Village Volunteers

My 6 weeks in Ghana were some of the best weeks of my life. I feel like I learned a lot, grew a lot, and will now be returning to Georgia a completely different person. I give credit to all of those who made my trip possible, the program coordinators, and the people I have met while in Ghana.

I arrived with lower expectations of my accommodations and food. I was surprised to have my own room, electricity, and large portions of food. There was no running water in Have, but I got used to bucket showers and will actually miss those when I get back home. The food took some getting used to for me, and my stomach was upset the majority of the time. However, if you speak up and tell your cook the foods you like/dislike, then the food transition will be much easier for you.

The clinic in Have was quite an experience. I got to see a few babies being delivered, and I also got to help chart things and take blood pressures. The nurses and people in charge were extremely welcoming, and it was actually sad to leave them. The clinic was, however, a more laid back environment than I used to. Sometimes there was not much for me to do, so I had to move around and keep asking questions. If you go to Have, I would recommend taking charge in order for your experience to be more memorable.

I went on two excursions and one cultural festival while I was in Ghana. My favorite excursion was the Central Region (Cape Coast). The canopy walkway was exciting and the slave castles were very beautiful and very informative. I also went on the Volta Region tour. Since Have was in the Volta, I had seen a lot of the landscape but the monkey sanctuary was interesting and Wli falls were beautiful! The festival was really interesting, but you have to be at the right place at the right time in order to see what is going on.

I spent a lot of time with Gunadiish during my stay because I was always traveling during the weekends. The most impressive thing about him is that he seems to be the only Ghanaian who tries to be on time. Everyone else is on “African time”, so you should expect to wait on most people when they are suppose to meet you. Gunadiish is also very easy to talk to if you have a problem in your village.

Ashley Denney
Athens – Georgia
Community clinic, Have
May 2008