From the moment I walked out of the airport in Accra I felt welcomed to Ghana, starting with the massive crowed (granted they were waiting for their respective travelers) I almost felt they were there waiting for me and if they only had started cheering with the flashes of cameras I would have probably had my first and only experience of what it's like to be a celebrity. A hot and sweaty, sleepless first night at Gunadiish's house only to wake up the next day with air conditioning installers connecting it up - what a tease...My village is fantastic, Fesi a culture much like that of a Westernized culture, I felt that I fit right in. The flies I would never get used to, but bathing under the light of a bright night sky or a work day that starts at 10 and ends between 3 and 5 are aspects that I could absolutely get used to. Being surrounded by such strong women, children and grandchildren all working in pottery so effortlessly was such a fascinating experience. I spent more time watching them work and interacting with each other than I did working with the clay.
In addition to working at the pottery shed, I took an excursion to the Volta Region with multiple other volunteers from the surrounding villages where we saw the Wli Waterfalls, a magnificent and powerful form of Mother Nature. After we had such a peaceful day at the waterfall we went to the hot, gruesome, testing our determination of a basically straight incline of Mount Afadjato - the tallest mountain in Ghana. I also had the opportunity to learn batik cloth making with some very talented and patient guys that taught me a lot about the art. I left there with some beautiful fabrics.
I was so lucky to meet such a wonderful, caring, welcoming group of people and it was so hard to leave a place that made me feel so at home.
Emily Stuut
Chicago, Illinois
Fesi pottery, Kpando
April, 2008
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