So much has happened today it will take forever to write! Benard woke me up at a little past five o'clock saying I had to hurry and get ready because we had to leave asap. I scrambled to get my stuff together and go. We took a taxi into Accra and met some friend of Benard's. He needed Benard to fill out some papers for him as he'd just gotten back from Spain and needed to prove to the Spanish embassy that he'd returned to Ghana. The embassy, however, opened at 8:30. So we waited around for 2 and a half hours. I could have just slept in... But, it was fun talking to Benard and getting to know him. He says while I'm here I have to let him take me to a Ghanian party. I got breakfast and it was amazing - scrambled eggs in warm bread, mmmm! I watched all the tro-tros (14 passenger vans that bus people around the city) picking up people. There are no signs on the tro-tros, only a man in charge of yelling the destination out the window. Everyone here dresses very nicely - business casual. I feel a little out of place (besides the fact that I'm the only white person around). Most of the taxis and tro-tros have Christian stickers on them that say things like "God's Time is Best," Trust God," "Praise Him," etc. Christianity is kinds of like a brand label here. Many businesses use it in their names like "God is Good Hair Salon," "He is Risen Tools and Handicrafts," and so on. There are people everywhere walking around with baskets on their heads selling things. It is a legitimate way to sell things here and everyone buys things this way. We went to the bus station in Accra and there were people everywhere trying to get me to board their bus. To get your attention they hiss and make kissing sounds at you and if that doesn't work they grab your arm and try to pull you to their van. It was hard to follow Benard! While waiting for our mini-bus to leave it was swarmed with people trying to sell things. They just stand there waiting for people to buy something. For the first thirty minutes on the bus on the way to Kumasi a man stood in the front of the bus and preached in Twi. The only thing I understood was "I am and the way" and "the bible say!" He was very passionate and kept pointing at people. Then when he was finished the bus stopped and he got out. We listened to some interesting music on the way. Lots of Boyz II Men, Celine Dion, and R. Kelly. Haha! Ghanians LOVE Celine Dion, :) Half way to Kumasi our van broke down and we had to wait for an hour while it got fixed. The road is so full of pot holes that we hit one and it broke the exhaust system. After the four hour drive I arrived in Kumasi. What a crazy, busy city! There are people and Taxis everywhere and NO sidewalk. From there I was taken to Sekyere (a small village about 45 minutes from Kumasi). When I arrived at the orphanage there were lots of people outside that swarmed the car. All the children were trying to greet me. Everyone was asking questions and telling me to go different places. It was very confusing. I met Katja quickly. She is a German who is also volunteering at the orphanage. Then people were telling me we had to all get in the car again because something important was happening in town. Everyone was very excited. In the town of Sekyere was a line of people watching Katja and I being led into a special room. Katja explained to me that there was some sort of famous person that had donated $1000 cedis (about $1000 dollars) to the orphanage and that some Ashanti royalty (there is a king of the district where I am staying) came to commend him. There were about 15 men on a platform who were dressed in fancy robes sitting on large ornate chairs. A group of villagers stood to the side of the room while Katja and I got to sit near the men on the platform. I felt odd being given this privilege just because I was a white person. The famous man arrived. He has scars on most of his body from burns and was drenched in gold jewelry. The men held a short ceremony where they poured Schnapps (it has religious significance here) on the ground and prophesied about the future of Sekyere and the orphanage. Then everyone was told to go to the orphanage for the money to be given officially. We were rushed into cars while HUNDREDS of villagers ran full speed down the street to the orphanage. It was quite a sight. I got to meet the famous man and didn't know what to say as I'd only been here a day and didn't know much about greetings and such. After all the craziness was over I got to meet my host parents and the orphans. The children:
Kwaku (Darling little boy. He cries a lot but loves to be held and hugged. He's had a difficult first year of life. He came from a home with a drunken father and an insane mother who tried to kill him. He's only been at the orphanage for 5 months, but he's transitioning very well. He understands English very well though he can't speak it. He LOVES to eat and HATES to share attention.)
Addo (a 5 year old boy. He's quiet and very smart. He always does what he is told and tries to help his brothers and sisters. He loves to take naps with me in the afternoon.)
Atta Koffi II (a 13 year old boy who lost his left leg and part of his left arm as a baby. He gets around on his bum at home and has a prosthetic leg for going to school. Atta loves to sit on my lap and be hugged. He keeps up with the other children well, playing most of the same games they do. Atta forgets how big he is sometimes and wants me to hold him and carry him like I do the other children. He gets very mad when I cannot always do this. But, he forgets he is angry with me very quickly. He loves to watch me read and clean in my room.)
Kwaku (Darling little boy. He cries a lot but loves to be held and hugged. He's had a difficult first year of life. He came from a home with a drunken father and an insane mother who tried to kill him. He's only been at the orphanage for 5 months, but he's transitioning very well. He understands English very well though he can't speak it. He LOVES to eat and HATES to share attention.)
Addo (a 5 year old boy. He's quiet and very smart. He always does what he is told and tries to help his brothers and sisters. He loves to take naps with me in the afternoon.)
Floor Femke (a 5 year old girl. She knows what she wants and makes sure you know it! She can be quite stubborn. She LOVES to play the horsey game (I bounce her up and down on my lap while singing.))
Blessing (an 8 year old boy who is very smart but loves to make trouble. He is always teasing his sister Floor and likes to make grumpy faces when I won't give him candy. He is the leader of the small children.)
Solomon (a nine year old boy who is my little buddy! He looks like he's about 5 years old and is in the class for four year olds at school. He was so poorly taken care of before coming to the orphanage that he is very behind in his development both physically and mentally. He has a very difficult time learning his letters and numbers but is usually the first to learn the games and songs I teach the kids. When he gets mad and does this very funny grumbling thing. I always mock him and he ends up laughing and forgets why he's mad (except when it comes to being mad about candy :))
Solomon (a nine year old boy who is my little buddy! He looks like he's about 5 years old and is in the class for four year olds at school. He was so poorly taken care of before coming to the orphanage that he is very behind in his development both physically and mentally. He has a very difficult time learning his letters and numbers but is usually the first to learn the games and songs I teach the kids. When he gets mad and does this very funny grumbling thing. I always mock him and he ends up laughing and forgets why he's mad (except when it comes to being mad about candy :))
Atta Koffi II (a 13 year old boy who lost his left leg and part of his left arm as a baby. He gets around on his bum at home and has a prosthetic leg for going to school. Atta loves to sit on my lap and be hugged. He keeps up with the other children well, playing most of the same games they do. Atta forgets how big he is sometimes and wants me to hold him and carry him like I do the other children. He gets very mad when I cannot always do this. But, he forgets he is angry with me very quickly. He loves to watch me read and clean in my room.)
Atta Koffi I (the twin of Atta I. He is very helpful around the house doing a lot of work. He loves to play cards and always wants to know how I am doing. He loves to help his brother though Atta I doesn't always like that so much.)
Richard (a 12 year old boy. He lost his right arm but does very well and works just as hard as the other children. He can make trouble sometimes as he likes to antagonize the kids. Whenever I need help he's always the first to ask to help me. He is always asking me to ask my parents to be his friends)
Miracle (a 13 year old girl who I came to know best of all the children. She loves for me to teach her songs and read her bible stories. She sings the songs I teach her all day long. I go to the market with her most days and sometimes buy her candy (she absolutely loves this). She does a lot of work around the house but is very lazy about it and has to be yelled at by her mother to do anything. She is also very very stubborn, and is not easily swayed.)
Sarfo (a 14 year old boy who is very very inquisitive. He always is asking questions about what I am doing and where I am going. He really wants me and Katja to take him to Germany/America. He loves to play football (soccer) and practices nearly every day.)
Sarfo (a 14 year old boy who is very very inquisitive. He always is asking questions about what I am doing and where I am going. He really wants me and Katja to take him to Germany/America. He loves to play football (soccer) and practices nearly every day.)
Abraham (a 13 year old boy. He is very intelligent and is always making something. He made me a wire bicycle, a bracelet out of a cardboard toothpaste box, a paper hat, and a leather heart necklace. He speaks English very well and amazes me with how mature he acts compared to the other kids.)
Ebenezer (a 15 year old boy who is quiet and is often out and about doing things. He is very independent and is very helpful in resolving disagreements between the children. He wants to be penpals with my parents.)
Vivian (a 16 year old girl. She has lame legs due to polio but amazes me with hard she works to get around. She has to leave school an hour before the other children to get to school as it is so difficult for her to walk with her crutches. Vivian is very independent and quiet.)
Gladys (a 16 year old girl. She works very hard with her mother to cook and clean. She stays home and doesn't go to school as she is waiting for the scores of her exams to come back.)
I met Nana (my host father) and Margaret (my host mother). Nana speaks English very well and Margaret speaks almost no English.
I also met Thomas, a volunteer from England. He leaves tomorrow though.
My first dinner at the orphanage was boiled plantains and cassava. Plantains look like bananas but are much firmer and don't really taste like anything. Cassava is a little bad for you as it contains some cyanide. Everyone here says you should only eat it twice a week because it will make your eyes bad if you eat more. You eat the root of the plant and is sort of like a potato but somewhat stringy. At the orphanage everything is served with a soup that you dip your food into. It is usually a fish sauce with oil and cassava leaves. The food here is very filling. I don't really care for it.
After dinner Katja, Thomas and I went to the "British pub." Its a little room with a few wooden benches. We got cokes and I got to learn a lot about the orphanage. I am sad Thomas is leaving already as I like him very much.
I set up my bug hut which everyone here thought was very weird. They were all trying to change how I set it up because they didn't think it would work. I share a room with Katja. The orphanage is a cement house that is rather large. There are bathing rooms that are tiled (there is no actual toilet or shower though). There is electricity but my room has a single bulb and I still have to use a flashlight to find anything at night.
I met Nana (my host father) and Margaret (my host mother). Nana speaks English very well and Margaret speaks almost no English.
I also met Thomas, a volunteer from England. He leaves tomorrow though.
My first dinner at the orphanage was boiled plantains and cassava. Plantains look like bananas but are much firmer and don't really taste like anything. Cassava is a little bad for you as it contains some cyanide. Everyone here says you should only eat it twice a week because it will make your eyes bad if you eat more. You eat the root of the plant and is sort of like a potato but somewhat stringy. At the orphanage everything is served with a soup that you dip your food into. It is usually a fish sauce with oil and cassava leaves. The food here is very filling. I don't really care for it.
After dinner Katja, Thomas and I went to the "British pub." Its a little room with a few wooden benches. We got cokes and I got to learn a lot about the orphanage. I am sad Thomas is leaving already as I like him very much.
I set up my bug hut which everyone here thought was very weird. They were all trying to change how I set it up because they didn't think it would work. I share a room with Katja. The orphanage is a cement house that is rather large. There are bathing rooms that are tiled (there is no actual toilet or shower though). There is electricity but my room has a single bulb and I still have to use a flashlight to find anything at night.
Waiting at the Spanish Embassy. People sell goods from the buckets on their heads.
There goes a tro-tro!
My first night at the orphanage. (From left: Me, Miracle, Atta II, Margaret, Katja, Solomon, Nana, Kwaku, Floor, and Thomas)
Floor and Kwaku watch Thomas eat
Group photo! Sarfo is in the far back. In the middle row are (from left) Solomon, Richard, Abraham, and Floor. In the front are Blessing and Atta I.
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