Monday May 19, 2008

by Maryal
Monday was our first full day in Senchi Ferry. We started the day by waking up to new sounds like roosters crowing and bullfrogs croaking. Breakfast was delicious; we had onion and tomato omlettes, toast and juice. Due to the crazy thunderstorm yesterday evening, we had to take a different route into town. The route we took yesterday was super muddy and we had to walk along part of the road Ben drove us home on last night.

What was amazing was that the road into town, though paved only has enough room for one car. It’s a miracle Ben got us all home safely yesterday – much thanks to him! We walked deeper into town than we had ever before and passed schools that were in session with children and their matrons singing and saying prayers. Our first stop was at the preschool that will hopefully have all of its walls erected by the time we leave. Next door to the preschool foundation was the current preschool, where the current building was covered in a tin roof, which leaks when it rains and causes school to be cancelled.

Hopefully we’ll make lots of progress on the new building for them. Next, we stopped by the clinic where the med group separated from the rest of the group who went to experience teaching in Ghana for the first time! In the clinic, Madame Grace had us sit down in the waiting room with the patients and we watched her take the blood pressure of her first patient of the day. Later, we separated and some observed Madame Grace interviewing and dispensing drugs. Others were set up at the makeshift pharmacy, which consisted of a table in behind the clinic under a tree, and spoon-filled medicine bags with vitamin C pills, Vitamin B pills, iron pills and an aspirin equivalent. Some of us helped cut gauze and make homemade cotton balls out of sheets of cotton. Two of us went out into the community to make home visits and saw a lot of health issues that will be addressed in the clinic later on. Afterwards, we headed back to our rooms.

On the way, we picked up the part of the group that had done teaching during the day. Jordan and Ida were playing a game where they were pulling disco moves to make the children they erre working with laugh. After we got back to our rooms, we had time to fit in a much needed 30 minute nap before lunch which was bean stew and fried plantains. Afterwards, we headed out to the Senchi Waterfront resort to chill on the banks of the Volta River and eat and enjoy Ghanian drinks such as Stone Beer, Club Beer, Sprite, and of course my favorite Malta! After seeing two boys fishing for tilapia, and hanging with the peacocks, we headed over to the Sajuris Beach Club Resort.



Located next to a mud constructed home, this brand new resort demonstrated the vivid difference between areas that have a lot of money and those that don’t. We played on the trampoline here, played ping pong, and swung on the swings before heading back for our dinner of french fries, friend chicken and salad. Ben finished up the night with a lesson on Twi – something that will help us out greatly tomorrow, granted we can recall the lesson…