We just heard from Jenny, a Long Term volunteer who began her 6 months in Ghana this August 2011. Here are some excerpts from her blog… we’re all excited to read up on her trip, it sounds great so far!
From 9/16/2011: “Relax. Be patient. You have more time.”
Ghana Bound!!
If you ever find yourself venturing around Ghana, those are the three things you will need to remember. But I’ll get to that a little later.
I want to write everything, tell you all of my experiences so far, but I have to accept that it would be impossible to do that. I think this post will have to be separated into short blurbs.
-I arrived in Accra Tuesday afternoon, was picked up by Sheila, an ICYE worker, and with some apprehension, jumped in a taxi to wherever I was being taken. Accra traffic is scary, to say the least.
-I’m staying in a hostel with 21 other volunteers as we go through a week of orientation. Being the only American, it’s been quite a cultural experience so far. The others are from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, and Sweden.
I definitely have it easiest when it comes to the Ghanaian English accent. The others know English, some better than the rest, but they have a very hard time understanding. Not in a mean way, but it’s interesting to watch them struggle.
Hostel for orientation week
They switch back and forth between their own languages and English to help each other understand. I don’t remember what it’s like to sit in the same room with everyone speaking English anymore.
-White people are ‘Oburoni’. Oburoni means white. White means rich (to them).
The men on the street come up, put their arm around you, attempt to make friends (sometimes more than friends), and will then try to sell you something.
-All my stressful preparation is paying off. Other volunteers are coming to me for things they need (good thing I brought a little extra of everything). I brought out UNO one night as well. Each country had some different rules, so we had fun making it up as we went.
-We started our intensive Twi language courses today. It’s…intense.
Drinking water in a bag
-I’m actually never too hot. I think good ol’ psychotic Minnesota weather is to thank for that.
-Now back to the title of this blog. We volunteers have been told numerous times that the hardest part of this adventure is already done.
We made the decision to move to Ghana.
William (the head guy here) says, “If you make it to Ghana, there is nothing you can’t do”.
He says that everything will come in its own time. I’m here for 6 months, there’s no rush to figure it all out. Just “relax” and “be patient”.
-Girl Worth Fighting For, from Mulan, has been stuck in my head for 3 days.
“When you travel you experience, in a very practical way, the act of rebirth. You confront completely new situations, the day passes more slowly, and on most journeys you don’t even understand the language the people speak….You begin to be more accessible to others, because they may be able to help you in difficult situations.”
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From 9/18/2011: “Naa Adwoa Shika”
Naming ceremony
That ^ is my Ghanaian name. Yesterday, we held a semi-traditional naming ceremony for all the volunteers.
Traditionally, after a Ghanaian woman gives birth, they keep the baby inside the house for 7 days.
On the 8th day, they perform an “outdooring”, and officially name the baby. The libation process is kinda complex, it involves dipping fingers into spirit alcohol and water, and placing symbolic drops in the baby’s mouth.
All the while, an elder wishes good morals and truth upon the baby. In the Akan culture, the first name is based on the day the baby was born (mine being Adwoa-monday).
Documenting all the new names
The second name is sometimes after an important family member/friend or it can be a name that means something good. Sampson, our Twi teacher who performed this whole ceremony, gave me Shika.
It means I bring wealth to wherever I go, I have a beautiful spirit, and I should have many many children. “2 children in 3 months” as Sampson joked. He’s a funny guy.
Our ceremony was minus the drops of liquid. Instead, we drank out of glasses. And let me tell you, 43% alcohol content was not my cup of tea…
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To read more about Jenny’s adventure in Ghana, keep an eye out for new posts on her blog!
Also, don’t forget to check out United Planet Volunteer opportunities in Ghana and around the world…
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