Kumasi

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So far in Kumasi I have been working at a few orphanages here, I want to do a lot more, but I am trying to spend my free time preparing for the weeks to come. I met a man here named Osei Tutu we talked for a while and he told me that there were no professional photographers here in Ghana. It turns out that his brother is the King of Ashanti and has been wanting a descent portrait. So right now its still up in the air but I am invited over for dinner next week to discuss this arrangement with the king. I think that it would be a great opportunity as long as it does not interfere with any of my other plans.

Friday morning I am going to be taking a 7 hour bus ride to the Refugee camp. I am going to be meeting with the camp manager and will be discussing with him about some of the needs in the camp. Of course I will be writing articles and taking pictures, that’s a given. But I really want to help in a tangible way. I know that there is a lack of basic hygienic/medical supplies, and I was thinking about bringing a lot of the supplies to the camp. Right now it looks like I will be going to the camp around February the 16 and will be there for a month. In a week I will be going up for a city called Tamale to meet with a guy I met on the plane coming to Ghana. Their company drills wells for the villages in the north and I would love to help. There is also the opportunity to help with the construction of a school. I am still open to either option and I am eager to se where this trip takes me.

This place is great, the people here are very friendly and call me bruni. (Whitey) But it has been crazy here since the Africa cup is being hosted by Ghana. When theres a game at night, the streets are flooded with people; all of them cheering for the black stars.

I have been think a lot about how I am going to help the people in this camp. I firmly believe that photography evokes a sense of humanity and if used effectively can inspire people to make a difference. This
is where I am confused. I cannot just send stories home, inspire people to make a difference, then just leave them hanging without a direction. I want to equip people to help, I want to make it easy to help. And I want to help the people in need. This is what I have been praying about, how to make a lasting difference and how to help people in the church to make a difference.

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