The Cape Town area can be described in a simple phrase - it is The Jewel of Africa! The city itself is immaculate and modern with lots of things to do. With Matthew as my partner in crime, we spent 9 days in Cape Town having a blast. Winter has reared its head here so it's been chilly and raining a bit too often. Our activities have been extremely varied - we toured the city in one of those jump on/jump off double-decker London buses; wined and dined at Victoria &Alfred Harbor; ate and drank our way through Stelenbosch Winelands with a private tour guide focusing not only on wine but cheese, chocolate and olives - yum! We also abseiled (repelled) Table Mountain; strolled through gardens (Kirstenboch is rated among the world's top 5 most beautiful gardens); visited Cape Point National Park (Cape of Good Hope) where we hung out with hundreds of penguins on the beach. We also did a lot of driving along the coast line marvelling at the gorgeous bays - Kaulk Bay, Sea Point Bay and Camps Bay where the rich and famous come to play.
From Cape Town we moved east further down the coast to Gansbaii - great white shark capitol of the world, and Hermanus - the whale capital of the world. Unfortunately we didn't even get to see one whale; instead, we only saw the gigantic shape/shadow of one under the surface. We were supposed to go shark diving in Gansbaii however 25 foot swells and driving rain kept us land-locked. Instead, we took a drive through another wine region and enjoyed some of the best vistas and landscapes I've ever seen. And perhaps we did some wine tasting too. :) After a few days in the Walker Bay area we moved further east along the coast to Mossell Bay - a very popular summer beach destination. The sea had finally calmed enough to enable us to go shark diving - and yes, this was as crazy and exciting as it sounds! The crew would bait the water (out in the open ocean) with fish chum and when the sharks approached the boat they lowered the cage (with us in it) into the water. They continue to bait the sharks by tying dead tuna to a pole and dangling it in front of the cage - definitely a must-do activity for thrill seekers! Another day trip was spent driving north to Outshorn to the Cango Caves, known to be some of the largest caves in the world. Massive stalagmites and stalactites create incredible shapes and made the walking difficult. We had to crawl through numerous caverns and barely squeezed through some of the openings. Our afternoon was completed with ostrich riding! A male ostrich was blind-folded, I climbed on his back, latched onto his wings and hooked my feet around his chest and he took off just like a horse out of the gate!
After a few historical museums in Mossell Bay, we continued our venture further east along the coast to Knysna, Plettenburg Bay, and Tsitsikama National Park where we hiked, perhaps the most beautiful hike I've ever done - mountain terrain, green rolling hills and jagged cliffs that lead down to soft sand beaches. This was followed by another unbelievable experience - bungee jumping off the highest bungee jump in the world (710 feet). Imagine a swan dive off an active bridge (I'm sure you've seen the picture of the South Africa/New Zealand arching bridge over the canyon?) - it doesn't get much more exhilarating than that!!
18 days later I can say that this has been an unbelievable vacation, however my days here are numbered and I'm starting to mentally prepare for my return to the Grand ole' US of A.
In my final days here, it's hard not to reflect upon where I've been and where I'm going. I don't think I have accomplished everything that I came to do but I do think that I have made an impact and a lasting impression on many of the people/children that I met; I know that they, and their minimal existence, will affect me for many years to come. During much of my journey here I have longed for home - the people, our way of life, the technology, and the wealth that surrounds us. However, now in my final days, I would like to stay to remain in a world that is so simple - where very few things are planned beyond today, where little is expected of everyone and the attitude is always 'hakuna matata' - now this has a certain lure that I could barely comprehend 5 months ago when I arrived.
Many thanks to everyone who supported this adventure - to those who shipped medical supplies, children's supplies and toys, and money to buy more of the above locally. ...
THANK YOU!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
More on South Africa
If Ghana was the land of the Have-Nots, South Africa is the land of the Have's among the Have-Nots. My experience in Ghana was that everyone outside of the capital was poor, very poor in every sense of the word materially. Their houses were minimal, most lacking electricity, running water and indoor facilities (kitchen and bathroom), the roads were in disrepair - many dirt, the stores are mostly shacks on the side of the dusty roads and most people do not own anything western - TVs, ipods, appliances, cars etc etc. Everywhere I looked it was poverty! However, in South Africa it is so intertwined, from afar it's difficult to tell who's poor and who's really poor. The informal settlements are much more common than I expected and there does not seem to be any shame in living among them. The shanty-towns are surrounded by small, regular homes and there doesn't seem to be any issues with the proximity. Can you imagine if a few thousands people decided to set up plywood and tin shacks in the empty field in your neighborhood?! Throughout the last number of decades, the government has tried to demolish these settlements, only for them to resurface the following week. They have apparently conceded defeat and now actually provide some services for free - a few water spickets shared among many and port-o-potty's which they service. Within these informal settlements, there is even a grand disparity between the Have's and Have-Nots. Many are as I'd expect on the inside - dark and furnished with very little, however, others are quite a surprise. The door is opened and voila! I see kitchen counter tops, a table and chairs, pots and pans, a bed, a bureau and even some are show-casing car batteries or generators to run their flat screen TV, radio, cell phones and ipods! Whaaaat??!! And don't forget their designer (knock-off) clothing and bags!
We also rented a car and played tourist for a couple of days. We went to a Lion park outside of Johannesburg which, I might argue, was almost as good as the real safari I went on in Tanzania (Serengeti, Taranguire National park etc). I fed the giraffes and ostriches, pet the lion cubs and had some seriously up close encounters with lions. We drove our car through the park and the lions came right up to the car. They put their head at eye level with us in our car - it was scary!
And we also enjoyed a day of zip-lining through a canyon. In a beautiful national park outside of Johannesburg we spent the day hiking and zip-lining and having a blast!
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| Thalaghanio, the 2 year old boy that I live with. He might just come home with me as well! |
As for me? I'm continuing to look for additional areas of need. I've started tutoring kids when they come to the Center after school. Some of the kids are so far behind, it's apparent that neither school teachers, parents or even the teachers at the Center are tracking their progress/performance. It is very frustrating to watch the teachers at the Center, who are expected to be academic resources, barely function as recess monitors. It appears that these are just "jobs" providing a paycheck and that there is no personal motivation to make a difference in these kid's lives. I've also been working with the Administrative staff. It's been surprising to see the lack of training most of the women have in what I consider to be, basic computer skills -typing, general organization/prioritization, lack of knowledge in computer programs such as excel etc. Although the pace of life here is slow in general, the pace in the work environment is even slower! The amount of work that an administrative employee accomplishes in a day is comparable to what a skilled admin. at home would do in a couple of hours. Contributing to this are the cultural "tea breaks". 10am is the customary time to have breakfast and tea with your co-workers. Although it's a nice tradition and creates a stronger bond/friendship between co-workers, it would likely be viewed as terribly inefficient in American companies!
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| Posted in the emergency waiting room of a local hospital. Doesn't matter how many patients are waiting, tea time is policy! |
Meals have continued to be a bit of a challenge here as well. I make my own breakfast and there is usually a decent supply of oats, granola, eggs, bread and tea. Lunch is provided at the Center and is usually one of two things every day - chicken in a stew with pap (mashed potato like consistency made of corn meal) or beef in a stew served with pap. And don't forget the salt! Everything is made with a lot of salt (after HIV/AIDS and TB, guess what's the most prominent health issue? High blood pressure! Go figure.) For dinner....that's a little more hit or miss. Most South Africans eat the same as they eat for lunch. However, my project coordinator provides a little more variety for me which includes rice, pasta, beans and spinach. And fried chicken! Lots of friend chicken. Similar to Ghana and most African countries, the basis of most diets here are carbs, which explains the rather rotund shape of virtually all woman here! The amount of candy eaten here is incredible too. Everywhere I turn people are consuming "sweets"!
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| Allison and I with the Center Admin. staff. Notice that they brought a blow-up air mattress rather than blankets to sit on - nice! |
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| Can you say "Bad Girl"? |
Before Allison left we were able to enjoy some of the more local festivities. South Africa celebrated Freedom Day on April 27th. The administrative staff at the Center invited us to join them for a brie (BBQ) in a public park on what turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day.
And as you can tell by the picture, I was able to locate some foo-foo beverages to make my day complete (titled "Bad Girl")
And we also enjoyed a day of zip-lining through a canyon. In a beautiful national park outside of Johannesburg we spent the day hiking and zip-lining and having a blast!
My two months in this area has just about come to an end, however my next South African venture is something that's been on my bucket list for almost 20 years! I'll be heading almost 1000 miles south to spend 2 1/2 weeks in the Cape Town/Eastern Cape region. So many adventures are planned - bunjee jumping, shark cage diving, abseiling/repelling down Table Mountain, crocodile cage diving, sand-dune boarding, wine tasting and more! I'm looking forward to sharing these adventures on, what will be, my final blog before heading back home in mid-June.
I can't wait to see all of you soon!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Onto South Africa....
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| African Queen?? |
And so my South Africa journey has begun! I am almost one month in and have settled in nicely.
I currently live in Clayville and work about 3 miles away in Tembisa, a large township which is halfway between, and about 45 minutes from, Pretoria (the capital) and Johannesburg. I'm staying in a house which is owned by the ABV South Africa Coordinator, however she does not live here. Instead, her cousin Sarah has come from Zimbabwe to act as our "House Mother". Come to find out, Allison, a young American, and I are the first volunteers through the SA program with ABV and although things are generally great, there are some logistical glitches to prove it! There is also another couple who rents a room in this house who have a 2 year old son, Thalo. Allison and I share a room (although she just left today so I am now alone for my final month) and we share the remainder of the house with the 3 other people. Our house is in a middle class neighborhood with most modern conveniences - indoor plumbing, electricity, TV, etc; however, we are missing most kitchen appliances: no oven, microwave, toaster, washer/dryer or heat. We're going into winter here so heat is becoming a problem - it's become the top item on my list of what I miss most about America! With an average temperature of 115 in Ghana, I couldn't cool down and now I can't warm up! However, no doubt about it, my standard of living here is MUCH more comfortable than when I was in Ghana!
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| I may in fact come home with this child, - is he not the cutest?! |
As for my volunteer work, that is a big improvement as well. I'm at a Children's Center and Hospice. In the morning I work with hospice while I spend afternoons in the Children's Center. Hospice is all out-patient, therefore most mornings I go out with caretakers to visit patients in their home, mostly HIV/AIDS and TB patients; cervical cancer is also very prominent here and by far, the leading cancer among all people. Although the caretakers have received training they are not nurses and regularly I witness them exposing themselves to HIV/AIDS/TB in ways that I can't believe! Is it lack of education/training? Is it the blase' factor that they've been working with this population for so long and have therefore lost their heightened sensitivity? I don't know...probably a combination of both.
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| Freedom Square, an informal settlement where thousands of people in Tembisa live. |
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| I visit many of our hospice patients in Informal Settlements like these. |
| Orphanages, in the traditional sense, are few and far between in SA. Instead, they have day-orphanages that function as Child Care Centers, which is where I'm volunteering. Children come to the center during day time hours and then go home, usually to a guardian, at dinner time. There are approximately 40 1-6 year olds who stay all day and approximately 50 6-16 year olds who come after school. Many of the kids at this Center have been affected by HIV/AIDS: 13 of the kids are infected while most of the other's parents have either died from the disease or are too sick to care for their kids full-time. | |||
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| Gotta love the alligator outfit!! |
All of the employees at the center are really great! They are welcoming and friendly and have gone out of their way to make me feel at home. They are thrilled to be hosting a white volunteer and have told all of their friends that they have a maloongu (white person) at the center and people drop in just to see us! I'm surprised by this as well because...well...it's South Africa - there's supposed to be lots of white people here. But in this area, there are none to be found anywhere!
Allison and I have been taking some day trips on the weekends and so time has been passing nicely. I will upload some pictures and tell you about those journeys on my next blog.
Until the next time....
Kim
Monday, April 4, 2011
Farewell Ghana....
After a bit of deliberation, I have decided to leave Ghana early. I feel passionately about contributing to the improvement of something here and I really don't think that's happening. With stars in my eyes, I really had expected to make a difference here, and although I'm sure I've impacted some things, I was really looking for much more. So I will be heading to South Africa later this week where, as originally planned, I will spend 2 months between the kids and in healthcare and then a couple of weeks traveling.
Of course there are many things that make living here difficult: the oppressive heat, the dirt everywhere, the lack of modern conveniences (running water, sinks, toilets, showers, electricity), the general slow pace of life, the discrimination against white people in certain environments, the pollution, the attitude/indifference/lack of care & compassion among health care professionals, the impoverished surroundings, the treatment of the children and the unhealthy food (I don't think I ever covered lunch or dinner, which are pretty much the same: we are always served A LOT of some starch - boiled potatoes, white rice, spaghetti, fried plantains or an African starch - FuFu, Banku, Bola, Kenke; this is usually accompanied by a tomato stew or a nut based stew where the most prevalent ingredient is palm oil! For dinner we are usually also given a square of chicken on the bone. And by square I mean the chicken was plucked and cleaned and then chopped up, as is, into 2" x 2" squares and fried!).
However, with some time, these have been relatively easy to adapt to and accept. It's been the lack of work ethic, motivation and progress in the work place that has pushed me towards the decision to leave early. As for the pluses, it is the people I will miss the most. Kpando has a very friendly, small village feel that emanates from the people. They are extremely warm and welcoming. Everyday people go out of their way to welcome the yovo (white people), give their greetings and provide help for anything that's needed. But, like every journey, I have had some more memorable and interesting moments that I'd like to share:
TOP 8 THINGS THAT MADE ME GO "HHHHMMMMM....."
8. At home, it's common to see a dog tied up at a park or outside a store; here, it's common to see a lamb, goat or chicken tied up instead.
7. "Why aren't we giving 10am medicines to the 11 year old hemophiliac boy who has a severe infection from a snake bite and is bleeding from most of his orifices?" I ask. "Because he wasn't in his bed when it was his turn" the nurse tells me. "Hhhmm, he's there now so why don't we go give him his meds" I suggest (mind you all beds are in the same room). "No" she emphatically responds, "He wasn't in his bed when we were there so the afternoon nurses will see him at his next dosing time this afternoon". (Talk about making me go hmmm...).
6. At home, it is common to see some teens/younger men wearing their jeans below their butt with their boxers showing; here, it is the soccer players who do it most! Men of varying age will be in a rather serious match, playing pretty high level ball and many of them will have their shorts at their hips in the front and literally below their butts in the back.
5.At home we have lawn mowers to cut the grass, here boys use machetes to cut the grass.
4. At home, maybe some men will urinate in a somewhat public place in a dire situation, here men will urinate anywhere anytime. In addition, it is almost as acceptable for women to do the same. They do not hide behind a tree or a structure and they do not squat; instead, they pull their long skirts up to their knees, they spread their legs across the gutter and....they pee.
3. In an economy where very few people own a car, how does someone get a live goat home after they've purchased it at the market? Cabs and tro-tros (vans) will not allow them in the vehicle so it's common to see a goat standing upright on the roof of a tro tro with it's feet tied down! It's also common to see a goat strapped to the gas tank area on a motorcycle!
2. Who says I haven't enjoyed any intimacy while I've been in Africa? On several occasions, I've had a goat wander into the outdoor stall while I'm showering.
1. Upon a patient arriving at the hospital emergency room having an asthma attack a nurse asked me "Is asthma an airborne disease?".
_________________________________________________________________________________
This past week another volunteer and I spent 5 days at Cape Coast - a "touristy/beach" area that many westerners visit. 11 hours and 2 buses later we had traveled only approx. 250miles to this beautiful ocean side spot. We enjoyed some of the history of the area including the slave trade castles, we went hiking in Kakum National Park where we did the famous (at least in Ghana) Canopy Walk, and browsed the busting markets. It was a great ending to my journey in Ghana.
And now my days in Ghana are about over. Thank you to everyone who provided donations to help make life better here for the kids and the patients. I appreciate your support and look forward to sharing South Africa with you soon.
Of course there are many things that make living here difficult: the oppressive heat, the dirt everywhere, the lack of modern conveniences (running water, sinks, toilets, showers, electricity), the general slow pace of life, the discrimination against white people in certain environments, the pollution, the attitude/indifference/lack of care & compassion among health care professionals, the impoverished surroundings, the treatment of the children and the unhealthy food (I don't think I ever covered lunch or dinner, which are pretty much the same: we are always served A LOT of some starch - boiled potatoes, white rice, spaghetti, fried plantains or an African starch - FuFu, Banku, Bola, Kenke; this is usually accompanied by a tomato stew or a nut based stew where the most prevalent ingredient is palm oil! For dinner we are usually also given a square of chicken on the bone. And by square I mean the chicken was plucked and cleaned and then chopped up, as is, into 2" x 2" squares and fried!).
However, with some time, these have been relatively easy to adapt to and accept. It's been the lack of work ethic, motivation and progress in the work place that has pushed me towards the decision to leave early. As for the pluses, it is the people I will miss the most. Kpando has a very friendly, small village feel that emanates from the people. They are extremely warm and welcoming. Everyday people go out of their way to welcome the yovo (white people), give their greetings and provide help for anything that's needed. But, like every journey, I have had some more memorable and interesting moments that I'd like to share:
TOP 8 THINGS THAT MADE ME GO "HHHHMMMMM....."
8. At home, it's common to see a dog tied up at a park or outside a store; here, it's common to see a lamb, goat or chicken tied up instead.
7. "Why aren't we giving 10am medicines to the 11 year old hemophiliac boy who has a severe infection from a snake bite and is bleeding from most of his orifices?" I ask. "Because he wasn't in his bed when it was his turn" the nurse tells me. "Hhhmm, he's there now so why don't we go give him his meds" I suggest (mind you all beds are in the same room). "No" she emphatically responds, "He wasn't in his bed when we were there so the afternoon nurses will see him at his next dosing time this afternoon". (Talk about making me go hmmm...).
6. At home, it is common to see some teens/younger men wearing their jeans below their butt with their boxers showing; here, it is the soccer players who do it most! Men of varying age will be in a rather serious match, playing pretty high level ball and many of them will have their shorts at their hips in the front and literally below their butts in the back.
5.At home we have lawn mowers to cut the grass, here boys use machetes to cut the grass.
4. At home, maybe some men will urinate in a somewhat public place in a dire situation, here men will urinate anywhere anytime. In addition, it is almost as acceptable for women to do the same. They do not hide behind a tree or a structure and they do not squat; instead, they pull their long skirts up to their knees, they spread their legs across the gutter and....they pee.
3. In an economy where very few people own a car, how does someone get a live goat home after they've purchased it at the market? Cabs and tro-tros (vans) will not allow them in the vehicle so it's common to see a goat standing upright on the roof of a tro tro with it's feet tied down! It's also common to see a goat strapped to the gas tank area on a motorcycle!
2. Who says I haven't enjoyed any intimacy while I've been in Africa? On several occasions, I've had a goat wander into the outdoor stall while I'm showering.
1. Upon a patient arriving at the hospital emergency room having an asthma attack a nurse asked me "Is asthma an airborne disease?".
_________________________________________________________________________________
This past week another volunteer and I spent 5 days at Cape Coast - a "touristy/beach" area that many westerners visit. 11 hours and 2 buses later we had traveled only approx. 250miles to this beautiful ocean side spot. We enjoyed some of the history of the area including the slave trade castles, we went hiking in Kakum National Park where we did the famous (at least in Ghana) Canopy Walk, and browsed the busting markets. It was a great ending to my journey in Ghana.
And now my days in Ghana are about over. Thank you to everyone who provided donations to help make life better here for the kids and the patients. I appreciate your support and look forward to sharing South Africa with you soon.
Monday, March 28, 2011
About those changes.....
So, who added Kenney Chesney as one of my Blog Followers?!! Given how much money I have spent on that man he better be interested in my travels!! I luv u KC & can't wait 'til August to see u again! :)
Although the rainy season has arrived a little early, it doesn't do anything to quell the temperatures - our room still holds a steady 87-91 degrees (day and night) and the outdoor temps still average around 118 degrees during the day, although today is 127.5!
In an attempt to alter some of my experiences here, I changed hospitals a couple of weeks ago with the hopes of finding more of what I was looking for: the need and desire for assistance, along with the willingness of the staff to learn and teach. Although I thought I was successful at first, no such luck. I moved to St. Patrick's, a much smaller hospital, more dilapidated, with far fewer resources/supplies, with 28 beds and 4 doctors. There is a general women's/children's ward, a men's ward and a very small maternity ward. There is very little equipment and supplies are extremely limited - while I've been here there have been days where the hospital did not have any gloves or alcohol/swabs (so thank you Dave A. for your donation!). In my western mind that is a huge problem, however they do not seemed bothered by it at all! This hospital is privately owned and compared to the last hospital I volunteered at, it is much more expensive (however still only a fraction of the cost of US health care) for less trained nurses and far fewer resources/supplies. My first day was very hopeful -the doctors' English was pretty good, the nurses were very friendly, there were far fewer nurses and no nursing students. Most of this should have equated to 'yea! Kim will be able to communicate and participate'! However, the patients do not speak much English and therefore the nurses need to be involved in just about everything. The pace is still incredibly slow and again there is still not enough work for the number of health care workers present. After a few days, the same scenario occurred where much more of my time was spent staring at the walls than doing anything of substance. Even when attempting to create a project or organize something, it was not well received.
However, a work highlight that I have enjoyed is that I've been teaching CPR. Barely anyone here has ever heard of CPR, never mind know how to do it! First, I had to build/make a portable chalk board, which in this environment was a project in itself! I set up a schedule for all employees of the first hospital I volunteered at, Margret Marquart, which includes about 150people - head of the hospital even wanted administration and maintenance employees to attend. At first I did not have a CPR dummy so I was demonstrating CPR on a pillow! Crazy! Fortunately though, after the first week, the Administrator was able to locate a real, legitimate CPR dummy. And keep in mind that there are no AED/defibrillators here so it's an interesting concept to teach when the "end goal" isn't even available. This has been an enjoyable, unexpected twist, but it's a bit impractical here. People do not die from cardiac arrest; they primarily die from auto accidents, malaria and HIV. The impracticality is evidenced by the fact that none of the nurses/nursing students have ever been trained in CPR!
I've also been volunteering more at the orphanage, Hardthaven Children's Home, in the afternoon. Prior to my arrival, I was told that on my days at the home I would be there 8 hours a day. However, in actuality, volunteers are only allowed at the home between 3 and 5pm! Fortunately I am at the hospital in the morning, but many volunteers have come here just to work at the Home, so this is a huge point of contention for many. The home could certainly be in much better condition and actually there is another home currently being built (goal is to remove the renting factor to own instead). There are 35 kids who live here ranging from 2-17 along with 4 House Mothers. Fortunately all of the kids really appear happy and healthy. As my Mom says, "you really don't miss what you never had". And even though 6 of the kids have HIV, and many have lost their parents to HIV, there does not seem to be any segregation in the home. I also don't think any of the kids even know that some of the others are sick. The rooms are small, dark and dingy and numerous children are cramped into bunk beds side by side. The house Mothers sleep on the floor in between the bunks; boys and girls are separated. Very sad to see, but again, they see to accept the conditions without complaint. The Home does not have any running water so the kids walk to the town well every day to fetch water and carry back home on their heads.
The culture here has bred the kids to be very self sufficient - this is at the Home as well as all of the children I've seen/met here. The youngest kids feed themselves, dress themselves, fetch water and participate in household chores. There still is a good amount of time where they get to "be kids", that is, until they reach 10 years old or so. Then much of their free time is spent taking care of the compound (wherever they live), the household chores of cooking, cleaning and laundry as well as taking care of the younger kids. The lack of modern conveniences such as a washing machine, sanitary running water and cooking appliances makes the daily chores take forever!
Of course the kids are adorable, and yes, there are 3 in particular that I'd like to take home, but this makes watching their traditions all that more difficult. The form of punishment is caining - it is an extremely rare occasion where I've seen an adult speak to a child and have a conversation about the particular behavior in question. Instead, there is yelling and hitting. The biggest problem that I see is that this is a way of life for all here. The adults cain the older kids and the older kids cain the younger kids. It is heartbreaking to see these 12-17 year olds have the responsibility of "disciplining/caining" the younger children. With this involvement the cycle will never end. And I can see it in the younger kids: when they are mad at a fellow child they will yell and instinctively hit them hard, repeatedly. And unfortunately, I have even seen this among the teen boys and girls.
In addition to my volunteer work, I've also been enjoying some travel lately. Along with some other volunteers, I've enjoyed trips to Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary - a bamboo forest where monkeys live in the wild. A guide walks you through and makes "monkey" sounds and voila! they all come running to eat bananas out of your hand! It is seriously cute - while hanging onto the banana, the monkey will peel it and negotiate to get your hand out of the way so that he can take the whole thing out of the peel! (See the pictures that I posted previously.)
We also did a weekend trip to Wlii Falls - one of the more "famous" touristy things to do in Ghana. We were required to hire a guide who led us to the upper falls and then to the lower falls. I generally consider myself to be in decent shape but I swear, I thought this was going to kill me! It only took about an hour and a half to reach the top but it was one of the most difficult hikes I've ever done! The seriously vertical climb on extremely rough, overgrown terrain was almost more than I could manage!! But it was definitely worth it! Absolutely beautiful with white lilies blooming everywhere around the falls and the basin! The forest was so dense and lush and green - quite a difference from the populated, dirty brown of Kpando proper! (See the pictures that I posted previously.)
Another weekend trip was to Ho Hoe..not so far away but a popular spot for Westerners to visit for some R&R. A hotel there offers "western" food along with a pool, lounge chairs, a bar and most importantly, indoor plumbing of a toilet and a shower! So we anticipated helping ourselves to some posh relaxation. Only problem was that there really wasn't any "western" food (mostly more of the same fried African starchy food we get at home), it started to downpour and thunder about an hour after we settled into our lounge chairs at the pool, and although our toilet was fabulous, the shower didn't provide more than a trickle so we still had to resort to a bucket shower... but I guess it was indoors....oh, and we had Air Conditioning!
Tomorrow I am leaving with another volunteer to explore Cape Coast - a beach town area about 8 hours from here, even though it's probably less than 200 miles away. Gotta love dirt, bumpy roads and not so great vehicles! We'll be staying there for 5 days and will be enjoying some beach R&R as well as exploring some of the castles from the slave trade era as well as a national park for some hiking.
Every week I am growing more fond of Ghana and especially it's people. Every day I am still affected by the extreme poverty here and the perseverance of the people. It is so refreshing to see that they are friendlier and potentially happier than many I have seen elsewhere in my travels. Again, perhaps they don't miss what they don't know....
Until the next time,
Kim
Although the rainy season has arrived a little early, it doesn't do anything to quell the temperatures - our room still holds a steady 87-91 degrees (day and night) and the outdoor temps still average around 118 degrees during the day, although today is 127.5!
In an attempt to alter some of my experiences here, I changed hospitals a couple of weeks ago with the hopes of finding more of what I was looking for: the need and desire for assistance, along with the willingness of the staff to learn and teach. Although I thought I was successful at first, no such luck. I moved to St. Patrick's, a much smaller hospital, more dilapidated, with far fewer resources/supplies, with 28 beds and 4 doctors. There is a general women's/children's ward, a men's ward and a very small maternity ward. There is very little equipment and supplies are extremely limited - while I've been here there have been days where the hospital did not have any gloves or alcohol/swabs (so thank you Dave A. for your donation!). In my western mind that is a huge problem, however they do not seemed bothered by it at all! This hospital is privately owned and compared to the last hospital I volunteered at, it is much more expensive (however still only a fraction of the cost of US health care) for less trained nurses and far fewer resources/supplies. My first day was very hopeful -the doctors' English was pretty good, the nurses were very friendly, there were far fewer nurses and no nursing students. Most of this should have equated to 'yea! Kim will be able to communicate and participate'! However, the patients do not speak much English and therefore the nurses need to be involved in just about everything. The pace is still incredibly slow and again there is still not enough work for the number of health care workers present. After a few days, the same scenario occurred where much more of my time was spent staring at the walls than doing anything of substance. Even when attempting to create a project or organize something, it was not well received.
However, a work highlight that I have enjoyed is that I've been teaching CPR. Barely anyone here has ever heard of CPR, never mind know how to do it! First, I had to build/make a portable chalk board, which in this environment was a project in itself! I set up a schedule for all employees of the first hospital I volunteered at, Margret Marquart, which includes about 150people - head of the hospital even wanted administration and maintenance employees to attend. At first I did not have a CPR dummy so I was demonstrating CPR on a pillow! Crazy! Fortunately though, after the first week, the Administrator was able to locate a real, legitimate CPR dummy. And keep in mind that there are no AED/defibrillators here so it's an interesting concept to teach when the "end goal" isn't even available. This has been an enjoyable, unexpected twist, but it's a bit impractical here. People do not die from cardiac arrest; they primarily die from auto accidents, malaria and HIV. The impracticality is evidenced by the fact that none of the nurses/nursing students have ever been trained in CPR!
I've also been volunteering more at the orphanage, Hardthaven Children's Home, in the afternoon. Prior to my arrival, I was told that on my days at the home I would be there 8 hours a day. However, in actuality, volunteers are only allowed at the home between 3 and 5pm! Fortunately I am at the hospital in the morning, but many volunteers have come here just to work at the Home, so this is a huge point of contention for many. The home could certainly be in much better condition and actually there is another home currently being built (goal is to remove the renting factor to own instead). There are 35 kids who live here ranging from 2-17 along with 4 House Mothers. Fortunately all of the kids really appear happy and healthy. As my Mom says, "you really don't miss what you never had". And even though 6 of the kids have HIV, and many have lost their parents to HIV, there does not seem to be any segregation in the home. I also don't think any of the kids even know that some of the others are sick. The rooms are small, dark and dingy and numerous children are cramped into bunk beds side by side. The house Mothers sleep on the floor in between the bunks; boys and girls are separated. Very sad to see, but again, they see to accept the conditions without complaint. The Home does not have any running water so the kids walk to the town well every day to fetch water and carry back home on their heads.
The culture here has bred the kids to be very self sufficient - this is at the Home as well as all of the children I've seen/met here. The youngest kids feed themselves, dress themselves, fetch water and participate in household chores. There still is a good amount of time where they get to "be kids", that is, until they reach 10 years old or so. Then much of their free time is spent taking care of the compound (wherever they live), the household chores of cooking, cleaning and laundry as well as taking care of the younger kids. The lack of modern conveniences such as a washing machine, sanitary running water and cooking appliances makes the daily chores take forever!
Of course the kids are adorable, and yes, there are 3 in particular that I'd like to take home, but this makes watching their traditions all that more difficult. The form of punishment is caining - it is an extremely rare occasion where I've seen an adult speak to a child and have a conversation about the particular behavior in question. Instead, there is yelling and hitting. The biggest problem that I see is that this is a way of life for all here. The adults cain the older kids and the older kids cain the younger kids. It is heartbreaking to see these 12-17 year olds have the responsibility of "disciplining/caining" the younger children. With this involvement the cycle will never end. And I can see it in the younger kids: when they are mad at a fellow child they will yell and instinctively hit them hard, repeatedly. And unfortunately, I have even seen this among the teen boys and girls.
In addition to my volunteer work, I've also been enjoying some travel lately. Along with some other volunteers, I've enjoyed trips to Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary - a bamboo forest where monkeys live in the wild. A guide walks you through and makes "monkey" sounds and voila! they all come running to eat bananas out of your hand! It is seriously cute - while hanging onto the banana, the monkey will peel it and negotiate to get your hand out of the way so that he can take the whole thing out of the peel! (See the pictures that I posted previously.)
We also did a weekend trip to Wlii Falls - one of the more "famous" touristy things to do in Ghana. We were required to hire a guide who led us to the upper falls and then to the lower falls. I generally consider myself to be in decent shape but I swear, I thought this was going to kill me! It only took about an hour and a half to reach the top but it was one of the most difficult hikes I've ever done! The seriously vertical climb on extremely rough, overgrown terrain was almost more than I could manage!! But it was definitely worth it! Absolutely beautiful with white lilies blooming everywhere around the falls and the basin! The forest was so dense and lush and green - quite a difference from the populated, dirty brown of Kpando proper! (See the pictures that I posted previously.)
Another weekend trip was to Ho Hoe..not so far away but a popular spot for Westerners to visit for some R&R. A hotel there offers "western" food along with a pool, lounge chairs, a bar and most importantly, indoor plumbing of a toilet and a shower! So we anticipated helping ourselves to some posh relaxation. Only problem was that there really wasn't any "western" food (mostly more of the same fried African starchy food we get at home), it started to downpour and thunder about an hour after we settled into our lounge chairs at the pool, and although our toilet was fabulous, the shower didn't provide more than a trickle so we still had to resort to a bucket shower... but I guess it was indoors....oh, and we had Air Conditioning!
Tomorrow I am leaving with another volunteer to explore Cape Coast - a beach town area about 8 hours from here, even though it's probably less than 200 miles away. Gotta love dirt, bumpy roads and not so great vehicles! We'll be staying there for 5 days and will be enjoying some beach R&R as well as exploring some of the castles from the slave trade era as well as a national park for some hiking.
Every week I am growing more fond of Ghana and especially it's people. Every day I am still affected by the extreme poverty here and the perseverance of the people. It is so refreshing to see that they are friendlier and potentially happier than many I have seen elsewhere in my travels. Again, perhaps they don't miss what they don't know....
Until the next time,
Kim
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
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