Ghana Revisited

It is hard to imagine that I've already been in Ghana for over 3 weeks! The trip has been a busy one but as always rewarding and enlightening in unimagined ways. Over the past three weeks we have visited over five communities in which we ran sessions on environmental sanitation (academic speak for picking up garbage), hand-washing (a potentially life saving technique here), and AIDS/HIV awareness and prevention. These session are kind of like the Olympics - totally chaotic and each one is always the BEST EVER!!

We've worked in communities that are considered the poorest of the poor as well as those that are focused on caring for those who are left behind in the wake of AIDS in Ghana. Each time we are thrilled by the response of the children and adults alike. I have to say that my favorite visit this year was to Zongo - a name given to "inner cities" within urban areas in Ghana.

The highlight at Zongo was an Assemblyman who "got it" - he helped up to organize the kids and participated throughout the entire program. While in Zongo, a predominantly Muslim community, I also witnessed the loving and joyful relationship that can exist between the leaders of the community and the children. I loved watching the not-so-stoic Imams giving pointers to the children and smiling and laughing at them as they crowded around to wash their hands.

It was equally amusing to watch the Imams (and Chiefs in other communities) laugh as they watched older teens and adults in the communities learn how to properly put on condoms... on plantains that is! This experience ran so counter to all the message that I had heard about Zongo, and more broadly, against the media images of Islam that are often shared through Canadian media.

Throughout the trip the students have been working on their passion projects - personal learning projects that had them talking to "average" Ghanaians as well as exploring themes that related back to their learning in Canada. Last friday they presented their projects back to us all in a community conference - it was amazing! I was so impressed by the level of learning that students were able to gain in such a short period with such a busy schedule.

Of course we also did some amazing ecotourism tours but right now lunch is ready (grilled cheese & avocado sandwiches! I've done a good job of rationing the cheese brought from Canada) so that will have to wait until the next posting. If the internet holds out that could come later today.