Different parts...same city...

Fishing on the Atlantic Ocean

Different parts….same city

Last night we had the good fortune to attend a fundraiser/fellowship event put on by the Rotary Club of Accra in District 9100.  They had a Cheese and Wine Jazz Night, attended by some 200 plus Rotarians (and future Rotarians…?) under a beautiful moonlit sky.  We both enjoyed some of the typical Rotary traditions (singing, greeting old friends) and were introduced to some new ones (local slang and a Chinese auction).  It was a lovely event and had great coverage by the local media due to a myriad of sponsors that were supporting the work of this Rotary Club.  And, it was hosted at the home of one of their Rotarians, who, as luck would have it, hails from the same area of Minnesota as us!  What are the chances!?!?!? 

Some more goodies
coming home with us

Today we headed out to Kokrobite Beach (recommended to us by a local at the party last night)  to sit back and enjoy the sun, sand, and the ocean.  The drive out was once again very interesting, with a lively discussion with our driver about who should maintain roads and how we think our respective governments are doing with this (as we bumped, bounced, and veered left and right…great AB workout!).  Then, around the corner and we saw nothing but white sand, waves, and fishing boats as far as the eye could see.  Amazing how quickly you can be out of the frenzy of the city and enjoying a Club beer in total relaxation! 

Tonight we’re hunkered down in the room prepping for our last day with Street Girls Aid staff tomorrow, heading to a Rotary meeting, off to pick up our new African wear from the seamstress, last errands and then to the airport!  We’ll post another update as time lets us.  In the meantime, wish us safe travels!

Goodbye Dinner

This is what 39C feels like inside...(103 degrees F)

Schwarma...yummm...

Cheese...yummmm

"Everybody has someplace to go..."

A breath of tranquility in the city

“Everybody has some place to go….”

We got stuck in a traffic jam today.  It was Saturday afternoon in Accra, with horns tooting, bicycles riding alongside, street vendors trying to sell as we crept along, cars butting in, cars coming the wrong way, horns honking, people and goods hanging out of trotro’s, funerals and weddings apparent from the road (with beautifully clothed Ghanaians in attendance), horns honking, people crossing….you likely get the picture….

We were in the blue car on the right
trying to back out...seven cars later....

We asked our driver where they were all going and he said…”everybody has some place to go”.  How true.  Saturday is shopping day in Accra, much like the rest of the world.  Everybody has somewhere to go to fit a need, just like the rest of the world.  People had died, and others were coming to pay their respects and comfort the survivors, much like the rest of the world.  Brides got ready for their big day and were married to their grooms and surrounded by those that they love, who love them…just like the rest of the world.

Hilarious services

Workers were trying to make a living, working during the week, and continuing to the weekend, just like the rest of the world.  Traffic jams occurred and people got frustrated, much like the rest of the world.  You likely get the picture…..

There are so many things that differentiate us, and there are so many things that tie us together.  We are in a developing country that has many challenges, but mostly, they want better for their children and grandchildren than they had.  They want to have good nutrition, a roof over their heads, access to education and childcare, and they want to better their neighborhoods and country.  You likely get the picture….

“Everybody has someplace to go”….  Are we more alike than different?  Another lesson learned.

Serving Street Children...Impacting Generations....

The goodies are on their way...For those of you who ordered items made by Street Aid...here they are! And they will soon be in your hands. If you did not order anything but want to after you see these wonderful items, we are bringing a nice order home so contact us at the e-mail address at the bottom of this page and we will give you more information. The girls have been busy for the last few weeks making all of these things just for you and the impact is pretty incredible...these girls were living, working, and sleeping on the streets of Accra with their babies before they enrolled in the school. While living at the refuge, they must participate in school classes, learn about caring for their babies, receive medical care, and learn a trade - sewing, hair dressing, cookery; some of the girls have expressed interest in some other vocations such as business and being a mason... As apprentice seamstresses, they contribute to their meals, food, child care and their babies meals by making these items. Your purchase of these goods helps not only the girls and the Street Girls Aid organization, but also society as a whole since Street Girls Aid has as one of its objectives assisting girls in becoming contributing members of society. And finally, your purchase will also be cherished by whomever you give it to...in fact, we had a hard time deciding who got what because we wanted to keep everything. A few more pictures of the day follow...enjoy!

Twins...we could tell the difference between Cathy and Vida by remembering that Cathy was the taller of the two

Vida and Phidelia working on a planning exercise

Kathy sharing a community development resource paid for by your Rotary Foundation  dollars

Reconciling the orders

One of the girls in the hair dressing school sporting one of the new school polos

The sewing school has new polos too...thanks to the Austin Rotary Club!

The multi-colored polos fit right in in the colorful workroom

Even here, in Ghana, the Christmas decorations are appearing

For more information about ordering some goodies please send an e-mail to mamacaruso@yahoo.com 

We are thankful for...

We are thankful for...

Strollers

Dedicated staff

Children's smiles everywhere

Public toilets

Small businesses

Roads

Department stores

Grocery stores

Hardware stores

Air conditioning

Rotary

No more uniforms for me...

Inquisitive minds

Sunglasses

STOP lights

 

Tro-tros make me smile

A house my size..(.the President does not live here anymore...it is too big to keep up)

  

A child's hand

Happy Thanksgiving All!

Surprise...I appreciate you.

Green habaneros...go into the groundnut soup

Surprise…I appreciate you.

Prepping to pound fufu

Really interesting things happen when you go to a country to learn and share instead of as a tourist.  Our day started this morning oversleeping (because we keep working late) and rushing down to breakfast to get headed off to work.  Our friend Emma was headed to work, but decided to stop in and say hi and found us at breakfast…..WAY COOL to be in Accra Ghana and run into old friends as though we were at the local diner.  More on that later this week (keep watching…)!

Our afternoon consisted of cooking Ghanaian foods with a local chef and teacher!  We got to go behind the scenes, with our aprons and chef hats, and watch, learn, taste and participate in making jollof rice, sobolo (a local drink made from Hibiscus flowers…yum), and fufu (plantain and cassava).  Now…fufu is made by putting the steamed plantain and cassava in a large part of a hollowed out tree and then having one person pound it while the other person turns it until it is soft.  Suffice it to say that we are thrilled that there are no broken fingers…..

Pounding and flipping

Today our work session started with an ice breaker around gifts or acts that have surprised us…not birthday, or anniversary, or Christmas, but recognition of something or some act that touched us or  someone else.  Too often we forget to recognize those small moments in life…someone who is doing what needs doing without complaining, or goes above and beyond the call of duty quietly, or does something for someone else, or sees an unmet need and takes care of it, or someone who just needs a lift.  The participants in the icebreaker recited things that happened as recently as this past weekend, but also shared moments that happened some 30 years ago that STILL remain in their mind today when someone recognized them.  

What if we all took a moment to LOOK FOR an opportunity to recognize someone during the next week?  Give them a small gift, a card, a pat on the back, a certificate of appreciation, or just acknowledge to them that you see that they are special.   Do it quietly, or share it with us on our blog…

Pounding and flipping...and hoping to keep all my fingers

Kathy serving the groundnut soup over fufu with Mary

The communal bowl is delivered to the table 

Kathy and Cathy eating groundnut soup and the traditional way...

What Do You Want Out of Your Life?

What a day...working on a mentoring process, the electricity went down in the middle of the day - which eliminated the sound and flurrying papers from the fan...but then it got HOT! When we went in to see the girls who were sewing the handmade goods that many of you have ordered, we walked out drenched.

So many life lessons today we could fill a book, but "What Do You Want Out of Your Life?" as one of the topics of discussion was a highlight...oh my goodness we are learning so much! After work we went to eat at a local chicken joint down the street, swam a little, shopped a little and got right back to preparing for tomorrow - which will be a drill down on mentoring part II.

Too many thoughts and words are in my head and are tumbling out of my ears, so I will simply post some of the sights from today...enjoy...and keep those comments, "likes" and "shares" happening - it helps to keep us connected to our friends and family.

                                  

               

Our pizza hut