… and I’m knackered. So ready for my bed in Bolga and the dry heat
that envelops you. Accra, as much as I
have enjoyed the work is just too humid for me.
Friday, the day moto training
ended I was still remotely supporting my work in Accra. However it was an amazing 'sleep out' up on the roof with Hannah and Rachel.
Saturday brought the Regional Rep Volunteer
meeting which turned out to be mammoth and much longer than it should have
been. On the plus side, Helen and I got
voted in as co-regional reps for the Upper East Region. On the down side it left me just a couple of
hours to turn around a document for my work in Accra before Hannah and Rachel’s
leaving party…. which was being held at our house. The chairs we were borrowing, the food we
were having made, the crates beer they had brought and the fairy lights (very
important addition) had not been retrieved/gathered/placed in the right place. There was much work to do but somehow, with
the help of a few amazing friends it all got done. Unfortunately having burnt the candle at both
ends for a number of weeks I was too tired to enjoy it to the end.
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| Drinks on the roof at Hannah and Rachels Party |
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| Hannah, me and Samina |
Sunday involved some very
pleasurable moping of the floor (I cannot describe how disgusting it was after
said party but as usual I enjoyed every bit of it – the satisfaction!). The house was then sorted (with the help of
some amazing friends who were staying), for an 8am TSO meeting on Monday which
was also being held at my house. It was
organised in much the same way it was last term – this time with the country
Director present. It was again a really
positive meeting and gave us time to welcome the new TSOs and share some
information. The two day meeting had
been condensed to one day at the last minute as many were unable to attend day
two so it was a long and full 8am-6pm meeting.
We got to know the CD a little more, who, having been frank, honest,
open and proactive for the meeting and then stayed on for a beer on the roof
after the meeting, made a good first impression all round.
The next morning at 4am some of
the TSOs staying at mine left to catch the morning bus to the Upper West and by
5.30 Ellie B, Helen and I were in a taxi to Tamele airport ready to board a
flight to Accra so we could be part of the stakeholder meeting related to the
KG work in Accra I had been doing.
Unfortunately, due to DUST the flight didn’t go but we managed to get
the last 3 cheap tickets on the afternoon flight and eventually arrived at the
hotel just outside of Accra at 9pm… It was a long day, punctuated by a mad dash
to Sunshine Salad Bar before it closed at 5pm.
As luck would have it, we made it at 2 minutes to 5 and our very hungry
stomachs felt the joy of fresh salad once more.
We were staying in ‘Africa’s finest hotel,’ at least that’s what the
publicity said. Chosen because of the
VIPs who were attending; not only from the Education Ministry but international
experts and consultants were being flow in too.
Helen summed up ‘Africa’s Finest’ as a ’Ninja Porn kitsch’…
…Perfect description from Helen
but lacks the reference to ‘too many large flying insects and maggots in some
rooms’ Clearly it was perfect for VIPs… The two day workshop can only be
described as heavy and long but it was great to meet the international faces I
had been in e mail contact with over the previous two weeks.
Friday brought with it the
unexpected joy of a medical and more salad at the Sunshine Salad Bar. I wasn’t
thrilled at the thought of a medical in Ghana but necessity made it
happen. I’d finally had conformation
that my Australian visa was being processed and that meant a medical was in
order - in Ghana as that was my place of residence. Luckily the Aussies are fussy and only
approve a couple of Med Labs in the whole of Ghana. The one I went to; round the corner from
Samina’s place (where I was staying in Accra) just happened to be
super-efficient; the process took a whole two hours less than in the UK – bonus.
AND gave you pee ‘pots’ as opposed to pee ‘tubes’ to pee in. Much more conducive to effective peeing if
you ask me.
So for some of the following
weekend and the following week up to Wednesday I was back to supporting
Tony at my work place in Accra; taking the tro-tro daily through one of the
first slums in Accra, Nima, and experiencing the joy of traffic and humidity in
Accra once more. I’ve broken down on the
tro more times in twenty days in Accra than I have the whole time living in the
north. The difference is there is always
another tro going in the same direction ‘just around the corner’ in Accra as
opposed to no tro for miles around in the north; and, instead of 4 to a seat
it’s a much more comfortable 3 to a seat.
I even experienced a ‘luxury tro’. Amazing seats which didn’t collapse
underneath you… unfortunately I had the worst BO fragranced driver I’ve ever
had to sit behind… or was it me? Still
you can’t have it all.
Back to Bolga early am
to a now empty home... sad times as Hannah has now left, just very lucky to
have caught up with her and Rachel in Accra before they headed home. Here’s to a smooth dust free plane ride and
subsequent ‘lift’ to Bolga; AKA Begged lift… Here’s hopin’.
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