Reynaldo in Ghana

After about a week of in-country-training we were officially ready to begin our stay in Ghana.  The week was filled with much learning about EWB’s history in Ghana, the strategy and our own personal role in the team.  We also had Moto (Motorbike) riding lessons and spent much time getting used to the intense heat.  The transition from Accra had left us enjoying the drier heat in Tamale, yet the intensity was also that much more.  We were in the shade for most of the day and enjoying the time in the room under a fan.

On Sunday, I moved from the Guesthouse to the EWB house in Tamale.  In hindsight, I now consider the move to be quite beneficial as I was getting closer and closer to Ghanaian realities.  However, never having been in a compound, I was a bit shocked by the simple rooms, the somewhat functioning toilet and shower, the goats and chickens and the dark neighbourhood that only had earthen unlit streets.  The next day, when I met some neighbours and saw the compound in the daytime, I gradually became used to it and settled in.

I stayed in Tamale for one week to prepare for my placement by doing readings and research that I had not been able to do before my departure from Canada. I also had my first Kasem lesson from a woman at the MoFA office and I went to visit a farmer group with an Extension Agent from Presby Farmer and Child Training.

Throughout the week, I developed relationships with several Ghanaians and really enjoyed this process.  Whereas in the beginning of the week, I felt quite unsure of everything, by the end, I was very comfortable living in Tamale.  I noticed that throughout this time as I met more and more Ghanaians, I no longer saw the external differences and looked at everyone with different eyes.  I met a woman who made Egg and Bread at a stand close to the Catholic Guest House and who talked very passionately about how she wanted to open her own container to sell the clothing she made.  I visited a man who sold mobile phones close to the market in Tamale who was very friendly and knew all the other EWB volunteers.  Also, while I was in Tamale it rained one evening and as a result all the food eatery places along the road closed quite early.   In searching for some food at 9:00 pm, I stumbled upon a man selling egg and bread and after sitting down, I had a great conversation with a group of men the included a student, a development worker, a former business owner and a carpenter.  Finally, by coincidence, I met a woman who grew up in Paga and speaks Kasem.

Overall, the week was quite nice and I felt very comfortable living in Ghana after it.  I was ready for a village stay in the upcoming week and excited and passionate about the experience.