Boxing Day 2006

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all.

This is a picture of me with a new smock that I received from one of the schools where I have been helping them get their computers straightened out. What made this gift so special is that it was totally unexpected. I had actually gone to this event to celebrate with another volunteer who had been teaching at this school for more than two years. It is a lovely smock and when I wear it I become "Bolga Naa" (Bolga Chief).

Christmas has passed by now. It is Boxing Day. And here I am at work. I found out that Christmas is not such a big deal in Ghana, at least not in the Upper East Region. I think that when poverty is so high, there is no disposable income and so Christmas becomes just another day. In fact, I think that just about every store and every street vendor was working yesterday, and again today. That was good for me, as I rely on them for most of my food. And I had a small problem with my motorcycle that required a mechanic over the weekend.

The chain came off my motorcycle on Saturday. Then the kickstarter broke in half. I was able to borrow the kickstarter from another bike and I got the chain tightened. But the next day it was making a horrible noise. I took it to my mechanic, who happened to be working on Sunday and we decided that the chain and both sprockets needed to be replaced. I knew it was coming but not this soon. I was glad that people were working because I rely heavily on my transportation. And I have had to visit him Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday to get everything working right. After the major repair, the last two visits were just for some minor adjustments.

Christmas was quiet for me since almost all of the other volunteers have travelled for the week or longer. I had a visit from a Ghanaian friend. I got a call from my parents and my friend in Simcoe. And I talked with my daughter in North Carolina. It didn't feel much like Christmas here with the weather so warm and the sky so clear. It was still good to talk to folks back home.

2007 promises to be a busy year for me, even though I have not decided what I will do for sure. If I decide to leave in February, it is now time to start wrapping things up. If I decide to stay longer, I need to find out what that will mean for the work that I am doing. I am trying not to think about that too much over the holidays. I hope to have a conversation with my programme officer early in January so that I can make an educated decision.

Keep coming back. I will try to write from time to time. Be careful on New Years Eve. There are a lot of people out there that won't be as careful as I know you will be. 

Merry Christmas

It seems too early for Christmas to be so close. It is especially hard to realize when the temperatures are so warm and there is no Christmas music in the air. But it is here nevertheless.

This past week I was invited, along with many other Canadians in Ghana, to lunch with the Governor General of Canada. She is on a tour of Africa and Ghana was one of her stops. She visited Tamale during her five days in Ghana and about 80 Canadians were invited to lunch with her. I was selected to join Her Excellency at the head table.

I enjoyed meeting her and found her to be genuinely interested in development issues. I felt that she is a good representative of Canada - very outgoing and friendly. She made a big hit when she danced to the local drummers as she was greeted on arrival in Accra. Her stepping outside of the bounds of protocol and showing off her dancing skills made a big hit with the local people.

I decided to stay a few extra days while I was in Tamale to give some peer support to another volunteer stationed there. We made a day trip to Kintampo Falls. The first picture is part of the smaller upper falls. It was very picturesque. The second picture is the bigger lower falls. The people in the picture are nursing students from the Nurses Training School in Sunyani. They were there to enjoy the day playing in the water.

The falls were lovely and very approachable. I found the water to be quite cold, mostly because the spot was sheltered from the sun. I enjoyed watching these young people playing in the water and having a generally wonderful time together. I got wet but did not play so much, realizing that I am older and maybe a bit more fragile than these young people. Several spent time talking with me - about nursing, about Ghana, about their hopes and plans for the future, etc.

It was a good day, but a long one that could have been improved by spending a night. Kintampo is about three hours from Tamale so the travel took most of the time.

As far as work goes, I am busy travelling about Upper East Region. I am often doing two trainings at different locations in a day. It is still a bit sporadic, but all the districts are on board now and I am keeping busy. I still have to stay flexible with my schedule as planned trainings are often cancelled at the last minute.

It has been a while since I have updated here. It is because our internet access has been sporadic and I have been out of the office much of the time. However, it is time to wish one and all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.