the youngest but am very very happy. The toilets are repulsive I would have to say. I thought I would have either a hole or a running toilet but oh no! I got a toilet with working pipes but no water… so basically you do whatever you need to do on other people’s crap and pee (splashing happens, sick!).
My shower consists of a bucket with water in it with another cup to pour it over my head. Yesterday I had my orientation and walked all around Accra and ate at a traditional restaurant called Asanka Local. We had food called fu fu (plantain smashed with yams in a soup that you swallow and don't chew) red red (plantains and beans) and a tomato rice dish. I guess even though I haven't like bananas since I was a baby I will be forced to eat them now.
Dinner was amazing! My host mom and dad are very nice but don't talk much. We had a traditional meal and we get fresh pineapple every night, which I think is amazing. I still suck at sleeping like I did in the United States, big surprise. I take a tro-tro to get everywhere, which is like a big conversion van that has a door hanging on by a rope and the floor almost falling out. :)
The food is spicy which I wasn't expecting but good. Today was my first day at my job and let me tell you it was not what I was expecting! I was shoved into a 100-degree room with 10 five year olds who decided to get into a fight, for two hours. hmmmm this is not what I was expecting. I am not sure what to think about this, I might end up going in the afternoon to work with the older kids because that is more what I had planned on; although, I might go to the baby house because the babies are not picked up enough. A result of this is that since they have a soft skull they will become flat headed from lying down too much.
Everything is harder here. Even lying down at night is harder- trying not to get eaten alive and to cool down. I had to force myself to use the bathroom. This weekend my roommates and I might travel to the Cape Coast to stay at the slave fort and be at the beach. The beach at Accra is very dirty and has a lot of trash on it. I know this is all very jumbled and doesn't make a lot of sense but that is just cause my thoughts are all over the place. Ask me questions and that way I can answer them cause otherwise I don’t know what I'm going to do. haha. I hope everything is well back at home. Trust that I am safe and happy here. IF you are praying for me please pray for: my sleeping habits, stomach (its been a little upset), understanding, peace in all this chaos, safety, and help meeting others. Oh yeah I have already been proposed to! hah I am overwhelmed but happy, broken down but learning. I love you guys, Claire
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Take Off
I am just finishing up my packing today. I will be taking off tonight around 8pm from Chicago. I am flying to London where I have a four and a half hour lay over and then will fly to Ghana. I am not exactly sure how long that flight is. I will be e-mailing as soon as I can. Today is going to be a day full of huge changes clearly and so it would be great if you could all be praying for the transition. Hopefully I will be e-mailing soon!!
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