Blogs from Ghana, Africa - page 17

The border of Ghana was a breath of fresh air. Although our French had come on leaps and bounds over the last several weeks it was nice to take a break and revert back to English. Ghana is still seen as a bit of a jewel in West Africa in terms of having one of the most stable governments in the region and a growing economy. The first thing we saw when crossing the border were the signs advertising ‘help lines’ that you could call to report any government official or police officer who attempted to solicit bribes from you. A far cry from what we had encountered so far! The border formalities were fairly painless and we slipped into Ghana without incidence. We again tried to offload are toxic Guinea Francs but this just invited ... read more

Hello! It has been a very busy and exciting few months in Takoradi, I have a lot to share so here it goes... Each year on October 15th, over 200 million people are involved in celebrations in over 100 countries around the world; this is Global Handwashing Day. Diarrhea kills more people than AIDS, malaria and measles put together; handwashing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal & acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children in developing countries. Together, they are responsible for the majority of all child deaths. Together with the staff and students at the YMCA, we discussed the importance of washing your hands and the benefits it will have on the entire community. To demonstrate just how easily germs can be spread we chose ... read more

Hello everyone! I'm so sorry it has taken me this long to update my blog, but here's what I've been up to over the past couple of weeks. Our first week in Takoradi we were able to meet the staff from the YMCA who we will be working with over the next couple of months. All of the staff and the students are so amazing, it is going to be a blast getting to know everyone! We successfully completed our first task which was to create a workshop on "innovation", to illustrate to the students how to use innovation to help develop a successful business. The students at the Vocational Training Institute (VIT) at the YMCA can choose to study either catering or fashion; although it is a female dominated program, we do have one male ... read more

After six days, four planes, three continets and a very exteneded and crowded cho cho (a small bus) ride, I have finally arrived in Takoradi! Only after a very short amount of time in Ghana, I have already experienced and have come to appreciate so much about this beautiful country and the people. My first few days in the country were spent in Accra, a city of 4 million people, and everything available at your fingertips! While driving around in the back of a taxi you can purchase a bathroom scale, an info-mercial weight loss product called the sauna belt and any selection of food to suit all tastes! My first order of business consisted of intoductions with the local YCI Ghana staff-Fred, Naana and Nee-who I will be working with during my time here. Also ... read more

VIPs go the wrong way through traffic, a sign says that sexual deviants not welcome at immigration - but everyone is friendly + everyone is welcome. Hymns on the radio + inspirational business names. Hymns + religious messages. So much construction, so many building cranes, Chinese motorcycles, Kia + lots of Hyundai. Local vocabulary - spot = bar, chop = food... read more