Almost 1/2 Way!

Hello hello!

Time for a Dede-does-Africa update :)

So, I've realized that African heat, really is... hot. It's the rainy season right now so it's actually quite cool compared to the dry season, and you can tell the Ghanaians are enjoying it... for me, it's still hot, and I sweat when it's raining regardless. Although, I must admit, sometimes the rain cools everything down so much that I can sleep well and relax without having to constantly wipe the sweat from my brow. It's better than -30 during our winter though!!

This weekend I'm heading to Cape Coast, which is in the south western side of Ghana. I'm VERY excited as I get to see Elmina Castle. It was the largest port for the slave trade hundreds of years ago. This year is the bi-centennial anniversary of the abolition of slavery - so there is a lot of history to be explored at this site. Because this port is on the coast line, there was a lot of trading of varying goods all those years ago as well. It's a very fascinating place and although it's a good 7 hours by bus (I'm talking, sitting so close to your fellow passenger that you can feel their body heat), I'm really looking forward to it! I'll be sure to write about it when I get back! Tomorrow I'm heading to Sega to meet up with the rest of "Team Canada" and then early Friday morning we'll be on our way! I'll get back Monday afternoon sometime I'm sure, and make it back to Kpong for Tuesday. It's a good solid trip.

I can't believe that next Wednesday will be 1/2 through my trip here. It's really amazing. Some days I can't believe I've been here for only 6 weeks because it feels like I just got here and just finally got into a groove! I'm already sad to be leaving, it's going to be very hard to leave everyone and everything that I have experienced. I don't really want to think about it.

The HIV/AIDS group that I've developed in the community (at the school I'm at) has got a name now, it's official -

Youth4Change
HIV/AIDS Educators

Respect for All
Responsibility for Knowledge
Strength through Unity
Courage to Fight

We're very excited and I'm trying to cram as much information into these students as I can so that they are able to teach when I leave. Tuesday meetings are lecture days, where I provide the information, and they take notes. Thursdays are practice days where they have to teach each other and review the material. Hopefully everyone will really know all of this material in order to teach others when I leave. Two of the teachers at the school are going to take on the responsibility of monitoring the group when I head home, I'm grateful for their help and that they have the same vision for an HIV/AIDS free world that I do. I'd like to get t-shirts printed and maybe a banner for the students so I may dip into some of my funds for that. I want them to be united and clear in their cause for others to see. We'll see how it pans out.

I've been slowly transitioning into the whitest Ghanaian in my community. At one point, I was wearing a wrap, eating a common food with my hands (banku), listening to African music, speaking the native language, and even getting some new colour! I was amazed, and everyone has seen and supported this Africanization I've been undergoing ;) Hopefully I'll be able to transfer some of it to my behaviour at home, it's fun and different, and most of the time is WAY more convenient than some of the things we do at home. I love wearing my bright wraps, I'm excited to bring a number of materials home to wear :)

On a side note - I scraped my knee the other day, I was playing with a baby named Emanuel, he's 7 months old and I was really close to the ground. My knee hit the hard rocky ground and everyone gasped right away. I'll admit, it hurt more than I let on but it's healing. With a little sun, it won't even be noticeable.

Life is good and I'm really building some great relationships, some of which are strictly because of the way I walk to school, or along the roadside. I hear my name, Dede, called at least 100 times a day. Someone is calling me, or a child sees me and wants to say hello, or just to get my attention. The lady two houses down sells oranges and I see her often. The lady along the roadside sells me my toilet paper and some crackers and soap... and a couple of young men sell me my pre-paid phone card for my cell phone here - yes I have a cell phone, it really wasn't that expensive and allows me to keep in contact with some friends here (both Canadian and Ghanaian) as well as my family. It's also a source of security for when I travel alone for my host family - if there's a problem (or perhaps I get seriously lost somewhere - which hasn't happened yet thankfully) I can call them and someone will rescue me if I need it. I enjoy having it and will leave it for someone here to have when I leave. I plan on leaving the majority of my things, clothes, and some odds and ends that really would be appreciated by the people I live with, I know they'd appreciate it.

My host dad, Pops, is really happy with how things have been going with me here and has mentioned that he'd like to have 2 students stay with his family next year (in May, the next group of Intercordia students). I'll have to communicate that when I get back home to the coordinators.

I learned that Pops owns the house that we all live in and rents the various rooms out to individuals or families. I also learned that when people come to get water from our one pipe line, they pay per bucket of water they take - 200 cedis per bucket (which really is maybe a cent in CND dollars). I hadn't noticed that before, that people pay for their water from the house, as Pops has to pay the utility bill at the end of the month - interesting! Now that I've become more familiar with my surroundings and the happenings of the house, I'm better able to notice some of the smaller details.

Pops has a computer - he runs 3 schools (mind you one school only has 50 students, and no walls and half dilapidated chalkboards [which is flat wood boards covered in battery acid - real dangerous don't you think?]). I've used it a few times to help start writing an assignment I have due in August. I enjoy working on it while I'm in the context that I'm writing about, it's extremely helpful.

I hope everyone is well and enjoying June, nearly July!! Next weekend I'm going to the beach with some of the guys I live with to spend the day having some fun. It's Republic Day on July 1st and Canada Day for me, so we'll celebrate them both by taking a mini-vacation, it should be fun!

I miss you and will be in touch soon,

Much love,

Dede