Cori's First Email from Ghana

Hello Everyone !! My first email to everyone from Ghana. Yay ! I am currently in Cape Coast at an Internet Cafe, that's how we access the internet here, just once or twice a week, so these won't be terribly frequent for the next couple months. Everything is going very well. I am fully adjusted and absolutely loving it here. Some parts of it are stressful - like my upcoming re-location - but overall, it's been incredible so far. I arrived very safely, flights went well, pick-up at the airport and everything in Accra. I stayed in Accra just one night until I made the long journey with another American volunteer named Sarah to our program: Sankofa Mbrofa Fie (if I spelled that right they have a website you can google). It's a small orphanage with a large school closeby in Eguafo near Cape Coast and Elmina. It is an adorable little town with just one road. I haven't quite been able to tell how many people actually live there, but they are all great. David, the chief of the town, is the one that runs the orphanage and founded the school. He is a great guy, a lot of fun and he's been a big help here. As far as my accommodations, they're actually really cool. I live in a house that has two bedrooms with bunkbeds and a kitchen. We have electricity - though its not always consistent. There is a toilet, but there's no running water, so we have to fill it with a bucket of water each time to flush it. There is no showers, so it's a bucket bath ! It's actually been really great. It is minimal, but sadly the house we're in is the best one in town. Many people around have much, much less, of course. The orphanage is really cool. We get to spend time with them at night, hang out with them, dance, play games, and help them with homework. It's small - only 18 children and David there, but it's a great group. There are some really tragic stories of the kids here. For example, the one I've gotten closest with is Kwasi. He is fairly young, about 8 I think, and from the area around Eguafo. His father died when he was very young and after that his mother just rejected him. She began abusing him very severely (he is covered in scars) until he ran away and David found him begging on the streets in the area. He is SUCH a sweet boy, though. I was sick for a day and went to the Center the next and he immediately ran up to me and asked "Are you better?" Then he just hung out with me, stole my camera, and started taking a million pictures of us and everyone else. He has quite a personality, too. He laughs so much and his laugh is just adorable. There's also Anthony who draws a lot and creates things, like drums out of tomatoe paste cans and water bags I'm trying to get one from him ! Anthony is about 12 or 13 I think. They have tough times, though. They have a fair amount of donated clothing and supplies, but not much money. Most recently, David's told me they've had to cut down the number of meals they can eat in a week to feed everyone and the rent was recently raised, so they're all working to build a new home by themselves on some land inthe area that David owns. I have also spend some time at the school where I've co-taught a few classes - English and Creative Arts to the students there. The school is also in rough shape. The buildings are falling apart and half the classes are held outside under a makeshift open building. they have very little materials - very few textbooks, unskilled teachers, and to be honest, so lazy teachers as well. All these are stuggles most schools in the developing world. The amazing thing about this school though is that it is a charity school - David set it up and it is free to attend for the families that cant afford the school fees for the government schools. I love it so far, but as I said I am actually being switched to a different place for the remainder of my time. There are other places that need more help in the larger orphanages and it's work I'd rather do than teaching, so I will move likely this weekend. to where, I'm not sure yet ! I'm running out of internet time, so I'll finish up. Thank you all very much for your support and interest in my trip ! It was so worth coming here. The kids, the school. the country, the travel, everything has been stressful at times, but so incredible. I'll send another soon !! Cori