Last week I started at a new placement on Thursday afternoons at a place called EPTRA. It is a micro-financing company and goes from house to house or store to store and collects money. In return they give it back to them at the end of the month. The mission is to teach people how to save money. Most of the homes and stores are in the Zongo which is the Muslim community. I saw so many different things while traveling since I was actually stepping into the homes and store it was hard to take it all in for the first time. The woman that I work with Vida, is so funny and has such a wonderful personality to work with. She was forcing me to speak Ewe to the clients and it was a great learning experience. I will be doing that every Thursday afternoon and it will be a nice change of pace from working with the kiddos.
This weekend was quite an adventure as we were really unsure of what to expect. We spent the night in Accra which is the capital of Ghana. Accra does not impress me at all. Around Accra big businesses have attempted to come in and “Westernize” Ghana. However, they might put in a big billboard or set up a store but behind the store is a whole community of huts and just filth. Like any city, there is a lot of poverty, but it is a different kind of poverty that I see in the rural community that I live in. In most of the city, there was garbage everywhere and people just hanging out in a dirty mess. Although we may not have been in the “nice” part of the city it was still very disheartening to me that all of these companies, especially cellphone companies come and set up and force their business of people when there is so much more that can be done instead of trying to Westernize a culture that doesn’t really know or want to be Westernized.
On Saturday we traveled to a small island! We got dropped off at the tro-tro station, walked through a small village and then got on a small wooden boat to make our way to the island. The island was beautiful. It wasn’t truly an island but it was close enough. The whole boat ride I could see the small villages on the river and the sun was so bright reflecting off the water is was breathtaking. We arrived on the island and were shown to our huts. I literally mean huts. There were two beds with mosquito nets and that was it. The sand was floor and there was a straw roof. It was actually pretty amazing. The bathrooms were outside and it was truly living in a rural community. The island is set up so that on one side of the island the Volta River meets the Atlantic ocean and made a calm sea water area we were able to swim in. Then on the other side of the island was the Atlantic ocean and we were able to jump the roaring waves! I love the beauty of nature so much! We arrived around dinner time and just hung out, talked with other volunteers that we met there. While we were waiting for our food, we asked the cook if we were able to see turtles on the beach, since at this point we realized that we were in the opposite direction of the actual turtle reservation and about 3 hours away. She said that every once in a while a turtle would come ashore and usually late at night, around midnight.
So we just hung out at the beach and around midnight, of course I would be exact, I asked if anyone wanted to go turtle watching along the beach. Nobody really wanted to go so Piper and Krista amused me and came walking with me. The moon was full in the sky and there were no clouds and a million stars. It was a gorgeous night and I couldn’t help but just stare at the sky. We were walking along the beach, which was littered with tons and tons of garbage and about 50 feet away I saw something dark and the moon was reflecting off of it. We started walking towards it and every once in a while it would move a little and at that point we thought it was a plastic bag blowing in the wind. As we got closer, we realized it was actually a SEA TURTLE! She was coming up from the ocean. It was so sad to watch her walk through the garbage but amazing to watch her walking in the sand. I quickly ran back to get the others and we all just sat on the beach about four feet away from her and watched her lay her eggs. She was working so hard to dig the hole and lay the eggs that she had to stop and take a rest every now and then. It was one of the most magical things that I have ever witnessed in my life. It started to pour and we went back to the huts so we were unable to see her walk back to the ocean but when we went back at 2:30 she was already gone. back to the huts so we were unable to see her walk back to the ocean but when we went back at 2:30 she was already gone.
Today at school was a bit frustrating. I rode up in the van and saw that all the kids were in their straight line ready to march and do their pledge and say their school motto but there was only one teacher there. I now have 12 children in my class starting today which was great, however, Godwin, the one teacher that was there, made all of my children move their desks over to his canopy and he had me teach both classes while he blasted his music and sat and listened in the back of the classroom. I didn’t mind teaching both classes but the teacher was clearly trying to make a point that he was going to do nothing and just watch me. I had to think quick on my feet and change my lesson plan so that now I could teach 6-14 year olds. Just another exciting adventure! I love my kids and I am developing a deeper bond with them every day! I couldn’t wait to get back and see them today after the weekend! I adore them and they make me smile every day!
I hope you are all enjoying fall!
Lots of love from Africa!
Steph
No comments:
Post a Comment