4 Months in Ghana

Independence Arch in Accra
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Hey guys!  This is where I'll (hopefully) be updating you all about my experiences while I sweat out four months in Ghana, West Africa!  My home base will be in Accra, the capital of Ghana.  Ghana is a country that is slightly smaller than the state of Oregon. It has 539 km of coastline, many beautiful beaches, and a tropical climate.

Ghana is also home to Lake Volta, the world's largest artificial lake.  It is dammed at the southern end and this dam provides power to not only Ghana, but also quite a few countries in West Africa.  However, because so many rely on this power, there is still not enough to go around and consequently, there are power outages.  When I was at the University of Ghana in 2007, we had a power outage schedule and had to plan everything accordingly.  24 hours with power, 12 hours off. It has gotten better, though, and as far as I know there is not a schedule anymore.

View from Cape Coast Castle. Cape Coast, Ghana
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There are about 20.5 million people in Ghana.  The official language is English, but native languages are also prevalent.  In the Accra area alone, you will find people speaking Twi, Fante, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga.  I know how to speak a little Twi because I took a course while at the University.  I try to use "good morning", "please" and "thank you" a lot because I can't quite put together my own sentences yet.  Good morning= Maakye "ma-chee"; Please = MepaakyEw "may-patcho"; Thank you= Medaase.  In Ghana, my  name is Akosua, which means I was born on Sunday.  Many people on the street also use Akosua to say "white person". I'm not sure why.  When I was in Ghana in 2007 everyone just said "Obruni!!" which means white man. I'm not sure why it changed, and neither is derogatory. I hear both equally. Sometimes I like to answer back "obibini" which means black person in Twi. They think this is hilarious.

Kintampo Waterfalls, Kintampo, Ghana
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Ghana is a constitutional democracy and recently held elections in mid-December.  The vote was close and so there is a run-off election coming soon.  Ghana gained independence from Britain in 1957.  Literacy is 74.8%, which is remarkable for a West African nation, but still reflective of a developing nation.

I will be volunteering my time at BASICS, an NGO based in New York City. (Basicsinternational.org). I have been taking a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) class in order to prepare me to tutor, teach English, play sports, and do activities with the children who attend the center. I'm not sure quite what to expect yet, but it should be interesting!