Sunday 7th August

Today i went to a Roman Catholic Church with mumma joyce, the service went from 6:30am-9:30am we didn't arrive till 7 am though. The Priest spoke in Fanti so i did not understand what he was saying but they were singing the Hymns in English. The building is large but is not complete, most of the walls are not up yet so you can see straight outside. Everyone sits on plastic chairs the children sit in another end on wooden stools they are so well behaved through the whole service. The church was getting donations today for the completion of the building, they were getting donations the whole three hours. I felt really silly because did not take any money with me. Some people were getting up multiple times to make donations, everyone would cheer and clap. I think some must have gone home poor. Other people make donations of items to the church, if it is your bday you bring an item eg water, toilet paper food to the priest then he blesses you with holy water. I was defintely the only Obroni lol...

After church I went straight to another church with Mumma Joyce so she could test people for HIV. We sat outside the church with a table waiting for people to approach. I would then hand them a booklet and pamphlets about HIV. Then if they wanted to be tested Mumma Joyce would test them. It seriously takes no more than 2 min, she pricks them thumb then sucks up the blood which she puts on the tester with few drops of this solution with the blood. Then after like min half she can tell them the results. Mumma Joyce always wears gloves. She tested 70 people with only one positive, she does an amazing job. I was happy to be there with her, she had a lot of patience and understanding for them. There were signs up saying not to judge people with HIV, also to be bold and get checked and another one that had a guy kicking the symbol for HIV out of Ghana then it said lets work together to kick HIV out of Ghana. The symbol they use for HIV here is our Symbol we use for breast cancer. The Organisation that supplied everything except the tests (Mumma Joyce supplies them) is called Care Network (NGO) they were also finding out people's blood type at another section and blood pressure. It was so well structured the whole process, and no one was ashamed to seek results and guidance. It really was a unique experience

Friday 5th

Today was a great day at Blessed, the boys were drumming and singing, the girls were dancing. They have the best rythym. Helped the children sort through black beans to prepare for red red, the children are very self efficient they all help each other out in the kitchen. They had red red with this powder called Guri which makes the oily red red intoa  paste like form, the kids love it. I was dishing out their food and put what i thought was enough guri on their beans but obviously wasnt because the younger kids were asking for more, im like oh they really like it. They all help aroound the centre, I always see the same certain kids sweeping and cleaning up they look after the place. I wish i knew what they say to each other, its very hard trying to sort a problem out when you dont know the whole story. The older ones can get rough with the little ones but its usually because they have insulted them in one way or another, usually calling them a monkey or what most kids say to each other

It is amazing how many different heavy  things the Ghanians carry on their heads, amazing balancing acts. They put on top of their heads material wrapped around like a donut then the box, dish, bowl etc is placed on top, it is amazing skill.
I also love the way the Ghanian women carry their children on their backs with material wrapped around tied in a certain way, usually tucked into itself. The material is mostly the same color as the clothing they are wearing so it blends in. The babies bums look so cute sticking out. Even onder sisters carry their little siblings this way to take them to school. I carried a little man aroound at Blessed like that, he was a tad big but it is def a more comfortable way of moving around. The litle girls at Blessed carry their dolls the same way, adorable:-). I also saw a stroller the other day first time in Africa.

The way i travel in Swedru which is quite a small area, i take shared taxi. The way you do this you wait by the side of the road poiting to which direction you want to go to. Then if driver is going that way he will ask where and if that is the same destination you hop in. That fare will cost 40 pesewas you give it to the driver sometime through the journey, if you give him 1 cedi you just wait he will turn around and give you 60 pesewas back. They usaully drive around on empty or very close to it. Sometimes they will fill up while you are sitting in the car. Their are some really nice taxis, other ones that look like they have been in a derby. It is insanely cheap. Then tro tro depending on distance of  location usually 1 cedi, 1cedi 50 pesewas. Again bus is much safer and you dont feel the hundreds of potholes as much as in tro tro, most of the time buses are cheaper the only thing is you have to wait for it to fill up which would take longer than  tro tro. I have been lucky to hold the most adorable babies on tro tro sometimes the mother will pass the baby to me, so trusting.

Wow i only have a month left of this amazing experience i am adapting to so much more than i thougt Iwould. I have not seen much begging at all everyone is making an income though it may be the smallest amount.

Sadly i cannot drink purified water they way i love, through sachet becasue my mumma joyce said that 70% are contaminated and she said my stomach is not used to it. The water sachets are 5 or 10 peeswas not much at all i dont know how they would make much money from selling them alone. The water stays coller in these pouches more than bottles. but still a box of 1.5l bottle containing 12 will only cost 12 cedi.

We want to take the kids on a day trip Monday to the closest beach. So we will hire a tro tro to Weenemba.

today was a good day, all the kids are home from school so lots of energetic children running around. Sadly one of the older girls was sent back to her village. We painted their showers with the water theme they loved it, all the kids from around us came to see it. Its only three of us volunteers at the moment not sure if anymore are coming due to school holidays. The cat had two kittens they are so little i hope they survive, the kids do feed her a little bit so thats good. Wow its crazy when people buy chooks they cary them around in plastic bags with their heads poking out, crazy sight. Or you might be on tro-tro for hours then realise their has been  little goat or choc there the whole time. Im still amazed about the harmony between the animals, its crazy when you see ducks too its like what are you doing here in Ghana....

It is so peaceful here, the govt isnt to bad the cops are a bit corrupt but not excessive. Alot of people do live in fairly poor conditions but they do seem happy. The kids running out of the places to come and greet the Obroni it is cute. They say how are you and you are meant to say im fine and you, but i usually say i am great or good or fantastic and they just laugh and run away. They always answer everytime with i am fine, its funny. It was so funny this taxi driver picked me up after work and he said do you remeber me, i replied sorry i dont. He pointed to my leg and said i always know its you cause of the mark on your leg im like ohh my tattoo. I said yeah there are a fair few blonde girls. The way that some toilets work is a pipe hanging out of an outdoor toilet with a bucket underneath i think i have just got used to that sort of thing walking past it every day.

a summary of last week

Wow sorry i have not blogged in a while. Were to start, i finished working with the children in Creche 3 last Friday due to school holidays, sadly i wont see them again because they don't return for 6 weeks. They are all going on to Nursery. Oh my gosh at School the other day they were singing this song with the kids; when i grow up, im going to be a soldier, im walking in my kharki jacket and puting my rifle in my pocket and they do hand signal for the rifle. Im singing along thinking wow training into little soldiers. Another song which alerted me Stranger Danger. Mr Lorry Driver take me for a ride, climb two steps jump in, Mr Lorry driver take the little boy for a ride.  I got the cutest video of them singing and saying bible verses in their parade. It was  great to work with them all. I'm still working at Blessed little Angels all the children are there due to school holidays. I am trying to organise a day trip to the beach with another girl who is a director and owner of the children's home Meet Kate this week sometime. The owner of Blessed was there last week but i was to sick to go in. We have started painting the showers underwater theme. There is a new little girl who is about the age of three who is the sister of Margaret who was already there. Plus two other boys who came from another Orphanage. Sadly my friend Louise has flown back to England :-( for her last day she painted the kids faces she is an artist Eddie had batman, prince Spiderman, my little man Francis had an army face. Gifty under the sea theme. I will try to upload them they are marvelous photos. I had to go to Kasova to get money out today about an hour away, i caught bus which is more safer felt a bit nervous about asking for directions cause then they would know i was going to back but everyone was friendly. One guy grabbed my arm but i was abrupt with him and he let it go. That's the thing with the men over here you get like hundreds of wedding proposals just walking past but i just smile and walk away. If you get stern with them they don't get aggressive, crazy they just don't understand personal space but i just don't take it seriously. The tro-tro i caught back was great and i had a very honest taxi man. I have been very luck to only come across honest taxi man. Back to the tro-tro its so funny cause the driver is called driver obviously but the guy who is his sidekick who collects the money and opens and closes the door is called mate. I really like that even though i didn't know that i would say mate. Then when police pull them over mate always gives a bribe even when you see them they don't mind. Another funny things that the guys do here it tricked me once, they speak the women in high pithced tones trying to imitate our voices, i actually thought this one guy really had a high pitched voice until he spoke normaly, its quite funny. I had to take little Francis to get his really severe wounds patched up. Every day us girls have to do first aid on the children they really hurt themselves probably cause there is not any grass at School. Its sad the new madam Agnus working said Francis wouldn't hurt himself if he wasnt bad i just ignored that statement. All of us have noticed she does not care for the children she sleeps all day and tells us to lock the boys in the room if they misbehave. The Ghanians here are so proud of there clothes because it was Sunday today every single person was in the sunday best, the kids looked gorgeous in their matching traditional dresses. They have so much Faith pretty much 99% of the popullation. Im slowly adapting the spicy food. I sort of fail Mumma Joyce she says you make me very proud and so happy if you eat all your food. I try but its so much not used to it, but i dont get fufu yay. Fufu doesnt have a taste its just the texture that make you gag, you are meant to just swollew it not chew it. None of us volunteers can eat it. The animals are in harmony seriously cats, chickens, ducks, dogs goats never even think of hunting each other. I think that is really cool, oh saw my first Volture the other day those birds are horrible. Oh yeah i used a toilet that was literaly like walking into a shower and you just go on the floor, I went after Louise so you can imagine and trying to wee on concrete floor not really possible. The amount of things that they can carry on their heads is unbelievable. I need to make a book of all the funny business names they are all every single one of them about jesus god or bible versus they are just peaceful people. There is this show on television at the moment called Pulpit, children no older than 15 preaching to a church and then they get judged, these kids are amazing!!! Im going to go and work at another project next week Meet Kate working in nursey and kindergarton, its a great centre Kelly has set up. The centre houses 60 children, forty who attend day school and 20 who reside there. This little amazing girl i met who was 3 who wasn't even the size of a one year old. Kelly said she was that badly malnurished she couldn't walk but she is slowly walking now. She said that when her fatcher came to the centre the little girl remebered him and walked straight to him she said the father started crying and was so overjoyed.

Weekend blog

wow great weekend went to the Volta region with three other Friends, Climbed a eight hundred something mountain literally thought i was going to die. The view was amazing. then went to Wli falls and went swimming the waterfall was like 70 ft. Amazing pictures on my face book Becky Jones. So hard to put photos on blog. Met the monkeys at the Sanctuary and fed them bananas they were so cute. The tro-tro drive was like 7 hours long, we had to swap trotro's three times. There are so many pot holes along the road so the tro tro has to swerve then all the time. There are some guys who are filling them up with dirt and just want a little bit of money for their troubles, some people pay them which is nice.. The taxi drive was a bit crazy because we had to overload cause his mate was in the car as well. One trip in tro-tro was a bit scary he was driving so fast i ended up yelling out slow down which he did thank goodness. Its great meeting so many other volunteers from all around the world, we have so much in common here. I want to go back to Volta Region . The rainforest waslk was surreal amazing there are so many little villages that live there too The monkey Sanctuary was great because it was in there habitiat and are treated really well. Loving red red and plantain chips.

Monday 4th July

Wow have been away a month today by tomorrow one month in Ghana. Saturday night with my host mumma Joyce, host bro Kobi and two other girls i live with went up to the hotel to listen to music. We stayed for a bit listened to the biggest band in Africa Ruff & smooth, they play international as well. Kobi's favorite band Then on Sunday me and the girls with my other friend Louise meet at the hotel to go swimming and meet Ruff & smooth they gave us all a free cd (they were very nice). Today i went to my little School Happy Homes and did singing and art with the kids then went to Blessed Little Angels at 11am and played with the kids, cleaned and helped the older kids with homework when they got back. Had a great chat with Mr J the man who runs the place, found out all the  problems he is faced with, makes me understand why he acts the way he does. He is trying with the little resources he has. I also found out the owner of Blessed Little angels who resides in London is a Ghanaian woman. I cant wait to meet her, she has done a great thing the only problem is she is not putting any money into the place. So Mr J every few days has to go to the markets to try to get donations of food to feed 19 kids. Our stomachs would not handle the food that he collects but their stomachs must be much more tolerable for it. It is sad though sorting through the food vegs, fish bit of fruit, but the children like it so that is the important thing. Wow when i was in the taxi i was looking around at the buildings, i really don't know how some have not collapsed the beams holding the buildings up are bent and just holding by a thread. The dancing here is really cool but it's funny because the guys and girls sort of separate them selves. I love when the children or adults leave they say I'm Coming i am starting to say it as well. Sort of learning the language but  just what is your name how are you ete sen bokko (cool) eye paa (very fine) always say that one Medase (Thankyou) Maa haa (afternoon) Madwo (morning) atar (shirt). Need to learn more i am always asked can you speak Fanti my response a little. Going to travel again this weekend to Volta region only few hours away with other volunteer's. Wow forgot to say meet another Aussie who lives in Canberra and even my suburb Crazy!!!

Yesterday at Blessed little Angels

Yesterday (Friday) was a day off school for the kids so i stayed at Blessed little angels all day. We played football taught them bowling they loved it. Just spent time with them all, starting to get to know each child there learning the different personalities and what each child likes to do. Me and Louise haven't finished painting yet we hope to have it finished by Monday for the kids. Today i slept in did my washing took an hour. Learning how to ring out the clothes properly then walked up to internet cafe