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Group1 Zina Blog2 / Ghana - Afadjato

WOW just spent my first week in Ghana; it’s been great but really hot! We are currently in rainy season but you wouldn’t know it by the temperature outside during the day. Our first night here we had a huge storm the thunder was ssssooooo loud, you felt like it was in the room with you and the lightning actually came out from behind the curtains!

Monday was cool, busy, but cool. We met up at Waterloo train station in London, and headed for a photo shoot \ press conference at Lambeth College which was mad, photos, and radio and MTV interviews! Then we had a tour of the Houses of Parliament and met a minister for DFID from Burnley, which is where my granddad comes from so that was fun! Monday did turn out to be a late one and quite nerve-racking as we all discovered that our luggage was way over the limit. But only one person got charged so that was ok.

Tuesday was a loonnnggg day we traveled to Frankfurt in Germany and then to Lagos in Nigeria and were delayed on the way as there was a huge storm in Nigeria when we arrived! Finally we got to Accra. The plane was cool; I had my own TV on the back of the seat in front of me, got to watch Juno and 27 dresses which were both cool. When we arrived we met our project supervisor, he’s only 20 but quite cool and laid back, this is his first time as a supervisor so he’s quite apprehensive about how it will all go but V. positive as well! We are volunteering in the Volta Region which is where he is from so that’s good, he’ll know all the good places to go!

From Wednesday onwards we had orientation sessions in Accra, the capital city it was wonderful! We met our support staff from the partner organization called SYTO. Quite a few characters to meet there !!!!!!!! Our first day consisted of a drumming and dancing lesson where we learnt a dance usually performed by the young people at times of celebration in the Greater Accra Region. I bought a drum which was cool and learnt both my Ghanaian names which are Akuia, in Tui and Aku in Ewe meaning Wednesday born! We also visited the super market which was funny; strangely it was very expensive as most things had been imported from Europe and the UK… OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!!!

On Thursday we had our first EWE lesson, as that is the local language of where we will be volunteering, in the Volta region. It was very fun and a lot to take in, Marin, one of the other volunteers has taken to it like duck to water tho!!!!!!! We also had a talk about the various tourist sites across Ghana, so I can’t wait to get exploring!!!!!!!!

Friday we got to explore Accra, we visited a museum dedicated to the first prime minister of Ghana, formerly known as Gold coast as gold is the product it exports once it gained independence from the British. His name was Kwame Nkrumah and he sounded like a cool guy focused on trying to unite Africa and progress and development always talked about forward movement, saw pictures of him dancing with the Queen too which was great! After that we visited a culture centre at which Katy, one of the other volunteers and I both bought a painting we didn’t want! Note to other volunteers everybody loves to be known as a ‘painter’ and WILL try and sell you a painting EVERYWHERE YOU GO!!!!! LOL!

Today was fun too! We had a introductory lesson in preparing Ghanaian food, collectively we made Jeloff rice and chicken, plantain and also a spinach like stew, I do know the name but not quite sure on how its spelt! Sorry! The food was great and it really did help the group to bond well. After which we got to enjoy sometime at the beach…..nice……… the sun was hot and the sea was wonderful. I’m quite excited at the moment tho as we will be traveling to see the village that will soon become our new home…………… Its going to be great I know !!!!!!!!!

Will try and keep you posted on how it all goes!!!!!!!!!!!