First few days in Ghana

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  Cape Coast, Ghana
Sunday, March 30, 2008

I have now arrived in Cape Coast and am exhausted. The day began at 7am as I awoke in Accra in a freezing cold hotel room. I was told by my co-habitor Pam, and fellow volunteer, that this was the height of
luxury in Ghana. As she showered and went through her morning routine I was struck by how
unaffected she seemed to be by her surroundings. I suddenly felt very naïve for
thinking that Africa would make all visitors succumb to their environment, and that conditioner and hair dryers would be a thing of the past. `Oh I have my own toilet en-suite at the house in Cape Coast´
she said. `Wow that´s awesome!´ I remarked, feeling very relieved that my previous expectations of bathing out of a bucket in the yard were now shattered.

We headed off into town for breakfast and to pick up cakes for Erin, the Programme Coordinator for
Abusua Foundation. After a quick taxi ride we arrived at the Food Court for our morning meal. Inside
it was full of what looked like the expat and UN community of Accra, all well dressed and wearing their
blue badges prominently. I felt a wave of envy, wishing I was one of these important looking people. I ordered my omelette and began to drink my coffee, wondering whether the cup was clean and if my first meal in Ghana would make me sick.

After a quick stop to the bank to exchange money and to the mobile phone shop to pick up a Ghanian
SIM card, Sossah, the Director of Abusua Foundation, alerted us that he would need to swing by the Ministry for Social Development in Accra to renew the foundation´s NGO status. After a hot and bumpy ride on a tro tro, we hopped out and began to make our way on foot to the office. There was a mixture of well dressed foreigners and
Ghanians and local hawkers about selling their wares, and in the hot mid-morning sun the smell from the sewers was becoming more noticeable. Two hours later we had a promise from the Deputy Director of NGO´s that the
foundation would have its license renewed and we began the trip back to Cape Coast.

We arrived by taxi in the bustling bus depot of Accra, and to me it looked more like a marketplace with tons of cars and buses parked inside it. I was confused as to how we would know which bus to take, but Sossah
was at hand to guide us to an air conditioned mini-bus and haggled with the driver over the price of taking us to Cape Coast. As we set off and the cold air began to hit me I was startled by a man hovering over the already packed vehicle who began to sermonise in a booming voice. The sermon centred around a woman who was unable to bear children and whom the medical community could provide no help to. Although the story went on for over
a half hour, and with my deviations from the central story, the gist was that after finding the Lord Jesus Christ, she was cured and was able to finally have children. On the outskirts of Accra the minister bared us farewell and hopped off, I suppose to catch another bus into Accra and to complete his ministerial cycle.



The bus ride to Cape Coast was at some moments relaxing to the point that I began to doze off, and at
other moments so harrowing that I could feel my heart pumping in my chest. The latter reaction was mainly due to that fact that we were travelling on a single lane road, and when the driver felt the need to pass other cars he took no notice as to whether we were rounding a blind corner or whether there was oncoming traffic. He just went for it and if the oncoming car had to slow down or swerve then so be it. I thought of all the times I had yelled at Rob for his driving and that suddenly seemed ridiculous to me in my current circumstances.

 
Back at the Abusua house I was shown through the large house to my room. It is well positioned on
a corner so to benefit from a nice cross breeze, and overlooks the neighbour´s yard. In contrast to the slum dwellings in the centre of Cape Coast, the house is the height of luxury, positioned in a quiet area on the grounds of
the University. That night I met my other roomies, Erin and Heyley, Tai Tai and Sammi. The welcome was warm and at once I felt that this was a great environment to live in for my stay in Ghana.

 

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