The orphanage

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This afternoon was good. It is a 30 minute walk to the orphanage, so we all walked up as a group. We go past a massive dumping site, like a rubbish tip. I have never seen anything like it. Rubbish, everywhere. With people burning the mounds of trash, small fires smouldering. It's really bizarre walking through Teshie-Nungua as small children literally come up to you and say "good afternoon" or "hello, how are you?" and hold their hands out for a high five. I thought it was a myth, or a stereotype from what I'd read online, but it's 100% true.



As I walked into the orphanage, a small girl (whose name, I later found out, was Destiny), jumped up at me to be picked up. It was like she knew me and I was an old friend. Very bizarre, but most of the kids are like that. We took the little ones outside (they were all between 2 and 4, so not yet at school) and read books with them, generally allowed them to jump all over us, and gave them rides on our shoulders round the courtyard. They also had a frisbee, and a football. Grace (Destiny's twin sister) was having a great time finding all the different colours in my hair, and pointing out "blue""pink" etc. A little boy called Nini wouldn't leave me alone and clung to me for quite a while, demanding stories and just sitting on my lap. The older kids got in from school about half an hour after we arrived, and came up to all of us for hi fives. Each one asked me "What is your name?" and I'd say "My name is Debbie, what is your name?" and they'd tell me. Rebecca was 10 and wanted to help me read to the little ones. Awesome kid. Another one who was cute was Blessing, the tiniest little girl with the saddest face - she has just come out of hospital as she had an operation. Her stomach is distended, like you used to see on those charity adverts. One of the former volunteers raised the money for her operation, which I just think is amazing. All in all, the orphanage isn't a bad place. It's definitely NOT like the sterotype of children with dirty faces, and no clothes other than a loin cloth. They are clean, and not badly fed. They're small, but not skinny. They wear normal clothes - the girls in little dresses and the boys in tshirts and shorts. The 5 year olds look about 3 though! I found out that not all of them are actually orphans. Sometimes, the parents just give them away as they can't afford to keep them. So sad. They're lovely kids, so sweet, and happy to have "The Obrunis" to play with!

On the walk home (we left just before it got dark, about 6.30pm) it began to rain - hot rain. Just for 5 minutes. Randomly, some pigs wandered across our path, and some chickens. There are animals everywhere! They just roam free. Another really interesting thing I saw was a school bus, which was about the size of a people carrier/small van in the UK So would usually seat about 8 people plus driver. There were literally 20 people in there - crammed in - adults, with bigger children on their knees and tiny children on their knee! I've never seen anything like it. I guess I will get to experience it for myself when I get to go in a Tro-Tro this weekend, as we are going to the waterfalls and staying overnight there!



Dinner was served when we got back from the orphanage. Mavis (our cook) signs off work at 4pm so gets everything prepared beforehand. Tonight's dinner was spicy rice, with a boiled egg and salad with dressing. Sausages also for those who ate them. Luckily I picked up some snacks earlier - chocolate and crisps - when I was at The Brigade. As well as cans of coke and big bottles of water. You can't drink the water here, not even to brush your teeth. In the volunteer house they have water sachets for us, which are literally pouches of water that you rip open with your teeth. I can't get on with them at all! Most of it ends up down my front. So I bought a few big bottles of water to tide me over. Works out about 60p for 1.5 litres, so really not bad at all!



After dinner is down time, so I've been getting to know people. There are 20 of us in the house. Sally (from Scotland) left today. Somebody called Sarah will be taking her place. I've met most people but can't remember all names. Those I do remember now though, are Gorka (Spain), Laura (Spain), Aeyala (Spain), Steffi (Austria), Sonja (Austria), James (UK), Robbie (UK), Sarah (UK), Abbey (UK), Lauren (UK), Georgia (Australia), Geri (Italy), Sammy (The Gambia), Jasmine (Germany), and Jamal (Ghana - he is our host). Everyone is so lovely! Steffi gave me some Austrian biscuits to try which were yummy!



I managed to sneak some rice out after dinner for Rusky the dog, as he was looking at me so pitifully! The dogs have fleas though, so I don't like to get too close! But they're really sweet.



So now I'm just chilling before bed. I've found out that tomorrow, I have an orientation to do, and Steffi and Sonja are doing it too! Apparently we get to go to the markets in town, and just get to see Accra, so that's pretty cool. Means that I get a day off of school tomorrow too, which is good! It's only 9.10pm and there seems to be a split of people - half are in the lounge watching a DVD, and the rest are outside sitting on the patio and smoking and chatting (me - although now I'm blogging!)



Oh - one thing I forgot to mention in my earlier blog is that they cane the students here! They don't actually get them up the front of the class for a lashing, but instead, Lucy (their teacher) walks round with a cane and if they're talking of misbehaving, she just hits them across the arm with it. I find that quite tough to swallow, especially when one small girl broke into huge, hysterical sobs after she'd been caned!

The main thing I also noticed about the schools is that Health and Safety would have a field day here...the buildings look like they're about to fall down, the gardener/handyman is just loitering whilst the students go to the toilet in the bushes, the kids pick up and chew anything they can find....it's crazy! Actually, the UK government would be twitching at the whole of Ghana, from the open sewers you could quite easily fall down (big gullies along the side of the road) to the massive pot holes that taxis get stuck in! Rubbish everywhere, and those people who don't have toilets just go outside. Wow.



Time to wind down before bed now - I had a sheet over me last night but not one to sleep ON, so Steffi has just lent me one of her own she brought with her. Great bunch of people here! 😊



The internet has gone down (again! That is 50% of the day it doesn't work) so I will upload this whenever I get online. Pretty much everyone has gone to bed already now and it's only 9.45pm! The days do seem really long here, so much to be done!

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