Long awaited... I'm hereeee

First things first, all 5 of the cases arrived in Ghana, I had a feeling that there was going to be at least one missing. The flight from Istanbul to Accra seemed so long, although it was only 7 hours, I slept, I watched a film and I read but the time didn’t seem to go any quicker. I arrived in Accra and met Ibrahim, we went to stay somewhere for the night. It was right next to the airport so I hardly slept and at about 2am, I started to hear arguing. It was so loud and seemed serious, it actually involved an “Obruni” (white) who had had a misunderstanding with a prostitute, it was horrific to hear the things that were being said and just the fact she was so desperate to get her money. I had problems with immigration because I didn’t know the address I was staying although in Ghana people don’t have street addresses. They have P.O BOX’s, people always use each other’s too so how are they to know the exact place I am staying? Then when I collected all of the luggage, I had to pass some guys that were checking luggage, he ordered me to open some of the cases and was asking me what was inside, I told him and then he said I had to pay tax for the football kits… Just a way of getting money out of me clearly but a guy came over and told me to leave.

I have been in Larabanga for a few days now after it took 3 days to get here. I am actually already missing home, it’s different this time because I am the only foreign person in the village, the other times I was here, I was with the other volunteers. I met with the chief when I got here, Ibrahim had to translate of course but he blessed the work that I we are doing in Larabanga.

Unfortunately the internet situation means I cannot post as often as I wanted to but I will try my best. I think I forgot how hot it gets here, my skin is so sore because I have burnt and I have a blister on my finger from sharpening pencils, teacher problems haha! They couldn’t believe it when they saw how many suitcases I had bought, they have been so so so grateful to you all, and want everyone to come to Larabanga to see them. I think it has hit me again, if not harder... How hard it is to function here, for me anyway. I am constantly dripping with sweat from head to toe, I have two bucket showers a day but still it doesn’t feel enough. Even now, I am sitting inside to write this but I am sooo hot.

I have given out the clothes to the children who they fit and they all look so smart in them, they were incredibly happy! I took two football kits to the team Larabanga Shooting Stars. They were all trying to be the first to get one of the tops haha and I gave the captain the picture and letter from Camille and the team, they loved it. It baffles me how they train so hard in this weather, I move my leg an inch and I’m sweating and they’re running around pushing their bodies to the limit. Although, everyone in the village works hard physically, fetching water from the dam several times a day (mainly the girls). I guess they are used to it like everyone says but still when you’re here and you see them doing it, I just think, don’t you get fed up and just want to go and lay in the shade. Saying that the shade doesn’t even help sometimes because it is still hot. The lowest it gets is 25 0c and that’s at around 4 am. I have so much respect for them and what they do in their daily lives because at the end of this trip, I can go home and enjoy a comfortable life.

On Monday I took some of the medical supplies to the CHPS facility here, I knew what I was giving them was going to help but I didn’t realise how much. I was so shocked when I was told by a member of staff that they didn’t have ANY gloves at all. That is terrible at the best of times but with this Ebola outbreak looming that could have been catastrophic. So all of the gloves everyone donated and of course other things have been gratefully received. I have been quite impressed to see that there are posters around about how to prevent Ebola, that was something I was wondering about, but they are in perfect English which the majority of people don’t speak so that is quite an issue. I hope there is no need for anyone here to have to know about the symptoms but the risk is there so we have to act.

We had to take one of the little girls Rafatu to the chps because she wasn’t eating and had a high temperature. She has malaria. I was horrified when I was told but it doesn’t seem to be that much of a big deal, it’s just normal to everyone here. I have mentioned on my blog about a young girl named Yakutu who has a problem with her legs, donated was a pair of ankle supports which I fitted for her and she said that they relieved a lot of pressure from her legs which is fantastic!! One life changed.

MARSHMALLOWS- A lovely lady Tracy gave me some marshmallows to bring with me for the children, we toasted them by the open stove, and they were all amazed by them. Some of them ended up in the stove and some were charcoaled but they enjoyed it.

I have mentioned this on Facebook briefly but I want to tell you more, we are in the process of building a hand washing facility, toilet and place were the children can wash. We decided that this is top priority right now because of the risks of Ebola. This is going to be accessible to the children and young people that are under our care, this means that they will be able to go to the toilet in a clean environment and be able to wash their hands straight away. This is were the Poly Tank comes in, because in Larabanga there is no running water, this is the only way to enable the facility to work. It is a huge black container basically and you fill it with water. We will pay someone to come and fill it with clean water and then again after each time it runs out. I have worked out that the Tank holds 10 drums of water which costs 50Ghc and will last around 2 months so approx. £12 every two months means they can keep washing their hands. Even though I have been here before and experienced what it’s like, I guess when I go home I do kind of forget and get used to home comforts again. Like having a clean toilet/bathroom in your house, running water… the list goes on.

I have been asking Ibrahim questions about the children here, about their stories. So last night he said he would gather some of the older girls so they could tell me themselves. Two of the girls were happy for me to record them so I did although it’s not great quality you can hear them telling their story. This is a huge deal for them as they are not used to talking to people about their problems. I will be writing their stories on the page “Stories behind faces”. By June 2015 I want to have found someone who will sponsor the Secondary education of a 16 year old girl called Mumuna. What she goes through on a day to day basis is astounding, I don’t know how she does it. Look out for her full story.

On behalf of the community I say a huge thank you to each and every one of you who has supported the work I am doing here, they are all so grateful. I wish you all could have the privilege of seeing their faces light up.

 

The journey is just beginning

I am now at the AIRPORT!! Waiting for the first flight to Istanbul, I can't express how relieved I am that all the cases have gone through with no problems. This is just the beginning of an amazing couple of months making people happy! What is the best way to be happy?? It's to make others happy, there is nothing more rewarding and as you can see in this picture, the luggage has been a struggle but it will all be worth it when I see the beaming smiles on my arrival. That's when I will say it was all so worth it...

It all feels so unreal that 7 months or so ago I was in Ghana and had changed my flight to go back to Larabanga for another week with Madi but now I am going back again. I mean, were does time go?? I think I will probably arrive in Larabanga sometime on the 28th, so it's a long journey!

Now it's 01:20 am in Istanbul, I arrived safely and have come to a hotel for the night, I definitely need a good rest before tomorrow, it's going to be a long day. I feel so strange and a little nervous now as when I think that I am actually going back to Ghana, I realise that I have already spent 5 months there and I think back to how live was. I seemed to fit in quite quickly but it feels like I am going to start from the beginning although I know I'm not. If that even makes sense, sorry!!

Well I will keep you all updated with how everything goes! Thank you again everyone, I mean it :)

Just think about it

5 DAYS until I set off for Ghana, packing 4 suitcases is proving to be a difficult task and I can't even think about how challenging it is going to be to get them to Ghana! Not to mention then getting them to Larabanga. When I arrive in Larabanga it will definitely all be worth it, the looks in their eyes when they see all of the things I have for them, there is all kinds of stuff. All donated by generous individuals, of all ages too! I remember a couple of months back when I was feeling frustrated because I was trying so hard to find support and gather donations but was getting nothing back. But now, it's a completely different story, I cannot believe it, I have felt so overwhelmed these past couple of weeks. From ankle supports to football kits, the things that have been donated are going to help the people of Larabanga in so many ways. The children are going to have so much fun playing football in their new kits thanks to Camille Hayward and SB rangers, Southport. I can't wait to see their faces and take some pictures to send back to the people who have made it happen.

Yesterday I went to Meols Cop High School (my high school) and did a cake sale. I think people really underestimate how much money cake sales can make, me included! During a 15 minute break time, we made £105... How incredible is that!? The First Aid Form challenge was also a huge success! I had to have 5 students help me carry all of the supplies, I can't thank everyone enough. A special thanks goes to Nicky Williams and Clair Benson for organising the sale and the collection of First Aid essentials.

This week I also went back to my Sixth Form, KGV- Southport. I went to talk to students about my experiences and how going overseas after I finished my A-Levels has changed the way I look at life completely. The few students I spoke to were lovely and I can tell they are going to have very bright futures. I also used this as an opportunity to tell them all about the project! Two second year students have even shown an interest in coming to Larabanga to help out and fundraise for us! Right now I am feeling very optimistic about the future for the children, with all of this amazing support, I couldn't be happier.

Just yesterday, I came across a Human Development report from 2007. It is specifically about the West Gonja district of Ghana (the district that Larabanga is situated in). The report is 109 pages long so I haven't been able to read the whole thing but even the small part that I have read, has uncovered some facts. Just think about what you are actually reading because it may just grab your attention and give you the motivation to want to change something.

- The West Gonja district is the 11th poorest out of 110 distrcts in Ghana.
- Infant Mortality rate is estimated at 122. This means that out of 1,000 live births, 122 infants will die before their first birthday.
- The number of people with access to clean water rose from 25% to 90% between 2005/07 with Larabanga being the only exception within the district.

  

Click here to read the full report Full Report

Smiles can lead to laughter

15 days until my journey begins, it feels so near but yet so far. I truly feel like I am embarking on the most meaningful trip of my entire life. I'm only 19 so you probably don't think that's very hard, but there have been some challenging situations that I have had to overcome. Overcoming hardship and tragedy is something I now feel I am quite good at. This is a story, of the real reason why I really am dedicated to taking on the tragedies of these children in Larabanga. Their smiles and laughs are infectious. The looks in their eyes consume all of me.

I remember this moment vividly, I feel that this moment is always with me. Nathalie, a team member of the Larabanga Life Project, wasn't very well when we first arrived in Larabanga so I went with her along with a few guys from Larabanga to the "clinic". Whilst Nathalie was getting help, I took the opportunity to ask questions and find out more about this enchanting community. Mohammed (the guy in this picture), told me more and more about the situation at the compound with Ibrahim. He explained to me that most of the children are orphans. Orphans, being without both parents, this can be because of several reasons. This is the moment when something clicked within me. I was walking behind everyone else, over sand and rocks, and I was thinking in my own little world. My exact thoughts were that I cannot leave this place without giving them hope. I know how difficult it is to lose a parent, maybe this is why I have taken it upon myself to make them feel like they can take on the world. No child deserves to feel alone, in any circumstances.

Today, I went back to my High School. Meols Cop, I went back to do an assembly for some of the students. I told them about my journey with Ghana and I urged them to realise how incredibly lucky they are and that they have all the power in the world to change and make a difference to everything. I spoke to them about how they can help. One teacher from Meols Cop has helped me to set up a First Aid Challenge within the school. Each form has a challenge, a challenge to create a First Aid Kit within their form. As you have hopefully read in my previous posts, when I was in  Larabanga last time, there were situations I was unable to help with because of the lack of resources.
Meols Cop are also holding a cake sale on the 19th November to raise money for the project and I am going back to do another assembly later this week. 

Going back to my High School and seeing how fantastic the school is has made me feel slightly sad. I enjoyed school and I would love to be back but it made me realise how poor the support and education is in Ghana as a whole. Having taught in the North and South, I experienced a variety of different situations. I am so very grateful for the education I received and I want to be able to make the students of today realise how much they are capable of.

I have been completely overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone who has already collected supplies for me to take. It is honestly, more than I ever imagined. Donations of all different kinds of things have been coming in too. Teaching resources etc! I can't wait to finally get there and show them all of the things that I am taking. To see their smiles and feelings of relief when I can tell them that in fact I do have the necessary supplies to assist them is going to make me the happiest person on this Earth. It will all be thanks to you guys! You are all absolute stars. Also, to everyone who has donated financially, this money is going towards getting the supplies over and continuing with the building. Of course, as well as making sure that the children have enough food to go around. One more thing too, I have been thinking about how the diet the children eat is purely carbohydrates. They need fruit and vegetables but as these are hard to come across, how else can they receive nutrients? If anyone can help me or knows someone that can, I would be forever grateful! Contact me


Nathalie has come up with an idea for fundraising, she has created "alternative" gift cards that anyone can buy and give to their loved ones as a gift this Christmas. Well saying that, you don't have to have a reason to give someone a gift! They cost £10 each and some examples are, "Buying a bag of cement", "Feed 22 children for 6 months" and "Mosquito net". These are all very valuable things to the project and would make your loved one feel very good about themselves for helping. See the Facebook page for our full range of gifts LAECFgifts