Day 7
School in the morning was productive once again as we painted and sanded bookshelves in classrooms whilst the children did as much as they could to pitch in or surround us asking us to sing with them in some cases. We worked through the heat and the end result was starting to look very impressive for a bunch of teenagers in the sweltering temperature. A proud gang of us boarded the bus and headed to FIFA’s pitch for the eagerly anticipated rematch. We played our buddies in a stalemate draw yet it was the match against the locals that really turned up the heat. Mr Devonald continued his fine goal scoring form by knocking two goals in early on, yet Freddie Field could not emulate his previous tally as he blasted wide after a through ball from Mark Wyatt. Once again however it was not meant to be as we fell again and again to a much strengthened team, the final shoreline was 5-2 Ghana. Despite the allegations of diving and fouling strong on our lips, the team stayed strong and congratulated the victors on their second win in three days. A reflective journey to HQ allowed us to pack our bags and move in to our new home at the Stumble Inn resort on the beach. The idyllic location and bonfire evenings were much appreciated. After pancakes by the beach the executive decision was made to return to the PG offices as the accommodation was not as expected despite the scenery.
Back to school we travelled and another very hard graft went on as we knew we had no more time to complete our work. Varnishing and leaving the bookcases to soak up the sun we had drumming and dancing lessons, African style. Rhythmic beats and strong vibes filled the school as the Oakwood contingent enjoyed the atmosphere and eventually tried their own hands at the skills. The evening was very relaxing and many of us sat and chatted in HQ and enjoyed the warm air.
Day 8
Yesterday was long. The day began with a leaving ceremony in the school, receiving gifts from our buddies and exchanging thanks and gratitude on all parties. Now the moment we had been waiting for: we saw all of the books we had bought pile into the library and fill up the shelves to the smiles of the children around us. A brisk walk home and a lunch of egg mayonnaise and bread was devoured before we returned to the school and onto the busy city centre of Elmina. We climbed a hill to a church top with a breathtaking view of the bay, a huge contrast to anything we were used to, thousands of small shacks were tightly squeezed together and the hustle of working life crowded us from all sides. A tightly closed formation of us moved through the streets to the Elmina Slave Fort, here we learnt of the history of the huge monument overlooking the town. Originally built by the Portuguese for storing gold, ivory and minerals the fort developed into a human trading centre and they made a huge profit in buying and selling people for slaves. Soon the Dutch were jealous and launched three scathing attacks on the Portuguese in Elmina for control of the area. Their third succeeded and the Netherlands owned the slave trade in Elmina for years to come. It was until the British came later that castle was finally liberated and used for training police and not the horrors it has been succumbed to before.
The sobering event left the students and their buddies shocked, but enriched with the knowledge and history of the area that we have called home for the last week. As we returned to school we were welcomed with a buffet for dinner and faced with the daunting task of saying goodbye to the buddies that we had bonded with so closely in the recent days. Emails and contact details exchanged, we left Elmina MA for the last time and caught a bus back to HQ in the evening. We spent the night reflecting upon the last week, knowing that our days were numbered. Tomorrow we travel to the cocoa farm in the morning before the travelling home begins. A good nights sleep is in order for all
