Friday, August 24, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
What an Adventure!
Hello,
An earlier attempt to send a very detailed e-mail crashed. We've just finished dinner at a place called Frankie's and they have American food. Ihad a very delicious cheeseburger and french fries. We have all enjoyed the food here, but this dinner was a welcome change.I forget to mention that we visited Kakum National Forest on Sunday. It is a rain forest with suspended canopies over 100 ft. high. It was anarduous trek uphill. I debated whether I REALLY wanted to do it, but EVERYONE agreed that we should all do it, I couldn't let the kids down. Youhad to go in pairs and Jamaal elected to be my partner. I think he wanted to take care of me and make sure I was safe. There are all kinds ofbeautifulanimals that live in the forest, however I don't think many of us looked down to identify them. It was beautiful - I looked down when I was on thelast bridge because it wasn't too far from the ground!
We spent the two days in Hohoe, it was a huge change from the hustle and bustle of Accra. It's quiet rural. We went there to build desk and tolearn how to batik. Our goal was to build 10 desk, we completed all 10. However, the highlight was meeting the children in the village who came totalk with us and take photos when we were taking unnecessary breaks. They were incredible, sweet and innocent. They wanted to see and spend timewith the Americans who were in town. We stayed at the grand Matvik Hotel. Ms. Manning said she doesn't believe anyone had stay there in months. Originally she was willing to trade inour hostel accommodations for the double bed with AC, refrig, portable radio, t.v., vcr and hot shower. We could never figure out how to turn the hot water on.........so we ended up taking cold showers! Graig felt sorry for me and bragged about having two hot showers. After a brief trip to check on our batiks he permitted me to take a warm shower! We had a batik making lesson and then had the opportunit to make our own batiks with adinkra symbols. They are all beautiful. What was a two daybatik process in Hohoe, would probably take a day at home. They use no electricity to heat the pots which takes an extremely long time.
Yesterday after finishing our batiks, we took a 30-minute drive to Wii Falls. It is the largest water fall in West Africa. It was a 45 minutewalk from the entrance to the falls. I was a little relucant to do it after our uphill trek in Kakum National Forest. Of course, I couldn't let the kids down, so I did it. It was a beautiful rain forest with avocado and coco trees. The waterfall was breathtaking! Our guide shed a few of hisclothes and of course the girls followed suit. They didn't shed any clothing, they just got in the water and soaked! To my nervousness, the boys climbed the side of the mountain on slippery rocks. No injuries!!!!!!
Today was probably one of many highlights, we worked on a foundation for a library in Pantang. Pantang is about a 30 minute drive from Accra. It was pretty rural and we were given instructions and students completed their expected task. It was very hard work pouring concrete and then transporting it a few feet. I didn't participate very much in this project, I just encouraged the kids. The elders laughed when the kids wanted totake a break. Jamaal, Kyree and Cole chased goats and chickens through the village. You should have seen the villagers laughing at them!
We are off to Kumasi the home of the Ashanti kingdom. I am looking forward to our time there. We'll be staying on campus at the Universityof Ghana at Kumasi. Enroute we'll stop at the Bonwire Kente Village- famous for their kente cloth.Oh, we all had to hand wash our clothes! Boy was that an adventure. I got up early this morning. One of the workers brought me a chair and thenasked if I wanted him to wash my clothes. Of course I did! I had already washed clothes the night before and spent a few hours in the morningwashing whites. I couldn't remember the last time I had done that - even with a delicate item. We were reminded that we take washing for grantedand will wash one item (wasting water) or an entire load in a heartbeat. Whene were at Wii Falls there was a family in the spring washing theirclothes. On our way back, the young girls were washing their hair. So, clean clothes, a few headaches and sour stomachs- nothing major except Graig was playing soccer with the kids in the village today and bumped hisankle on Nick's foot. Both sustained very minor injuries!!!!! We've had a Ghanian food tasting and the women at St. Theresa's Training school prepared a hugh feast for us. I've been trying to be opened mindedabout food. Graig has practically tried everything and a couple of students also. For the most part, we stay with what we know rice/jollof rice,slaw and chicken.
At the college, I picked up what I thought was goat. They eat a lot of that. Graig later informed me that it was chickengizzards. After the first bite, I didn't bother to eat what was left on my plate.We are having a great time. I'm confident that students are impacted by what they see even when they don't admit it. We've gotten some positivewell wishes and prayers from our elders in the village. It's been a awesome experience!
An earlier attempt to send a very detailed e-mail crashed. We've just finished dinner at a place called Frankie's and they have American food. Ihad a very delicious cheeseburger and french fries. We have all enjoyed the food here, but this dinner was a welcome change.I forget to mention that we visited Kakum National Forest on Sunday. It is a rain forest with suspended canopies over 100 ft. high. It was anarduous trek uphill. I debated whether I REALLY wanted to do it, but EVERYONE agreed that we should all do it, I couldn't let the kids down. Youhad to go in pairs and Jamaal elected to be my partner. I think he wanted to take care of me and make sure I was safe. There are all kinds ofbeautifulanimals that live in the forest, however I don't think many of us looked down to identify them. It was beautiful - I looked down when I was on thelast bridge because it wasn't too far from the ground!
We spent the two days in Hohoe, it was a huge change from the hustle and bustle of Accra. It's quiet rural. We went there to build desk and tolearn how to batik. Our goal was to build 10 desk, we completed all 10. However, the highlight was meeting the children in the village who came totalk with us and take photos when we were taking unnecessary breaks. They were incredible, sweet and innocent. They wanted to see and spend timewith the Americans who were in town. We stayed at the grand Matvik Hotel. Ms. Manning said she doesn't believe anyone had stay there in months. Originally she was willing to trade inour hostel accommodations for the double bed with AC, refrig, portable radio, t.v., vcr and hot shower. We could never figure out how to turn the hot water on.........so we ended up taking cold showers! Graig felt sorry for me and bragged about having two hot showers. After a brief trip to check on our batiks he permitted me to take a warm shower! We had a batik making lesson and then had the opportunit to make our own batiks with adinkra symbols. They are all beautiful. What was a two daybatik process in Hohoe, would probably take a day at home. They use no electricity to heat the pots which takes an extremely long time.
Yesterday after finishing our batiks, we took a 30-minute drive to Wii Falls. It is the largest water fall in West Africa. It was a 45 minutewalk from the entrance to the falls. I was a little relucant to do it after our uphill trek in Kakum National Forest. Of course, I couldn't let the kids down, so I did it. It was a beautiful rain forest with avocado and coco trees. The waterfall was breathtaking! Our guide shed a few of hisclothes and of course the girls followed suit. They didn't shed any clothing, they just got in the water and soaked! To my nervousness, the boys climbed the side of the mountain on slippery rocks. No injuries!!!!!!
Today was probably one of many highlights, we worked on a foundation for a library in Pantang. Pantang is about a 30 minute drive from Accra. It was pretty rural and we were given instructions and students completed their expected task. It was very hard work pouring concrete and then transporting it a few feet. I didn't participate very much in this project, I just encouraged the kids. The elders laughed when the kids wanted totake a break. Jamaal, Kyree and Cole chased goats and chickens through the village. You should have seen the villagers laughing at them!
We are off to Kumasi the home of the Ashanti kingdom. I am looking forward to our time there. We'll be staying on campus at the Universityof Ghana at Kumasi. Enroute we'll stop at the Bonwire Kente Village- famous for their kente cloth.Oh, we all had to hand wash our clothes! Boy was that an adventure. I got up early this morning. One of the workers brought me a chair and thenasked if I wanted him to wash my clothes. Of course I did! I had already washed clothes the night before and spent a few hours in the morningwashing whites. I couldn't remember the last time I had done that - even with a delicate item. We were reminded that we take washing for grantedand will wash one item (wasting water) or an entire load in a heartbeat. Whene were at Wii Falls there was a family in the spring washing theirclothes. On our way back, the young girls were washing their hair. So, clean clothes, a few headaches and sour stomachs- nothing major except Graig was playing soccer with the kids in the village today and bumped hisankle on Nick's foot. Both sustained very minor injuries!!!!! We've had a Ghanian food tasting and the women at St. Theresa's Training school prepared a hugh feast for us. I've been trying to be opened mindedabout food. Graig has practically tried everything and a couple of students also. For the most part, we stay with what we know rice/jollof rice,slaw and chicken.
At the college, I picked up what I thought was goat. They eat a lot of that. Graig later informed me that it was chickengizzards. After the first bite, I didn't bother to eat what was left on my plate.We are having a great time. I'm confident that students are impacted by what they see even when they don't admit it. We've gotten some positivewell wishes and prayers from our elders in the village. It's been a awesome experience!
Monday, August 6, 2007
Ghana Travels Update!!
Hello,
This is an update of our awesome trip! We're at a 24 hour internet cafe in the middle of Accra. It's almost 8:30 p.m. here. I forgot to tell you that one of the highlights of my flight to Ghana was that Donnie McKurklin was on my flight! I even got a chance to take a photo with him which Iwill cherish! We have had days packed with activities! I'm recounting from memory, so bear with me.
We toured Kwame Nkrumah's masuloeum and museum. We were able to take pictures next to his stature, which is where he declared independence in March 1957. It was awesome. We met another American group while we were there! We toured W.E.B DuBois' House, his work is incredible and the contributions he made "transatlantic" were beyond his time. We saw his entire library and visited his burial site, which is on his property.
Yesterday was probably the most intense, emotionally. We toured the Cape Coast Slave Dungeon- it is not a castle but referred to as a dungeon. I can't even tell you about the emotions that were felt as we toured the male and female dungeons. They were dark and damp. I can't imagine how they survived but our guide said it was their strenghth and I can believe that. We also toured a fantastic museum that began with the transatlantic slavetrade and ended with the civil rights museum. The most profound aspect was going through the door of no return. We could only imagine what our ancestors felt having no idea where they were going. We said a prayer for all of our ancestors that endured the torture and humiliation and for the women that were brutally raped. Outside we sang the Negro National Anthem - where the words "true to our God, true to our native land" had new meaning. Then we were able to make the transition to the door of return. We had a somber ride to our next destination.
Today we went to the West African Aids Foundation and clinic. There we had several mini lectures. We did a service project and helped with the inventory of the items that were donated.
Thanks so much to LaVonda Cheek for the donations, they really appreciated them and we could see how vital they were to the operation. We also visited the Almond Tree, a business for HIV positive men and women, where they make beautiful crafts to help sustain their income. Of course we purchase a lot of stuff and have come up with many ideas of how to help them sustain their business in America. I believe the highlight for the kids was visiting with the students from the Winneba Secondary School. They had lunch with us which was really impressive because they came from far away to dine with us - they are on vaction. We had a fabulous meal, oh, we went to the Winneba University first. After lunch we went to their school and planted trees with them. They are poised, graceful, intelligent and have a thirst for knowledge. It was an awesome experience. We are having a great time!
Dinner with authentic Ghanian food and dancing- every restuarnt has had a live band!I 'm always so tired at the end of the night. We are adjusting to a couple of things like limited toilet paper, cold showers, remembering to take Malaria medicine and to brush your teeth with bottled water- but we decided not to complain after our visit to the dungeon.
I've got to go. Don't worry and if you need to contact me- call my cell 919-260-4555.
This is an update of our awesome trip! We're at a 24 hour internet cafe in the middle of Accra. It's almost 8:30 p.m. here. I forgot to tell you that one of the highlights of my flight to Ghana was that Donnie McKurklin was on my flight! I even got a chance to take a photo with him which Iwill cherish! We have had days packed with activities! I'm recounting from memory, so bear with me.
We toured Kwame Nkrumah's masuloeum and museum. We were able to take pictures next to his stature, which is where he declared independence in March 1957. It was awesome. We met another American group while we were there! We toured W.E.B DuBois' House, his work is incredible and the contributions he made "transatlantic" were beyond his time. We saw his entire library and visited his burial site, which is on his property.
Yesterday was probably the most intense, emotionally. We toured the Cape Coast Slave Dungeon- it is not a castle but referred to as a dungeon. I can't even tell you about the emotions that were felt as we toured the male and female dungeons. They were dark and damp. I can't imagine how they survived but our guide said it was their strenghth and I can believe that. We also toured a fantastic museum that began with the transatlantic slavetrade and ended with the civil rights museum. The most profound aspect was going through the door of no return. We could only imagine what our ancestors felt having no idea where they were going. We said a prayer for all of our ancestors that endured the torture and humiliation and for the women that were brutally raped. Outside we sang the Negro National Anthem - where the words "true to our God, true to our native land" had new meaning. Then we were able to make the transition to the door of return. We had a somber ride to our next destination.
Today we went to the West African Aids Foundation and clinic. There we had several mini lectures. We did a service project and helped with the inventory of the items that were donated.
Thanks so much to LaVonda Cheek for the donations, they really appreciated them and we could see how vital they were to the operation. We also visited the Almond Tree, a business for HIV positive men and women, where they make beautiful crafts to help sustain their income. Of course we purchase a lot of stuff and have come up with many ideas of how to help them sustain their business in America. I believe the highlight for the kids was visiting with the students from the Winneba Secondary School. They had lunch with us which was really impressive because they came from far away to dine with us - they are on vaction. We had a fabulous meal, oh, we went to the Winneba University first. After lunch we went to their school and planted trees with them. They are poised, graceful, intelligent and have a thirst for knowledge. It was an awesome experience. We are having a great time!
Dinner with authentic Ghanian food and dancing- every restuarnt has had a live band!I 'm always so tired at the end of the night. We are adjusting to a couple of things like limited toilet paper, cold showers, remembering to take Malaria medicine and to brush your teeth with bottled water- but we decided not to complain after our visit to the dungeon.
I've got to go. Don't worry and if you need to contact me- call my cell 919-260-4555.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Akwaaba
Akwaaba,
We made it to the Motherland! Our flight left JFK at 6:00 p.m. and we arrived at 3:40 a.m. (7:40 Ghana time). We had a pretty smooth flight. Wemanaged to all sit together, watched a horrible movie, had fun chatting and sharing our excitement and anxiety! We made it through customs and theairport. This place is simply amazing. It's amazing here. We are at a 24 hour internet cafe. The place where we are to go if we get lost.
We've seen all kinds of things- women carrying all kinds of items on their heads and men too! There are mini vans called tro-tros that have about 15people in them! There are people in the street selling EVERYTHING- I'm serious! We had a light breakfast of fruit and fresh peanut butter! Lunch was jollof rice and chicken. We've been careful not to drink water and have beendrinking lots of bottled water. It's hot here. We're staying at the University of Ghana.
The most exciting thing today was our naming ceremony! I can't tell you how moving it was for all of us. There was a brief ceremony for each of us and we were given our names based on the day we were born. The elders made affirmations for us anddeclared that all should be clear and full of truth for us. We were then blessed with long life, success, intelligence and prosperity from anotherelder. So far this has been awesome and interesting. There's a lot of the old mixed with the new.
Fabrics and carvings are beautiful. And can you believethat we've seen a bunch of people here that resemble folks in American. We need to run, we're going to dinner. We're learning the language (withgreat diffuculty- hey it's just our first day) and the customs. It really is VERY important that you do not use your left hand. We are well and ingood health and spirtis. It feels good to come home.
Bye
We made it to the Motherland! Our flight left JFK at 6:00 p.m. and we arrived at 3:40 a.m. (7:40 Ghana time). We had a pretty smooth flight. Wemanaged to all sit together, watched a horrible movie, had fun chatting and sharing our excitement and anxiety! We made it through customs and theairport. This place is simply amazing. It's amazing here. We are at a 24 hour internet cafe. The place where we are to go if we get lost.
We've seen all kinds of things- women carrying all kinds of items on their heads and men too! There are mini vans called tro-tros that have about 15people in them! There are people in the street selling EVERYTHING- I'm serious! We had a light breakfast of fruit and fresh peanut butter! Lunch was jollof rice and chicken. We've been careful not to drink water and have beendrinking lots of bottled water. It's hot here. We're staying at the University of Ghana.
The most exciting thing today was our naming ceremony! I can't tell you how moving it was for all of us. There was a brief ceremony for each of us and we were given our names based on the day we were born. The elders made affirmations for us anddeclared that all should be clear and full of truth for us. We were then blessed with long life, success, intelligence and prosperity from anotherelder. So far this has been awesome and interesting. There's a lot of the old mixed with the new.
Fabrics and carvings are beautiful. And can you believethat we've seen a bunch of people here that resemble folks in American. We need to run, we're going to dinner. We're learning the language (withgreat diffuculty- hey it's just our first day) and the customs. It really is VERY important that you do not use your left hand. We are well and ingood health and spirtis. It feels good to come home.
Bye
Thursday, August 2, 2007
WE FINALLY MADE IT!!!
Students leave for Ghana on Thursday
Story Tools
From Staff Reports
CHAPEL HILL -- Fifteen students will depart the familiar surroundings of the Triangle on Thursday for a two-week study abroad program in the west African country of Ghana.
The students will arrive during the country's rainy season to experience an itinerary filled with cultural and historical activities.
The trip will allow the students -- members of Youth Leadership Initiative of the Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate Program -- to learn about a traditional African culture.
They will attend a naming ceremony in which each student will receive a two-part Ghanaian name. Another cultural opportunity that awaits the students is batiking. The students will learn this technique of fabric dyeing that dates back to early Christian-era centuries in Africa. They will also learn about traditional Ghanaian weaving, dancing and drumming.
A second theme for the trip is Ghanaian history and political issues. Students will learn about the county's young constitutional democracy and its first president, who assumed leadership of the nation in 1957. The students will meet with the current minister of Parliament and tour the Parliament building. They will delve deep into the country's past and visit numerous sites associated with the slave trade that was active along the "Gold Coast." They also will learn about a contemporary problem that challenges Ghana's future: the HIV and AIDS epidemic.
A third aspect of the trip is the natural beauty and way of life in the country. Students will tour national parks, rainforests, botanical gardens and waterfalls. They also will have a chance to learn about the local economy and industry by visiting open air markets and fishing villages.
Of the 15 students going on the trip, only two have ever traveled abroad before.
"This trip gives our student the opportunity for radical transformations.," said Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate Coordinator Graig Meyer. "They will evolve from being 'a kid from Chapel Hill ' to being 'a citizen of the world.' All of them have already written about how they expect that the trip will change their lives. We suspect that none of them know exactly how right they are."
WCHL-News Talk 1360 is the official media sponsor of the group's trip. During the week of Aug. 6, the radio station will air audio diaries recorded by students following their daily experiences. The podcasts also will be archived on the station's Web site, www.wchl1360.com.
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner.
The Chapel Hill News
Story Tools
From Staff Reports
CHAPEL HILL -- Fifteen students will depart the familiar surroundings of the Triangle on Thursday for a two-week study abroad program in the west African country of Ghana.
The students will arrive during the country's rainy season to experience an itinerary filled with cultural and historical activities.
The trip will allow the students -- members of Youth Leadership Initiative of the Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate Program -- to learn about a traditional African culture.
They will attend a naming ceremony in which each student will receive a two-part Ghanaian name. Another cultural opportunity that awaits the students is batiking. The students will learn this technique of fabric dyeing that dates back to early Christian-era centuries in Africa. They will also learn about traditional Ghanaian weaving, dancing and drumming.
A second theme for the trip is Ghanaian history and political issues. Students will learn about the county's young constitutional democracy and its first president, who assumed leadership of the nation in 1957. The students will meet with the current minister of Parliament and tour the Parliament building. They will delve deep into the country's past and visit numerous sites associated with the slave trade that was active along the "Gold Coast." They also will learn about a contemporary problem that challenges Ghana's future: the HIV and AIDS epidemic.
A third aspect of the trip is the natural beauty and way of life in the country. Students will tour national parks, rainforests, botanical gardens and waterfalls. They also will have a chance to learn about the local economy and industry by visiting open air markets and fishing villages.
Of the 15 students going on the trip, only two have ever traveled abroad before.
"This trip gives our student the opportunity for radical transformations.," said Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate Coordinator Graig Meyer. "They will evolve from being 'a kid from Chapel Hill ' to being 'a citizen of the world.' All of them have already written about how they expect that the trip will change their lives. We suspect that none of them know exactly how right they are."
WCHL-News Talk 1360 is the official media sponsor of the group's trip. During the week of Aug. 6, the radio station will air audio diaries recorded by students following their daily experiences. The podcasts also will be archived on the station's Web site, www.wchl1360.com.
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner.
The Chapel Hill News
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