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Published: January 23rd 2006
The confrence
We awared prizes for the libraries to use in the reading contests they are required to hold. You can kind of see me sporting some Ghanian wears. Maa che! (Good Morning)
We are really diving head first into our project. This past weekend was the annual confrence in which all the current and new libraries are required to attend in order to recieve new books and be eligable for funding. We have meet a lot of great people over the past few days! The confrence talked about how to run and keep-up a library as well as a talk on AIDS/HIV education. This is a unique glimpse into how buisness in conducted in Africa! The confrence ended in auctioning of computers and radios in order to pay for the mounting expenses of shipping 26,000 books and medical supplies 4,000 miles across the Altantic. Everythine went very well.
We were also inivited to attend a funeral. A member of Hilda's family passed away in December. The body was buried on Saturday and we attend the celebration on Sunday. We greated everyone there, and there we're a lot of poeple there!! We have now meet two chiefs and the queen mother. It was great chance for us to practice or Twi!
Trying New Things We are still trying to retrain our bodies to our new daily
The confrence
The confrence took place in the middle of the compound. Some traveled hundreds of miles to attend. Kirt and Hilda are speaking on the running of a library. clock. Settling into the new surroundings have been made easier by all of Kirt and Hildas efforts. We are learning the local language slowly. We are now up to Good moring, afternoon, and evening, how are you, and the various nicties of greets such as our names and where we are from. Our Ghanina names are based upon what day of the week you were born. Since I was born on a Thursday, my name in Yaw. Katelyn was born on a monday so her name in Ajowa. Hildas grandchild, Yaw, has been teaching us more daily.
The new foods have been.....interesting...and for the most part very good (well at least to me). One dish we had for the confrence was ken kay. A fermented corn mashed into a doughy consistance and cooked in a corn husk similar to a tamale. This is served with SPICY sauce. We have had a constant supply of fresh, fresh pineapple, pappaya, and oranges, among other fruits.
Hilda also runs a weekly dance goup on Sundays. We watched the children learn traditional African dances with drums verberating in the background. So slowly, slowly we are learning, adating, and loving all these new
Some of the new food.
Fish are eaten whole. Bones, heads, everything!! expierineces.
Where we go from here On Wed. we will start our first tour on Ghana. We will literaly see ever corner of it! This will be the inspection tour of the new librarys. We will make sure they have all the shelves, fans, electric, and board of trustees in place. They must pass this in order to get the books in the coming weeks. We will start our tour along the coast in a town called Woe (east of Accra along the coast), we will then head north to a couple towns east of the Lake Volta, and travel all the way to near the northern boarder before heading southwest. We will visit 5 villages these coming weeks.
After that is a wedding for another of Hila's realatives. We will be given the chance to see a funeral and a wedding here!
We have really been flung right into the mix, which has been wonderful. It has truely been an imersion into the Ghanian culture. We really feel greatful for the oppurtunity to be here!
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Kelley
non-member comment
Amazing!
You guys seem to be having a really great time and are learning so much very quickly. I am so envious and am keeping up with you guys. You two make for a great story back here in the South!!! Love Kelley