Advertisement
Published: March 2nd 2007
I had a difficult day yesterday - it was my last day at the school and orphanage. At school, we spent the day in class drawing pictures, which I will take home to give to a class in Scotland (along with the letters we wrote before). We then played games all morning - we had pass the parcel and musical statues. I only did musical statues so I could watch the kids dance again!
I received a few gifts from the school and pupils - including soap, juice and water. I also got an african jumper and a pair of jeans from the headmistress.
I made sure all the children in my class got a gift so none of them felt left out. I was doing okay until it came to saying goodbye. The whole class came outside to see me off - I think they understood that I was leaving because they were unusually quiet and well behaved. When I went to leave, a few of them started to cry and I couldn't look at them or even talk to them. I feel like I've let them down because I couldn't say goodbye properly. They've all got my address though and I have promised to send them photo's and letters once I am home. Some of them still believe that I will take them home with me today.
In the afternoon I had to go through it all again as I said goodbye at the orphanage - there are about 20 kids, and although I've spoken to them all, I know some of them better than others. I don't think they really understood I was leaving for good. Again, they have my contact details so hopefully I will hear how some of them are getting on.
Last night, there was african singing and dancing at the base - it was a good way to spend my last night and all the local kids and people I have met were there. This morning I walked with the local kids to school to say goodbye - they were also quite quiet, but I know I will keep in touch with them. I went to visit them at their school on Wednesday, and their class went crazy. All the other kids were desperate to touch me and ask me questions. I still find it bizarre how excited the children get - they are not just pleased to see you, they really go mad with excitement. I asked one of the staff members at the base why they get so excited, and he said people here love to go home and say they have seen, or better still touched a white person.
Anyway, my case is packed and I leave at 3.00pm today, although my flight is not until 11.30pm. I have not been able to attach any photo's while I am here but when I am home I will add some for people to view. There is one more blog after this- a summary of my time here. Thanks for reading!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.051s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 11; qc: 27; dbt: 0.0246s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Linda
non-member comment
Your last day!
Wow I got a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes before I even started reading your blog because I know how hard saying good bye was for you! I remember it so well! Irronically one of the kids from Ghana just was watching national news and hear about the storms here and called to make sure we were ok! I think I told you before that I cried so hard when I left Ghana, I felt like I was leaving part of my heart there, and indeed I did! I'm so proud of you Rikki, you have touched so many little lives there and you have also helped them to get to know someone from another country so they realize that there is a world bigger than Ghana! Have a safe flight home and I hope you will make a final entry in your blog for everyone to read with reflections of your visit to Ghana! You are an awesome person and those little kids will never forget you!