Dear Beloved Blog Readers,
So much has happened over the past couple days that I don’t even know where to begin. By Friday last week Jackie and I had finally found a hostel that we liked and that is affordable AND is relatively close to work. Unfortunately, however, WUSC could not seal the deal until today (Monday) and so we were still a bit on edge this past weekend. There had been quite a bit of complication surrounding the search for more permanent accommodation but it seems to all be worked out now. We should be moving into our new hostel tonight after work and another volunteer (and good friend of ours) will be living in the hostel right next to us. J I am very excited as this hostel has a very nice kitchen and internet (5 cedis for 10 hours!)
So last Friday, at around 5pm we were all feeling a little defeated and really wanted to get out of the city and see more of Ghana. Jess and Nelly had decided that they were going to take a weekend trip to a place called Ada Foah, about 2 hours outside of Accra. I jumped aboard, so did Jackie, Inka and Marilyn (another volunteer who recently arrived). Bridget, a long term volunteer who has been living here for a while decided to come too and was our guide seeing as she had done this trip some months before. So eventually the group grew to 7. We left early
Saturday morning (7am) and went to meet bridget at the Tros-Tros station. I don`t know If I have explain the tros-tros yet but they are basically the public transportation system here in Ghana. They are these big vans (that look like they are breaking down...the door doesn`t really work properly) and they shove as many people on a bench as possible. The plus side is it is pretty cheap transportation and so you get used it. We arrived at the tros-tros station which is kinda like Ghana`s version of a Greyhound station. I think it might be called Lories? Not sure. But basically it was the craziest thing I have ever witnessed. These vans were EVERYWHERE and so were people. Stalls everywhere, markets down streets and in between the tros-tros.
Everywhere you looked there was someone balancing tons of merchandise precariously on their heads while holding some in their hands, and trying to sell it to us “Obrunies” (which is what they shout at us; translated it means “white person”). I had so many people crowding me and asking me where I was going that I couldn’t even answer, I had to just walk on. We eventually found this really nice lady who took us to the tros-tros going to Ada Foah. Once there, we realized that Bridget was waiting for us at ANOTHER tros-tros station beside the one we were in. So the lady again led us to the right place, weaving through noise, hissing, snapping , music and exhaust smoke. Finally we found where we were meant to be and we thanked the lady (with a hug and a couple of cedis) and boarded the tros-tros. It was actually a lovely ride. The scenery was beautiful outside Accra; the fields and little villages that we passed along the way were exactly how pictured Africa. This ride, in a way, was my wakeup call.
So we arrived in Ada Foah at around 11 am. Where we met some locals who were happy to take us where we wanted to go. Estuary Beach was our final destination. Bridget described it as paradise, and I have to say she was not far from the truth. The local brought us weaving through a very calm very nice little market, full of wooden stalls, and to a river where a boatman awaited. We negotiated a price (3 cedis) and hoped on. Boating down this river was absolutely gorgeous. On either side of us there were communities surrounded by palm trees. Never in my life have I seen so many beautiful palm trees. There were simple communities living mostly out of mud and grass huts, and there were beautiful beach homes (most likely privately owned property). The water was so clear and inviting, that is before we heard about the crocodiles (I did not see any but just knowing they were there was enough to deter swimming-let a long the warnings from my doctor). We arrived on the beach and there were rows of grass huts, a drink booth, and grass umbrellas near the water with lounging chairs underneath. Amazing.
It was called estuary beach because it marks the place where the ocean meets the river (or sea? I heard it being called both). We were basically on a small strip of island, and on one side was the river by which we traveled and on the other side was the Ocean. Literally right there. I had never really been in the ocean before so that alone was amazing. The sky was so blue that if you stood on the hill it was hard to see where sky ended and ocean began. The waves crashed so ferociously yet somehow, it was calming.... ok, I am being a little romantic with my writing now but I have to say, having hardly been around oceans, this was amazing. We “swam”, if you can call it that. There are no life guards in Ghana and the tide looked very dangerous so we slowly edged into the water and let the waves push us onto the shore. As we got braver, it got more fun. Afterwards we napped in hammocks under some coconut trees (cliché but it had to be done) and I got a tan! YAY.
The food was really good, which was a bit surprising considering we were quite literally in the middle of nowhere. No washrooms except a grass outhouse, no shower, but good food.
As the day wore on crabs came out of their millions of homes on the Ocean beach and danced around our feet. They were so cute! I also spent half the day picking seashells.
When night fell a giant bonfire was prepared and to our surprise and pleasure chairs were placed around the fire and we were graced with traditional African music and dance! There were a group of very good drummers, lots of signing and some cowbell! The dancers were like nothing I have ever seen. They were so fast and agile (especially considering they were dancing on sand), and the crackled of the fire behind them made it all the more mystical. After about an hour of strait dancing (and in this heat!) they invited us to come and try our hand at it, or rather or hips lol. What a workout! I am definitely taking up African dance when I come back to Canada, 10 minutes and you have lost 20 pounds and your abs are screaming for a break. I loved it.
Afterwards I retired to my grass hut on the beach. I know, cool right? There was no light and it was my first mosquito net experience... there were 3 pounds of sand in my bed but aside from that I slept well.
The following day was just as good. I walked to beach when I awoke and there were around 15 men pulling at a giant rope from the Ocean. Curiosity pricked me so I went to check it out. They were fishing! This was not fishing like we are used to it. This is HARD work. I decided to help... 2 hours of constant pulling in the African heat and still they had not pulled in the net yet. Basically, there is a giant net that they (somehow... I think by boat) cast into the ocean. At each end of the net there is a long stretch of thick rope. There are two groups of about 15-20 people each who grab each end of the rope and stand about 50 feet or more away from each other to pull it in. It took me a while to realise that the two groups were pulling at the same net. I have never sweat that much in my entire life (and I can say that in complete honesty.) The fish was meant to feed the entire village. I was soon distracted, however, by a GIANT sea turtle which had washed up on the shore. It was one of the saddest things I have ever seen. The turtle was dead... belly up but still so big and beautiful. The feeling of seeing it there for some reason filled me with so much sadness. The turtle was easily half the length of me and probably twice as wide. One thing I should note is that the pollution on the beach is unbelievable. All of the garbage from Accra gets washed up on the shore in Ada, and pollutes the peoples land and animals. Apparently, a mile or so down river there are no washrooms for the people, and so the ocean it is. I am SO glad that I learned this after I swam. There are volunteers there who are currently in the process of building toilets.
Afterwards I walked along the beach with our new friend Chris (a volunteer from BC!) who is teaching at the school there, and we went to see the actual estuary. It was nice. Calm actually.
One thing that I think Riley, you might be interested in, is the environmental work that needs to be done around the villages. The tides from the water on both sides has been slowly eroding the soil on which these people live and they estimate that if nothing is done in the next couple of years than unfortunately, this little island paradise will disappear. There were some people from Switzerland there doing some surveying and they are hoping to construct a breakwater next year... unfortunately, there has been no environmental impact assessment done, and apparently no time to do one. It gets me wondering about how a project like this might affect local fishing communities... there is Samon in the lake and they are very sensitive to changes in temperature and a breakwater is likely to affect the flow, and thus velocity of the water, and thus the temperature.... anyways I am babbling. Also a lot of pollution testing could be done... anyways Riley we should go back there sometime lol. Jess you too, a lot of marine life.
So we made our way back around 3 pm and it was a wonderful weekend all in all. We caught a tros-tros all to our selves, and some of the people who were at the beach accompanied us back to Accra. It felt really good to shower.
So this afternoon I am supposed to be moving into my new Hostel with Jackie-looking forward to having a place to settle into.
Next weekend: Cape Coast.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Hello! Eitesen!
Hello everyone!
I would just like to say that at this point that I would do anything to have internet at my hotel. You can’t really skype at internet cafes, and by the time Riley gets home from school I am usually in my bed. Long distance phone calls are pretty expensive to Ghana, and it has been hard to get a good connection. We just got cut off mid-conversation and my phone is out of credits so I couldn’t call back. In short I miss everyone in Canada and I am working on the contact thing. I really hope that wherever my accommodation is... it has internet but I think the chances of that happening are pretty slim. Lol
So things here have been picking up pace. Unfortunately this past weekend I was very ill and so unable to really go anywhere or do anything. Fortunately for me, however, it was not too serious and I have made a good recovery. I just have to go a bit slower on food and make sure I READ the labels on all my medication before I take them.
I did start work on Thursday (before the sickness hit) and there was a lot to do. So how many details I have disclosed regarding my job thus far, I don’t know, but I work in the WUSC office.
Although AFRRI radio is a program that is under the heading of GNECC, their office is located at WUSC which, conveniently enough is located really close to our hotel. AFRRI radio stands for African Farm Radio Research Initiative. It operates it many countries around Africa, however, our team is solely responsible for its implementation and operation in Ghana. Essentially, there are 5 radio stations that have agreed to play a 1 hour program (I think they are usually one hour), once a week (sometimes they repeat the program depending on the station). The program is an educational program that discusses farming practice and it is aired in a number of rural communities all over the country. The program is conducted in the local language and dialects of each community and aims at educating people on the growing, cultivation of certain crops and the keeping of farm animals as well as how to market their product and enhance the community’s overall income. (Robyn if you are reading I thought you think this is interesting... I mentioned you and apparently there used to be a volunteer from CBC working on it J) . Also, I should mention that the program differs depending on the needs of each community (i.e.: one community might be listening to a program on Animals housing while at the same time another community is learning about the cultivation of a specific crop)
Most of these communities are hardly educated as they are most often isolated and so this initiative offers really great opportunities.
We have arrived at a time where they were in-putting and analyzing the data that has been collected in the field regarding the first “campaign” or round of programs. The data entry process has been pretty demanding considering this is our first week here but that seems to have come to an end and analysis and report writing is about to begin.
For the past two days we have had the privilege of attending a two-day meeting aimed at creating an outline for the next 5 year plan for Unitterra (the volunteer organisation that has sent us here). It has been really interesting! First we learned about the workings of Uniterra and what the organisation (through volunteer work) has accomplished over the past 5 years. Then we have been divided into groups in order to discuss the topics that may require emphasis in Uniterra’s mandate for the next 5 years. We have been talking about the quality of education, exclusion and accessibility of education and vocational training with a special focus on girls, gender sensitivity and equity. My team in particular has been trying to develop strategies and activities that can be implemented in order to enhance the quality of education for girls in Ghana. I have learned a lot about the education system here.
There is a lot of work to be done in teacher training on gender sensitive issues, the lack of teachers (especially female) in rural areas, and the overall quality of education (although it must be noted that a lot has been accomplished in the past couple of years). For example, in many areas, girls do not have women role models or teachers to look up too, they may be overburden with chores and therefore suffer lower grades, and many schools lack facilities that are gender friendly (such as girls washrooms and sports programs).
I know a lot of you may be wondering about my accommodation...so am I. I was told I will find out on Monday, then told Wednesday... now maybe Thursday? Anyways, don’t worry. For the time being I have a nice hotel room until I find suitable (and safe) accommodation
I bought some phone credits so I should be able to text! (with my new African phone)
Anyways I will write more soon!
Love and miss everyone!
Cassie
I would just like to say that at this point that I would do anything to have internet at my hotel. You can’t really skype at internet cafes, and by the time Riley gets home from school I am usually in my bed. Long distance phone calls are pretty expensive to Ghana, and it has been hard to get a good connection. We just got cut off mid-conversation and my phone is out of credits so I couldn’t call back. In short I miss everyone in Canada and I am working on the contact thing. I really hope that wherever my accommodation is... it has internet but I think the chances of that happening are pretty slim. Lol
So things here have been picking up pace. Unfortunately this past weekend I was very ill and so unable to really go anywhere or do anything. Fortunately for me, however, it was not too serious and I have made a good recovery. I just have to go a bit slower on food and make sure I READ the labels on all my medication before I take them.
I did start work on Thursday (before the sickness hit) and there was a lot to do. So how many details I have disclosed regarding my job thus far, I don’t know, but I work in the WUSC office.
Although AFRRI radio is a program that is under the heading of GNECC, their office is located at WUSC which, conveniently enough is located really close to our hotel. AFRRI radio stands for African Farm Radio Research Initiative. It operates it many countries around Africa, however, our team is solely responsible for its implementation and operation in Ghana. Essentially, there are 5 radio stations that have agreed to play a 1 hour program (I think they are usually one hour), once a week (sometimes they repeat the program depending on the station). The program is an educational program that discusses farming practice and it is aired in a number of rural communities all over the country. The program is conducted in the local language and dialects of each community and aims at educating people on the growing, cultivation of certain crops and the keeping of farm animals as well as how to market their product and enhance the community’s overall income. (Robyn if you are reading I thought you think this is interesting... I mentioned you and apparently there used to be a volunteer from CBC working on it J) . Also, I should mention that the program differs depending on the needs of each community (i.e.: one community might be listening to a program on Animals housing while at the same time another community is learning about the cultivation of a specific crop)
Most of these communities are hardly educated as they are most often isolated and so this initiative offers really great opportunities.
We have arrived at a time where they were in-putting and analyzing the data that has been collected in the field regarding the first “campaign” or round of programs. The data entry process has been pretty demanding considering this is our first week here but that seems to have come to an end and analysis and report writing is about to begin.
For the past two days we have had the privilege of attending a two-day meeting aimed at creating an outline for the next 5 year plan for Unitterra (the volunteer organisation that has sent us here). It has been really interesting! First we learned about the workings of Uniterra and what the organisation (through volunteer work) has accomplished over the past 5 years. Then we have been divided into groups in order to discuss the topics that may require emphasis in Uniterra’s mandate for the next 5 years. We have been talking about the quality of education, exclusion and accessibility of education and vocational training with a special focus on girls, gender sensitivity and equity. My team in particular has been trying to develop strategies and activities that can be implemented in order to enhance the quality of education for girls in Ghana. I have learned a lot about the education system here.
There is a lot of work to be done in teacher training on gender sensitive issues, the lack of teachers (especially female) in rural areas, and the overall quality of education (although it must be noted that a lot has been accomplished in the past couple of years). For example, in many areas, girls do not have women role models or teachers to look up too, they may be overburden with chores and therefore suffer lower grades, and many schools lack facilities that are gender friendly (such as girls washrooms and sports programs).
I know a lot of you may be wondering about my accommodation...so am I. I was told I will find out on Monday, then told Wednesday... now maybe Thursday? Anyways, don’t worry. For the time being I have a nice hotel room until I find suitable (and safe) accommodation
I bought some phone credits so I should be able to text! (with my new African phone)
Anyways I will write more soon!
Love and miss everyone!
Cassie
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A few days in...
Hello Everyone!
I have only been here a few days but already I feel like I have experienced so much. I am not going to write this too poetically due to time and internet constraints, but I do have a lot to say.
The plane ride convinced me that Air Canada economy class is not the best ride lol. I was jammed in the middle of two people, (in the middle isle) and in front of me were 3... that’s right 3 babies which cried for most of the trip. The take off was fun ( I love take offs) but the trip felt like forever and no matter how hard I tried, sleep was impossible. There is just no position that was confortable. The travel pillow that Brandon and Robyn gave me served as something cuddly to hug though which was great.
London was very neat. I loved the accents and just listening to people talk. The airport alone convinced me that I want to go back sometime .
Then our flight got delayed by 5 hours (once we were in the terminal ready to board) so we did not arrive in Ghana until 3:30 am and 4am at the hotel. I made a call to my mom and to home.
The Hotel is really nice. At first I thought it was the WUSC guesthouse- but I guess it is a hotel. It feels more like a house with a lot of rooms. My bathroom has a big tub and shower which I was super excited to use (mind you I t did not really work for the first two days). Last night the water was not working and so I washed out of a bucket. Interesting experience. Lol I actually loved it. It was very refreshing. The water only came back on a day later.
So we slept in the next morning but had eggs and toast for breakfast. It was very good. Supper was better though. It was this battered chicken , rice, and sause for the rice. It was SOOOOO good. I need to learn how to cook like that.
We also walked down the street for a while. There are lizards everywhere! The houses are kind of like they were in Mexico. The roads are mostly dirt but many are paved ( although not well) and there are no sidewalks anywhere. MANY roadside businesses. People selling stuff everywhere but they dont hassle you - instead they want to talk to you or take your picture. You work up a sweat just by steping outside though, so to get anywhere takes a while.
That night we were invited to a party by another volunteer's friend. 5 of us went- it was a engagement party. We realised after we arrived that we were actually crashing someone's pre-wedding party! The tables and walls were decorated beautifully and the music was really fun (mostly in the local language twi). It didnt take long before family members came and greeted us and started talking. The owner of the house that it was at was the brother of the groom. He was very nice actually and sat and talked with me pretty much the whole night. It was held in the yard, under the stars.
They brought some food to our table and I tried a goat meat skewer, which I am sure that I have never had before. It had A LOT of spices.... it was good but the next day I felt pretty sick. I guess we have to go slow on the local food and the spices (which are on everything). All in all though it was a lot of fun!
The next day I took things pretty easy. Met a bit if the locals and wandered around. I was supposed to go to the beach but I didn't feel well and wanted to take it easy.
Then In-country orientation started and it started at 9 am which still feels really early to us. It lasts all this week. We eat breakfast at 8:30 am and then start. Patience (the coordinator) is really nice. We were supposed to go buy cellphones but all of the one's around costed 55 cedis and we only want it for 3 months and we hear we could get cheaper ones at the Accra Mall. So a couple of us decided to share a taxi to the mall.... in rush hour....longest taxi ride ever! It only cost 6 cedis but we went through the slums, and through streets of mansions... the poverty divide is quite huge. We went through things that weren't even streets to avoid highway traffic until finally we went on the highway and reached the mall. It is like any western mall actually. You can get anything there but usually for more than in the markets. We got phones for 35 cedis.
Driving in Ghana is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen in my life. There are no road signs AT ALL. No stop lights or no crosswalks.We nearly got hit 600 times. Then our friend ( who actually turns out to be a really nice guyone of the volunteers knows from Canada) informs us that he bought his liscence. It is real, but apparently there was no test. Most people in Ghana, although required to write the test, just “buy” their liscence for the right price instead. Apparently tests are a “money grab” and administrations will just fail people so that they will have to pay again. So now you can only imagine what driving in Ghana is like.
I found out I am not living with a host family. On Monday my partner organisation will take me looking for accomodations and I will get to pick one. No idea who I am living with yet or what the sitch is. I will be working at the Ghana WUSC office though on the AFRI project which sounds pretty cool. Through most of my work is office I was assured that I will get some field work too. Because we are so close to WUSC Jackie and I can start on this Thursday. Looking forward to it.
The food is delicious... fried plantanes are pretty good. The fish is not bad and the chicken and rice are fantastic. There is a lot more variety than I thought.
Today orientation was very long but interesting and I learned alot about education and gender equity. Tomorrow we are going to have a crash course on Twi..the local language. We are now in charge of providing our own dinners so that is interesting lol. Last night we just bought fruit from the local market. Best mango and pinaple of my life.
So this has basically been what I have been up to. I should be getting internet more so I can write a bit more about the food, culture, and what I learn. I will try and update pictures another day too. I have a lot.
I love and miss all of my friends and family back home in Canada and I wish you were all here with me.
Cassie
I have only been here a few days but already I feel like I have experienced so much. I am not going to write this too poetically due to time and internet constraints, but I do have a lot to say.
The plane ride convinced me that Air Canada economy class is not the best ride lol. I was jammed in the middle of two people, (in the middle isle) and in front of me were 3... that’s right 3 babies which cried for most of the trip. The take off was fun ( I love take offs) but the trip felt like forever and no matter how hard I tried, sleep was impossible. There is just no position that was confortable. The travel pillow that Brandon and Robyn gave me served as something cuddly to hug though which was great.
London was very neat. I loved the accents and just listening to people talk. The airport alone convinced me that I want to go back sometime .
Then our flight got delayed by 5 hours (once we were in the terminal ready to board) so we did not arrive in Ghana until 3:30 am and 4am at the hotel. I made a call to my mom and to home.
The Hotel is really nice. At first I thought it was the WUSC guesthouse- but I guess it is a hotel. It feels more like a house with a lot of rooms. My bathroom has a big tub and shower which I was super excited to use (mind you I t did not really work for the first two days). Last night the water was not working and so I washed out of a bucket. Interesting experience. Lol I actually loved it. It was very refreshing. The water only came back on a day later.
So we slept in the next morning but had eggs and toast for breakfast. It was very good. Supper was better though. It was this battered chicken , rice, and sause for the rice. It was SOOOOO good. I need to learn how to cook like that.
We also walked down the street for a while. There are lizards everywhere! The houses are kind of like they were in Mexico. The roads are mostly dirt but many are paved ( although not well) and there are no sidewalks anywhere. MANY roadside businesses. People selling stuff everywhere but they dont hassle you - instead they want to talk to you or take your picture. You work up a sweat just by steping outside though, so to get anywhere takes a while.
That night we were invited to a party by another volunteer's friend. 5 of us went- it was a engagement party. We realised after we arrived that we were actually crashing someone's pre-wedding party! The tables and walls were decorated beautifully and the music was really fun (mostly in the local language twi). It didnt take long before family members came and greeted us and started talking. The owner of the house that it was at was the brother of the groom. He was very nice actually and sat and talked with me pretty much the whole night. It was held in the yard, under the stars.
They brought some food to our table and I tried a goat meat skewer, which I am sure that I have never had before. It had A LOT of spices.... it was good but the next day I felt pretty sick. I guess we have to go slow on the local food and the spices (which are on everything). All in all though it was a lot of fun!
The next day I took things pretty easy. Met a bit if the locals and wandered around. I was supposed to go to the beach but I didn't feel well and wanted to take it easy.
Then In-country orientation started and it started at 9 am which still feels really early to us. It lasts all this week. We eat breakfast at 8:30 am and then start. Patience (the coordinator) is really nice. We were supposed to go buy cellphones but all of the one's around costed 55 cedis and we only want it for 3 months and we hear we could get cheaper ones at the Accra Mall. So a couple of us decided to share a taxi to the mall.... in rush hour....longest taxi ride ever! It only cost 6 cedis but we went through the slums, and through streets of mansions... the poverty divide is quite huge. We went through things that weren't even streets to avoid highway traffic until finally we went on the highway and reached the mall. It is like any western mall actually. You can get anything there but usually for more than in the markets. We got phones for 35 cedis.
Driving in Ghana is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen in my life. There are no road signs AT ALL. No stop lights or no crosswalks.We nearly got hit 600 times. Then our friend ( who actually turns out to be a really nice guyone of the volunteers knows from Canada) informs us that he bought his liscence. It is real, but apparently there was no test. Most people in Ghana, although required to write the test, just “buy” their liscence for the right price instead. Apparently tests are a “money grab” and administrations will just fail people so that they will have to pay again. So now you can only imagine what driving in Ghana is like.
I found out I am not living with a host family. On Monday my partner organisation will take me looking for accomodations and I will get to pick one. No idea who I am living with yet or what the sitch is. I will be working at the Ghana WUSC office though on the AFRI project which sounds pretty cool. Through most of my work is office I was assured that I will get some field work too. Because we are so close to WUSC Jackie and I can start on this Thursday. Looking forward to it.
The food is delicious... fried plantanes are pretty good. The fish is not bad and the chicken and rice are fantastic. There is a lot more variety than I thought.
Today orientation was very long but interesting and I learned alot about education and gender equity. Tomorrow we are going to have a crash course on Twi..the local language. We are now in charge of providing our own dinners so that is interesting lol. Last night we just bought fruit from the local market. Best mango and pinaple of my life.
So this has basically been what I have been up to. I should be getting internet more so I can write a bit more about the food, culture, and what I learn. I will try and update pictures another day too. I have a lot.
I love and miss all of my friends and family back home in Canada and I wish you were all here with me.
Cassie
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Pre-departure
I can hardly believe it. In only 2 hours I will be making my way towards the Ottawa airport, where I will be nervously awaiting the flight that just might change my life. I am going to Ghana (located on the west coast of Africa, for those of you who don't know), and I am very excited. I have been fluctuating between excited and nervous everyday for the past week, but overall I think it will be amazing.
I am going with an organisation called WUSC through their programs Students Without Borders and Uniterra. It's a little confusing, but WUSC is a very reputable and remarkable organisation.
I will be working with a organisation... well it is more like a social movement which relies heavily on civil society organisations such as NGO's as well as proffessionals. In short, I am going to be working with the Ghanain National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) whose mission is to ensure the provision of primary education to all Ghanain children. More specifically I will be working on one of GNECC's campaigns the "AFRI radio project". I have to admit that I do not know much about this project as of now, except that it is an educational radio program. I will know more details once I arrive. I will be mostly doing data entry, data analysis and report writing; but I will hopefully get a bit field work in before the end of my placement. Oh yes, and I forgot to mention that I will be there for almost four months.
I will be staying with a host family which I cannot wait to meet. I am so excited to learn how to cook and live Ghanain and it will be a wonderful experience to live with locals.
Also, I am not a very experienced flyer. I have been on a plane once before, and I have loved it. The sensation of going up into the air is wonderful-almost like going up in a roller coaster. I really hope I can look out the window as everything turns into little toys cities, houses and cars.
I am also looking forward to my stop-over in London, England. I won't be able to leave the airport but at least I can say that I've done a bit of shopping in London!
Anyways, 1.5 hours left before I hit the airport. Riley is making a delicious meal for me before I go (pasta with garlic saussage). My last meal in Canada for four months.
Cassie
I am going with an organisation called WUSC through their programs Students Without Borders and Uniterra. It's a little confusing, but WUSC is a very reputable and remarkable organisation.
I will be working with a organisation... well it is more like a social movement which relies heavily on civil society organisations such as NGO's as well as proffessionals. In short, I am going to be working with the Ghanain National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) whose mission is to ensure the provision of primary education to all Ghanain children. More specifically I will be working on one of GNECC's campaigns the "AFRI radio project". I have to admit that I do not know much about this project as of now, except that it is an educational radio program. I will know more details once I arrive. I will be mostly doing data entry, data analysis and report writing; but I will hopefully get a bit field work in before the end of my placement. Oh yes, and I forgot to mention that I will be there for almost four months.
I will be staying with a host family which I cannot wait to meet. I am so excited to learn how to cook and live Ghanain and it will be a wonderful experience to live with locals.
Also, I am not a very experienced flyer. I have been on a plane once before, and I have loved it. The sensation of going up into the air is wonderful-almost like going up in a roller coaster. I really hope I can look out the window as everything turns into little toys cities, houses and cars.
I am also looking forward to my stop-over in London, England. I won't be able to leave the airport but at least I can say that I've done a bit of shopping in London!
Anyways, 1.5 hours left before I hit the airport. Riley is making a delicious meal for me before I go (pasta with garlic saussage). My last meal in Canada for four months.
Cassie
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