Ghana: November 2004 Archives

First, I want to apologize for the technical problems our travelogue was having the other day which kept people from being able to post comments - it's fixed now, so comment away!

I've been working with the Children Better Way (CBW) IT Department for the past two weeks helping them get their computer training center up and running. We spent three days last week getting two donated computers, software and books out of customs at Accra airport. It gave me an inside view as to how things work here when dealing with bureaucracy. Luckily we had a customs agent who took care of the paperwork, knew all the right people, and did the rushing around necessary to expedite the process. The computers had been in storage at the airport since June so we had a huge bill to pay (12,000,000 Cedis which is about $1,200 USD) before we could take them home. CBW couldn't afford to pay the fee so I was tasked with talking to the "white man" in charge of storage to ask him to reduce the bill. The storage manager was actually an Arab named Rami but if you're not dark-skinned like Africans you're considered "white".

We typed up a letter explaining that CBW couldn't afford the storage fees, included a few photos of the children who would benefit from the computers, and presented it to Rami. After meeting with us he waived all storage fees! Of course a generous "tip" was expected by our customs agent at the end of the process which we were happy to pay because without him we would probably still be at the airport waiting to get the computers released.

Every company, organization and department here loves to have its own motto and CBW's IT Department chose: "Making IT Simple." With this in mind, we started teaching the first classes this week and the turnout has been great - we've trained over 40 CBW volunteers and staff members in basic computer skills. People here are hungry for knowledge and eager to learn if the opportunity presents itself. There are only another two weeks for Megan and me here so I'm concentrating on getting the IT Department to a point where they can independently conduct classes and develop their own intermediate and advanced level curriculum.

Being at Buduburam has been an interesting and emotional experience. There are only about 20 international volunteers from developed, western countries among a population of over 40,000 refugees. Each of us is approached daily by people who say they "want to be our friend" and while a few are genuinely interested in getting to know us, most finally come around to the real point of meeting us and say that they'd like us to "sponsor" them or their children with a financial donation. Many have experienced hardships we'll never know and are in serious need for food, medical care and an education so it's strange to come here with the intention of helping people only to find yourself constantly saying "No, I'm sorry I can't help you."

A guy I've gotten to know here has told me he's spent the last two years trying to find people through the internet who will listen to his personal story and offer some financial support so he can eat, get needed medical care and pursue an education. The two internet cafes just outside camp are always full with people emailing and using instant messenger. The computer I'm using now shows the things people have been searching for recently on the internet:

"refugee sponsorship around the world"
"computer education worldwide"
"Australian program for Liberian refugees in Ghana"
"citizenship and immigration in Canada"
"any program for refugees to Sweden"
"names of international sponsors"
"universities in USA"
"UNHCR address in Ghana"

The international volunteers we're here with talk a lot about the pros and cons of sponsoring individual people in the camp - does it create the expectation that all volunteers have money to give? are you taking full financial responsibility for the person? and at what point are you going to say no to a request? We realize that we're here primarily to help CBW with its mission of educating children, improving camp sanitation and doing HIV/AIDS outreach and that's where our time, energy and money will do the most good.

That's all from me for now. Megan's in Accra today and will hopefully have a chance to upload some photos. Thanks again to everyone who has emailed us and left comments. We miss you all!

Once again we have quite a bit of catching up to do. I actually find it much harder in many ways to keep this up to date when we stay put in one place than when we are traveling around. But anyways, I'll try to describe what our time here has been like so far.

Buduburam is considered more of a settlement than a camp. There are around 40,000 people here living in houses that they have built for themselves. There are a lot of things on camp that we didn't expect to see: bars, hair dressers, bike rental, internet cafes, big speakers blaring music. Although our guest house doesn't, several homes and shops do have electricity. But at the same time there is no running water, no sewage/drainage system, and no garbage bins or removal. It seems strange to those of us who come from places where we don't even have to think about these things, they're just assumed as a very basic part of life. And to us it doesn't seem to make sense that people have things that can be considered luxury but are missing other basics.

Speaking to Liberians though, you realize that even though many have been here for 14 years, they certainly don't consider or want to consider this their home and are constantly thinking about when they will be able to go back to Liberia. The services that are missing here are big, expensive, time-consuming projects that people do not seem willing to commit to. The "luxuries" on the other hand, are easy to come by and maybe help to make things not seem that bad.

The Liberians that I've talked to seem to agree that a major priority here should be educating children so that when people are able to return, they will have a solid foundation and more promising future. There are about 45 schools at Buduburam ranging from very small schools to the CBW school where we help which has between 500-600 kids. CBW charges the least tuition (I think it's about $1.50 per term), but there are still many kids who cannot afford that, so there are lots that don't go to school at all.

So our days here generally go something like this:
Everyone gets up pretty early here since it starts to get hot and noisy. We are lucky to have a cook (Alice) who comes to make breakfast for us, and then I set off to school a little before 8 with several other volunteers. I've been helping out and teaching mostly in one of the 1st grade classes. As things are right now, the school doesn't seem to be offering a very good learning environment--it's just way too crowded and noisy. But hopefully things will change for the better next week when the split school into two sessions so that only half the kids will be in the building at a time.

School gets out around 1, so we head back home for lunch. Tuesdays and Thurdays we do tutoring from 2-4. The rest of my time has been spent either at meetings, playing and reading with kids in front of our house, talking with people I meet, or helping out at the library that is scheduled to open soon. I'll let Michael write about his work himselft some other time, but things seem to be going well at the computer center and their first workshop is scheduled for tomorrow. Evenings have been a nice time to sit around and talk with the other volunteers, but everyone is usually in bed by 10.

I will try to write more again soon, when the internet cafe that's closer to us is open again. We're both feeling hungry, so we're going to make our way back to the house. Thank you Henni, Emily, Marni, Makalo, Bruce and Joan for your recent emails, we love hearing about how you're all doing.

All the international volunteers here are feeling pretty disappointed today about the election results so far. We all came to Accra yesterday and spent the night at the Pink Hostel to watch it on CNN (with air con and running water in the rooms too--a real treat!). We had a good time making fun of all the reporters and I was glad to see that Michigan went democratic. But it's not looking so good in Ohio and I guess we'll have to wait awhile again for the actual results.

Michael and I are heading back to camp later this afternoon, it's about a one to two hour ride depending on traffic. We're very excited to be there and we're still in the phase of just taking it all in. Monday we had a tour around the camp and orientation. Everyone there is extremely friendly and welcoming, and the kids are simply great.

Tuesday was our first day at the school. We basically helped out in a few different classes--next week we'll have a more set schedule. The primary school that we're working at is actually housed in a church--just one big room for everyone. It's completely overcrowded with 50+ students per teacher and the various grades sitting almost on top of each other. It's also unbelievably hot and noisy, yet somehow for the most part kids are still getting something done (though whether they're actually learning what they should be is questionable--there's a lot of straight copying from the board and in the 1st grade class that I was helping with they were supposed to be working on multiplication problems like 11x3 and 12x4).

Besides teaching I'll hopefully be helping out with creating the school curriculum and discipline plan, while Michael's main focus will probably be helping in the creation of a computer training center.

That's about it for now, but we promise to write regularly. Our love to all!