Apologies that this blog is slightly out of sync – days 8-11 have got waylaid but have now been recovered and will be updated retrospectively. Meanwhile, please enjoy the following update!
Day 12
The morning commenced with an early start working down at the poultry farm. We were busy working when we heard some sad news. Fred’s buddy, Ebeneezer, who we had all grown to love, was leaving for the summer the next day. It suddenly hit us that we would never see him again. On a brighter note, Gloria the cook, was kind enough to braid Frankie E and Hanna’s hair. That afternoon we went to a nearby kindergarten, which Sabre had built. It was very impressive seeing how they have improved the quality of young people’s education. In the evening, there was a chilli eating competition, in which Robert, in true Ghanaian style, thrashed everyone by eating a whole chilli with no trouble. Throughout the evening and the night there was a wake in the village blasting out music to celebrate the life of the deceased.
Funny fact of the day: Whilst waiting for the bus to the kindergarten to arrive, the buddies brought out the drums and got their boogie on!
Day 13
Saturday morning, oh what a day! Awoken to sound of screaming… ants! After an ant attack in the kitchen area, the cooks and Robert the Brave took it into their hands to protect us, and more importantly our food, from the swarm of pests. Onlookers were aghast as they drove the ants off with fire. But no worries, folks at home, the ants are dead and your beloved children are safe and unharmed. After the hectic morning, we headed down to the poultry farm, which was swiftly taking shape. There was some backwards movement as Tash and Sarah discovered Hanna’s unintentional graffiti-ing of the wood needed for the chicken coop. Fortunately, the buddy portraits were drawn in hard pencil. Several hours of fun rubbing out lay ahead. We continued our day litter-picking the school area so that it looked fresh and clean for the new term ahead. There were some outcries that this was a ‘rubbish’ idea!
After lunch, we were all buzzing with the excitement of exploring a new area of Ghana, a nearby market town called Cape Coast. Split between taxi and bus we headed for the commercial centre. Moyra presented us with a challenge to take unusual photos of Ghanaian sights – including holding a crab and finding the largest snail! We were all taken back by the pungent smell of fish and the bustling narrow streets. A mixture of cars, pigs and children made a chaotic scene, which we were beginning to learn was typical of Ghanaian lifestyle.
Becca, Zoe and Alexa were victorious with a picture of a dead dog on top of a lady’s head. After a busy day, we were for an early night and settled down with hot chocolate. We were then told about the surprise ending to our visit – a road trip! We are very grateful to Sabre for this opportunity. We are going where no team has gone before.
Funny fact of the day: Alexa, Olivia and Hanna were sitting happily on the bamboo school bench when Dan came to sit with them, causing the bench to collapse under the weight and the girls to plummet to the floor!
Day 14
After all the hard work we have done, we had a well-earned rest day. Most slept in, though some were awoken by the daily cockerel alarm. Others read books and Zoe taught Dan, the guitarist, how to play ‘twinkle twinkle little star’. After the non-eventful but relaxing morning, we went to visit the elders in Brenu. We presented issues that we thought would improve the school, such as the introduction of electricity. On our behalf, Robert gave the elders a bottle of Schnapps, for which they showed great appreciation. We then carried on to the beach for further relaxation, some people enjoying the first power shower of the trip.
Funny fact of the day:
The first chicken has found its way into the coop!