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This is my final travel blog entry for the time I have spent in Africa over the past year, and I arrived at Heathrow on exactly the same day as I left last summer to begin my adventures! It has truly been a life-changing experience, and leaving Ghana was particularly sad. I feel very lucky to have been part of Alpha Beta School for the past 10 months, as well as sharing some brilliant experiences with my parents when they visited me in June- we had a fantastic trip and it was great to see more of Ghana.
There is so much I will miss about my time in Accra- too much to document- but mainly the small things regarding daily life in this African capital city. The shouts of the ‘tro tro mates’ giving their destinations as these African buses pass my building; seeing children going to school in the morning wearing their bright uniforms, and often walking in a line holding hands as they are responsible for also taking their much younger siblings to school; mothers and aunties of my children arriving at Alpha Beta in the afternoon, not a pushchair in sight as they carry
tiny babies or toddlers tied to their backs with beautiful African material; passing through the small communities in the early evening to see groups of children walking with their buckets to collect water for an evening bath; and groups of young men sitting outside their small shops playing cards or checkers as the sun is setting.
One element I have found difficult about living in the capital city of a developing country is the very clear divide between rich and poor. I have seen much poverty in Africa during my volunteer experiences, but around Accra there are some areas where it sparks a deep sense of sadness and compassion when I see how some people have to live… The slum areas are particularly bleak, and also seeing disabled or homeless people who are literally wearing rags and will sit at the side of the road asking for money. These are the people that really need some form of support system, but there is some hope that the new government elected last November will be doing more…
My parents had a brilliant trip to Ghana, and it was great to be able to introduce them
to everyone at school as well as enjoying a 9 day tour with them around parts of the Northern region and to Cape Coast. We travelled entirely by road, and I particularly enjoyed the journey up to the Northern town of Sirigu. The rainforest savannah in this area is beautiful and I loved seeing life in the really rural communities, particularly in the evenings when women would be sitting outside their huts cooking food; young boys were playing football on makeshift pitches; and children would be gathered around the water pumps, either to collect water or sometimes small children would be completely naked, sitting in a large washbowl and having their bath! It also never ceases to amaze me when I see the skill and strength of people carrying all forms of items on their heads- rice sacks, piles of wood, huge bowls of water, trays piled high with fruit or nuts, to name a few- I seriously don’t know how they do it! We saw so much during our trip, and also had a very successful visit to Mole National Park where we saw elephants during our walking safari.
It was really hard to leave the
children I have been teaching at Alpha Beta and all the friends I have made, as they have become my ‘family’ during my time here, but I know I will be back to visit them all and to do more travelling in Ghana. It will also be great to spend time at home with people, and to make real preparations for heading to Mozambique in September.
After having spent the past year in different parts of Africa, I now feel as if I have two homes; the UK where I had a great upbringing, so many fantastic opportunities and the place where I always return to my family and many great friends; and Africa where I have learnt so much about a completely different way of life, have experienced incredible generosity, trust and beauty of spirit from people who have so little, and where I have also learnt so much about myself and the future that I want… Wherever I have been over the last four years, Africa remains in my heart and I know it always will.
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