Orphanage

The road to my orphanage in Nkwanta is flooded so they've reassigned me to an orphanage in Dodowa, not too far outside Accra. I go there today with a girl Crystal. I'm really excited. It's a small village but it has a market and it will be easy to travel around on the weekends. I've had a great weekend. An English lady named Diane, a girl Nora from Finland, Simon from New Zealand, and Melora from Germany and I all went to the Wli Falls. We drove 5 hours to Wli Falls, spent 2 hours there, and then drove 6 hours back. Longest car ride! Hopefully I can get some internet soon and update more about the orphanage. This place is beautiful. The people are so friendly, there are amazing sunsets, beautiful dresses, and amazing skies at night.

surreal

Who speaks limited Twi, has eaten fish mixed with scrambled egg, and hasn't cried once today? THIS GUY.

Tonight I sat around drinking whiskey with 5 Ghanian guys and a guy Azal from Iran and a guy Simon from New Zealand. Simon is leaving soon but he was here for awhile and was backpacking before. He's been like a big brother even though hes the same age. He keeps people off of me because the men really like to grab my hair. I don't know how much I can write and for how long but I have so much to write about! I have only been here two days so far but I cannot even begin to explain how much I have seen. Today I was in a car accident and it was so exciting! Azal and I were coming from the beach (where I sat all day on the beach under a palm tree drinking Coke and playing Mancala - a game played with seeds with 3 Rastafarian guys. One was named Ratty. At one point I looked around and said "lindsay, you are by yourself in Africa and you have already made 3 Rastafarian friends. SUCCESS!) and anyway, our car slammed into another car and our taxi driver was screaming in Twi. Oh, also, a guy with a paddle with nails driven through it was walks up and down the street banging peoples tires and you have to swerve to miss him. I've seen him twice. I guess hes crazy. There are guys on all the street corners with berets and AK47's and they stop you at night. I haven't been stopped but Azal was.
When I arrived, it was kind of hard. Nobody showed up at the airport to pick me up. I got hustled by some guy who convinced me that I owed him money and for some reason, I think because at that point I was surrounded by guys, I gave in and gave him money. I know. I'm already much better though at this. Eddie, the coordinator, finally came after I called him with someone elses cellphone. He's really nice. After he dropped me off at the house I'm staying at (for now) he left. I went inside and there were 5 big guys sitting around watching TV, some action movie with Robert DeNiro as Henry Tuttle? I dont know, I only saw the credits, I was mostly staring at the men. Nobody said anything to me so I put down my bags and sat on the floor with them and watched the movie. Then someone gave me some water. Later, a guy named Evonce came and took me into the market to get stuff. Everyone thinks I'm German and they all want to touch my hair. People just come up and yank it. Today Evonce chased a guy all the way down the beach about it.
Random things - goats everywhere. chickens in my front yard. tomorrow we are going to the Wli Falls with Simon and Azal, both my age, and some girls from Finland and Germany. I'm the only American. I have pictures but I dont know how much time I have I'll try to post them later after the Falls. Also a guy is sewing me a dress because he likes me which is really nice and he said he'd bring it over tomorrow night. Last night we had no power so we sat around with candles and stuff.
I've been here two days and have already had an amazing experience. Everyone here is nice but it is very different. I bought a Ghanian cell phone but the minutes thing confuses me so I'm not really calling anyone. Post comments here so I can see what you guys say since I won't be talking to you guys for awhile. Mom and Dad, if you're reading this I love you and I will try to call you soon. I'm safe and happy. I'll try to write soon and post pics.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I can't express enough how grateful I am for the influx of donations I've received over the last few months. I've raised over $1700 donations for the orphanage! I received over $1000 in donations after I sent out that request letter and then raised another $700 at my tag sale. Thanks for buying all my junk!
You can really stretch a dollar in Ghana so I will be able to do AMAZING things for the children. I do not plan on merely handing over the cash to the overseer of the orphanage; I instead intend to purchase necessities along the way (medical supplies, food, new mattresses, etc.) as I see fit, while I'm living there.
People I haven't seen in years came out of the woodwork to donate. This was so special to me - parents of my friends, neighbors I've never met, strangers at the tag sale, even my dad's dentist donated 80 children's toothbrushes! It really goes to show that there is so much good in the world and that everyone should really believe in the goodness of people's hearts. I am so lucky to know each of you and want to say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all of your support.

I leave tomorrow afternoon, fly 10 hours, and arrive in Accra in the morning. The village is 3 hours from the nearest ATM so I have to bring all the cash with me to the village. I am hiding the cash (it's over $1000, i'll take more out when I can get to an ATM) in a zippered pocket I sewed into the inside of my pants. Yes, I know this will be awkward when I go to buy something but I've been warned so many times about pickpockets and bandits on jungle roads that I'm not taking any chances. I believe in the goodness of people but I also know that the reality is people get robbed so I'm guarding that money with my thighs.
Along with the cash, I'm also bringing donations such as the toothbrushes, crayons, colored pencils, markers, big jugs of Purell, medicines, soaps, balloons, beads, books, glow sticks, sillyband bracelets, chalkboard paint, chalk, candy, and more.

Please email me while I'm there! linds.richards@gmail.com. I'm buying a phone there but email is probably a better bet.

Packing

God's Eye Orphanage - thanks to a previous volunteer!

Nkwanta, Ghana

Before I begin, I'd like for you to just close your eyes while I paint you a picture...It's a cold and rainy October day and I am sitting in my parents basement. I am wearing frayed jean shorts, a blue tank top, and a casually unbuttoned denim button-down collared shirt that I took from my mom because I was cold this morning. I am underneath a giant down-comforter and have been rubbing a nail file on my face - an exfoliating tip I invented myself and you may feel free to copy. I am staring at a poster across the room and thinking about buying a scented candle for the basement when DING! An email has popped up in my inbox.

Yes, I am painting a picture of someone who really does not have their act together. A twenty-something loser. You are probably reeling with questions: Why is she wearing shorts? Why is she wearing denim on denim? Why isn't she at work? Why is she in her parents basement? What's the email about? Why is she telling me to close my eyes - how can I read this if my eyes are closed?

The answer to most of those questions is that I am staying with my parents for the next 9 days until I leave for Ghana. My last day of work was on Friday and then I came home to CT to have some down-time and to start packing.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE EMAIL WAS ABOUT MY ORPHANAGE PLACEMENT!

I'll be at the God's Eye Orphanage in the village of Nkwanta. It's about a 6 hour drive from the capital, Accra, and a 3 hour drive from the nearest ATM. Nkwanta is a small and pretty remote village but there is a market and supposedly a few different places to eat and drink. It's in the Volta region, which borders the country of Togo (don't ask me, I had never even heard of it until now) and is close to a monkey sanctuary (BINGO!), a game reserve (warthogs, water buffalo, but no elephants - I already checked) and some famous waterfalls. I plan on trying to make a few trips on the weekends such as Mole National Park (an armed guide walks you around the park so you can see elephants, baboons, etc.) and the Wli waterfalls. I'm actually pretty pleased about the remoteness of Nkwanta - It means I can wear these Teva-looking shoes that Susan bought me and nobody will judge me. Anyway, I arrive in Accra at 7:30 AM on the 14th, spend the night in Accra, and then someone will drive me up to Nkwanta the next day and drop me off.

Living in my parents basement means I'm surrounded by boxes of memorabilia. Yesterday I found an old diary of mine from when I was 10. Judging from the randomness of each statement in my diary, how my parents did not know I had ADD just goes to show how much they neglected me as a child. I literally wrote,

"Dear Diary, How are you? Oh, I guess that's a stupid question. Anyway, today I'm going ice-skating at Wonderland of Ice with the Allens. Did you know that the universal language is kindness? Gotta go put on my sk8zzz! love, Lindsay"

Today I learned that the people in Nkwanta speak Twi so obviously I'll just be really kind but I'm going to have to get a dictionary and try and learn some basic phrases I'd like to know, such as "Where is the bus station?" "Can I have food?" and "May I pet your animals?"


Basic facts I know so far about what my life will be like living there:

- I'll be living in a volunteer house with a few other volunteers and the local women bring us our meals

- there is no running water at the house

- I will have to haul water up from the river so I can take "bucket baths" (I am unsure as to whether I get inside a big bucket or just dump a bucket over my head but so far this is what I've been fixated on most since I got my placement)

- Where I'll be living, I will have electricity but due to power cuts, it may often be off.

-I will have access to the internet but it is VERY unreliable and slow. I think I'll be buying a cellphone there but I don't know if I'll ever have service. I think I can use a phone in a neighboring village. (Which reminds me, I won't have my 203-906-4195 number until I move back here so I'm letting my dad use my phone while I'm living there. Don't drunk-dial Mose, he's really sweet)


Basic facts about the orphanage:

-there are 80 children at the orphanage and the average age of the children is 6

-the children get their water for bathing from a local river (10 min walk) but do have one tap from which they can drink semi-clean running water

-there are no tables at all at the orphanage and the children sleep on straw mats on the floor with little protection from wind and rain

-my chores will mainly consist of cooking, bathing and dressing the children, serving food, washing clothes, and whenever possible, teaching at the school


I'm really excited and just want to say thank you to all of you who donated - from what I've learned so far, I'll be able to do some really great things with your donations and I will try and post as often as possible. The above pictures are just pictures I found on the internet in regards to Nkwanta. The picture of the children is on a road in Nkwanta. The picture of the elephant is an actual picture of an elephant at Mole National Park who wandered into the hotel that I plan to stay at. If this happened when I was there I would die of happiness. The other picture is of the Wli Falls which I plan to hike to and swim in.

Donations For Make Benefit the Glorious Nation of Ghana

I’ve sent a letter out this week to friends and family requesting monetary donations for the orphanage. From speaking to returned volunteers, I found out that many of the children in the orphanages eat rice or a paste mix for their meals, sleep on soiled mattresses or just on concrete floors, wear underwear or t-shirts but rarely both, and don’t have access to the medicines they often need. While I won’t know exactly what is the most needed until I’m there, I’ve learned that some of the past volunteers used donations to pay for electricity, plumbing, new mattresses, mosquito nets (as Malaria is rampant there), food, school fees, and medical bills for the children. I would love to be able to bring bags and bags of toys and clothing, but realistically, I would have to spend a small fortune on the luggage. It makes more sense to deposit donations into a checking account from which I can withdraw money to buy supplies, food, clothing, toys, etc, in Ghana. By purchasing these items there, I’m also supporting their economy.

Please make checks payable to:

Lindsay Richards
201 B South Trail
Stratford, CT 06614

*I no longer live at Eden Street so please don't send donations there. I'm living in the North End in Boston for the month before I leave but donations will be safer if sent to my parents address (above). If you send a cash donation, please include your name so I can send you a thank you!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me at linds.richards@gmail.com

I fly out on October 13th, but Susan can still deposit checks throughout my time there!