Mondo's volunteers in Ghana

  Yes, he survived! I mean the rooster... Nevertheless, I broke my vegetarian diet for my last dinner in Kongo. Everybody told me I should try guinea fowl before I leave as it is local and special. It was tasty. But it tasted very similar to chicken... So I could also have eaten the rooster instead, as revenge :) However, living in cities for my whole life I'm not used to see an animal alive before eating it. Hiding in the house while the animal was being prepared for cooking I felt a little bit like a coward. I think it's good I stick with my vegetarian diet. As I'm leaving Kongo I feel excited to see my family and friends but I'm also feeling sad because I'm leaving those people behind who welcomed me heartily in Kongo and who made me feel comfortable during my stay. I'm finishing my deployment earlier than planned because my body is not able to cope with the heat in Northern Ghana. I didn't expect it to be that challenging for me but unfortunately I felt ...

    Nearly 4 months have passed… the bad news are, the confused rooster is still alive! And also all the other roosters which are roaming around the neighbourhood at night and keeping me from sleeping peacefully. The good news are, I’m still vegetarian... Other good news are, that I was able to start three interesting and hopefully useful projects after my month-long needs assessment period. The puzzle I was trying to solve to get a better picture of the community is still not complete, even after my time of observation, needs assessment meetings and months of working. It is natural, because it takes more time to solve such a complex puzzle completely. However, at least the puzzle pieces I was able to put together give a hint of the beauty as well as the challenges of this unique place and its’ inhabitants.   The tree and his shade are functioning as a school staff room and assembly hall     Project no. 1: During the needs assessment meetings teenage pr...

    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...