Sunday 16th March

We woke early, did some chores and then decided that, as we were surrounded by palms, we should see how St. Theresa’s Centre celebrates Palm Sunday. We weren’t disappointed. Eric, the post and garden boy, arrived looking very dapper in a sports coat and waving a huge frond decorated with pink flowers. The women were all wearing white or very light colours and we paraded from the priests’ chapel to the Centre’s church. “ Boogied “ would be a better word as the occasion was a hybrid, solemn in parts but largely given over to singing and dancing with a mass for good measure. “Sing Hosanna” was clearly a favourite and we were literally dancing in the aisles. Dave’s description was “letting it all hang out” but this may have been a reference to the breastfeeding young mums in the congregation! Somehow a lone little girl in a sugar plum fairy dress attached herself to us and proceeded to clean her shoes with her dress. It was only later that we realised her shoes were of the tap variety. We can’t think where she found them but they were clearly her pride and joy- most of the children being barefoot.

After lunch we headed off to Aflao , looking forward to a spell away from the centre. We were immediately scooped up by one of the Italian contingent in his car. I was given the best seat , in fact the only seat in the back and told to watch my toes. The footwell was full of machetes. We careered down the sandy highway a la Mr. Toad, our driver having consumed a few glasses of chianti over lunch. Somehow, don’t ask me how , we made as small diversion via an enormous “charismatic church” which was in the middle of the bush. I began to protest that we had only limited time to post our blog in Aflao when suddenly we HAD to meet the Bishop. He proved to be the biggest man I’d ever seen who laid hands on us and preached a sermon to anyone who was listening thanking God for volunteers like us who are “dropped into Africa like manna from heaven”. Even our driver had had enough by this time and so, with four extra passengers, we hurtled off along the causeway. Trying to distract myself from the close encounters, I discovered that all the land around here is multi-purpose and that as the rains are arriving, there is now acre after acre of rice-field with fishing in the wetter parts. Extraordinary how quickly the rain impacts on the landscape. What was yellowish when we first arrived is now tropical green.

Monday 17th March

Most of the students packed their bags this morning and readied themselves for the Easter break. In the afternoon they were given their reports and Financial Statements. The able-bodied are expected to pay their own fees in return for tuition board etc.(Even the State School pupils pay fees). Those with a disability are funded by the charity. The first group were warned that if they were still in arrears after Easter then they couldn’t return. This seems very harsh but the situation is made clear from the outset and most try to respect the rules. Some students were clearly very anxious. One boy called round last night to see if we’d change two ten pound notes. He’d evidently been sent the money by a previous volunteer who intended that he should purchase a mobile phone to stay in touch with his family. In fact he confessed that the money was being given to Mother to pay school fees. His conscience was obviously troubling him.

Most students left the assembly with dire warnings from the priests about sexual activity during the vacation.

The Post Office man was delighted to hand over a delayed birthday parcel for Dave. He was very amused that the contents were; balloons, stickers, wallcharts and tea bags. Thankyou, Tom, Judy and Emma. The posters look great on our kitchen wall! The gecko(?) likes the one with peppers.

Tuesday 18th March

The transport arrangements appear to have worked and the centre is now like a ghost town. We discovered that all but the most severely disabled, make their own way home by tro-tro to their far flung villages(some a days journey away). We have not, to date, asked for any assistance with transport and certainly won’t feel we can now! Do wish I had the knack of riding a bike with a cross-bar though, as there is a spare in the shrubbery somewhere.

Dave and I spent an uninterrupted morning in the Computer room, except, that is, for a group of stray, visiting goats who kindly left their scent on the doorway.

We trecked into the village this afternoon to see if our cheque books had arrived and to withdraw money. We hadn’t opened the bank door before we were proudly told that the books were waiting for us and were a bargain at six pounds, sterling. The whole community now knows how much we withdrew and where we’re staying. Of course we are still very much novelties and young children are regularly presented to us to greet their first “Yavoo”. We’ve also had our first encounter with an insistent beggar. I simply had to walk away but Dave has to engage everyone in conversation.

We’re now preparing to bite the bullet and take a spot at the staff meeting to offer some Staff Development . How will this be received? I feel ridiculously nervous because so much of the sustainability element of our brief rests on our being trusted and accepted.

Wednesday 19th March

Well we never said it was going to be easy. Yesterday’s meeting was not comfortable. The opening management remark that the centre’s problems were the result of “poor staff mentality,”did not help. Suggestions for staff development didn’t exactly flow and so we put forward some ideas. One or two individuals were supportive but largely there was either lack of interest, a questioning of why vocational tutors needed generic skills and finally a request for a salary advance.

The result was that staff are to have development imposed on them and we are the lucky deliverers. We’ve left a suggestions sheet for those who want to contribute, confidentially. Will know more after Easter.

We were glad to be taking a few days break after this encounter and in the afternoon we took tro-tros to Ho, which is three hours north of Abor, in the hilly area, bordering Togo. We met, Devi, another VSO volunteer at her office and she then took us to her place. She is an Indian woman working in organisational development, who has a lifetime’s experience of this kind of work – she was very much involved in the recovery of her Tamil area from the effects of the Tsunami. In Ho she is working with a number of NGO’s in particular disability groups who are presently competing with each other for scarce or non-existent resources. She’s having some success and is slowly building networks. We were present when a leader of the deaf community arrived. He was clearly very enthusiastic but presently has to juggle his shop work with his campaigning activities. Two others in his group had just been employed by a local shop which was a major breakthrough. We had a bizarre conversation with him translated from sign language by a Twe speaking helper who himself is learning Ewe.

On behalf of our centre we visited an examination centre where we lobbied for the much needed syllabi and generally tried to draw attention to the difficulties staff are experiencing. Having seen the premises we’re not surprised by the inefficiency. We’ll have to continue to try different strategies.

Ho is a lovely, bustling market town with a cooler climate and a fresh breeze from the hills. From Devi’s base we travelled north into the mountain region to Ghana’s highest village. We walked up Mt. Gemi, a modest 2,200ft and then took a track which plunged down the hill to the next village. We were advised to follow a water carrying woman but couldn’t keep up, such was her agility. When we finally returned to the village we ate rice and beans from the local chop bar for approximately 20p. This area is very beautiful, hills covered in tropical forest, with clearings which are fertile and cultivated. We met a lone Swedish woman walking the same valley and spent a few minutes comparing notes. There’s evidently a guest house called “Paradise Lodge” which warrants a visit later in the year. Forgot to say that our vehicle on the way there, was a car with twelve people in it, the children being immediately dispersed to the laps of complete strangers. On the way home we had a roomier vehicle but then the boy with the goat got on and space didn’t seem to be a factor.

It was a real treat spending time with Devi. She is Hindu and a vegetarian so she preferred to eat at home. Somehow she cooked for all comers and we ate delicious curries and chapattis, with custards and tropical fruits to follow. We also met Kiran and Michael another couple of volunteers from London who are working in Ho. We’ll meet up with them next week. Another fascinating guest was a young man called Bernard who is a Ghanaian Youth Volunteer. He’s being doing the work for six months and has yet not been given a penny of his allowance. Somehow he remains cheerful and committed to his work with disability groups. Next year he’s joining the British Navy which is sponsoring him to do an Engineering and Telecommunications degree at Northumbria Uni. As a tea-total, devout Christian we think he may find the north east a challenge and have promised to stay in touch.

Sunday 23rd March

Today, Easter Sunday, we made our way back south. All was going well until we reached Aflao, on the Togan border where we were deposited by a well-meaning driver. We were immediately warned that”thieving Nigerians “ were operating in the area and were even told how to arrange our money in our pockets. When we were asked if we’d changed our currency we realised there had been a mistake. We were being directed to Habor rather than Abor. We didn’t know the former existed and the difference in pronunciation still eludes us.

By some quirk of fate the minibus we found ourselves in going to the correct destination proved to be full of Togans and Nigerians. After some miles of travelling, with a reluctant driver, there is no love lost between the countries, we were stopped at one of the many Customs Check points. We all had to disembark, but the occupants were not pleased. They were already late for some religious event and appeared to be very volatile, unlike the calm, laid back Ghanaians we’re accustomed to. The fact that the men urinated and spat did not improve tempers and we suspect raised the level of the back-hander. We maintained diplomatic silence but were sorely tempted to laugh as the music emanating from the van was Marley’s “Everything’s gonna be alright”.

Somewhat relieved we finally arrived”home” to find all was well and that we’d been missed. We went for a walk this evening and bumped into one of the boys who wants Dave to be his trainer. He evidently won the regional schools cross- country event last week and is now down for a major event before the nationals. Dave is going to have to do a bit of research on training schedules! As we walked on, a party of local runners passed us - a father with a group of village youngsters, toddler very ably bringing up the rear. Amazing!