My trip to Accra and first few days in Okagyakrom:
Travelers tip number one!!! Don't ever purposefully stay in Accra if you can help it. It is possibly one of the scariest cities I've ever seen. The unorganized streets, the crazy traffic, the amount of people, just....everything. The director of NGO I am interning with came to pick me from where the AIR CONDITIONED ford van that dropped me off from cape coast. I stayed in a hotel the first night, which was actually pretty nice, I was just glad to have already taken a bucket bath back in cape coast so I could be prepared for the one I took in Accra haha; the showers usually work but they were just not working that Sunday I guess. I had Ghana's pizza that night with lemon fanta and it was so good. Im glad I got to try it!! Some time when you're here you start to realize after a while that no matter what the little kids will call you obruni (foreigner) but sometimes its even cute when they call you that. Adults not so much. especially when they just talk in front of you knowing you don't understand and laugh at you (when you hear obruni in the conversation). I have to admit it drove me crazy at first, especially since Bernard would never explain what the people said.
I don't know if I told you, but my Ghanian name is Ifua. In Fante it means I was born on Friday, so when I introduce myself I say my name is Ciara but that they can call me Ifua. I think some Ghanians like that, as in they know I respect their culture and want to embrace it. Speaking of culture, something cool they do when they hand shake here is when you're about to let go you snap. So you slowly let go but instead of completely letting go, you snap with the other persons fingers with yours together. I like it: Random yet friendly, but to be honest I'm terrible. And another culture thing is just how hospitable people here are, it's crazy and to be honest at first kind of difficult for me to just say ok. I'm so independent and for someone to make or buy my meals was a little much, or just that they don't want you to get rained on, or when if you're standing for a second even another woman will get out of her chair for you, or if you're feeling ill you must go to the clinic... Kind of smothering for me, and at first it made me really uncomfortable. Probably one of the hardest things to embrace to be honest. I just like doing things or myself lol. I like to learn!!
Well I had to stay in Accra for a couple days perusing the city with the director and honestly doing a whole lot of nothing which wasn't as bad as I thought itd be at first. It was nice to just relax and have a good day full of nothing too important. I got a little antsy as the days went on because his car was broken which kinda stunk, but by Wednesday Bernard decided that we would just take a tro tro to Jasikan. I decided to only bring two of my bags because I figured it would get super packed on the tro tro with five bags, and since Bernard was going back to Accra Saturday I assumed he'd bring my bags when he came back next Wednesday with the other intern Hailey. So we woke up around 630-7 AM took a taxi to a huge station, where we grabbed a tro tro to Jasikan. A tro tro by the way is a huge van, think Ford E 250 but they don't have air conditioning, they don't close the door all the way because they open and close it do much for travelers and sometimes people jump to get on them as the tro tro collector yells out the destination. They pack it full and then some if they can. Well since it was still early we just found the right tro tro, gave them our luggage, got on and waited for it to get full. About an hour later we were on our way. Took us about 3-4 hours to get there, not bad.
The first night Wednesday May 23rd, we went around met a bunch of cousins and aunties and uncles and grandmas, and grandfathers.... and I learned that the town I was to stay in was actually called Okagyakrom, not Jasikan. Fun fact, they speak a dialect called lelimy here. Very very difficult and drives me crazy haha. I have tried to learn a few simple phrases but I honestly sound like an idiot. So I try to avoid talking at all haha. My sleeping quarters is this wonderful little room, with a bed and window, a table, and a wonderful fan haha. It's green so it makes me happy whenever I'm there. The bathroom is a community outside cleaning area for the whole Bediako Site, and it has two outside showers, two toilets but only one works. They're under a roof top BUT AT LEAST ITS SHOWERS WITH WATER PRESSURE!!!! Let's give a minute to thank the makers of water pressure.............................. Haha. Yes water pressure is amazing, there wasn't any in my Cape Coast home. I was in heaven, though the mosquitoes and odd bugs that are around are quite daunting when they're looking right at you.
The next day we went to meet a couple of the schools I'd be teaching at, I woke up a little late so we got off to a later start but we went by a clinic and three schools so I was excited about everything!! One of the schools headmistresses even said she'd stop by after church on Sunday to say hi. She's by far one of my favorite people here. I'm so anxious about teaching. I agreed to teach those schools regularly, for the rest of the time I'm here, two days at each school, four classes at each, in health education. I even get to create my own curriculum!!! Seriously this couldn't be a more perfect fit. I love this place. Friday was African Union Day, so all of Africa was holiday. I love this week of relaxing and getting to know the people and the wonderful kids. They make my job and being away from home 1000000000XXXX easier :) I'm so happy about making this choice for this program with the Ladybug Project Inc, and Bediako Youth Aids Foundation... This trip has already been seriously life changing. I can't wait for what these next few months have in store for me!!!!
Keep reading, I'll post about my first work days soon!!!!
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