You Will See

We are at the Credit Union Training Center hostels tonight.  I am happy to report I have warm water, but no wifi so you wont see this blog post tonight.  For the record, it is Sunday, Jan. 19, in case the date is wrong when I get a chance to upload!

Many people followed the Adventures of Alice, when a wonderful lady came from the credit union system in Kenya to Canada with CCA to participate in their Women's Mentorship Program.  When I contacted her to tell her I was coming to Ghana her first line was "Debbie, you will see many black people there, and you will love visiting Ghana."  She's right so far. 

A group of us decided to take a walk down the street this morning (after a great breakfast of fried mashed plantains with a spicy coating) and hot dogs (OK, in Ghana that's sausage).  I truly felt I could be anywhere until we left the hotel compound and set out down the street.  The first thing to remember (we were warned) was to be careful of the open sewers.  No problem!  They are fairly easy to step over, and in many cases they have two by fours across them like a briďge.  We just had started out and a group of men on bicycles, wearing uniforms, rode by.  Imagine, on a busy street, these men calling "Good morning!  Welcome to Ghana!"  Not one, not two, but at least 15 men, all welcoming us!  (Now, someone is going to be sarcastic and say we were a bunch of hot women, but no, it was a mixed group and the youngest is a young man of 25).  People are genuinely friendly here in Accra. 

Our CUA (Ghana's apex of credit unions) driver got us to the center this afternoon (at speeds that I would have to say make any man I know back home look like a granny) and it is in a partly residential area.  I came outside after dropping my luggage off and children ran up shouting "Obruni, Obruni!", they literally ran into our arms and hugged us.  We took their pictures, which they love, gave them some candy and now we are friends for life!  The children here seem so happy.  We walked through the residential area and saw kids playing with everything, my favorite:a cardboard box tied to a string.  The only time we saw an unhappy child is when James spoke to the really young ones LOL!  James is a young Irishman whose voice (skin color, height, size) may be overwhelming for a young Ghanian child.  He did send one screaming to its siblings today when he asked the (baby-probably less than 2 years old) if he wanted his picture taken.  The boy stood and looked at Ja

mes for several seconds before screaming and running down the road.  James will get over it, he's far more crushed by the mom who was scolding her child and pointed at James and said "He's going to take you away to Nigeria and beat you!". 

Not sure how I am processing this experience.  On one hand abject poverty is everywhere.  The children have barely any clothes, there are people hawking wares at every stop light, residences we have seen are mostly shacks.....and yet the people, they still have a smile and a wave for a stranger, the children are laughing and playing in the streets, and somehow, some way, they are getting by with so little. 

Look honey!  I'm eating Fufu!

We saw this little guy on our morning walk.  So sweet.  

The view from the market on our morning walk.