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?".
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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.