Mààdwó! Good evening!

I just wanted to write a quick post to let you all know that I have settled in with my host family in Ghana and everything is going well! My friend Caroline & I are staying with a big family! There are 6 younger children who are very shy (they are slowly warming up to us though). There are also older children and then my host mom and her two brothers. The family is very friendly and has gone out of their way for us to help us settle in.

I just completed my first week of work. I am doing a volunteer internship at an NGO called Friends of the Nation which focuses on sustainable fisheries. It was an interesting week! Both Caroline & I had to do a lot of reading to find out what the organization does and also to learn about their current projects. We learned quite a bit about different practices fisherman are using and why they are problematic, as well as trends such as the recent discovery of oil that are causing problems for the fishermen. This organization also focuses a lot on the environment and health and how they overlap. Since I study nursing they are hoping to get me more involved with the health aspect of their projects by going to clinics in the fishing communities and doing family planning counselling as well as working with women on maternal & reproductive health.

Caroline & I have not done a lot of exploring around Ghana yet however we are planning on going to the ocean this weekend! I can’t wait! We are also planning some weekend trips to go visit our friends Robin, Heather, & Davina who are also here on a QPID project but are volunteering at a different organization approximately 4 hours east of where we are living. The people here are very friendly and welcoming! Although it has only been one week I already love it here & feel right at home!

I have been keeping a daily travel diary and will be posting it on my blog sometime this weekend (I just have a bit of catching up to do on it first). I have so much that I want to share with my family & friends that I think this will be the best way to do it!

Have a great night everyone!


TTFN! :)