Quote of the day: “However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find fault even in Paradise. Love your life.” – Henry David Thoreau

Journal by: Sarah Andersen

Today was a rather uneventful day. Unfortunately, I was still having some GI trouble, but now I was coming down with a cold as well. My mother and I woke up and had breakfast and then just relaxed in our room. At around 12:00 we took a taxi to the Volta Hotel so we could get access to the internet. This time the hotel was filled with guests. Apparently, there was some sort of conference going on at the hotel so the restaurant was filled with conference attendees and other guests staying at the hotel. We ate lunch there. My mother had a Ghanaian meal of Red Red with fried plantains and I had sautéed shrimp with onions and peppers in a garlic sauce served with West African-style fried rice. The food was pretty good, but a little expensive. At around 3:45 the taxi came back to pick us up and take us back to the guesthouse. Once at the guesthouse we relaxed until about 6:15, when the rest of the group arrived from their trip to Cape Coast. We all ate dinner together and celebrated Will’s 15th birthday with ice cream from Esther. The evening also consisted of the rest of the group telling entertaining stories from their weekend excursion. Then we all retired to our rooms to get ready for another day at the school.

Quote of the day: "We don’t experience the world fully unless we are willing to give everything away"

—Pema Chodron

Journal by: Margaret Henly

While the majority of our volunteer group ventured down to the coast, Sarah and I decided to go north. Our morning began at 7 o‘clock with breakfast, after which we met our very pleasant taxi driver Richard. We left shortly before 8, driving north through Akimpoku to the bridge over the Volta. The street vendors were busy this morning, more so than on our previous drive on Tuesday. Dozens of women carrying everything from loaves of bread to kabobs of oysters balanced on their heads rushed up to the taxi to try to sell their inventory. After we crossed the river, we again turned northward, through stretches of lush vegetation punctuated by colorful villages and towns. Some of the larger towns sported elaborate stores carrying garden wares and plastic molded chairs, while others specialized in coffins. Interestingly enough, the town selling the largest variety of coffins also happened to be the one with the hospital right off the main road. It being Saturday, the traditional day for funerals, we saw many more people, young and old, in beautiful traditional dress. We traveled a little more than 2 hours to our first destination, Tagbo falls. Initially, I was confident that we could do both the mountain hike and the hike to the falls, each being about 45 minutes to an hour each way, as the people at the welcome center assured us. As we started out with our guide Daniel, a very pleasant 12 year old boy, it became apparent that the mountain hike and the falls hikes were in two different directions, and likely to take much longer. So we opted for the falls. Daniel pointed out cocoa tress with fruits of varying levels of ripeness, coffee plants, banana and plantain trees (plantain trees have longer leaves), and farmers making charcoal. It was hard, though, to keep one eye on the trail to avoid gnarly roots and the other eye on the flora. As we made our way up the trail, the vegetation became more lush, the air more close, and the sound of rushing water louder. Suddenly the trail opened up, and the temperature plummeted much to our relief, as the thunderous waterfall created a strong breeze and a thick mist. Just gorgeous. After taking lots of photos, and resting for a bit, we headed back down the trail, the return trip seemingly shorter than the first half. After an almost 3 hour hike, we were happy to sit under a large tree and eat the jollof rice the cook had sent with us.

We resumed our trip, heading toward the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary. When we arrived, we joined a woman from the UK on a short drive to the trail head, and a short hike to where the monkeys tend to hang out. There, our guide called the monkeys, with small bananas as offering. Soon there were a many small mona monkeys clamoring for our bananas. We were told to hold the bananas tightly, as each monkey would try to snatch the entire thing. These small monkeys, with their sharp eyes, wizened faces, and soft, almost human hands, seemed more afraid of each other stealing a piece of banana than they were of us. In fact, as we headed back to the welcome sanctuary, the monkeys followed along. On our way back, the guide pointed out the improvements to the village made possible by the collection of the entrance fee, including a clinic, primary and junior high schools, and the introduction of electricity to the village.

Richard, our driver, graciously agreed to take us to one more stop before returning to New Akrade. I had noticed in the guidebook that we were very close to Tafi Abuipe, a major kente-weaving center, so we headed there. There, our guide, whose family has been weaving center for generations, took our entrance fee and a small fee to take photographs. We entered a large pavilion, where several weavers worked on traditional looms set up with yards and yards of brightly colored cotton thread. Their fingers worked the shuttles and the thread while their feet worked the pedals with amazing speed. We chose some cloths and purses of both traditional and more modern designs for gifts for some of the people at home. At that point, we decided that it was wise to head back. Once again, we passed through bustling towns, this time as people headed home from the festivities.

Upon our arrival, we had a simple supper of macaroni and vegetables, and settled in for a relaxing evening.

Quote of the Day: “What do we live for if not to make life less difficult for each other?” –

-George Eliot

Journal by: Sarah Andersen

For me, and I think Will as well, Friday started with mixed feelings. It was the first day of teaching for those of us who were placed in the JHS. When we got to the school Kay, Steve, and George started working on construction; Margaret, Mary, and Tracee went down to the Peace Perfect International School; Laurie and Grace went to teach in the primary school; and Will and I headed to the JHS. I was nervous about teaching since I had no idea what subject I would be teaching and therefore had no lessons planned. Thankfully, we were asked to observe a social studies class so we could see how the teachers taught and what the students were learning.

After the class, the teacher told us the students were going to have a break and when it was over, Will and I would be teaching them more social studies. Since the headmaster told us the break would be ending in 30 minutes, Will and I rushed to come up with some sort of plan for the chapter we would be teaching: Socio-Economic Development: Tourism, Leisure, and Development. I thought it was a little strange that they had asked a couple of American kids to teach this chapter since it was all about why Ghanaians often do not go to the various tourist sites in the country and what people can do to change that.

Will and I went to the classroom about 10 minutes before the break was supposed to end and started writing our notes and references on the board. Once the 30 minute break time had elapsed, there were only a couple students in the classroom. I thought this to be very ironic since in the section the class was learning before the break, the teacher was explaining how Africans were always late and how that had to stop if they wanted to get anything done. Before class started, Will shared some of his American music off of his iPod which the students thoroughly enjoyed. The lesson went pretty well. The teacher who usually taught social studies was impressed with our teaching and I was thankful we didn’t fail horribly.

After we were done teaching, we went outside to meet the rest of the group. I found out that George had been teaching in the classroom next to ours, Grace had walked home with Laurie who wasn’t feeling well, and the rest of the group had gone down to the Peace Perfect International School. We then walked back to the guesthouse and had lunch. I had not been feeling very well all morning so after lunch I decided not to accompany the others to the library and the Volta River walk. My mother kindly recounted the details of the river walk for me so I could include them in the journal. Before they left for walk, three men came into the library to thank them for their work and contributions and one man even remembered the volunteers coming into his school when he was a child. When they left for the walk, they saw a lot of people out in Senchi. Lots of men and boys in kaftans and a few men with head coverings.

As they walked, Amo told them how Senchi had been a vibrant area with a whole line of two-story buildings containing shops and homes and now only uprights and an occasional half walk remained. When the bridge was built across the river at Artimpoku was built, the canoes and large shops and houses along the river were abandoned. Closer to the river, there are tilapia farms and a man resting in a hammock watching over the farms, greeted and they could see a few long canoes paddled by fishermen along the shore. Overall, it sounds like group enjoyed the walk.

Quote of the day: Liberty is not license to do whatever you want to do. It is the freedom to do what you ought to do.

Journal by: Jeff Jackson

We began our July 28^th with a typically nourishing breakfast, followed by Grace’s succinct summary of the day before and her thought of the day. We spent the morning either teaching or constructing, with time off for some playing soccer or volleyball. The library is coming along nicely, the teamwork is enjoyable. Lunch and shade were welcome sights, with plenty to talk about. Experiences, both the uplifting and perhaps the frustrating, are easier to discuss within the group.

As usual, an hour of the afternoon was spent reading with the children in the library. Afterwards, we walked to the Palace, excited to meet with the Queen Mother. She was, however, traveling today and not available. I think it’s fair to say we were mildly disappointed, but moved on quickly. After a tour of the museum we walked home. On the way we had an unnerving experience. A man was laid out in on the path, his eyes open and breathing shallowly, if at all. He looked dead, or at least in some kind of altered state. Eventually we discovered he was intoxicated, a funny kind of relief for all of us. After a dinner of Shepard’s Pie and salad some of us hung around and played a game before retiring for the evening.

As a follow-up thought, later in the evening I reflected back on the incident involving the man lying in the path. On the one hand, as a group of caring and concerned volunteers we may have been moved to help or ask for help for the man. On the other hand, the Global Volunteer Principals of self-governance and respect for local societal norms might lead to the conclusion that the situation be allowed to unfold without our intervention. I am not sure what the right thing is to do, I can only make note of the dilemma.

Quote of the Day:

I have only one request.

I do not ask for money.

Although I have need of it,

I do not ask for meat…

I have only one request,

All I ask is

That you remove

The roadblock

From my path.

- Okot P’Bitek - “Song of an African Woman”

Journal by: Grace Glick

It’s day 3 and the rhythm of our days has been established. Mornings for work projects. Afternoons are library time.

Margaret was again assisting at the clinic, many of us were at the schools, and Steve, K, Jeff, and George continued constructing the library for the Akrade school.

For lunch we had the pleasure of a Ghanaian meal- rice balls with spicy groundnut soup and chicken. Delicious.

At the Senchi Ferry library, we were welcomed by a smaller group but some eager returnees were there seeking their particular reading friends-Linda greeted me with,“ Let’s finish Curious George today!”

The strolls to and from sites provide us with many opportunities to practice our Twee greetings and as we demonstrate some mastery, the people in the community try new variations to help us learn more.

Quote of the day:

“May we, with all Beings, realize the emptiness of the Three Wheels…giver, receiver and gift.”

Gyohatsu Nenju (Soto Zen Buddhist meal gatha)

Journal by: Mary Boutselis

This morning we awoke, knowing a little more about what might be in store for us than yesterday we weren’t complete “newbies.” We had the same nourishing breakfast of eggs, toast, porridge and juice…grateful, again, to have plenty to eat. We left as a group, passing community members engaged in morning routines of sweeping up, cooking, waiting with children for transport to school. Some of us re-doubled our efforts to be ready to respond to a greeting of “maakye” with “yeena” or “yeeagya” rather than simply resorting to a smile and a wave.

We left Margaret at the Clinic while Steve, George, Jeff and Kay headed to help with construction. The rest of us went on to our schools. As some of the initial anxious anticipation passes, many of us are confronted with that delicate yet critical balance which we must find between stepping up to contribute while respecting the structure and customs already in place in our host community. Our service is truly most effective when we blend our effort and knowledge with the strengths of the community…this requires more skillfulness than one might think.

After our morning of work, we were treated to a lunch which was thoughtfully made for us Americans…baked chicken, salad, wonderful pineapple but most importantly, French fries with ketchup!!! After lunch, we were off again to the Senchi Ferry library where we read with the children. On the walk home, there was much discussion about the curiosity, eagerness and intelligence of the children. Some of us wondered what lied in their future, especially for those who appeared to be most energetic in their questioning.

We arrived back at the Guest House around 4:30 and loaded into a van for an outing to the Volta Hotel which was at a bit of an elevation. We sat out on the deck, enjoying a soft drink and the beautiful view of the dam and Volta Lake. We all appreciated a little change of scenery and many of us took advantage of the wi-fi reconnecting with friends and family. Back at St. James, we had a late supper followed by discussion which covered a wide range of topics from forensic anthropology (compliments of Kay) to the Grange Fair in Centre Hall, PA (Will).

Quote of the day:

When children are provided sufficient food and nutrition, and protected from infectious disease, they can take advantage of their full intellectual capability through education. When all children are offered these essential services, the positive global consequences will be enormous.

-Global Volunteers Executive Summary

Journal by: Steve Ostrom

We gathered at 7:00 AM in the dining room, and many of us had some difficulty sleeping last night. The rooms were comfortable, but the sleeping issue might be a symptom of jet lag. Hopefully we will become accustomed to the time change soon!

Breakfast consisted of oatmeal, an egg omelet with veggies on top, juice, and toast. Tea, coffee, jam, and chocolate/hazelnut spread were also available. Margaret read the inspirational thought for the day, and her journal entry from Sunday, July 24^th.

Shortly after breakfast, we gathered in the courtyard, then hiked to the school. Esther introduced us to the headmaster, and the headmaster then introduced us to various faculty members. We then hiked down to Senchi Ferry and visited the new library. After waiting for the librarian to finish sweeping the entrance with a short hand broom, we removed our shoes prior to entering the library itself. We saw one room with reading books for beginning readers, one room with math and science type books for older children and adults, and one room with 10 or so laptop computers. Before these computers were donated to this community, all of the keyboarding was taught from a poster mounted on the wall.

After visiting the library, we walked back to the school where we split into groups. Some of us were teaching the younger students, other volunteers were assisting with grading exams for the older students, a few were working on the construction of the school’s new library and computer lab, and a couple of us went to the clinic to help copy papers and take blood pressures.

I had the privilege of watching the 3-5 year old children eat lunch at school. It was quite orderly with children called by name to get their food. A woman had carried the meal preparations in a large basket balanced on her head. It consisted of clean bowls for the kids, a pot of hot meat sauce, a bowl of grated cheese, and a very large pot of rice. Each child received a bowl containing about 1 cup of rice covered with about 1 ounce of grated cheese and a tablespoon or so of the meat sauce poured on top. The rice was hand measured by the woman who wore a disposable plastic glove. Each child ate the meal with his or her fingers, and when finished, returned the dirty bowl to the front and stacked them neatly. Every bowl of food was completely consumed.

Our Global Volunteer team then gathered and walked back to the St. James Guest House. Lunch consisted of rice and beans, watermelon, mango, and fried plantains. We pretty much cleaned up everything, except for Esther’s favorite, a few plantains. A one hour rest period available before the afternoon session started.

At 2:30, we met and walked to the Senchi Ferry library with Amo, where we met a room full of eager readers. Each volunteer grabbed a corner of the room or carpet with one or more students, and together (student and volunteer) we read well past the one hour time allotted to us. Our walk to and from the library was filled with sights, sounds, and aromas. Many goats and chickens were everywhere. A few dogs and at least one cat were observed. As we approached St. James Guest House, there was a slight sprinkle, which was an omen that foretold of no running water in our rooms.

We rested for about an hour, and then met for dinner of chicken and sauce, rice, salad, popcorn, and bananas. We asked Amo about some aspects of Ghanaian culture, such as uncommon delicacies, domestic animals, and the duties of the mayor. After dinner, we discussed our experiences of the day and tried to plan activities for the next few weeks. There are many great new experiences heading our way!

Getting back to our rooms at 8:10 pm, we found we had running water again. Yeah!