18 July 2007
Ghana: Final Blog
Posted by acardec under: Women Studies In Ghana .
Stepping onto the beach in Accra marks a movement into a completely different world and culture. There you find men in sequined leotards flying in the air and dancing before crowds in the hopes of being *dashed* a handsome tip from onlookers. Women walk around with traveling spas on their heads, tempting women to pamper themselves with a manicure or pedicure while they enjoy the scenery. And, as with most places in Accra, there are street merchants *hawking* all types of goods from paintings to Ghanaian highlife cds. But, two things you do not expect when you step into this enchanted spot of sand are rain and orphans.
As group members from the trip sat on the beach trying to persuade hawkers that we were actually serious about not needing to buy their various souvenirs, the sky was overtaken with darkness and it suddenly got windy and cold. It reminded me of home where the day suddenly changes to night at the onset of a violent storm. Everyone on the beach began to scurry, quickly taking down kiosks and moving chairs inside. The beach became so deserted so quick that I felt as if I conjured the performers and stores out of the air.
Our group quickly hurried inside of the restaurant where we had been eating on the patio and just as we made it under the wooden over hang the sky let loose. The wind was intense and we were all suddenly cold, rain dripped through the slits between the wooden boards of the roof, a red river formed in the sand as water ran from the highland back to the sea and we watched in awe as the ocean violently threw waves upon the shore. As we waited out the storm, the acrobats continued and people began to play music and dance. Everyone was laughing and carrying on so much that it was almost forgotten that rain had spoiled the atmosphere.
Among those waiting out the storm was a group of about fifteen children and one European man. As we waited we chatted with the man about his group and learned that he was a flight attendant on layover and while he waited he was volunteering at a local orphanage.
He had chosen only fifteen children to go the beach out of an orphanage of more than 150 children. We asked if we could chat with the children and he nodded, telling us with his eyes that he was overwhelmed. The children shared bananas and crackers that one of the older boys and the volunteer passed among them. They were enthralled by one of our group member*s cameras and it seemed that all of the children wanted their picture taken. We helped them go to the restroom, let them color with pens from our notebooks, bought them peanuts, and covered their wet and cold bodies with our clothes and towels. Some of the children danced and others would not let us put them down, clinging to our necks and laps as if they never wanted us to leave.
After hours of watching acrobats, rain, and children, we ran through the rain carrying these children and helping them into taxis. The volunteer allowed us to follow him back to the orphanage and when we arrived we were shown a tour of the facility. We saw children bathed in the courtyard in the rain; we saw rows of bunks, tired and exhausted workers and volunteers, and bright and helpful children. We learned that the only elder boy who accompanied us from the beach did not have to help out but was gracious enough to wash all of the beach goers* clothes.
In that place my heart broke for those kids and then immediately swelled for the people who were there trying to make sure that these children learned about community, family, and sharing even if it was done outside of the traditional familial setting. In that moment I wanted take all of those children home or help find them a home and I thought about my home and what I could be doing for the children in need there.
The beach turned out to be one of the most emotional and rewarding experiences of this trip and it has made classroom knowledge come alive. The ocean has always been a source of inspiration for me; today the sea reminded me of the instability of borders and brought into the focus some of my goals for study abroad, reminding me that I can build community partners here and at home in order to make alliances around issues of building a sustainable future.
- Meredith Tweed
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