Ghana, Ghana, Ghana!!! It has welcomed me with open arms. The hospitality has been generous, the weather hot and sticky, the mosquitos few (from what I've seen!) and the fu-fu with groundnut stew even better than I remembered it!
My time has gone so quickly. I was relieved that my travel mojo came back quickly and apart from a few home-sick moments my time has been positive and I've gained so much more from my short time in ghana this time around than my time 4 years ago. I have dealt better with the varied reactions I illicit from being being an obruni (a foreigner) in this chaotic but friendly country.
I had the fortune of being introduced to the Chief of Nsuta this time round and the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother has ultimate authority of a community as males come from females. Therefore she has the power to dismiss the chief is she doesn't approve of him. I like this thinking!
The solar panels were commissioned on Monday and all went well. The Chiefs' representatives came, some politicians, the director of the health services, other dignitaries and of course the staff of the clinic. The laughed when I gave part of my speech in Twi (the official language of Ghana) as I slaughted their language and they made me dance in the musical interlude...much to my embarrassment! But 'eh, what's a celebration without dance?!
The solar panels are up and running for the lighting system in Nsuta. A fridge was also purchased in conjuction with the solar panels. However, the solar panels meant for backup for the fridge are going to be installed at another clinic in which the community has no electricty at all. The new fridge in Nsuta is well insulated though and can apparently maintain a desirable temperature for up to 3 days if not opened regularly. The power outages are not as common in Nsuta as they were 4 years ago either.
Oppoku-Amankwaa, the Director of the health services took me out last Friday to see some other clinics in his district so I could evaluate the needs in other areas. Aframso, the community that has no electricty, has a clinic that is near completion but has no staff as yet. The director needs incentives for staff to work there, hence solar panels from Nsuta's fridge system are to be installed. More solar panels will also be required to power a fridge to keep the vaccines cold and also a fridge will need to be purchased. There are also two other clinics that would benefit from solar panels for either fridges, lights or both. Soooo, my task is not finished yet and I'll be fundraising more when I get back to Australia...but on a grander scale! Thankyou to all who donated to this project though. You may never see the extent to which you have helped these communities but let me tell you, it is remarkable so THANKYOU!
The National Polio erradication scheme was also in operation last week throughout the whole of Ghana. This is a big task! Health care workers of all levels go out to all communities throughout the country to immunise kids from 5 and under with an oral polio vaccine. Kids from 2-5 were given deworming tablets and kids from 6 months to 5 years were given vitamin A capsules. This is how I spent Wednesday and Thurday of last week. Feeling the heartbeat of the country even more as I stepped out into communities where the infrastructure is fairly non-existant, long days of cooking,labour and sitting chatting in the heat are a part of the daily grind yet the smiles still plenty. At one community a young teenage girl came out of her house and said what sounded like, 'A baby is dead, a baby is dead.' The health director, who was with me this day, and I looked at each other. My heart skipped a beat. She repeated it. After questioning her, we realised she said there, not dead as her accent had misconstrued the word and I laughed from relief.
Oh, and I'm in a new relationship! How can this be, you ask after only a couple of weeks in Ghana?! His name is Deet. Mr Deet 80% to be exact. It's not exactly a romantic relationship but we don't all have the luxury of being in a realtionship for love. I hate it when touches my lips. It makes me want to rip out my tongue and with this muscular pink mop, mop up my lungs from the fumes he leaves behind. However, before you judge me, let me plead my case. The benefits far outway the negatives. He protects me from these evil little female mosquitos (or she devils) and in return I provide him with skin to fry. He coats me in an extra warm layer over my freckled skin as it's not hot enough here already. I know that this relationship will not last however. I will use and abuse him until I return to Australia then forget about him as he waits in the back of a dark cupboard should I ever need him again. Ah, a travelers love affair!
Ghana has thrown some entertaining quotes at me. When you travel on buses for long journeys in Ghana, someone gets up and educates the bus on a particular topic and usually tries to sell something at the end. A health worker on my journey to Kumasi from Accra was informing the bus about how to best avoid intestinal worms and so flogged deworming tablets at the end. However, his speech also involved infomation about general health and as was translated to me by Rosemary, stated that 'Ghanaians already have enough problems but if you have no labido then you will be doubly unhappy'. I don't know what he suggested for this problem but he wasn't flogging viagra.
A guy in his late 20's cracked me up. He stopped me in Nsuta and asked if I was married. After I informed him that I wasn't he then replied with, 'so you are not born?' From which I gathered he meant that I hadn't given birth. 'No, I haven't given birth.' 'Then you are fresh of body!'
Anyway, I'm currently back in Accra the capital and leave for Kenya tomorrow morning. I begin my East Africa overland trip on sunday.
So this is goodbye to Ghana and hello to a new adventure!
Whatever adventure you are on may it be a rewarding one, no matter where you are or what you are doing. And if you think you're only adventure at the moment is housework and this is getting you down, then you better start doing it 'Mrs doubtfire' style! There is no shame in using a vaccuum cleaner as a mic stand. Especially if there is a mirror involved.
