My Ghanaian Experience Part 1

So I realized I haven't written much about my time in Ghana, and my Blog is basically a place to get donations. So I am going to tell you all about my experience in Ghana I probably wont remember a lot of specific details and dates but here ya go! :)

So I left the USA early in the morning on January 30 and traveled for 24 hours to reach Ghana. When I arrived at the airport it was around 9pm. I was so confused in the airport, but just went with the flow. There was a man standing there, his name was Evans, he picked up me and another volunteer (Alyssa, who I met in the Amsterdam Airport and stayed a month in the same program) and we traveled to the main volunteer house. I remember the whole ride there I was looking out the window and just taking all the new sites in. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. We then went to bed and woke up early the next morning for orientation. After orientation we traveled to our placements. Alyssa's and mine was the Pink Program, "The Potters Village Orphanage." which was in a small village called Dodowa. We stayed in a house with the other volunteers that were there. There was no running water so we had to bucket shower which wasn't that bad when you got used to it. Us Americans use sooo much water when taking a shower! We had electricity but there were A LOT of times where it would go out and we would be without it.  When I arrived, there was 12 volunteers total. After meeting them we walked to the orphanage to look around (its about a 10 minute walk) at this time all the kids were at school so we didn't meet many of them. We went back to the house and had lunch. It was noodles, which ended up being one of my favorite meals when I was there. We walked to the orphanage to greet the kids getting home from school and instantly they were all over us new volunteers. They are all so adorable!! The next morning we woke up at 5:15am and walked to the orphanage to help get all the kids ready for school. THIS WAS CRAZY. I remember everyone was struggling to get ready for school, and some kids were going to be late and miss the bus. So we had to hurry. Plus it was early in the morning and I was still asleep! But we ended up getting them to school on time!
 My first weekend there Alyssa, Cindy and I traveled to Cape Coast. This place was amazing! We woke up at 4am and traveled there riding on "Tro Tro's" these are like vans with a bunch of seats where they put as many people as they can inside. On a hot day it is miserable to ride in one of these, but I got used to it, and this was our main way of transportation. We went to the beach where we met a man named Justice. He offered to show us around, so we let him! He took us to Cape Coast Castle and saw where the English kept all the slaves that they would export out on ships. It was such and Eyre place, so sad to hear what they did to the Ghanaian people, If any of you all go to Ghana hit up Cape Coast. We then went back to our hotel (Hans Cottage Botel) This place is surrounded by Crocodiles! It was crazy!! I remember walking on this path around the Hotel not knowing that they just let the Crocodiles wander where ever the crap they want, and I was about to walk right past a HUGE croc. He looked at me and showed his teeth. I calmly stopped and turned right around! I was terrified! The next day we went to Kankum National Forest where we did a "Canopy Walk" Justice insisted that he came with us. I remember the whole time there we were trying to ditch him because he ended up wanting us to pay him for his services. Screw that! We finally got rid of him! The next day we headed back home! During the week we did the same routine. The kids had began to know my name and our friendship was beginning to develop!

During the week we would wake up early get the kids ready for school and serve their breakfast and walk them either to the bus stop or directly to school. In the morning we would usually have bread for breakfast, which was the best!!! Freshly baked in the morning and ahh it was delicious! On a rare occasion we would get porridge which was soo soo good! Then while the kids where at school we would either go pay their fees, go to Accra, do our laundry, basically whatever we wanted to do! Then when they would get home from school we would go and play with the kids, attend to their medical needs, help them study, read to them, help prepare dinner occasionally. When the kids were having dinner we would usually head back home for our dinner. On our walk home we would usually buy cookies, or coke to go with our rice and red sauce, with a boiled egg if we were lucky! Which was delicious!

It was either my 2nd or 3rd weekend and Alyssa and I traveled to Kokrobite (a Rasta Beach) This place was my favorite ever. We hung out on the beach all day just talking to a bunch of the shop owners. It was so fun! We also got fried!! Because well, we are both red heads and fell asleep on the beach earlier that day. haha Then later that night we enjoyed some traditional Africa dancing! The Sunday of that weekend is when it hit. MALARIA. Yes. Yes I did get Malaria in Africa, of course that would happen to me! Anyways, the first couple days are honestly a blur... I remember being super sick and just staying in bed all day. The kids where so adorable, they wrote me get well letters and some came to visit me at the house! I remember Emit came to come and visit me and I couldn't even walk straight. I had to use the wall as a balance. But the kids were sweet and said they prayed for me lots! haha on Wednesday I went to the Hospital. Now that was an experience. haha I had to travel to Madina (a town outside of Dodowa) On a tro tro. IT WAS AWFUL!! Luckily another volunteer came with me on the tro, her name was Jayne. When we got there I met up with Evans and Jayne went to do some shopping for the kids. Evans took me to the hospital where they admitted me and gave me IV's because I was dehydrated from not eating, plus I had sun stroke from my sunburn. They also gave me two shots in the butt. They didn't even tell me what they were doing, they just pulled down my pants and stuck me! haha I was there form 10 in the morning till 6pm. That night I stayed at the main volunteer house where we stayed the first night, and took a shower (yes they had running water) I about cried with I saw the shower! haha at this time I was feeling a lot better and thought that my Malaria had passed. LIES. It came back the next night and I was back to laying in bed all day. I was close to coming home. I told my Parents if I don't get better in another week I will come home. But luckily I got better and was able to stay my full 2 months! I lost 15 lb. that week. That was the only bad week I had in Ghana. But it was all apart of the experience right?!

Stay tuned for My Ghanaian Experience Part 2 :)

Getting Back To Ghana

This past year I had the extrodinary oppurtunity to go to Ghana, Africa for two months. I have to say that was the best thing that I have ever done. Let me give a little back ground on my experience there. I left little Cache Valley on January 31, 2012 and traveled 24 hours to Africa. I went with the volunteer program IVHQ (International Volunteers Headquarters) and got placed in the pink program aka the WORSCA Orphanage, which is located in Dodowa. I instantly fell in love with the kids of that orphanage, its kind of hard not to.The orphanage consists of about 80 kids aging from a baby to 19 years old. All being the sweetest children you will ever meet, well, as long as they wern't giving you any trouble like normal kids do.

 While I was there I atteneded to to the childrens medical needs, paid for anything the children needed (medications, clothes, shoes, school fees, food ect) helped them with homework, helped prepare them for school in the mornings, and gave them love and affection. Our daily routine consisted of waking up every morning at 5:30am and walking to the orphanage and helping the kids get ready for school, by dressing them, helping prepare breakfast, and make sure they look presentable to go to school. While the children would be at school us as volunteers would do our laundry by washing it by hand in a bucket and doing chores that needed to be done. When the kids would arrive home we would then help them with homework, play with them, and help prepare dinner. On the weekends we would often travel around Ghana and site see while getting more cultured about where we were living for a few months. I enjoyed every minute of my trip! Except the one week I got Malaria and had to go to the hospital, that was the worst week ever, and Malaria is not the funnest sickness to get. But it was all apart of the experience right? haha The kids are pretty protective with the volunteers, they would always walk us home at night and look after us. At times we would get a DJ and have dance parties with the kids, they loved to dance and are so good at it. There were never dull moments!

I still stay in contact with the children and it feels so good to hear their voice and what they are up to.  A part of my heart was left in Ghana. I did promise the children I would go back. So thats what I'm going to do. But by being a poor college student funds are hard to come by. Any money donated will go straight to the children. It is easiest to go over and purchase things they need instead of transporting it from America. Plus things are a lot cheaper there! I will post more pictures soon!! ah love these kids! :) "Live as if you'll die tomorrow" and do things you want to do!

Top left: Felix has the most adorable smile

Top middle: Me holding Felix and Gifty

Top Right: Mercy being her adorable self

Bottom: Prince, Magdenline, and Gifty Giving kissy faces with their Gury (their after school snack, which actually doesn't taste that bad!)

Intro!

Growing up doesn't particularly come with a hand book. Lets be honest if it did, life would be a piece of cake. But it doesn't, instead each one of us have to learn from our mistakes, our success' and anything else the lovely thing we call life, throws at us.

I am 19 years old, never really had a plan for my life, but when you find out your plan, even if that plan goes as far as a couple years, its a good feeling and you feel like you have a purpose and something to actually look forward to. I guess this blog is about where I found out my purpose and how i'm still figuring some stuff out in my life. Then again arn't we all still figuring out our lives?

Well, like I said I'm 19 and I have only attended one semester of college. Not sure what kind of career I want just yet, so why spend the thousands of dollars that I don't have, studying for something I don't fully enjoy? So I guess here is "my couple of years" plan that I was talking about... Travel and help people at the same time. For now, I am earning the money to do what I want to do. So I'm just working two jobs and trying to live my life the best I can. Sometimes its not good enough for alot of people, and you get to hear about it. Especially because I live in a secluded town where everyone knows about your life. But why waste MY life making everyone else happy? I'm going to do what I want to do, and if I screw up, thats ok, because I know I will learn regaurdless.

I've titled this blog "Live as if you'll die tomorrow," because life is definitely too short to be focused on the worries and struggles we get from life. We need to all set out and do what we want to do. Be the person we want to be. Experience EVERYTHING we want to experience. "Live as if you'll die tomorrow." No regrets. Welcome to my lovely blog!