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I've been back in the UK now for just over three weeks. Despite being away for only a month, a relatively short period, I have really experienced some culture shock...strangely even more so than when we arrived in Ghana. I have definitely felt like it's taken time to readjust, physically, mentally and emotionally.
When I was living at Buduburam I felt like I was seeing and hearing things, but not really comprehending them deeply. Because day-to-day life on camp is constantly about seeing people living in these conditions, hearing the most awful stories of war, violence and loss, and experiencing the suffering first hand, you almost toughen up to it. As I mentioned before you stay on a level, where you are neither up nor down, it's more that you are just coping with everything you experience and always ready for the next challenge.
And then, you get home. And it hits you.
Maybe it's because now I'm home, in my comfortable life I have time to sit down and actually think about what I saw and experienced. My over-riding feeling is of guilt. I feel like I should still be there, should be giving more. Being
back in the UK, with the lovely shops, cleanliness, fancy air conditioned transport, well it really felt odd at first.
I find myself thinking of the refugees, particularly the children that I had grown so fond of. I miss my little friends from the camp, especially Eric and Athena, two of the little ones who always came to the library. Eric, who's about 5, was my favourite. (I know you're not supposed to have favourites but...) he used to come in, pick up a book and tell me he was reading it. He'd sit there in deep concentration. A few times I went over to him to find that actually, he was sitting with the book upside down but because no one had taught him to read, he didn't even know. I used to sing nursery rhymes to him when he was sad. Ah now I'm reminiscing...I miss those kids!
I feel sad that for us, it was a great month long experience. For them it's life, a struggle every single day, and who knows when things will get better? I've spoken to Debbie and she has felt the same. It's very surreal to be home, and I
think we've both felt a bit dazed.
I'm thinking of ways to raise money for the HIV clients, I'm hoping to raise enough money to pay for all five of them to have six months rent covered. I'll be doing that over the next few weeks.
I'm still in touch with many of the freinds I made at Buduburam, volunteers and refugees. Other volunteers have emailed me camp updates which have been great to hear (there has been some scandalous gossip about certain volunteers. Kids! No morals these days!) Favour, Harrison, Beatrice and Abendego have all been in touch too. Apparently Favour's stall is still up and running, and the press club is going well.
The Vision printed the children's section, and will continue to do so! 😊 Beatrice and Abendego have been in touch with updates on the HIV clients, apparently one in particular is in a very bad way. It would be too easy to slip back into my normal life and forget these people, and I'm determined not to do it.
Volunteering at Buduburam really was a life changing experience. Seeing how other people live, and getting an understanding of a different culture is
such an amazing thing. Also, living amongst a society that is so different to your own, but where people and human nature is fundamentally the same makes you realise how much we have and how lucky we are . People everywhere are basically the same, the difference being what we have, and what we don't have. The images we see of refugee camps on the television and in newspapers always paint a picture of sad lifeless children, and desperate crying parents. It's real, but there is much more to it than that. The Liberian people were amazingly strong, coping with everything that life has thrown at them. It's very humbling actually. Now if I'm feeling down, I think 'well if those refugees can still smile, so can I'.
I may not have caught malaria during my time in Africa, but I definitely caught the travel bug! I want to get out there and see as much of the world as I can, find out about different cultures, and make friends everywhere. It's so exciting! Travel opens your eyes. I want to write about all my adventures too. This travel blog started off as a means of letting my friends
know what I was upto, and reassuring my mother that I was still alive 😊 But I found that during my time in Ghana it kept me sane, it helped to write about everything. I hope other people have enjoyed reading it too.
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Roy
non-member comment
Me too !!!
Thank you for telling of your feelings about Buduburam. I have never been but have been supporting a girl called Gladys Sieh fir about three years --- though bad times and worse times --- there are few good times are there? She is trying to become a hairdresser --- and I am trying to raise a few hundred pounds to set her off on the right path. My trouble is that I find it hard to understand her life and needs --- and what you have said makes it easier. Thanks for sharing your feelings --- I wish you lived near Hereford so we could fund raise together ! God Bless Roy