Akwaaba

Akwaaba to my blog! Akawaaba means Welcome in Fante.

I have been learning a lot of Fante lately because it is the primary language here it is Cape Coast. The language barrier is larger than I expected but everyone loves when I try and everyone is always willing to teach me. When I say everyone I mean everyone, the culture here is extremely friendly and welcoming to those that you come in contact with. I have always felt safe, even in the streets where there is a lot of traffic and people, who do not have the right of way.

On Sunday June 2, I was picked up from the volunteer house I was staying at by my host family. A main question that I get asked is, do I have a toilet and does it flush? The answer is yes to both of those questions. But even if I didn’t I would still love this house because these individuals would be my guidance for the culture, language, and life lessons I hope to learn for the next two months.  I have a mother, father, and a little 2 year old brother who are all Ghanaian. I also have an American roommate for one month named Megan who is from Iowa and working in the health clinics here. I call my mother, Sister; my father, Kofi; my brother Papa, and my roommate Akua (for Wednesday). My name in Ghana is Aba, because I was born on a Thursday. 

My first day of work began the Monday after I moved into my new home and I, along with all of the interns, had a ProWorld staff member take me to the location of our work. From my home, going to work I walk down our dirt hill/road lined with houses, taking about five minutes and then I get a in a taxi. In the morning it usually takes about 15-20 minutes to grab a taxi, even though there are 5 for every 1 car passing by, but because of the amount of people and the traffic. It then cost 70 Pesewa’s to get to work. If you can remember from the earlier blog it is about 35 American cents.  Then I walk up a large hill to get to my office, which is the Department of Social Welfare, (DSW) which is a government building. This information on how to get to work is very important because it proves that none of our parents walked uphill both ways to get to school!

In my office I work with two other American interns Lashae and Emily and we are all very passionate about what goes on in the office and are always asking questions to learn about the Department. We were all told on the first day that we will all be doing a project and we needed to improve one of the three systems of Community Care, Justice Administration, and child rights protection and promotion. After researching the first day we decided our focus would be child rights protection and promotion which includes day care registration and monitoring, Training Attendants, Case work with family reconciliation, paternity, child matiness, and family tribunals. All day when discussing the project we worked under Kwabena Amofa Appiah, who used to be a teacher so is very enlightening and allows the office to contain a lot of laughing, with efficient work of course. The office closes around 4 pm and we are dismissed.

After the first day I got an internet stick for work, which is on a USB drive, and then went home but got lost for an hour and a half in the rain. Being lost was the first time that I truly realized how much I stand out. I always here Obroni, Obroni, Obroni, which means white person, and all of the little kids want a high five or to touch me. When I went to a day care on the second day of work and I had about 30 kids running up to me and chanting Obroni, and tackling me to the floor, it was really cute! Here we taught a hand washing lesson got to see what we really wanted our project to be.

If anyone knows me they could guess what I found on the third day Fan-Ice, ICECREAM that tastes like CAKE BATTER!!! It is in a little bag and one would bite a corner and suck it out and it is only 60 Pesewa’s.

I am having a blast and loving every minute of my time here. Be thankful for what you have and love those around you.

Sincerely,

Aba