New experiences and learning opportunities

 

 

Romantic moments with my paw paw

 

 

On my birthday I arrived in the Kongo community in Northern Ghana. I thought it will be refreshing to do something on my birthday that I have never done before. And it was special, but – to be honest – also very exhausting. Travelling on the roads in Ghana is a bumpy adventure which takes quite a long time. In addition, it is incredibly hot! However, in the end I was rewarded with a comfy new home AND delicious paw paws on my birthday. Most important, the members of my host organization were extraordinary welcoming. They made us feel more than comfortable on our arrival and the weeks after...

Our compound

My comfy new home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nevertheless, the first weeks were full of challenges. Three big challenges to be precise. 

 

The first one was to cope with the new climate conditions and to get used to sweat 24/7, even while sitting on the couch and breathing. Besides that, I had to figure out how to prevent myself from burning in the sun and keeping my eyes open while my body was constantly tired from the heat.

 

The second challenge was retraining myself from choking the rooster that lives in our compound and certainly has a wry notion of time. It makes sure to wake everyone up at 11 pm in the evening and then at 3 am at night again. If I end up breaking my vegetarian diet in Ghana it won’t be because approximately 90 % of all Ghanaian dishes contain meat but because I want to take revenge on this rooster.

 

Enemy #1

 

The third challenge was to eat up all the food that auntie cooked for us. One of her lunches lasted us at least also for dinner and breakfast the day after. And to make sure that I get enough proteins without eating meat, fish and eggs were added to every meal in an extensive amount. 

 

However, that just shows how much everyone cares about our well-being and wants us to feel at home. I appreciate all the gestures, even though I’m also happy that I can cook by myself now to make sure that I don’t overeat.

After two weeks time I was telling my parents about the challenges and mentioned that on the other hand, power cuts are not a problem at all, because they are rare and short. Just a few hours after that the transformer broke and we ended up without electricity for four days in a row. However, people in the community support each other, so we could charge our devices at another community area. That way I could stay connected to home to complain about the lack of light in the evenings while there are still areas in walking distance which are not connected to electricity at all. The people living there are probably smarter and more disciplined as I am and wake up with sunrise to make proper use of the sun as natural light resource instead of sleeping in and staying up late to waste electricity. If only the rooster could wake me up at sunrise instead of 3 am…

The first month is a time of adaptation and observation. So I started to observe and talk to as many people as possible in order to get a sense of how life is in the Kongo community, especially for women and girls. That way I try to gather ideas for my upcoming projects as a volunteer. 

 

Of course, one month is barely enough to get a full image of the life in a foreign community. It feels like I’m trying to solve a puzzle and I’m not having all puzzle pieces yet. My overheated brain still needs to digest and sort all the information I stuffed inside in a hurry.

Despite the challenges and some boredom that I experience in the evenings I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to be here. In only one month I have…

 

...learned something about the history of the Pikworo Slave Camp and with that more about the devastating effects of colonialism in Ghana. It made me contemplate about the abysses of human nature.

 

 

Pikworo Slave Camp

 

...touched a crocodile as it is a common thing to do when visiting Paga. The crocodiles have been living around human beings for over hundreds of years so they don’t bother to bother humans. Maybe also because they have enough goats and chicken running around, ready to be eaten.

 

Making new friends

 

 …seen gold mining areas where boys of school age try their luck to find some gold to be able to provide for themselves and their families, despite all the risks that come along. It is part of the life and the challenges of the communities around.

Underground mine

Underground mine

 

Beautiful surroundings of the mines

Searching for gold on the surface

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...visited a camp for women who are alleged to be witches by their communities and are able to find a new home in this place due to the hospitality and kindness of the former chief of the Gambaga community who started this project many years ago. Meanwhile, the camp is a home for around 85 women and some of their children. Nowadays, the presbyterian church helps to maintain the place and provides support for the women. 

 

 

...engaged in interesting talks with local people on different cultural norms and traditions and on daily life itself.

All those new experiences are opportunities to learn more about the world; see the world from a different angle not only by reading about it but by experiencing it. The more I discover the more I see how complicated and confusing the human nature and our global society are. It has for sure an impact on my way of thinking and on my personality. In the end I hope that I can share those experiences with my friends and family at home to give them some new perspectives as well.

Definitely, I also hope to bring back more of the calmness, spontaneity and positivity I see in the people I met here...

 

Kongo market

Just a beautiful place around