Day 8 - Monday, June 25th
A little trauma today - here's how it happened through the eyes of Mary:
Mary:
Today started out like any other day. We woke up at 6:50, had our morning
meeting, and ate breakfast. We then headed to our school sites to make brick
and teach like we normally do. The platform where we are making bricks has
slanted sides which I quickly learned are very slippery, as I toppled over and
landed on the corner of the brick mold. I stood up, exclaimed “Ow,” and was
prepared to continue with making bricks until Karina pulled me aside because
she noticed blood on my skirt. I lifted my skirt and saw that I had cut my leg.
It looked pretty bad, but I didn’t think it was a very big deal until Matt
rushed over to help. He and Karina frantically tried to contact Dodzi, but cell
service was limited so it took longer than expected. I heard them mention
stitches and the clinic, but wasn’t paying very much attention as I was laughing
at my situation. Everyone was concerned that I was crying but I was fine (I
tend to laugh at inappropriate times.) Matt continued trying to dress my wound
and debated about whether he could use butterfly strips to close it or not. It
was very awkward because the gash is high on the back of my thigh, and I had to
sit with my skirt pulled up very high which is not culturally appropriate. Many
of the children were staring and everyone in my group was trying to help. With
everyone crowding me, I began to feel faint and had to sit down before I passed
out or threw up. Finally, Dodzi arrived and he, Matt, and myself made the trip
to the hospital. Matt was concerned I might pass out and refused to let me walk
without assistance. We made the short trip to the hospital and of course I was
the only white person there. The other patients in the hospital sat wide-eyed
on their benches as Matt changed the dressing on my wound again while Dodzi
told the nurse my information. We were called back very quickly and I realized
Dodzi must have called in a favor so that we would not have to wait long. After
three different consultations, Dodzi led our little group through the maze of
hospital buildings so I could get stitches. I was soon called back and told to
remove my shoes before I entered the hospital wing, but Matt and Dodzi were not
allowed to come back with me. This was the only point during my ordeal where I
felt as though I might cry; being alone in a foreign hospital where only one of
the nurses spoke English was terrifying. I began to count backwards from 100 in
rhythm with the beeping of a machine in order to calm myself. After what felt
like an eternity, I was finally wheeled into a private room where I was given a
numbing agent and two stitches. The nurse kept asking me if I felt any pain,
and even though it did I kept saying “No” so that I could leave sooner. Once I
was all stitched up, Matt and I went to get a tetanus shot while Dodzi paid. My
entire bill was only 20 cedi or $11. If I had gotten the same treatment in
America, the bill would have been at least $2000. We left with a prescription
for 2 antibiotics that I have to take 3 times a day. In six days I have to go
back to have my sutures removed. Can’t wait!
Karen: I need to applaud Mary for her spirit
through this ordeal. When word spread to my group that she had received
stitches, comments included “I
would have used super glue before I let them give me stitches” or “I brought a needle and thread and
matches and am prepared to give myself stitches if needed.” But what Mary
experienced speaks highly of this area, she received quality attention at a
remarkably nice facility. Our catch phrase here as been “We have a plan for
that”, meaning safety is concern number one and regardless of the situation – stitches
to a political protest, there is a plan in place to keep us safe. It was nice
to see this in action J.
Changing
gear – this afternoon I had the opportunity to go with my group to an island
community. This involved going to a marsh were we piled into low boats that
could best be described as a cross between a rowboat and a canoe.. A native
stood in the back and using a pole, guided us across the water way to an
island. The simplicity and peacefulness of this ride ranks right up there for me
in favorite experiences here in Ghana.
Once on the island we were toured through the village – the first time
we have actually walked among the huts and witnessed village life up close. I
continue to be struck by the joy these people have. Their smiles can light up a
room and they are very welcoming and happy to see us. We visited a couple of
shrines, were shown many idols and learned about their traditions. The longer we walked, the more children
our group attracted and by the time we returned to the boat area, we had a
substantial following. It was a wonderful afternoon.
Day 9 - Tuesday, June 26th
Group collaboration today . . .
Group: Today we went to Molly, Gray, Sarah and Mary’s school to
build blocks because the president cancelled school across the country. Both
groups teamed up to make as many blocks as we could in a four hour period. The groups split up with Ali’s group
making blocks first while the other group played games with the children. The main games we played were "bomb bomb
bomb balita", a dancing game that is very easy to catch on to. After two hours we switched. By the
end we made 95 blocks! When we
left we headed back to home base for lunch and then at around two we went to an orphanage home called Our Father’s House. At
Our Father’s House there were eight boys who range from ages 8-15. These boys were rescued from child
slavery on Lake Volta which actually enslaves about 2,000 boys and girls. The boys’ main jobs were to fish. Our Father’s House, a Christian based
nonprofit organization, makes it a point to love and care for the boys, who are
always well fed and have sturdy rooms.
After we learned about how the home worked we were challenged to a game
of futbol (soccer). Although we
were older, stronger and in many ways more experienced we couldn’t keep up with
the boys. We later decided
that they won because they played
as a brotherhood and we didn’t.
Day 10 - Wednesday, June 27th
Group: Today was a strange day. At one our school's there
were no students again. At the other school there were students but no teachers showed up. The result, many blocks were
made. Both groups have passed the century mark in number of bricks! Our afternoon activity was
very interactive. We were taught traditional drumming and dancing. It was a lot of fun as everyone got a
chance to participate and it showed just how uncoordinated Americans are! The music that was played attracted
many otherspectators including more yevus (white people). The dances were a lot harder than it looked and was
different from any sort of “American” dance. Afterwards we played on the beach with all the local kids!
Day 11 - Thursday, June 28th
Gray:
After
a morning of service we had lunch and then shortly after, made our way over to
KilKor. Kil Kor is a traditional Ghananian village close to the border of Togo.
When we arrived, we had to walk through rain and mud to get to the first hut.
Before we could enter the shrines, the girls had to change out of their clothes
so that their shoulders were bare. They provided us with colorful pieces of
fabric and helped us wrap it
around our bodies. The boys had to change into just a wrap skirt. Once we had
all changed we walked a short distance to the first shrine. The room was a
little crowded so they moved us to another area where the spiritual
administrator of the shrine was waiting for us. As soon as we were all seated,
the administrator began explaining the significance of the shrine. This
particular shrine paid homage to the god of thunder and we all watched as our
directors offered palm wine and various items to the god. The administrator
went on to explain the hierarchy of spirits and also talked about the
designation of the chief people of the shrine. Then we were able to ask
questions about the role that the shrine plays in the community and the
particular practices and the rituals of the shrine. For example, the shrine
deals primarily in healing acute insanity and infertility. After all questions were
answered, people had the opportunity to take pictures with the high priestess.
We walked back through the ran, changed, and then got on the bus to go back to
home base. We hot home a little past 6 and had a quick dinner before our
speaker arrived. His topic for the evening was polygamy and its history in
Ghana. He explained the various advantages and disadvantages that polygamy
offers and his personal vies on the subject. He was funny and engaging and we
learned a lot. We are all looking forward to our last day of service tomorrow,
although it will be bittersweet as leaving the children will not be easy.
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