It’s Friday… the kids are at school and we have managed to get Mama Jane to come for a meeting about the party tomorrow (she usually only comes on Monday’s and has a Monday morning – which is always more like afternoon- meeting with us.). We sit down and explain how we feel about the demands for payment for things and that we aren’t going to pay for this party she wants. She then explains to us that she had had a meeting with Sara about the party before any of us were aware of it and Sara has said we’d all contribute and be happy to pay (Sara denies this so we’ll never really know what happened). Anyway it turns out it had all been a big misunderstanding and there had been a break down in communication. Who’s fault it was cannot be determined but we all played a part in it and it was time to sort it out.
The ‘party’ was not in fact a party at all. It’s going to be an awareness thing held on Universal Children’s Day to highlight to the village of Dodowa and the rest of Ghana the plight of these children and to encourage others to help out. The media (radio and TV) have been invited. The children will march around the village holding banners and singing. There will then be speeches outside the orphanage from Mama Jane and some of the others at the orphanage along with a Pastor. Some ‘dignitaries’ as Mama Jane calls them have been invited, chiefs from other villages etc and at the end of the day a DJ would play music for the children to dance to.
We managed to sort everything out and came to an agreement. Sara said she would pay for the chairs, canopies and a DJ to play music and bring a sound system as she was the one that originally agreed all that with Mama Jane before we knew anything about it. I said I would buy chicken for the children to eat (and gave Mama Jane the money for the chicken and the trotro ride to send Kelvin to go and get it ). I also bought sweets and drinks for the children. Some of the other volunteers bought pineapples and these Ghanaian style donuts. We decided to save the party games until I leave and have a going away party with the kids then.
Back at the house it was time to do laundry… I had hoped to go 3 weeks without having to do any laundry and did bring enough underwear to do just that, but unfortunately the extreme heat and my English summer clothes (totally not suitable for African heat!) were not enough and I had to do hand washing…. I did a mass of hand washing until my fingers were wrinkly. Beatrice, our cook, then came out to help me wring it all out and get it on the line.
We talked to Beatrice today about the noise last night. She seemed to think it was Abu but he denies it and we know it wasn’t him because we saw him fast asleep. On inspection this morning we did notice that the screen on the kitchen window was ripped just at the place where a hand could reach in and try to push the wooden beam off unlocking the door.. this freaked us out a bit but Beatrice said the rip had been there a long time… we decided to tell Eddie anyway and he came to take a look and fitted a new lock for us on the door (a proper one!). We have our suspicions about what really happened but I shall keep those to myself for now!
Beatrice informed us that today we would have some guests staying at the house with us for the weekend as the landlady had a death in the family and they were coming for the funeral. There are many rooms in the house which are locked and not for us to go in to. We thought she meant one or two people would be staying… over the next few hours Beatrice tidied away everything from the house that was ours or for our use, even squashing the fridge into the boys room. Our already too small room was piled high with our belongings (usually kept in the hall so we can actually get in our rooms!) and pots and pans and things from the kitchen. We could not move easily in our room at all without stepping on something, hurting ourselves or breaking something. It was crazy!!
More and more people started to arrive at the house and we began to realise it wasn’t just one or two guests…. There must have been about 30 people staying in the house, aside from us 6. The doors to all the other rooms opened up and we couldn’t believe the size of the other rooms and how they were decorated and furnished compared to our tiny bedrooms with just bunk beds and nothing more. We don’t even have a common or sitting room to sit in and can only sit outside on the porch or on our bunks. These rooms had 3 piece suites….. These people took over the house… they were everywhere… there are queues for the toilet every time you need it, there are people in the kitchen…. there are women wandering around naked and showering with the door open for all to see… it’s absolute madness and somewhat stressful for us all! We have no where to go but our cramped bedroom to lay on our bunks…. We all spent a lot longer at the orphanage this evening (hence my finally getting some mosquito bites!)…. The house is so full that there are even women all sleeping in the hallway on the floor. We are having to climb over them to get to the toilet or shower. They are all so noisy too… singing, shouting, talking, loud mobile phones going off at all hours of the night….. it’s chaos!
We have learnt more about funerals in Ghana though…they are always held on a Saturday for the weekend and they have a huge party with loud music and dancing… people all give monetary gifts and it’s announced in front of everyone who gave how much (horrible for those that can’t afford to give much!). Can’t say I’ve enjoyed sharing in this particular Ghanaian experience though!
Tuesday 14 December 2010
Day 6 –Thursday 18 November
The lady that started and runs the orphanage is called Mama Jane. She announced a few days ago to Sara that there will be a party on Saturday for Universal Children’s Day and we were to contribute so we started organising what party games we could play like pass the parcel, team games and races, musical statues etc. We spent today getting very excited about it all and then came this …..
Mame Jane sent a messenger with a long list of things she wanted us to buy and hire including chairs, canopies, a brass band, food and drinks for ‘special guests’… the list went on and on and we were expected to pay for it all! This is how we understood it from the message relayed to us anyway.
This caused outrage… well, a little bit of anger…. with the rest of us volunteers as we felt like we were being forced into paying for something that wasn’t really to help the kids at all and that is not where our money was meant to go. We are not human ATMS but already felt that way on several occasions….We ended up getting in such a state about it all that we demanded a meeting with Mama Jane to tell her we weren’t paying for it. All our excitement and party planning now went out the window and we all felt a little down in the dumps….
That night around 1am I woke with a start…. There was a loud banging noise like someone was trying to break in… I thought maybe I had dreamt it… I’d been having some strange dreams since I’d arrived…. and I rolled over and tried to get back to sleep… then I heard ‘is anyone else awake?’…it was Lindsay…. I said I was and she asked if I’d heard that… that’s when I knew I wasn’t dreaming! Crystal and Sara then woke up and asked what was going on… Lindsay and I explained what we heard and then Lindsay said she had also heard a gurgling sound outside our window like someone was being choked…. Suitably scared by now and Lindsay with a swiss army knife in her hand, we decided to wake the boys in the next room to investigate. The others were too scared to leave the room in case someone was in the house so I sneaked out of our room into the boys room and woke Matt and Azar. I explained what was going on and then the 3 of us investigated. We checked out the front window where we could see Abu (our little old guard who I’d forgotten to tell you about until now… he’s a tiny old man that is our night guard, but is usually around during the day too! He likes to sweep the dirt around our yard in the middle of the night and wakes me up doing this most nights!). He was fast asleep on the porch… he wasn’t being choked after all nor was it him trying to get in… we explored the rest of the house and found the kitchen inside door was not locked like usual and the outside door lock (a bit of wood across the frame) was twisted and not on properly so we fixed it and thoroughly checked the house. We determined that there was nothing to be afraid of and all went back to bed, emergency over!
Mame Jane sent a messenger with a long list of things she wanted us to buy and hire including chairs, canopies, a brass band, food and drinks for ‘special guests’… the list went on and on and we were expected to pay for it all! This is how we understood it from the message relayed to us anyway.
This caused outrage… well, a little bit of anger…. with the rest of us volunteers as we felt like we were being forced into paying for something that wasn’t really to help the kids at all and that is not where our money was meant to go. We are not human ATMS but already felt that way on several occasions….We ended up getting in such a state about it all that we demanded a meeting with Mama Jane to tell her we weren’t paying for it. All our excitement and party planning now went out the window and we all felt a little down in the dumps….
That night around 1am I woke with a start…. There was a loud banging noise like someone was trying to break in… I thought maybe I had dreamt it… I’d been having some strange dreams since I’d arrived…. and I rolled over and tried to get back to sleep… then I heard ‘is anyone else awake?’…it was Lindsay…. I said I was and she asked if I’d heard that… that’s when I knew I wasn’t dreaming! Crystal and Sara then woke up and asked what was going on… Lindsay and I explained what we heard and then Lindsay said she had also heard a gurgling sound outside our window like someone was being choked…. Suitably scared by now and Lindsay with a swiss army knife in her hand, we decided to wake the boys in the next room to investigate. The others were too scared to leave the room in case someone was in the house so I sneaked out of our room into the boys room and woke Matt and Azar. I explained what was going on and then the 3 of us investigated. We checked out the front window where we could see Abu (our little old guard who I’d forgotten to tell you about until now… he’s a tiny old man that is our night guard, but is usually around during the day too! He likes to sweep the dirt around our yard in the middle of the night and wakes me up doing this most nights!). He was fast asleep on the porch… he wasn’t being choked after all nor was it him trying to get in… we explored the rest of the house and found the kitchen inside door was not locked like usual and the outside door lock (a bit of wood across the frame) was twisted and not on properly so we fixed it and thoroughly checked the house. We determined that there was nothing to be afraid of and all went back to bed, emergency over!
Day 5
After getting the kids ready for school this morning Matt, Azar and I decided to go to Madina to look for a few bits and pieces to build a medicine cabinet. We decided to take Kelvin along with us to help navigate our way around and negotiate better prices for us. Kelvin is a Ghanaian guy of 25yrs who just started working at the orphanage last weekend. He doesn’t get paid but gets given one meal a day and a roof over his head. He too is an orphan and has 3 younger siblings. He loves the kids and is happy working with them and us at the orphanage.
Anyway, it takes around an hour or so to get to Madina and there is a big market there which was interesting to say the least! Lots of fruit, really smelly dried fish, second hand clothes and shoes, pretty much anything you might need. The stalls are all close together mostly at ground level with people sat on the floor shouting ‘oberoni oberoni buy from me, look look’. It’s hard to navigate a path through the crowds and get to where you need to be… even harder to attempt any kind of conversation unroute! Luckily we had Kelvin with us to help us get what we needed and get back in one piece and not completely bankrupt!
After we had looked around Madina and couldn’t find what we were looking for we decided to head to Accra Mall for the first time to see what we could find there. We discovered that on entering the mall it was like you were leaving Ghana and stepping back home be it the UK or the US. It was air conditioned (you can not understand how that felt after several days in the extreme heat!!). There was a supermarket with all imported goods from home. We stocked up on some supplies and spent more than we planned. We then discovered the food court and after a week (a month for Azar!) of small portions of jallof rice or plain spaghetti (with eggs for me and chicken occasionally for the meat eaters!) it was heaven to find some western food. We tucked in to pizza’s and drank coke…. Kelvin had never tried pizza and loved it. At this point we didn’t realise he only eats porridge for breakfast and nothing else all day. We fed him up with 3 kinds of pizza and he ended up with tummy ache from eating too much but he enjoyed it. We also discovered the internet café with a much faster connection than the one in our village. We spent an hour sending emails and updating home on our progress before leaving the mall to head back to Dodowa.
As we left the mall Kelvin mentioned he would like to pop home as he’d not been home in a few weeks and he needed to get something. We decided to go with him as it was only one trotro ride out of the way.... not realising traffic makes it a long ride!
Ahh… trotros…. I haven’t yet explained about Ghana’s main mode of public transport! TroTros are like some kind of minivan. Most of them are in extremely poor condition with doors hanging off, holes in the flooring and far too many people squashed inside. You cannot, however, visit Ghana without taking a ride in a trotro. It’s a lot cheaper than a taxi and gives you a real insight into life in Ghana. The roads are very uneven and the rides very hot and bumpy. You get out of the trotro with bruises and a sore bum on many occasions. The average price locally for a tro tro ride is around 50 pesewas depending where you are going.. this is around 20p (35 cents?). They usually sit 4 people to a row with 4 or 5 rows (depending on the size of the trotro). These rows are extremely cramped, especially if you have so much as a handbag with you and sometimes the ‘conductor’ will shout ‘small small’ or ‘five five five’ meaning you should squash up even further to allow more passengers on, or allow 5 to a row, whilst he hangs outside onto the door frame while the trotro speeds along (I’ve no idea if there is a speed limit in Ghana…potholes are not an issue as they just drive right over as if they are driving an off road truck or something)! It’s craziness and in the UK I would never set foot inside one (it would never pass an MOT anyway!) but it’s all part of the experience in Ghana and I never had any problems other than sweating far too much and a couple of near misses with other trotros (traffic is crazy… if I hadn’t of asked someone I would never have known you need to pass a test and get a license to drive over here!). Azar says he once shared a trotro with several people, a fridge freezer and two goats... now that I wish I had seen!
Anyway, back to day 5…. We took a TroTro to New Legon which is where Kelvin lives. He was excited to show us his house and we were excited to see it. We got off the trotro and walked for awhile down some dirt roads (most roads in Ghana are just dirt roads). Then we came across a small shack with a lady selling bits and bobs and behind that was Kelvin’s house. It looked like it was in the process of either being built or being knocked down and there was no front door, just a hole. We went inside and Kelvin showed us to wooden door which was padlocked. He realised he had forgotten the key so we all took it in turns to try and pick the lock, then to break the lock… none of us managed it…. Then the lady from the ‘shop’ outside came in, handed me her cute little baby girl and smashed the padlock off the door making it look easy! Kelvin showed us inside….. it was a small room, like the size of a box room in an average UK home. There was a small bed in the corner, a 2 seater battered old sofa and a bookcase filled with crockery. An old fashioned clock hung on the wall and Kelvin said these things had all been his mothers. He had kept them after she died of cancer the year before and he and his 3 siblings (1 sister, 2 brothers) all lived in this one little room together. The house belonged to his uncle but they did not get along and his uncle did not want them living there so they would all go away when he was around and then come back when he was gone, keeping their few possessions locked in this tiny room.
He pulled out some old photographs of his mother to show us and was close to tears when telling us all about her. I still had the baby gurgling on my lap and I was close to tears myself hearing his story and trying to play with the baby. Kelvin loved his mother very much and it devastated his family when she passed away, having already lost their father when they were young. He is now head of the family and just wants to do what he can to help his siblings. His sister works doing the job his mother once did and his brothers are both in boarding school but they will all be home for a month at Christmas and Kelvin is looking forward to seeing them having not seen them for months. He also pulled out a whole heap of certificates and said his mother had worked hard to keep her kids in school and he had done well at school himself. He had certificates in all sorts of things and scored high and highest on all his schooling. He was very proud to show these things to us and I was very grateful for his honesty and for sharing with us things so important to him.
Kelvin then put his things away and got what he needed and we left, paying someone to fix the lock so nothing would get stolen. We then took the long rides back to Dodowa (over 2 hours in traffic) and were back in time for dinner just as it got dark. It was a pleasant day and a nice break at the mall after all the culture shock we’d had the first week. Kelvin really enjoyed himself and loved experiencing a little bit of western life with us at the mall, as we loved experiencing a little of his life back home in New Legon.
Anyway, it takes around an hour or so to get to Madina and there is a big market there which was interesting to say the least! Lots of fruit, really smelly dried fish, second hand clothes and shoes, pretty much anything you might need. The stalls are all close together mostly at ground level with people sat on the floor shouting ‘oberoni oberoni buy from me, look look’. It’s hard to navigate a path through the crowds and get to where you need to be… even harder to attempt any kind of conversation unroute! Luckily we had Kelvin with us to help us get what we needed and get back in one piece and not completely bankrupt!
After we had looked around Madina and couldn’t find what we were looking for we decided to head to Accra Mall for the first time to see what we could find there. We discovered that on entering the mall it was like you were leaving Ghana and stepping back home be it the UK or the US. It was air conditioned (you can not understand how that felt after several days in the extreme heat!!). There was a supermarket with all imported goods from home. We stocked up on some supplies and spent more than we planned. We then discovered the food court and after a week (a month for Azar!) of small portions of jallof rice or plain spaghetti (with eggs for me and chicken occasionally for the meat eaters!) it was heaven to find some western food. We tucked in to pizza’s and drank coke…. Kelvin had never tried pizza and loved it. At this point we didn’t realise he only eats porridge for breakfast and nothing else all day. We fed him up with 3 kinds of pizza and he ended up with tummy ache from eating too much but he enjoyed it. We also discovered the internet café with a much faster connection than the one in our village. We spent an hour sending emails and updating home on our progress before leaving the mall to head back to Dodowa.
As we left the mall Kelvin mentioned he would like to pop home as he’d not been home in a few weeks and he needed to get something. We decided to go with him as it was only one trotro ride out of the way.... not realising traffic makes it a long ride!
Ahh… trotros…. I haven’t yet explained about Ghana’s main mode of public transport! TroTros are like some kind of minivan. Most of them are in extremely poor condition with doors hanging off, holes in the flooring and far too many people squashed inside. You cannot, however, visit Ghana without taking a ride in a trotro. It’s a lot cheaper than a taxi and gives you a real insight into life in Ghana. The roads are very uneven and the rides very hot and bumpy. You get out of the trotro with bruises and a sore bum on many occasions. The average price locally for a tro tro ride is around 50 pesewas depending where you are going.. this is around 20p (35 cents?). They usually sit 4 people to a row with 4 or 5 rows (depending on the size of the trotro). These rows are extremely cramped, especially if you have so much as a handbag with you and sometimes the ‘conductor’ will shout ‘small small’ or ‘five five five’ meaning you should squash up even further to allow more passengers on, or allow 5 to a row, whilst he hangs outside onto the door frame while the trotro speeds along (I’ve no idea if there is a speed limit in Ghana…potholes are not an issue as they just drive right over as if they are driving an off road truck or something)! It’s craziness and in the UK I would never set foot inside one (it would never pass an MOT anyway!) but it’s all part of the experience in Ghana and I never had any problems other than sweating far too much and a couple of near misses with other trotros (traffic is crazy… if I hadn’t of asked someone I would never have known you need to pass a test and get a license to drive over here!). Azar says he once shared a trotro with several people, a fridge freezer and two goats... now that I wish I had seen!
Anyway, back to day 5…. We took a TroTro to New Legon which is where Kelvin lives. He was excited to show us his house and we were excited to see it. We got off the trotro and walked for awhile down some dirt roads (most roads in Ghana are just dirt roads). Then we came across a small shack with a lady selling bits and bobs and behind that was Kelvin’s house. It looked like it was in the process of either being built or being knocked down and there was no front door, just a hole. We went inside and Kelvin showed us to wooden door which was padlocked. He realised he had forgotten the key so we all took it in turns to try and pick the lock, then to break the lock… none of us managed it…. Then the lady from the ‘shop’ outside came in, handed me her cute little baby girl and smashed the padlock off the door making it look easy! Kelvin showed us inside….. it was a small room, like the size of a box room in an average UK home. There was a small bed in the corner, a 2 seater battered old sofa and a bookcase filled with crockery. An old fashioned clock hung on the wall and Kelvin said these things had all been his mothers. He had kept them after she died of cancer the year before and he and his 3 siblings (1 sister, 2 brothers) all lived in this one little room together. The house belonged to his uncle but they did not get along and his uncle did not want them living there so they would all go away when he was around and then come back when he was gone, keeping their few possessions locked in this tiny room.
He pulled out some old photographs of his mother to show us and was close to tears when telling us all about her. I still had the baby gurgling on my lap and I was close to tears myself hearing his story and trying to play with the baby. Kelvin loved his mother very much and it devastated his family when she passed away, having already lost their father when they were young. He is now head of the family and just wants to do what he can to help his siblings. His sister works doing the job his mother once did and his brothers are both in boarding school but they will all be home for a month at Christmas and Kelvin is looking forward to seeing them having not seen them for months. He also pulled out a whole heap of certificates and said his mother had worked hard to keep her kids in school and he had done well at school himself. He had certificates in all sorts of things and scored high and highest on all his schooling. He was very proud to show these things to us and I was very grateful for his honesty and for sharing with us things so important to him.
Kelvin then put his things away and got what he needed and we left, paying someone to fix the lock so nothing would get stolen. We then took the long rides back to Dodowa (over 2 hours in traffic) and were back in time for dinner just as it got dark. It was a pleasant day and a nice break at the mall after all the culture shock we’d had the first week. Kelvin really enjoyed himself and loved experiencing a little bit of western life with us at the mall, as we loved experiencing a little of his life back home in New Legon.
Thursday 25 November 2010
Day 4 - The Orphanage
5.30am... we wake up to go to the orphanage.... we don't even shower... we all climb out of bed, throw on yesterday's clothes, rub our eyes and head out the door.... the walk to the orphanage involves mastering sleep walking over rocks, holes in the ground, dodging chickens, ducks and goats (including lots of baby animals) and even some lizards, hugging the neighbours kids as the bolt out of the garden towards us, waving to every local we pass and saying good morning and then waking up completely as we walk through the doors to the orphanage... the kids come running.. usually naked or half dressed with snotty noses... some are happy to see us others want us to rescue them from having a wash..... we then say good morning to them all and help with their washes, brushing their teeth, finding their clothes and dressing them, finding shoes, wiping never ending runny noses (although Ma Margaret is particularly good at doing this without tissues.. i will try and explain further in another post!) and then dishing out their breakfast (which is usually some kind of porridge which looks like gruel and a slice of mouldy bread)... we then have the difficult task of trying to get them all out the door to school which is about a 7 minute walk away....there are usually tantrums... some kid saying they don't want to go, they have tummy ache, they have lost their uniform and a whole heap of other excuses and we eventually manage to get them all to school (some usually kicking and screaming). We then go home to shower and eat breakfast and spend the morning doing our laundry, going online, going shopping for bits for the orphanage etc.... after lunch at 1pm we head back to the orphanage for around 2.30pm to meet with the kids coming home from school.... we then spend the afternoon playing with them and taking care of them.....my time on the internet is running out and the others are waiting to leave so I will have to end this post here. I've not been able to get photos up yet but I am hoping to soon. I will try and come back for longer soon and fill you in some more... I can't extend my time online today as it's busy and there is a queue waiting.must be because it's thanksgiving today.. lots of oberoni's waiting to talk to home...
Talk to you all again soon :)
Talk to you all again soon :)
Day 3 - Meet and greet
So i wake up early still feeling sick with nerves and the travelling..... we are given a break of eggy bread and peanut butter (which is melted and watery but tastes ok). In the morning Eddie sits us all down to go through orientation... that last a couple of hours and he teaches us about the culture, the programs were on, and also some of the local language. We also use this opportunity to ask any questions etc.... then we set off!
It takes over an hour or so to get to the pink program (we were dropped off first)..... on the journey we all chat and get to know each other and then look out the windows of the van at our surroundings.... Africa is hot... hotter than I ever imagined..... hotter than I have ever been in my life.....we were melting the whole way... out the window we saw all these little 'shops' which are really just shacks with someone selling something or other.... they try and sell you stuff through the windows of the van too.... all the women and some of the men carry stuff on their heads... the biggest thing I saw was a man carrying a stack of suitcases on his head... i was hoping they were not full.. I can't imagine he'd ever be able to carry mine on his head but i'll never know!
After we had all melted and become a puddle in the back of the van we finally arrived at the volunteer house in Dodowa. We were introduced to the volunteers already staying there, Lindsay (USA), Azar (UK), Crystal (Canada) and Sara (Sweden). Mattison (Matt) and I were dropped off with our luggage and then taken to Worcsa orphanage which is a 3 minute walk away from the house we are staying in. On the way to the orphanage some neighbouring kids ran out and jumped up us for a hug... (this happens every morning since we arrived too)..... When we reached the orphanage a bunch of kids (and I mean alot!) all came running towards us and climbed all over us shouting 'oberoni oberoni' which means foreigner (it's what everyone calls us here). They all wanted hugs and to hold out hands... it was all a bit overwhelming at first... we didn't know what to do or say and the kids were all so excited... We were shown around the orphanage, the 'bathroom', the bedrooms and the place in the middle where the meals are cooked (outside!).... the conditions are shocking especially when you first arrive....you get used to it after awhile though.... the kids all had coughs and colds and are covered in bites, cuts and scrapes.... but the one thing that really stands out is despite all the suffering and hardship and poor conditions... the kids seemed happy... they were smiley and loving and really care about each other.. the older ones look after the younger ones. They are all like brothers and sisters but so caring towards each other (with the usual sibling rivalry thrown in).
That first day we spent some time with the kids trying to learn their names and get to know things and then we went back to the volunteer house for dinner and to talk with the other volunteers. It was a pleasant evening but an exhausting and emotionally overwhelming day and I was ready for my bed!
The volunteer house has running water albeit sometimes rather smelly (a plumber did come and fix it abit so not as bad now but you never really feel clean even afters showering). Its mostly in the dark with lights just in the toilet and bedrooms. There are powercuts often and we are often using our torches in the evenings to find our way to bed. We sleep in bunk beds. I share a room with the girls and sleep on the bottom bunk and the boys sleep next door.... they have a wardrobe but we have nothing in our room except 3 bunk beds... the rooms are small, the beds sparse and uncomfortable.... but we have guests ever night in the form of bed bugs!!! Nice!! But after a busy tiring day a bed is and bed and you are grateful for it.. we have more than a lot of the orphans have and after what I saw yesterday coming from an orphans bed, I'm grateful I just have bed bugs in mine! (will write more about that later)... my mosquito net is difficult to use in a bunk bed but and i got a few bites that first night when i woke up with it all tangled at the bottom of the bed but i've got it worked out now and am find since. Some of the other volunteers that have been here longer though have some nasty bits which have got infected and gooey.... i have been playing nurse to them and the children!
It takes over an hour or so to get to the pink program (we were dropped off first)..... on the journey we all chat and get to know each other and then look out the windows of the van at our surroundings.... Africa is hot... hotter than I ever imagined..... hotter than I have ever been in my life.....we were melting the whole way... out the window we saw all these little 'shops' which are really just shacks with someone selling something or other.... they try and sell you stuff through the windows of the van too.... all the women and some of the men carry stuff on their heads... the biggest thing I saw was a man carrying a stack of suitcases on his head... i was hoping they were not full.. I can't imagine he'd ever be able to carry mine on his head but i'll never know!
After we had all melted and become a puddle in the back of the van we finally arrived at the volunteer house in Dodowa. We were introduced to the volunteers already staying there, Lindsay (USA), Azar (UK), Crystal (Canada) and Sara (Sweden). Mattison (Matt) and I were dropped off with our luggage and then taken to Worcsa orphanage which is a 3 minute walk away from the house we are staying in. On the way to the orphanage some neighbouring kids ran out and jumped up us for a hug... (this happens every morning since we arrived too)..... When we reached the orphanage a bunch of kids (and I mean alot!) all came running towards us and climbed all over us shouting 'oberoni oberoni' which means foreigner (it's what everyone calls us here). They all wanted hugs and to hold out hands... it was all a bit overwhelming at first... we didn't know what to do or say and the kids were all so excited... We were shown around the orphanage, the 'bathroom', the bedrooms and the place in the middle where the meals are cooked (outside!).... the conditions are shocking especially when you first arrive....you get used to it after awhile though.... the kids all had coughs and colds and are covered in bites, cuts and scrapes.... but the one thing that really stands out is despite all the suffering and hardship and poor conditions... the kids seemed happy... they were smiley and loving and really care about each other.. the older ones look after the younger ones. They are all like brothers and sisters but so caring towards each other (with the usual sibling rivalry thrown in).
That first day we spent some time with the kids trying to learn their names and get to know things and then we went back to the volunteer house for dinner and to talk with the other volunteers. It was a pleasant evening but an exhausting and emotionally overwhelming day and I was ready for my bed!
The volunteer house has running water albeit sometimes rather smelly (a plumber did come and fix it abit so not as bad now but you never really feel clean even afters showering). Its mostly in the dark with lights just in the toilet and bedrooms. There are powercuts often and we are often using our torches in the evenings to find our way to bed. We sleep in bunk beds. I share a room with the girls and sleep on the bottom bunk and the boys sleep next door.... they have a wardrobe but we have nothing in our room except 3 bunk beds... the rooms are small, the beds sparse and uncomfortable.... but we have guests ever night in the form of bed bugs!!! Nice!! But after a busy tiring day a bed is and bed and you are grateful for it.. we have more than a lot of the orphans have and after what I saw yesterday coming from an orphans bed, I'm grateful I just have bed bugs in mine! (will write more about that later)... my mosquito net is difficult to use in a bunk bed but and i got a few bites that first night when i woke up with it all tangled at the bottom of the bed but i've got it worked out now and am find since. Some of the other volunteers that have been here longer though have some nasty bits which have got infected and gooey.... i have been playing nurse to them and the children!
Day 1 & 2 - The Journey!
Hey
So I've finally managed to get to a decent internet cafe here in Ghana and managed to log in to my email and this blog at last... will update what I can today but I will probably get back here again before I leave too.
So the journey to Ghana went well. I woke at 3am after going to bed around 1am, and left for the airport. There were no hiccups along the way and everything went smoothly. I was able to take a third bag of donations with me as someone donated the euros I needed to pay for the extra bag... thankfully they did... i would never have fitted it all in otherwise.... I had a lot of stuff to bring!!
The flights were ok and went quite quickly... there was some turbulance but nothing too bad. I even managed to get about an hours sleep! The guy sitting next to me on the plane was originally from Ghana but had lived in Canada for 20 years. He is a nurse in a remote part of canada and we had some long conversations about nursing and the hospitals we've worked in etc. He was really nice and once we got to Ghana he helped me with my bags and getting through immigration etc. I had no trouble although my bags were last out and took ages to arrive.
When I got off the plane I was in my travel clothes (jeans, t-shirt and a hooded jumper). The heat just hit me and I was melting even though it was late at night.... i had so many bags I couldn't take my jumper off and was unbelievably hot..... Peter (the nurse) helped me find my driver and once inside the IVHQ van I was fine. Ivans and Jonathan picked me up from the airport and drove me to the volunteer house in Accra where I would be staying for the weekend. They were both really nice and told me all about Ghana and the kids I'd be working with etc. Ivans even lent me his spare sim card so I didn't have to buy one.
On arrival at the volunteer house I was sooo tired and wanted my bed but i stayed up a little while and met with Brenda, from Canada, who was just starting at the blue program, David from the states also starting the blue program and Lucy from NY who had finished from the brown program. I was put on the pink program. I also met Eddie and some of the others who work here. The facilities at the volunteer program are ok but you can't flush paper down the toilet, you have to use the bin (trash can) next to it which was interesting! Other than that it was fine and there is a cook who makes your meals.
The next morning I woke early and ivans took me to exchange my money, The exchange rate here is great for GBP. I got 2.20 Ghana cedis to the pound!! After lunch myself and the other volunteers went to the beach for the afternoon to relax before we started our programs. We had a lovely day at the beach and saw all the buskers etc. On our return to the house Kathryn had arrived from New Zealand (shes on the blue program) and later that night Mattison, Matteo and Dean all arrived. Dean and Matteo were from the UK and were on the purple program whilst Mattison is from the states and was on the pink program with me.
I was still tired and went to bed early that night too ready for an early start in the morning at the orphanage.. this is when the nerves kicked in and I was wondering what to expect......
So I've finally managed to get to a decent internet cafe here in Ghana and managed to log in to my email and this blog at last... will update what I can today but I will probably get back here again before I leave too.
So the journey to Ghana went well. I woke at 3am after going to bed around 1am, and left for the airport. There were no hiccups along the way and everything went smoothly. I was able to take a third bag of donations with me as someone donated the euros I needed to pay for the extra bag... thankfully they did... i would never have fitted it all in otherwise.... I had a lot of stuff to bring!!
The flights were ok and went quite quickly... there was some turbulance but nothing too bad. I even managed to get about an hours sleep! The guy sitting next to me on the plane was originally from Ghana but had lived in Canada for 20 years. He is a nurse in a remote part of canada and we had some long conversations about nursing and the hospitals we've worked in etc. He was really nice and once we got to Ghana he helped me with my bags and getting through immigration etc. I had no trouble although my bags were last out and took ages to arrive.
When I got off the plane I was in my travel clothes (jeans, t-shirt and a hooded jumper). The heat just hit me and I was melting even though it was late at night.... i had so many bags I couldn't take my jumper off and was unbelievably hot..... Peter (the nurse) helped me find my driver and once inside the IVHQ van I was fine. Ivans and Jonathan picked me up from the airport and drove me to the volunteer house in Accra where I would be staying for the weekend. They were both really nice and told me all about Ghana and the kids I'd be working with etc. Ivans even lent me his spare sim card so I didn't have to buy one.
On arrival at the volunteer house I was sooo tired and wanted my bed but i stayed up a little while and met with Brenda, from Canada, who was just starting at the blue program, David from the states also starting the blue program and Lucy from NY who had finished from the brown program. I was put on the pink program. I also met Eddie and some of the others who work here. The facilities at the volunteer program are ok but you can't flush paper down the toilet, you have to use the bin (trash can) next to it which was interesting! Other than that it was fine and there is a cook who makes your meals.
The next morning I woke early and ivans took me to exchange my money, The exchange rate here is great for GBP. I got 2.20 Ghana cedis to the pound!! After lunch myself and the other volunteers went to the beach for the afternoon to relax before we started our programs. We had a lovely day at the beach and saw all the buskers etc. On our return to the house Kathryn had arrived from New Zealand (shes on the blue program) and later that night Mattison, Matteo and Dean all arrived. Dean and Matteo were from the UK and were on the purple program whilst Mattison is from the states and was on the pink program with me.
I was still tired and went to bed early that night too ready for an early start in the morning at the orphanage.. this is when the nerves kicked in and I was wondering what to expect......
Friday 12 November 2010
18 days.... 13 hours....:D
18 days until I turn 30... but only 13 hours until I begin my trip to Ghana. Boy has it come around fast!!!! I am leaving my house around 4am tomorrow to get to the airport where I will take a plane to Amsterdam, wait there for around 4 hours and then fly on to Ghana. I shall be arriving in Ghana sometime around 8pm tomorrow night (7pm here I think!). I will spend the night at the volunteer house in Accra then spend Sunday getting used to climate and my new surroundings and meeting other volunteers before being driven to my placement on Monday.
I'm very excited now but also quite nervous. I have been chatting to a few volunteers who will be starting at the same time as me, some at the same orphanage and others at different ones. I'm going to be placed at WORSCA orphanage in Dodowa, unless it gets changed at orientation on Monday. I've also been chatting to afew volunteers who are out there already so I will be able to get on to the internet at some point during my stay and update you all on my progress. Apparently the computers are very old and internet connection poor but I will do what I can. I have been learning the stories of some of the kids out there too and it's heartbreaking what these young children go through. I know this trip will be emotional and I'm sure I won't want to come back!
I have just finished packing my bag. It weighs a ton. My mum is on her way over with another suitcase for me as the one I planned to take has a dodgy zipper (I'm allowed 2 but I have so much stuff to take over that I may end up paying for another bag! we shall see) and scales used to weigh suitcases. We shall see how heavy it all is and work out if I can take everything. I've accumulated so much stuff from all the donations and all the things I've bought to take over. I didn't realise just how much until I tried to pack it all. Thanks so much to everyone that has donated both money and items for me to take. I really appreciate it.
I've not been feeling too well this week. Justin was ill earlier in the week and I've felt run down and sick the last few days. Feeling quite sick today but I am hoping its more excitement and nerves then any real sickness. I shall be topping up with vitamin C today and hopefully off out for a goodbye dinner with Justin tonight!
The next time I update this will be from Ghana. Thanks again to all those who have helped make this possible and given so much for the kids. I really am very grateful.
Talk to you all soon!
Corrie
I'm very excited now but also quite nervous. I have been chatting to a few volunteers who will be starting at the same time as me, some at the same orphanage and others at different ones. I'm going to be placed at WORSCA orphanage in Dodowa, unless it gets changed at orientation on Monday. I've also been chatting to afew volunteers who are out there already so I will be able to get on to the internet at some point during my stay and update you all on my progress. Apparently the computers are very old and internet connection poor but I will do what I can. I have been learning the stories of some of the kids out there too and it's heartbreaking what these young children go through. I know this trip will be emotional and I'm sure I won't want to come back!
I have just finished packing my bag. It weighs a ton. My mum is on her way over with another suitcase for me as the one I planned to take has a dodgy zipper (I'm allowed 2 but I have so much stuff to take over that I may end up paying for another bag! we shall see) and scales used to weigh suitcases. We shall see how heavy it all is and work out if I can take everything. I've accumulated so much stuff from all the donations and all the things I've bought to take over. I didn't realise just how much until I tried to pack it all. Thanks so much to everyone that has donated both money and items for me to take. I really appreciate it.
I've not been feeling too well this week. Justin was ill earlier in the week and I've felt run down and sick the last few days. Feeling quite sick today but I am hoping its more excitement and nerves then any real sickness. I shall be topping up with vitamin C today and hopefully off out for a goodbye dinner with Justin tonight!
The next time I update this will be from Ghana. Thanks again to all those who have helped make this possible and given so much for the kids. I really am very grateful.
Talk to you all soon!
Corrie
Thursday 4 November 2010
26 days......
26 days until I turn 30.....9 days until I fly out to Ghana to start my placement. Received my placement details today. I am being placed at WORSCA orphanage in Dodowa which is about 45 minutes outside of Accra. I have heard from other volunteers that they haven't had any volunteers for awhile and ran out of food. The kids are in desperate need of food among other things. I can't wait to get out there now and do what I can to help. I think the money I've raised will go on buying food and any other essentials needed once I am out there. Please please keep donations coming in and help me to make a difference in these kids lives.
Had some more donations of shoes and clothing to take with me. Luggage is probably at it's limit now but please keep donations coming in. I can always pass things on to other volunteers heading out there too and cash donations will be a HUGE help in buying food and clean water for the kids.
I really really appreciate all your help and can't wait to show you where your money went.
Thanks to all of you that have donated and those still wishing to donate, please do!!
Corrie
Had some more donations of shoes and clothing to take with me. Luggage is probably at it's limit now but please keep donations coming in. I can always pass things on to other volunteers heading out there too and cash donations will be a HUGE help in buying food and clean water for the kids.
I really really appreciate all your help and can't wait to show you where your money went.
Thanks to all of you that have donated and those still wishing to donate, please do!!
Corrie
Sunday 24 October 2010
37 days......
37 days until I turn 30... old age here I come!!....
I have just TWENTY days until I fly to Ghana... time has travelled really fast. I can't believe it's nearly here already!!! I am mostly ready though. I now have my visa, which I had no trouble getting other than long waits at the High Commission. I also have got most of the bits and pieces I need to take personally. Just need to pack it all. I've had another £75 of donations since my last post and a HUGE amount of clothes, books, toys etc donated for the kids. I definitely have enough to fill my suitcase and am hoping to get money towards taking an extra bag so if anyone fancies donating 200 euros, that's how much KLM are going to charge me for an extra bag. I tried to get them to allow it for free because it's for the orphanage but alas, they were not feeling charitable that day.
I was given some items which were not suitable to take over to Ghana so I have sold some of those on Ebay and raised another £25 which is great. I have so many books now and a limited luggage weight allowance so I will be selling some of the unsuitable books at my upcoming jewellery & massage party. All the support I have been recieving is amazing and I really appreciate it. I can't wait to get out there now and meet the children. Please please keep donations coming in and help me to make a difference.
I am holding a jewellery and massage party next weekend (31st October 2010) in Letchworth Garden City (The Guide Hall, Icknield Way, Letchworth) from 1.30-6pm. I will be selling jewellery from my shop (www.corriekay.com) and offering 15 minute mini massages in order to raise more funds for Ghana. As it's on Halloween there will also be face painting for kids so bring them along before going trick or treating!
I am getting very excited about the trip now and can't believe how fast it has come around. I have been in touch with several other volunteers, both past and future, and feel I have prepared myself. I am looking forward to meeting the other volunteers out there but most of all I can't wait to meet the children and do what I can to help their situation.
Thank you all for your time and donations. I really appreciate it. Keep checking back for updates and stories from Ghana and please share this blog and ask friends to donate. I'd really appreciate it.
Many thanks
Corrie
I have just TWENTY days until I fly to Ghana... time has travelled really fast. I can't believe it's nearly here already!!! I am mostly ready though. I now have my visa, which I had no trouble getting other than long waits at the High Commission. I also have got most of the bits and pieces I need to take personally. Just need to pack it all. I've had another £75 of donations since my last post and a HUGE amount of clothes, books, toys etc donated for the kids. I definitely have enough to fill my suitcase and am hoping to get money towards taking an extra bag so if anyone fancies donating 200 euros, that's how much KLM are going to charge me for an extra bag. I tried to get them to allow it for free because it's for the orphanage but alas, they were not feeling charitable that day.
I was given some items which were not suitable to take over to Ghana so I have sold some of those on Ebay and raised another £25 which is great. I have so many books now and a limited luggage weight allowance so I will be selling some of the unsuitable books at my upcoming jewellery & massage party. All the support I have been recieving is amazing and I really appreciate it. I can't wait to get out there now and meet the children. Please please keep donations coming in and help me to make a difference.
I am holding a jewellery and massage party next weekend (31st October 2010) in Letchworth Garden City (The Guide Hall, Icknield Way, Letchworth) from 1.30-6pm. I will be selling jewellery from my shop (www.corriekay.com) and offering 15 minute mini massages in order to raise more funds for Ghana. As it's on Halloween there will also be face painting for kids so bring them along before going trick or treating!
I am getting very excited about the trip now and can't believe how fast it has come around. I have been in touch with several other volunteers, both past and future, and feel I have prepared myself. I am looking forward to meeting the other volunteers out there but most of all I can't wait to meet the children and do what I can to help their situation.
Thank you all for your time and donations. I really appreciate it. Keep checking back for updates and stories from Ghana and please share this blog and ask friends to donate. I'd really appreciate it.
Many thanks
Corrie
Tuesday 12 October 2010
49 days.....no turning back now!
So there are now 49 days until my 30th and just 32 days until I fly out to Ghana. I am now much more organised. I have had my injections, sorted out clothing and malaria tablets and just have my visa left to get in the next week or two. Feeling much better about it all now I'm organised.
I had another £60 of donations since my last email appeal and then the tins at work raised another £50. I also had a very large donation of brightly coloured wool which I will use to entertain the kids and teach them to make bracelets or crochet. Another appeal email sent today with a list of items needed so hoping that will bring in even more! :)
I had another £60 of donations since my last email appeal and then the tins at work raised another £50. I also had a very large donation of brightly coloured wool which I will use to entertain the kids and teach them to make bracelets or crochet. Another appeal email sent today with a list of items needed so hoping that will bring in even more! :)
If you would like to help but are unable to donate money then there are things that other volunteers and the agency have suggested I bring so feel free to donate these items and post them to me at Corrie Buckland (Ghana), c/o Claybury International, The Pixmore Centre, Pixmore Ave, Letchworth, SG6 1JG.
Items needed are:
- Children’s underwear & clothes
- Nappies, wipes and baby supplies
- Vitamins/ Calcium tablets (ones like sweets are good as kids think it’s sweets)
- Antibiotics/Antiseptics / alcohol, wipes
- First Aid / medical supplies
- Plasters (band aids)
- Medical Family guides
- Any books on health care relevant to Africa
- Hankies
- Electric/battery Razor for cutting kids hair
Items for entertaining/teaching/ treating children
- Balloons
- Toys
- Books
- Bubble Solution
- Face paint
- Stickers/Stamps
- Games (bingo, snakes & ladders etc)
- Pens/Pencils/ Paper/ Crayons
- Chalk / pavement chalk
- Sweets
Anything you are able to help with is very much appreciated. I can’t wait to get out there now and meet the children. I’ve been watching videos and talking to previous volunteers and I am ready to get out there and do what I can to help.
Thanks for all your help and I look forward to sharing the experience with you.
Corrie :)
Monday 6 September 2010
85 days....
There are just 85 days left until I turn 30 and just 68 days until I fly out to Ghana for my volunteering.... I am getting slightly nervous now but more nervous about not being organised.... time has flown by and it's been a busy few months personally so I don't really feel all that prepared yet. I am still off sick from work (it's been 9 weeks!!!) but I should be back at work next week hopefully and can pick up my collection tins from the staff room!
I haven't had any donations since the last post, although the cheque from ' Love it' magazine did arrive (see picture for the article).
I also booked my flight (paid for personally by me not from donations) with KLM. I am hoping the next few weeks before I go will bring in some more donations and provide a sizeable donation for the orphanage.. here's hoping :)
I have made a short video on Youtube using some photos borrowed from previous Ghana volunteers (Nicole Anzelone and Samantha Leathers.. thanks girls) so hopefully that will also get people donating. The link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_nP1P1DAG8
I am very grateful to all who have donated so far. For those that still want to help, if you are unable to donate money right now I will also be taking some things with me like pens, pencils etc for the children...maybe when you are out getting the kids back to school stuff you can pop an extra one in your basket and donate it. Email me for my address to send items to. My luggage is limited so nothing too heavy or bulky though.
I will spend the next few weeks fundraising and preparing myself for the trip. I still need to have my yellow fever injection and get my visa and work out everything I need to take and how much space I'll have. I'm getting excited as it gets closer but I'm also nervous about it all having never done this before. I'm sure it'll go well but it will be emotional.
Well I better get on. Do check out the video and share it if you like and please please keep donations coming in.
Thanks all and have a lovely day :)
Friday 23 July 2010
130 days............
So there are now 130 days until I turn 30.... time is flying by!!! I have just 113 days until I fly out to Ghana to start my placement at the orphanage.
My fundraising is going well.... my tins at work are slowly growing and after I wrote to 'Love it' magazine I got a call saying they are printing my story in the July 27th issue (next Tuesday) as 'Reader of the Week' and they will be sending my £100 towards my fundraising.. woohoo... that makes my current total £450 (+whatever is in the tins at work).... I have now passed my total that I wanted to raise and am hoping to raise even more to give to the orphanage on my arrival.
I am currently off work sick after falling down the stairs and tearing a ligament but that gives me more time to research online and try more fundraising ideas... time to get writing those letters to local businesses.... wish me luck!
Thanks to everyone that has donated so far and for those still promising to donate. I really appreciate it and I can't wait to be able to share photos and stories of where your money has gone to help (this blog will surely get more interesting then too..hehe!). :)
My fundraising is going well.... my tins at work are slowly growing and after I wrote to 'Love it' magazine I got a call saying they are printing my story in the July 27th issue (next Tuesday) as 'Reader of the Week' and they will be sending my £100 towards my fundraising.. woohoo... that makes my current total £450 (+whatever is in the tins at work).... I have now passed my total that I wanted to raise and am hoping to raise even more to give to the orphanage on my arrival.
I am currently off work sick after falling down the stairs and tearing a ligament but that gives me more time to research online and try more fundraising ideas... time to get writing those letters to local businesses.... wish me luck!
Thanks to everyone that has donated so far and for those still promising to donate. I really appreciate it and I can't wait to be able to share photos and stories of where your money has gone to help (this blog will surely get more interesting then too..hehe!). :)
Monday 5 July 2010
148 days.... eek!!
Aaahhh...So there are only 148 days left until I turn 30.... that means there are just 133 days until I start my placement in Ghana.... I will hopefully be booking my flight soon and getting those all important jabs... ouch!
I have been a little slack on the fundraising lately what with moving house and changing jobs etc but I'm hoping to get back on it fully again soon. Ive put a couple of collection tins and notices at work and have had some donations that way. I've also had a few more online or in person bringing my current total to...... wait for it...... £350!!!!!!!! I am also going to start writing to companies and magazines etc to see if I can raise any funds that way. Fingers crossed I'll make even more for the orphanage. Not so long left to go now. Time is flying by!
I will hopefully have more to update you with soon!
Many thanks all for all your support :)
I have been a little slack on the fundraising lately what with moving house and changing jobs etc but I'm hoping to get back on it fully again soon. Ive put a couple of collection tins and notices at work and have had some donations that way. I've also had a few more online or in person bringing my current total to...... wait for it...... £350!!!!!!!! I am also going to start writing to companies and magazines etc to see if I can raise any funds that way. Fingers crossed I'll make even more for the orphanage. Not so long left to go now. Time is flying by!
I will hopefully have more to update you with soon!
Many thanks all for all your support :)
Wednesday 21 April 2010
223 days....
So.. there are now 223 until I turn 30 but only 208 days until I start my volunteer placement in Ghana.... i'm excited but no doubt excitement will become nerves nearer the time!
I have now made a total of £298 towards this appeal. I am really really grateful to everyone who has donated and those that have promised to donate soon. I'm so pleased to have done so well so quickly but I do hope to make a lot more so please keep donations coming in.
Now I have recieved my fundraising booklet I shall be trying some other fundraising ideas too. As I am a fully qualified Massage Therapist I am offering a discounted rate of £20 for a full body 1 hour massage at my house in Clapham Junction (or £30 to come to your house to cover travel costs). All profit will go to this appeal so please get booking if you want a massage!!
I shall hopefully be holding a hand made jewellery sale in the summer too and have my thinking cap on for other fundraising ideas. Please please get involved if you can! Any advice definitely welcome :)
Thanks again everyone for donating and keep checking back for more updates!
I have now made a total of £298 towards this appeal. I am really really grateful to everyone who has donated and those that have promised to donate soon. I'm so pleased to have done so well so quickly but I do hope to make a lot more so please keep donations coming in.
Now I have recieved my fundraising booklet I shall be trying some other fundraising ideas too. As I am a fully qualified Massage Therapist I am offering a discounted rate of £20 for a full body 1 hour massage at my house in Clapham Junction (or £30 to come to your house to cover travel costs). All profit will go to this appeal so please get booking if you want a massage!!
I shall hopefully be holding a hand made jewellery sale in the summer too and have my thinking cap on for other fundraising ideas. Please please get involved if you can! Any advice definitely welcome :)
Thanks again everyone for donating and keep checking back for more updates!
Thursday 8 April 2010
236 days
Today I recieved my confirmation letter of my fundraising so anyone that may have been doubting whether I am legitimate here's your proof...any questions email me or the co-ordinator on the confirmation letter... made another £10 in the last couple of days but still got a long way to go!
Will update more as and when I have something new to tell you!
Have a good day :)
Monday 5 April 2010
239 days... and counting
There are now 239 days until the BIG 30!! It’s been a week since I first posted my idea online and the response has mostly been brilliant! I was meaning to update this more often but work, job hunting and preparing to move house have made things extra busy for me at the moment so hopefully I will get on here at least once a week to update but not daily.
So, where are things at right now? Well, it’s been a busy week with quite a few developments…. Firstly, I’ve made a total of £276 so far so I’m well on the way to my first target of £330…. I shall be starting my volunteer placement on November 15th for a total of 3 weeks. My initial fundraising target was an estimate for 2 weeks volunteering but as I’ve now agreed to 3 weeks I need to increase my target to £430 to cover the fees. Any extra will go direct to the orphanage to buy supplies and things for the children. I have managed to now confirm my place on the program and I have paid the initial registration fee to hold the place for me. I am going to be going to an orphanage in…. wait for it…… GHANA. I don’t have the exact location yet but it will be somewhere near Accra. I shall be going with International Volunteer HQ which places volunteers all around the developing world in places where they need support.
Now there seems to have been some confusion as to what it is I’m actually doing…some people seem to think I am asking for funds to pay for a holiday for my birthday… I can’t stress enough that this is not the case. I think my attempt to be light hearted and to suggest ideas for donating instead of birthday drinks etc has been taken the wrong way. I am doing this because I want to help and make a difference for at least one other person less fortunate than myself. I want to do what I can to help those children and I chose to tie it in with my birthday as a way of giving some focus and to make people think about what they normally spend on themselves and that it doesn’t take much to help and change things for someone in need. I am not sure I’m explaining this properly but my intentions are definitely all for the right reasons and this is in no way to give me a birthday holiday. I have done my fair share of travelling and if it was a holiday I wanted then I have a ton of other destinations where I could have a great birthday holiday… living in poor conditions and working 5-7 days a week is not what I’d call a holiday.
As for paying fees to volunteer, anyone who has done any research on volunteering will know that nearly all volunteer programs require a fee (and usually they are very expensive!!). You can not just offer your time or show up in a country expecting to volunteer etc without any sort of planning, organisation and administration. This planning costs money as does accommodation, getting to the volunteer placement which can sometimes be in very rural areas, and food. All of these things are what the fee is for. The reason I could not offer gift aid for your donations is because IVHQ is based in New Zealand, not the UK so gift aid is not applicable. They are also not a charity but are an organisation which recruits volunteers and arranges all the program details, links to the in country charities, checks the area etc out for the safety of volunteers etc etc..
Now that I have officially registered and paid the initial registration fee I can link you to the company I am volunteering through
( http://www.volunteerhq.org/faq.html ). They explain more about the fees and the programs etc on their FAQ page. I am now waiting for my volunteer information booklet to arrive with my official ‘fundraiser’ letter and ideas booklet. I will make a copy of the letter to go on here once I receive it to prove I am legitimate.
Anyway, enough of all the explaining. I hope you all now realise what it is I am doing and why and are happy to go ahead and donate. I am very thankful for the donations so far and for getting so close to my target but the more I can make the better.
I am also trying to get donations of supplies like pens, pencils etc for the orphanage. I have had a possible donation of a few books to take with me but any other donations are welcome.
If you have any more questions, doubts, comments, anything then please do get in touch and I’d be happy to answer you. You can either leave a comment on my blog, facebook ‘event’ or email me on corrie.kay@gmail.com
One more thing, for those that were a little confused with the ‘event’ on facebook. I’m not having a birthday event… I will be in Ghana volunteering by then. I only sent it as an event on facebook as a way to reach all my facebook friends and get everyone to look at it. This whole thing will be taking place around my birthday (hence linking it with my birthday initially and confusing people) and I am doing it in place of a big 30th birthday party so anything you would have spent on party drinking can be donated to the appeal instead. I hope that makes sense.
Thanks for reading and do keep checking back for more updates. As things progress they should hopefully become more interesting and once I get back in December I will update this with all my stories and pictures from Ghana.
Thanks all. I appreciate your help.
Cheers
Corrie
So, where are things at right now? Well, it’s been a busy week with quite a few developments…. Firstly, I’ve made a total of £276 so far so I’m well on the way to my first target of £330…. I shall be starting my volunteer placement on November 15th for a total of 3 weeks. My initial fundraising target was an estimate for 2 weeks volunteering but as I’ve now agreed to 3 weeks I need to increase my target to £430 to cover the fees. Any extra will go direct to the orphanage to buy supplies and things for the children. I have managed to now confirm my place on the program and I have paid the initial registration fee to hold the place for me. I am going to be going to an orphanage in…. wait for it…… GHANA. I don’t have the exact location yet but it will be somewhere near Accra. I shall be going with International Volunteer HQ which places volunteers all around the developing world in places where they need support.
Now there seems to have been some confusion as to what it is I’m actually doing…some people seem to think I am asking for funds to pay for a holiday for my birthday… I can’t stress enough that this is not the case. I think my attempt to be light hearted and to suggest ideas for donating instead of birthday drinks etc has been taken the wrong way. I am doing this because I want to help and make a difference for at least one other person less fortunate than myself. I want to do what I can to help those children and I chose to tie it in with my birthday as a way of giving some focus and to make people think about what they normally spend on themselves and that it doesn’t take much to help and change things for someone in need. I am not sure I’m explaining this properly but my intentions are definitely all for the right reasons and this is in no way to give me a birthday holiday. I have done my fair share of travelling and if it was a holiday I wanted then I have a ton of other destinations where I could have a great birthday holiday… living in poor conditions and working 5-7 days a week is not what I’d call a holiday.
As for paying fees to volunteer, anyone who has done any research on volunteering will know that nearly all volunteer programs require a fee (and usually they are very expensive!!). You can not just offer your time or show up in a country expecting to volunteer etc without any sort of planning, organisation and administration. This planning costs money as does accommodation, getting to the volunteer placement which can sometimes be in very rural areas, and food. All of these things are what the fee is for. The reason I could not offer gift aid for your donations is because IVHQ is based in New Zealand, not the UK so gift aid is not applicable. They are also not a charity but are an organisation which recruits volunteers and arranges all the program details, links to the in country charities, checks the area etc out for the safety of volunteers etc etc..
Now that I have officially registered and paid the initial registration fee I can link you to the company I am volunteering through
( http://www.volunteerhq.org/faq.html ). They explain more about the fees and the programs etc on their FAQ page. I am now waiting for my volunteer information booklet to arrive with my official ‘fundraiser’ letter and ideas booklet. I will make a copy of the letter to go on here once I receive it to prove I am legitimate.
Anyway, enough of all the explaining. I hope you all now realise what it is I am doing and why and are happy to go ahead and donate. I am very thankful for the donations so far and for getting so close to my target but the more I can make the better.
I am also trying to get donations of supplies like pens, pencils etc for the orphanage. I have had a possible donation of a few books to take with me but any other donations are welcome.
If you have any more questions, doubts, comments, anything then please do get in touch and I’d be happy to answer you. You can either leave a comment on my blog, facebook ‘event’ or email me on corrie.kay@gmail.com
One more thing, for those that were a little confused with the ‘event’ on facebook. I’m not having a birthday event… I will be in Ghana volunteering by then. I only sent it as an event on facebook as a way to reach all my facebook friends and get everyone to look at it. This whole thing will be taking place around my birthday (hence linking it with my birthday initially and confusing people) and I am doing it in place of a big 30th birthday party so anything you would have spent on party drinking can be donated to the appeal instead. I hope that makes sense.
Thanks for reading and do keep checking back for more updates. As things progress they should hopefully become more interesting and once I get back in December I will update this with all my stories and pictures from Ghana.
Thanks all. I appreciate your help.
Cheers
Corrie
Monday 29 March 2010
246 days
So... there are 246 days until I turn THIRTY..... ouch!!.. Where have the years gone.. time has flown by and I didn't even notice!... now's the time to start thinking about the future and settling down and being a real adult as opposed to pretending to be an adult.. no more excuses... no sir... time to grow up for sure!... so what have I got to show for my 30 years on this planet??? Hmm....
Now... what should I do to 'celebrate' turning 30? The usual obligatory drinking and waking up hungover in the morning? That doesn't sound very grown up to me! No.. I want to do something different.. something meaningful... something worthwhile... I want to give back and be thankful for my 30 years of a western upbringing... are you listening carefully?... This is where you come in...
I would like to volunteer abroad at an orphanage for 2-3 weeks... I have found a program I would like to participate in but I need to raise enough money to do so. As you may know, I have not exactly been flush this past year after being made redundant etc so I am hoping to raise enough money to take part in this program and do something to help these children whilst learning and having a memorable 30th birthday.
So, instead of the birthday party or dinner I would have had I will hopefully be abroad assisting with caring for children at an orphanage. With it being the big 3 0 I would like to raise a figure to include that number so I am setting a target of £330 to start with...this covers the cost of the program but not the travel to get there... but if I exceed £330 then I will set a new target (maybe £3330!!!!).. this is where I need your help. Those of you that would have maybe bought me a gift or a drink or joined me for dinner in November please donate whatever you would have spent that night to this appeal instead. For those that wouldn't have done any of that, please donate anyway... the more I can raise the better! If I raise more than I need to participate in the program then I will donate the extra to the orphanage to buy supplies etc.
I know it's a difficult time for everyone with the recession etc but just think about your spending....If you usually have 5 pints on a friday night have 4 instead this week and donate the cost of 1 pint.... or if you treat yourself to a chocolate bar each week miss a week... not only will you be helping me achieve my goal and help these kids but you will be helping your figure also :) Whatever you can give be it 30 pence or £30... every little helps! I only have a few months to reach this target and am grateful for any help you can give.
Please either send me a cheque (email for my address) or a paypal gift payment to corrie.kay@gmail.com
I will use this blog to update you on my progress and to fill you in on my experience once I'm out at the orphanage.
Thanks in advance everyone... a little goes a long way :)
Now... what should I do to 'celebrate' turning 30? The usual obligatory drinking and waking up hungover in the morning? That doesn't sound very grown up to me! No.. I want to do something different.. something meaningful... something worthwhile... I want to give back and be thankful for my 30 years of a western upbringing... are you listening carefully?... This is where you come in...
I would like to volunteer abroad at an orphanage for 2-3 weeks... I have found a program I would like to participate in but I need to raise enough money to do so. As you may know, I have not exactly been flush this past year after being made redundant etc so I am hoping to raise enough money to take part in this program and do something to help these children whilst learning and having a memorable 30th birthday.
So, instead of the birthday party or dinner I would have had I will hopefully be abroad assisting with caring for children at an orphanage. With it being the big 3 0 I would like to raise a figure to include that number so I am setting a target of £330 to start with...this covers the cost of the program but not the travel to get there... but if I exceed £330 then I will set a new target (maybe £3330!!!!).. this is where I need your help. Those of you that would have maybe bought me a gift or a drink or joined me for dinner in November please donate whatever you would have spent that night to this appeal instead. For those that wouldn't have done any of that, please donate anyway... the more I can raise the better! If I raise more than I need to participate in the program then I will donate the extra to the orphanage to buy supplies etc.
I know it's a difficult time for everyone with the recession etc but just think about your spending....If you usually have 5 pints on a friday night have 4 instead this week and donate the cost of 1 pint.... or if you treat yourself to a chocolate bar each week miss a week... not only will you be helping me achieve my goal and help these kids but you will be helping your figure also :) Whatever you can give be it 30 pence or £30... every little helps! I only have a few months to reach this target and am grateful for any help you can give.
Please either send me a cheque (email for my address) or a paypal gift payment to corrie.kay@gmail.com
I will use this blog to update you on my progress and to fill you in on my experience once I'm out at the orphanage.
Thanks in advance everyone... a little goes a long way :)
