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Published: December 9th 2012
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Apologies for the lack of blog entries over the last month and a half- School has been very busy, and I was also feeling a little anxious about writing another blog entry after my last one caused a little upset with one or two readers. :os
I am very sorry for the way I phrased some sections of my previous blog, and I would like to stress again that it was in no way aimed at any of the lovely people and children I know in England- It was simply a personal reflection on some of the frustrations I have experienced in my teaching, and occasionally experience with some aspects of British society. I know now that I should have perhaps made this clearer, and that I could have phrased some parts of it more sensitively. I feel extremely grateful for the opportunities and upbringing I have had in the UK, both of which have allowed me to explore different parts of the world and find a place where I am truly content to live and teach. I am also extremely grateful for my wonderful friends and family who have never tried to hold me back, but instead have supported
me throughout this huge life-changing decision; I would like to dedicate this final blog entry for the year to all of you, and thank you for all your support!!
It has been an amazing five months, in three different African countries, and I have had many fantastic experiences! Returning to Mozambique is always very special, and it was great to see all my friends there and to be welcomed back into the community- It almost felt like I had never left! However, it was hard not to be working on the African Impact project there, and since coming to Ghana I have heard the very sad news that the project in the community has had to close. African Impact was having big issues with immigration which were too difficult to resolve. The closing of the project is a huge blow to the community, as it was providing much needed support to many families, as well as education opportunities for both adults and children.
Thankfully the ‘Sponsor a Child’ scheme is still providing some funds to the local people such as Eddie (one of the teachers at the pre-school), who were employed with African Impact. Hopefully they can keep
some parts of the project running, and although it is fairly devastating that it has had to close, African Impact has laid some good foundations on which some of the local people can build and become more ‘self-sufficient’, which is the main goal of all the African Impact projects. It has also made me even more determined to organise a job in the community. One aspect of the project that cannot run without volunteers is the adult education classes- I would love to be able to offer some English classes to the adults in the community as they can make such a difference to their employment opportunities.
As a result of not working with the project in Vilanculos, I had the opportunity to work on the Orphan Care and HIV/AIDs Education Project in South Africa instead; it was a brilliant, and at times emotional, 5 weeks! I worked with some fantastic people and I loved teaching at the crèches and, once again, thinking of fun and crazy ways to teach English with the children :o) I also loved doing the more ‘physical’ work of the projects, and being involved in painting a shipping container to transform it into a
library! One of the highlights of my time in St. Lucia, however, was teaching HIV Education at one of the local primary schools. It was a very humbling experience to work with some of the young girls, some of whom thought they may already have HIV, and to support them in learning about this horrible disease and how they can get access to treatment/protect themselves.
It was also particularly interesting to be working in one of the last South African communities to eradicate apartheid- as mentioned in one of my previous blogs; apartheid in St. Lucia was only eradicated about 5 years ago. Despite this issue, however, we never experienced any animosity as white people working in the black communities; we were welcomed readily by the adults and children we met, and thankfully they see African Impact as a very positive influence in their communities.
Moving to Accra in September has been an eye-opener, but I’ve really enjoyed my time here so far. Living in an African city is a different experience, compared to the rural communities of Vilanculos and St. Lucia, but the people are very much the same. I have embraced the challenges presented
by lack of running water and power at times, (which can be particularly difficult when trying to hand wash my clothes) but it’s all part of the African lifestyle! Although I have not had much free time to get out and see more of the historical parts of the city yet, I am determined to do more exploring when I am back in Accra in the New Year.
One aspect of living in Ghana that I have found a little difficult on occasion is the fact that Christianity is such a big part of people’s lives. I am, of course, very respectful of their beliefs and attend worship sessions when necessary at the school- It’s all part of working at a Christian school. Many of my good friends here also respect the fact that I am not a Christian, but there are a few who can’t believe that I don’t belong to a religion and have attempted to ‘convert’ me to Christianity! I have attended one or two church services, again as a mark of respect, and also because the African gospel singing is truly beautiful, but I think the fact that I don’t belong to a religion (and
have no plans to become a Christian!) could make it more difficult for me to comfortably live here in the long-term…
This week, I will be enjoying some fun activities with my classes after all their hard work for the exams. It will be great to have some more ‘social’ time with them and decorate our classroom before we finish for Christmas. Then, I will be preparing to fly home! I can’t wait to see everyone- Christmas for me won’t start until I’m back with family and friends (plus the fact that it doesn’t feel quite right to be celebrating Christmas in 30°C heat!)
So I hope you enjoy this final blog entry for the year; summarising my experiences along with a collection of some of my favourite photos from five months in Africa, and I look forward to seeing many of you very soon!
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