December 2009
3 posts
Family
Having my mom, Hannah, Rachael, and Jeff here with me for a week was wonderful in so many different ways. I loved seeing them play with the children I’ve been working with. All of them are great teachers and the kids loved them. They all accepted the craziness of Accra and took on every challenge with ease. I think having them here opened my eyes and made me see Ghana in a new way. Having them...
November 2009
10 posts
My Mom, my sisters Hannah and Rachael, and my boyfriend Jeff are getting here in less than 24 hours! I have a lot to show them here, but I don’t know if we’re going to get to do any of it because all I want to do is hug them for the entire week they’re here.
So Good
I wrote the story that I read to my kids today. It felt so amazing to read my own words to the kids I’ve gotten to know so well and have them tell me who the main character was, who the supporting character was, where the story took place, and what the plot was. A couple months ago they would not have been able to do this. Now, they understand all elements of a story, and next week, they are going...
Tamale
NYU took a trip North to Tamale over the weekend. Everything I saw and learned in Tamale made the twelve-hour bus ride completely worth it. It was life changing and inspiring. I guess I’ll just post a lot of pictures with captions to tell you all about the trip. I think that’s the best way to go about it. It might take a while to post all of them since the internet isn’t very reliable here. I hope...
October 2009
5 posts
Growing Up
At work, we’ve been focusing on “what I want to be when I grow up.” This gets the kids thinking about the future and staying in school. Yesterday, we brought in an artist named Akirash. He is from Nigeria. The town he grew up in is similar to Jamestown, very poor. This commonality enabled Akirash to connect with the kids on a very deep level.
So many amazing things happened throughout the day....
Togo!
We took a bus from Accra to the border of Ghana and Togo. It was the bumpiest bus ride of my life on the most rickety bus I have ever been on. It almost tipped over once, no joke. The ride lasted four hours. Then, we crossed the border by foot. It was crowded and hectic, but we managed to make it through without getting pick-pocketed. I didn’t carry anything in my pockets, so that guy who put his...
Togo?
It’s Fall Break and four of my friends and I have been trying to go to Togo. We’ve been trying for three days! Saturday didn’t work, because two out of the five of us got really sick. Sunday didn’t work because buses don’t run on Sundays. So, this morning, we got up at 5:00am to catch the bus to Togo only to discover that the bus had broken down. We keep getting closer and closer to actually...
Going with the Flow
We haven’t had running water for two days, but I don’t really mind. I like having to fill buckets with water from the spigot outside, and lug them inside to wash dished and take bucket showers. It’s refreshing. I came here to challenge myself. I came here to get away from what was convenient. I had grown so used to just running to the nearest Duane Reade whenever I needed anything in New York....
September 2009
17 posts
Dancing
I’m not a very good dancer, but I’m strong, I have a lot of stamina, and I’m very aware and mindful of my emotions. I think this is why I worked it so hard today in my African dance class. For this type of dance, your knees must always be slightly bent and your body must always be slightly bent forward toward the earth. You dance toward the earth because she is your mother. She is your home.
So,...
Happiness
Every Tuesday I teach four classes. Each class I teach has between fifty and seventy students who are between ten and twelve years old. Initially, I was worried that I wouldn’t get to connect with the students because there are just so many of them. Today I learned that this is not the case.
I think I make the kids happy. And I think that happiness is the strongest foundation for lasting...
Big
Global Goodness is working with a local nonprofit called Jaynii StreetWise, an organization that works to get children in Jamestown off the street and into the classroom. Jay, one of the founders is an amazing young woman. The small Global Goodness team here in Ghana of Sarah L, Alex, and I, have helped Jay and Nii, and they have helped us as well.
Yesterday Jay said, “My dreams are coming true...
Ghana Rosh Hashanah
To me, Rosh Hashanah is about being with family. My dad prints out packets of prayers that we all read through. We always go through them fast, because we can smell the brisket, mashed potatoes, chicken, and all the good food this holiday brings, in the next room.
We eat apples and honey to signify a sweet New Year, but I think it is the people I always share those apples and honey with, who make...
Good Day
I am now an intern for Global Goodness. I’m so excited to be part of the initial stages of something so wonderful. Today Sarah, the founder, my co-intern Alex, and I went to three elementary schools in Jamestown.
Here’s what we’re going to do:
• Donate 8,000 books to the three elementary schools and one middle school
• Alex and I are going to get companies to donate material to turn the...
One Problem
I was so excited when two hotel workers came into my room over the weekend to turn down my sheets, and to put a flower and a piece of chocolate on my pillow. They told me to eat the chocolate before I went to sleep so that I would have sweet dreams. I went to dinner, looking forward to the chocolate and the dreams I would enjoy later.
At the end of the night, I got all comfy in my pajamas, I went...
Amazing Weekend
Over the weekend my classmates and I went to Cape Coast. We had a jam-packed schedule. First on the list was a visit to the Elmina Slave Castle. I stood in slave holding cells. I got to feel the weight of the iron bars over every window. I climbed the stairs to the governor’s bedroom, which women slaves were forced to climb. I walked through the “door of no return,” the last point of contact that...
Global Goodness
I feel like every step I take here, I am getting closer and closer to exactly where I want to be. Today, I got there. I am volunteering with a nonprofit called Global Goodness. My work took me to a beach in Jamestown, full of street children. It was amazing to see how much love each child is filled with.
I talked to them and played with them. They taught me songs, and I sang them back to them as...
Beyond Words
My African Women Speak teacher, Esi Sutherlad, invited my class, of four girls, to what she called a theatre festival. That’s kind of what it was. We drove to a village about three hours outside of Accra. It felt so good to get out of the city. The village was exactly what I had pictured in my head. There were small houses all lined up, lots of children running around, and goats roaming freely....
Liberian Refugee Camp
Last weekend my friend Branson knocked on my door and asked if I wanted to go with him to a Liberian refugee camp, about an hour outside of Accra. I didn’t have much time to prepare for this journey, but as I would find out, there was really nothing I could have done to prepare myself.
Once there, Joe introduced me to his brothers, Lawrence, Melvin, and Sunny. Out of the entire family, Sunny is...
August 2009
7 posts
So Far, So Good
I had my first class today! It’s called Global Cultures: Accra, and is taught by the former mayor of Accra, Nat Nonu-Amarteifio. I get to call him Uncle Nat. What a rare and wonderful opportunity! The class will consist of lots of field trips and tours of the city I live in, which will hopefully begin to feel like home.
Homesick
I am lucky to feel so homesick. Though having such amazing people who I love so much back home makes this transition very difficult, I am fortunate to have this hurdle to overcome. Some things that are making me feel better:
Reading letters from Jeff and my family, well Jeff is family
Watching Jake and Amir
Reading Lolliblog
Listening to Weezer and doing planks (Mikey!!)
Reminding ...
First Run in Accra
The rich-poor divide in Accra became very clear today. I went on a run with two friends through the city. Since we don’t know the area, we just decided to explore. Our vibes lead us first down dirt roads, full of half-dressed children and men and women selling various items in shacks along the road. There were open sewers. A few more turns led us to a very rich neighborhood. Big, beautiful houses...
Landed
I arrived in Ghana five days ago, and I will be here for the next four months. I’ll be studying at the NYU campus in Accra, at the University of Ghana, and at Ashesi University. I will also be volunteering. I’ll be exploring. I hope that everyday will be an adventure.