First Impressions

Jamie Pickett

Wow, we are definitely in Africa.  The first time I think it really set in was when we were driving from the Airport and we saw a group of ladies in traditional dresses with loads of fruit on their heads. I have always thought that I’ve been pretty good at balancing stuff on my head- books, water bottles, laundry baskets- but these guys blow everything I’ve even attempted out of the water. One person said they even saw a guy balancing a TV on his head! Maybe they will teach me while I am here.

The Heat- I have heard other interns say this before, but I never know I could sweat so much in a 24 hour period.  I’m like a little kid sleeping in their car seat with a coat on- all the time.  The shower only has cold water though, so that will be really nice at the end of the day.  A lot of people will always carry around a handkerchief or similar just to wipe the sweat out of their eyes. Some of the clothes that the Africans wear look like they would be extremely hot, like a lot of black, jeans, and long sleeve shirts. They obviously have adapted to the heat and humidity.

The People- The people are really friendly and their English is hard to understand, although it is getting easier.  Ross and I have learned some things to make it a little bit easier to communicate though.  For example, when people ask “how are you?” our normal answer is “I am good”.  We have since learned to say “I am fine” because that makes more sense to them. Another interesting thing is that when you shake hands, you slide your hand off theirs and snap your middle fingertips together. (Normally when you snap, you press your middle finger against the top of your thumb and it snaps on the base of your thumb.  When doing it Ghanaian style you press against the other person’s middle finger and it snaps on the base of your thumb).  I am not very good at it yet, but the kids are usually willing to practice with us! 

The Place- Ghana is beautiful! There is a lot of foliage and red dirt. This means that our feet, the bottom of houses, clothes, sheep, goats, tires, and anything else that comes in contact with outside ends up red.  Where we drove outside of Accra there is no garbage cans and as a result, the garbage ends up getting trampled into the red dirt.  There are also a lot of chickens and goats everywhere.  I was surprised to see how unique a solid building structure was. If not made out of mud and clay bricks, a lot of the buildings are made out of wood and tin and it looks like nothing truly fits.  The Abu’s house that we are staying in is one of the few exceptions, however, and has cement, wood, tin, tile, and paint. 

All in all, Ross and I have been in Ghana for 2 days and are absolutely loving it! We love the people, our hosts, the other interns, and are excited to begin classes today.

Ross Pickett - First Impressions

Ross Pickett

Ghana is amazing.  Jamie and I have been here for almost 2 days now.  I had my first culture shock as we walked in Accra to find dinner.  Everyone stared at us as we went down the street but we learned that if we just said, “hello”, that they were very friendly.  We have met and talked with so many people in the last two days and they have all been nice. 

Our drive from Accra to Abomosu was an eye opening experience.  I didn't know that cars could drive so close together!  Our drive was great; we passed through many villages and townships.  At one point our driver took us on a detour off of the highway because there was construction slowing down traffic.  We drove on a tiny dirt road that weaved through the “bush”.  It looked like a road that Americans would use a 4 wheeler on.  The tiny road was lined with people on just about every turn asking for money.  They told our driver they were “providing a service” because of the construction on the highway.  After a couple hours of being in Abomosu, we hiked to one of the villages we will be teaching in.  I didn’t realize how big of a language barrier there was until we met and talked with locals along the way.  I think each day will be a learning experience and I am excited to be in Abomosu!

First Impressions

Matthew Miles-

            What an incredible past few days I have had.  Ghana has met my expectations and amazes me every minute.

            The first feelings I had when I arrived in Accra was relief to finally be here.  That was quickly followed by confusion when I was separated from John and Madison for a few minutes at the airport when we rode different shuttles from the plane.  Once we were reunited I was again confused when we left the airport because many “helpers” asked for tips for the “help” they had given us.  After we arrived at Stephen Jr.’s home I realized for the first time what I had really gotten myself into and was very excited to start an awesome adventure.  The trip to Abomosu was a long one but I saw so much of the city and it’s people.  That drive got me really eager to interact with them and to immerse myself in the culture.  Spending time with the Abus, Douglas, and everyone else here in Abomosu has been a real delight and an eye opening experience. 

I was very excited to come and now that I am here I am glad I get to spend the next few months living in this beautiful country among these wonderful people.

John Johnson-

            Ghana rocks! I love it already. The people here are very nice and the area is beautiful. The drive to Abomosu was an adventure; I expected that the roads would be bad but I didn't know pot holes could get so big.

            The Abus are awesome. We haven’t been able to talk to Stephen much because he has been very busy, but he has been very accommodating. We are still trying to get settled into a routine. I am very grateful for the air conditioner in our room. It is very hot here.

            Douglas took us to see some of the towns in the area that we will be working in.  We were able to meet some of the collectors in the towns and get to know them a little. On Monday we will start meeting with loan recipients that are having a hard time paying back. Hopefully we will be able to help in some way.

            Overall I don’t think any of us have too much culture shock. The language barrier is larger than I anticipated. I have a hard time understanding some of the people. That is the most frustrating thing so far. We all look forward to starting classes and hope to help people in a way that can improve their lives.