back in the us

I'm back safe and sound. It's so nice to be home. It was truly an amazing experience and I feel so privileged to have been a part of it.

thurs 3/26 - kakum nat'l park and canopy walk

On Thursday morning we set out for Kakum National Park. Along the way we stopped at a watch cassava processing and wander through a fishing village. Cassava is made from yams that are pulverized and pressed. They are sold for less than 1 cedi (1.30 cedi = $1.oo US). You eat cassava like grits. It's a student staple. A wise crop with University of Cape Coast nearby. Just a side note, there is no such thing as babysitting in Africa. The children are always with their parents. There were two adorable children sitting with the women as the made the cassava. When the community members showed up to clean the orphanage, several women had babies strapped to their backs. And at least one teacher at the school we visited had her baby strapped to her back. The children are quiet and stay pretty close. If they wander too far, mom usually gives them an earful. There are more pictures on flickr (link under "for more...").

Kakum National Park is a preserve for plant and animal species and rainforest-type conditions. Home to monkeys, elephants, butterflies, all sorts of lizards and insects. We didn't see one animal. The guide suggested we come back and stay overnight to increase our chances of seeing something. The reason is that Kakum was a hunting reserve at one time, so the animals have learned to stay away from the visitors. Also, groups of tourists make a lot of noise. Rats. I really wanted to see an elephant.

The highlight of Kakum is its canopy walk, 100 meters (330 feet) above ground. That's the other reason I didn't see any of the animals. I was too busy trying not to look down while walking across the rope bridges. There were seven total. I was thankful for the boards underfoot, but the "bridges" swayed and bounced when people stepped on. Even with the netting one either side I was still uneasy. Heights are not my favorite thing and the adrenaline was definitely flowing, but I was glad I did it.

After Kakum, we lunched at a local restaurant over a crocodile pond. The Aussies said these were very small crocs compared to Australia. Three of us headed back to Accra to catch an early morning flight on Friday. I tried to catch a picture of the road side stands that dotted the coastal route back to Accra. They sold oranges, pineapple and grilled grass cutter. A grass cutter is a rodent that looks like a plump beaver with a rats tail. A few enterprising gentlemen even provided a before and after view for prospective customers. The grass cutters feed on sugar cane, so they're supposed to have deliciously sweet meat. The driver offered many times to stop so we could sample a grass cutter. I found these images on the internet:
http://growabrain.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/04/02/grass_cutter.jpg
http://respectrefugees.org/ezine/images/grasscutter.jpg

cape coast - elmina castle

We left Kumasi on Wednesday morning and headed 3 hours south to Cape Coast. It was nice to be one step closer to home, but it was a little sad to leave Kumasi. We'd be leaving the community, the artisans and Betty, our Habitat for Humanity liaison / project manager. She was awesome. With all its quirks (my safe was still in pieces when we left), the had become our home away from home with a very nice swimming pool.

In Elmina , we stayed on the ocean at the Coconut Grove Hotel. Elmina is the African mispronunciation of the Portugese word "la mina", meaning "the mines". The setting was beautiful, but the humidity was fierce! You sweat as soon as you walked out of your hotel room b/c of the 90% humidity. The hotel itself may have been grand at one time, but has seen better days. Two people found lizards in their showers and someone even found lizard poop in their bed.

Elmina is a fishing community. The main route in/out of town separates the Atlantic Ocean from the fishing villages. The men are responsible for fishing, the women are responsible for prepping the fish, smoking them and selling them at the market. The fish are smoked on open ovens. They sell both smoked and fresh fish. The huts you see along the road use palm leaves for the roofs and are more temporary. These are their "workshops". The fisherman live in houses farther inland.

The Portugese built Elmina Castle in 1482 as a trade center for ivory, gold and later slaves. It was captured by the Dutch in 1637 and later sold to the English in 1872. The English used it as a training facility. Slavery existed in Africa, but it was different from what we've learned in our history books. The losing side of feuding tribes became the slaves of the victors. However, slaves could marry, own land and vote. If a slave married in to the opposing tribe he or she was considered free as were his/her offspring. Thus, many African royalty today can trace their lineage back to slaves.

Needless to say it was a sad place. The slave dungeons (men and women separated), the cells for and the church were all on the first level. Officer quarters were on the 2nd and 3rd level and the Governor was on the 4th level. There are two cells - one for slaves who tried to rebel and the other for European soldiers who were being disciplined. There is a marked difference. The European cell is small but with adequate ventilation. The other cell, adorned with a skull and crossbones, was dark, small and with minimal ventilation.

It was stifling hot and any open windows with bars were actually doors. The quarters were cramped, claustrophobic. The doorway to the awaiting ships was just wide enough for one person my size to fit thru and I even turned to the side. It's amazing anyone survived.

The guide explained that it is now our responsibility to remember what happened at Elmina Castle and be an active participant in preventing such injustice against humanity in the future.

school visit

The boxes from the US arrived early this morning. Turns out the rest of the boxes from Australia are also around, but still in customs. So glad they didn't "fall of the truck". Makes me feel better. We sorted the items for our school visit and saw the community/Aussie team off to clean the orphanage. We made our way to the school around noon and visited with a couple of classrooms before we started setting up our boxes.

Our gift distribution went really smoothly. The children were so good. We recognized a couple of the kids from the build site. They lined up by classroom and came thru the gift line receiving paper, a jump rope, a pencil case or glue stick, crayons or pens or pencils and a book. A lot of them said thank you or madase and curtsied as they received the gifts. Needless to say they were very excited about the gifts, jumping rope and reading with Douglas.

Many of them speak some English, but b/c it's a more rural area they probably don't get as much of a chance to practice English as in the capital city of Accra. They use all of the same workbooks as children in Accra. When Douglas (US team) and Regina (Aussie) went around talking about the US and Australia, one of the teachers had to translate much of what they were saying to the children. I didn't get a chance to see the older kids, so their English could be better. I know one of the girls that I played Ludo with was at school and her English is quite good. I only saw the older kids as they filed through the gift line. On each pillar in the courtyard was guidance on proper hygiene. Very encouraging, but some funny translation indeed.

Today is our last day in Kumasi. We leave for the coast tomorrow morning for a little R&R. As much as I'd like the time to relax and take in more of this beautiful country, I really would just like to go home. Miss my family and my peeps.

church + BBQ + soccer

We went to church this morning in the community. It was a great experience. A lot more singing and dancing then the Presbyterian services I've attended before (not that I've attended on a regular basis). The community was very warm and welcoming. The children had Sunday school in a tent outside of the church. The preacher gave the sermon in English followed by a word to the congregation that was later translated for us as "you guys are with me day-to-day so I'll just break it down for you and you can ask questions later." Ken said a few words, thanking them for letting us join them. The kids, as always, were adorable. The babies were fast asleep strapped to their moms backs despite all the singing and dancing.

A little later in the afternoon, we paid a visit to the chief of the village. We brought Schnapps as an offering. He offered a glass up to God and then spilled some on the ground to communicate with his ancestors. We then all had to take a sip (Carrie don't read this part... it was from the same glass). His ancient looking advisor, who wore sunglasses inside, finished the glass and then we were off to play soccer.

It was definitely intimidating to arrive and see most of the artisans and community members wearing soccer jerseys. I don't know a thing about soccer and I initially didn't want to play, but I ended up subbing for Kym in the 2nd period. It was so much fun. I even blocked a ball.

I took lots of pictures of the kids on the sidelines before I started playing. One little girl even grabbed on to my leg before she realized it was an obroni (white person) to whom she was hanging on. We then moved on to the BBQ and played some board games with members of the community. I played Ludo (?) with Kym, Douglas (one of the workers) and two girls from the village. It was a lot like the game Sorry, but with pictures of Jesus and a couple of other rules that I didn't quite understand. The BBQ ended in a bit of chaos as darkness descended and the food was "distributed". Despite the chaos, it was one of my favorite days of the trip so far.

last build day

Today was our last build day. It was a 1/2-day. Lots of rendering. We were hoping to finish the 1st and 2nd house, but we got the 1st house pretty much complete with all the doors in (w/ locks, which I found curious b/c everything is so open). The 2nd house was almost all rendered on the outside.

Nothing is wasted and it's all done by hand. The dirt from the whole for the outhouse is used to even out the floors. Nails are reused. Mortar dropped on the ground is scraped and reused. The doors are cut to the size of the doorways with a hand saw used with both hands. The locks are installed by cutting in to the doors with a wedge and blade.

More kids were on site today b/c there wasn't any school today. They went wild for the candy that we had. Adorable all of them, but they swarm until every little piece is gone.

In the afternoon we went to the market to pick up cleaning supplies for the orphanage. There's been much discussion about how to spend the money raised by the Aussies for the orphanage. They've decided to try to clean the orphanage thoroughly. We bought out some of the cleaning supplies from the supermarket, bought mops, buckets... some of skipped the last dash in to the store to get masks. The bus was swarmed by guys trying to sell us maps, beads, bags, bananas, and paintings. They persisted despite drawing the curtains. Debbie even hid at one point.

day 7&8

Extreme heat + exertion = upset stomach. Lucky me. I overdid it on Thursday, but was fine today. It's so frustrating when your body betrays your will.

Thursday we made tremendous progress. The roof was framed on the 2nd house and most of the walls on the 1st house are rendered. On Friday, we had a 1/2-day build b/c boxes finally arrived with donations for the kids. The 3rd house is now ready for its roof, but the roofers were still working on cutting the roofing sheets (w/ a machete) and nailing them on to the 2x4's. Jordan (Aussie) and Kristen (US from CA) definitely get the hardworker awards. They are qualified roofers and masons. Mitch (Aussie) has battled blisters on his feet and hands.

Last night, we went to another hotel for a cultural discussion and choral performance. So interesting and so much fun. The Ghanians are 60% Christian, but probably still believe in their tribal religions. We learned that if someone curses you, you could get very sick or die until placations are made. The choir was definitely the highlight. Unfortunately, there is video out there as the group got us out of our chairs and dancing. I think there are more pics on the Nestle USA blog (link on the right under "for more...")



Not all of the boxes arrived from Australia. The boxes from the US are supposed to arrive on Monday. They're in Africa, they just haven't made their way to us. Pretty sure a few boxes "fell of the truck" in customs. Definitely understand the cultural difference in the sense of timing and definitely a learning experience for the group.

Tomorrow is could be a 1/2-day or full day build. TBD. It's really late and 5:30am comes very quickly, so I'd better get to bed.

day 6: progress

Wow! The first house is being rendered (plastered), the 2nd house will be ready for a roof tomorrow and the third will be ready for its roof by Friday. I forgot my camera, so you'll have to check out the Nestle USA blog for pics.

Debbie and Kristen (from CA) painted 100 boards with a tar-like substance that repels insects from eating the wood and Mitch (Aussie) was a one-man team after I left the sun filled, block lifting for a shadier job rendering.

It's only Day 3 of the build, 3 more days left?

After the build day, Regina and I went with Betty to the fabric store. I didn't end up buying anything except more candy for the kids at the supermarket. We left to pick up Renee who went back to the orphanage for another visit. We got caught in wicked traffic and didn't get back to the hotel until 7pm. Renee said that the orphanage was total chaos. Hard to tell how many adults were there, but the kids were everywhere and certainly not much oversight. She visited with the kids, took their pictures until her battery ran low and even broke up a few fights.

On a personal note, I made it! I took it easy, I took lots of breaks, I stayed in the shade and I drank lots of water. I also took my malarone (anti-malarial pill) at night rather than first thing in the AM. No sickness, no nausea, nothin'!

day 4 & 5: africa hot

Today is Day 2 of the build and I'm in bed at the hotel. I now know the meaning of the phrase "Africa hot". A far cry from the snow Kym and I saw as we were leaving Cleveland.

I didn't take pictures of Day 1 of the build b/c I was more concerned about making it through the day. Breakfast was at 6am and we were on the road by 7am. We arrived at the site for a brief orientation and then split up in to three build teams. It was blazing hot and we were covered in several layers of grime by the end of the day. I faded at about 2:30pm (we finished at 3pm), but was proud that I made it thru the day without incident and feeling fine. I also drank about 3, 1.5L bottles of water.

Our goal is three houses. They're all one level, two room houses with corrugated steel roofs and a utility block. A utility block contains an outhouse and a place to do laundry. No electricity. The first house is ready for its roof. The 2nd and 3rd are still at various beginning stages. I worked on the 2nd house with Mitch, Renee (Aussies) and Debbie (US- from the CA office). Daniel is our team lead. We were masons for the day, building up the walls to roof height. Debbie, Renee and Mitch moved the 40lb bricks over to the house while I helped Daniel mix the first batch of mortar and apply it. There were already about 4-5 layers of bricks down. Debbie handed the bricks up to Daniel and then she and I filled in the mortar between the bricks after Daniel made sure they were level and straight. And that was how the day progressed, building scaffolding using the bricks and long pieces of wood for the higher areas. With the help of the other artisans, we built four walls to roof height and put in a window.

After we left the site, we visited one of the homeowners' current home. Getting there was another amazing feat by our van driver. There was a canal that ran through the neighborhood filled with garbage. We saw children crossing the canal in their bare feet. The family lives in one room in a compound with no kitchen or bathroom. The public toilet is down the street. We decided only a few people would take their cameras and the neighborhood children swarmed them and cheered each time they were shown their pictures.

Never have I been so happy for a shower. By dinnertime, I was feeling run down and nauseous. I I made myself go to dinner to make sure I had something to eat and went to bed shortly thereafter. I woke up this morning and felt like I had been run over by a truck and weak. I decided not to go to the build site for fear that I would feel worse when I got there and I also didn't want to just sit and not be able to help. I feel guilty that I'm not there. I never knew I was so sensitive to the heat. It's frustrating. I'm hoping my strength will return and I can join the group tomorrow.

day 3: build site stop and visit to orphanage

Today was a bit of a rough day. We had orientation this morning followed by a stop at the building site and a visit to a government-run orphanage. As you can imagine, that was the tough part.

We got to the build site at 2:30pm. The site is tucked away, far off the main road. I'm amazed our bus was able to make it thru the maze of dirt roads. All of the Habitat houses are in one area and it was nice to see the other houses being lived in. A few families have even expanded their homes. A few children came to greet us as we looked over the site. It was absolutely scorching! We're starting to build early tomorrow morning, but once it heats up I'm not sure how much we'll be able to get done. I'm worried about staying hydrated and hope my body can take the heat.

The children are infants up to age 18. The backpacks haven’t arrived yet, so we’ll return for another visit and distribute the gifts. Renee and Debbie, two of the team leads, are supposed to inquire about what the children need. We’ll donate those necessities as well.

The orphanage was bitter sweet. The children were adorable, but it was with a heavy heart that you watch them dance, pose for our cameras and smile at their own images. You really are struck with the feeling that you want to take them all home. We arrived in the middle of what looked like an outdoor assembly program. They were speeches followed by singing and dancing. We danced with the kids, so they could get used to our presence. Then the director took us through the various buildings.

The dancing was sweaty fun and I found a sweet friend whose name I could not pronounce for the life of me. The babies and toddlers are in buildings on both sides of the compound. The first building had 9-11 month olds, sitting up and feeding themselves for the most part. They were understandably wide-eyed, overwhelmed by all the visitors as they ate their rice. I was able to capture one captivating smile on camera, but it’s not clear how much stimulation they get on a daily basis.

In the building across the compound, darling Ama (2 months old) was passed from person to person. Daniel and his twin brother didn’t want to be put down. Maria (from CA) made a special friend. Who am I kidding? They were all beautiful. The women told us that some of the kids come with their names, but the ones who come straight from the hospital are given names upon their arrival. It just kills you.

i love immodium

I've already told Greg that I'm sorry, but I'm marrying Immodium. It saved me on a 5-hour bus ride from Accra to Kumasi. Enough said.

While I sipped water w/ electrolytes and slept most of the way, the drive was full of palm trees and lots and lots of shacks. Seeing poverty like that puts things in to perspective. Similar to Accra, lots of people selling things in and by the road - super glue, bandanas, bags of water (empty bags litter the streets everywhere), chocolate, children's toys...

Seems strange to pull in to a nice hotel after a ride like that, but feel a little better that we're here to do good work. Orientation is tomorrow morning, followed by a tour of Kumasi and a visit to an orphanage. Not sure how I feel about it. I think it will be fun to spend time with the kids, but sad no matter where you are that orphanages are needed.

marcola market

day 1 - I've taken three showers today. It's hot! A permanent layer of sweat hot. Kym and I arrived in Accra early at 6:30am. Our guide wasn't there due to our early arrival, but eventually we found the hotel shuttle and made our way to the hotel. We met up with the other Nestle folks - Kristen, Doug, Deborah and Maria from Glendale, CA. Regina, Renee and Julia from Nestle Australia.

After a nap and a quick dip in the pool, a group of us ventured to the Marcola Market. We packed in to a cab, which consisted of an oversized van that is at least 10+ years old and a "salesman" hanging out the back calling for the # of people who can still fit in the van. Not sure how they decide the route, but we got there and back in one piece.

Teeming with humanity, you can find anything and everything at the Marcola Market - screw drivers, dishes, batiks, jewelry, electronics, suitcases, shoes, knee highs (used and unused)... It was amazing and a little overwhelming. Thank goodness we had a guide. There's definitely no strolling. I snapped a few pictures. Even got yelled at for taking one of them.

We leave for Kumasi tomorrow morning at 7am. A five hour bus ride. Hmm...

today is the day

The day is finally here. I'm sitting on my suitcase trying to get it closed and the zipper is stuck. Rats! I'm a little more nervous than I thought I would be. I'm so excited to go, but sad to leave Eloise, Greg and Rufus for so long.

My work "to do" list is still running through my head converging with the "did I forget to pack..." list combined with thoughts of Eloise as she waved goodbye to me at daycare this morning.

I know it will all seem far away very soon, but until then...

uh oh...

Is it bad that I haven't left yet and I don't remember my password? Rats!

project africa... you're kidding, right?

Project Africa is just six days away. Needless to say, I'm beyond excited. I am sad to be leaving Greg and Eloise for a little over two weeks. It seems so long ago that I found out about this trip. My name was chosen in a drawing - how often does that happen?! I'm still waiting for HR to call and say it's all a mistake.

I've got long lists of things to pack and an equally long list of what not to pack. I've been stuck by a needle seven times. I've shopped for skirts of the proper length, ugly floppy hats, sunscreen to protect a very pale complexion despite being half-Chinese (what happened??!!) and the strongest bug repellent available to kill mosquitos, ticks, flies, no see-ums and any other menacing insect-like creature. I've even sent myself a reminder to start my malaria pills on Tuesday.

What else could a girl do to prepare for a trip to Africa?