Travelogue

Saturday, May 1st, Ouaga 2000

The District Conference continued today. Paul and Andrew joined Stephanie and Jessie in the Water and Sanitation Plenary Group moderated by Ako. Andrew was called in front of the conference to provide the group report. The remaining sessions of the conference dealt with transitional issues and concluding remarks. The audience was introduced to the End Polio Now soccer ball, which will circulate among Africa and be brought to the International Conference in Montreal. The first signature to be applied was from Desmond Tutu. The Rotary International president-designate provided interesting commentary regarding his perspective of the convention, and mentioned us on a couple of occasions. We heard from the Dean of Governors who provided an inspirational appeal for taking action to improve the conditions of humanity. We also heard from the past, present, and future district governors. Following the proceedings of the morning, we returned to Amiso, joined by Stephanie, for some food and for some rest. We participated in the Governor’s Gala this evening, an eloquent formal event where we had one final opportunity to meet with our friends and to wish the District Governor our best wishes and those from District Governor Neil McBeth. Martin, the GSE Chair, supplied for us a reserved table very close to the stage and the live entertainment. At about 1am we were granted the opportunity to present to the Governor, Simon Kafundo, and his wife Therese, the gifts from Neil and his wife Cheryl. Although the Gala continued on late into the night, we left shortly thereafter and retired about 2am. In the hotel lobby, we met with Jessie one last time, who was taking a final opportunity to enjoy Ouaga By Night.

Friday, April 30th, Ouaga 2000

The Rotary District Conference began today, with a number of interesting sessions regarding the activities of the district and with plenary discussions. The introduction featured local dance and music along with a flag ceremony comprising the flags of all participating nations. Although it wasn’t scheduled in the program, the organizers included the Canadian flag as well for the benefit of Paul and Andrew, as well as for Stephanie. It was a touching moment that we were remembered. Next we proceeded with the sessions of the day, including information on malaria, Rotaract activities, and club projects. We also took advantage of some slow periods to enjoy some social time. Our presentation followed lunch, so we didn’t have much of an audience unfortunately. For the evening we crossed the street to the Host Hospitality at 7pm, which featured an assortment of local foods and entertainment under the stars and in the company of our friends.

Thursday, April 29th, Ouaga 2000

The Rotary District Assembly began today. We enjoyed the assembly introductions, including some passionate remarks about solidifying District 9100 by District Governor-elect Marwan Fattal. Throughout the day we rejoined a number of our old friends from Ghana as well as from our time in Burkina Faso. We also met several new faces, including some of Kwashe’s friends from Accra who provided invaluable advice about relationships, and the two Ambassadorial Scholars, Stephanie and Jessie, who are Canadian and American respectively. The day was wrapped up with a fellowship hospitality area, including many delicious drinks and snacks.

Wednesday, April 28th, Ouagadougou

Today was earmarked for a road trip out into the country to the Laogos granite sculpture garden. The infrastructure boom in the present economic downturn has extended here as the entire highway has been excavated. The detours accordingly extend into the boulevards although one key difference is that the detours are built within the dirt boulevards using no additional construction materials. The driver of the big red bus demonstrated his talent and driving skills on the trip, although there was some necessity to properly weight the vehicle on the embankments. The granite sculpture garden is the result of several symposiums over recent years by artisans from across the world. Each contributed a sculpture based on a given theme or proverb, including some from Canada, Europe, Asia, and many local artisans. We concluded the visit with a quick stop in the workshop and witnessed the sculpting of bronze works. We had lunch at the Amiso Hotel and proceeded to visit the CINCAT architectural office, our last vocational visit of the trip. Tonight we were delivered to our new host homes for the final rotation and enjoyed the opportunity for some rest.

Tuesday, April 27th, Ouagadougou

The day began with a trip to the ONEA Water Treatment Plant. We were impressed with the level of technology available locally and the expertise of the staff. With top-of-the-line equipment designed in Denmark and Germany, it was clear that the residents of Ouagadougou can count on the quality of their municipal water where available. We stopped for a few drinks where Athena successfully negotiated for some linens from a street vendor. The afternoon was spent recovering from the big, big hard sun beating on all the big people in the big hard world, with air conditioning or shade where available. Later in the evening we returned to the artisan village to haggle for more souvenirs to take home to family and friends. Our negotiating skills have definitely improved since arriving here! Our guide for today, Mohamed, also demonstrated his own skills competency on a local television trivia show. That night we were invited to the Bolo household, where Katie and Athena were staying, to enjoy Mr. Bolo’s birthday and to celebrate it with his friends from throughout West Africa. It was quite a treat! Finally, we enjoyed a fellowship at a local establishment, the Taxi Brousse, and experienced the friendliness of local residents and evening merchants throughout the night.

Monday, April 26th, Ouagadougou

This morning we went to the Charles DeGaulle pediatric hospital to give out mosquito nets purchased with the money we brought from our Rotary District.  It was a formal occasion with speeches made by hospital staff and rotary members.  We were told the event would even be covered in the local newspaper.  We were able to give out some of the nets to new mothers who had just delivered babies.  The appreciation showed by the hospital really showed us the seriousness and severity of the malaria problem in Burkina Faso.  We were told that the number of deaths caused by malaria exceeds that of aids.  After the hospital we were picked up by our new hosts and went to their respective homes for lunch.  In the afternoon we went to the ONEA wastewater treatment centre which was interesting to compare how the treatment methods are practiced in our respective nations.  While there, we experienced some really heavy rains.  Many of the dirt roadways that we took to get to the wastewater treatment centre were now at least partly flooded.

Sunday, April 25th, Ouagadougou

We didn’t really leave the comfort of home today.  We all enjoyed lunch at the Sidikou residence and stayed around for the afternoon to recover from the week’s climate.  We were subsequently invited to Denis’ house for dinner around 7pm.  Today’s rest day was truly appreciated by all!

Saturday, April 24th, Ouagadougou

We wished our host families goodbye this morning and headed to the Rotary Office to begin our morning.  Athena picked out some pastries to eat, Derek’s treat, but the warnings to beat the heat were in vain.  We headed to a general clinic this morning and took a close look at the pediatrics and obstetricians’ sections of the centre, guided by a fellow Rotarian.  The access we received to the facility was unparalleled.  It was a truly rewarding visit.  Denis, the president of the Savane club, let us cool down at his house and invited us to join him for his niece’s wedding just out of town.  Overlooking a local lake, the facility was inviting and scenic.  We witnessed the reception ceremony firsthand, inclusive of the traditional music performances and the greetings from each of the parents.  We were also treated to a delicious lunch of chicken, rice, beef, and salad.  The Zinaire Animal Park followed, where we went head to head with lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!  Well maybe not the bears, but those lion’s roar is quite frightening when it’s up close even if there’s a small fence separating you.  We also got up close with a zebra, a hippopotamus, antelope, ostriches, baboons, chimpanzees, hyenas and donkeys.  In some cases we had to evade paws coming through the fencing.  On the way out we were able to see giraffes, and then retired to our host families for the evening.  There was a standing offer to enjoy “Ouaga By Night”, although only Katie was brave enough to fight the exhaustion tonight.  Early bedtimes were the norm for the evening as we all retired and started to relax.

Friday, April 23rd, Ouagadougou

We woke up early this morning to attend Moora Naaba, to witness the traditional ceremony of the Moosi king headed to war against his brother.  We made it up on time and met a school group from Ghana from the Wa area.  The ceremony concluded rather quickly, and we headed to the Central Market to do a shopping excursion.  It was a pretty stressful experience as the vendors were incredibly keen to make a sale, even walking with us to our car a few blocks away.  We returned for a rest with our host families, and followed up with a visit to the Sabaa Water Museum that evening.  The drive was through a maze of building walls throughout a nearly-abandoned portion of local villages, which was the result of recent flooding.  The museum was in a small village and the proprietors were truly passionate about water education for the local population.  Athena learned the texture of sheepskin in the process, and we made a donation at the end of the trip to assist in the operations.  Dusk fell on our trip back and we ended up at the Crystal Rotary Club meeting at the Mercure Hotel, meeting once again with our first hosts.  They surprised Andrew by singing him a local version of Happy Birthday and giving him a traditional hat to wear.  We next headed to Martin’s house where he and his wife Nicole put in a herculean effort making a wonderful dinner to celebrate Andrew’s birthday.   Katie, Athena, Paul, and Derek presented Andrew with a birthday gift of their own, a traditional Burkina Faso shirt.  We finished the evening up with dancing at the Club Crystal, although some of us were a bit tired when 2am rolled around!

Thursday, April 22nd, Ouagadougou

Our day studied the effects of malaria, as we initially headed to the Balonghin Clinical Centre in the morning.  We learned of testing procedures for local volunteers willing to try and avoid the mosquito bites to develop a vaccination.  Shortly thereafter we headed to the Clinical Centre in town to see the facilities and meet the field staff working to treat malaria cases.  Heading to the Hotel Amiso for lunch, we had some drinks and some familiar foods before heading back to the Malaria Research Centre located in Ouagadougou.  There we took an extensive look at the laboratory facilities and had a chance to see specimens of Malaria up close under microscope.  Athena enjoyed witnessing the miracle of life among the mosquito population, as we were able to check the specimens up close.  It was a full day but one incredibly worthwhile.  That evening, we visited the Arc-En-Ciel Rotary Club, with a newly established pre-meeting practice of meeting at the Mercure Hotel bar for additional work on our presentation, and of course for some good beverages to prepare us.  That evening the electricity remained out, but the local population manages and lives with the disruptions.  We have to recognize the determination and skills of the residents here!   We also celebrated Earth Day today with a toast, and Andrew was delighted to learn that the Canadian government was giving National Park annual passes to all Grade 8 students to celebrate!

Wednesday, April 21 – Ouagadougou

After a good nights sleep everyone was up at a reasonable time to wait for the bus to pick us up from our host families. Our first stop for the morning was the CREPA (Potable Water Research Centre).  The Director of the facility sported an iron ring instantly recognizable to Paul and Andrew.  The facility undertook various works related to the treatment of wastewater using natural processes and with readily available materials, as well as point source pollution reduction measures.   Some of the inventions featured natural human waste disposal measures which could be installed in small villages.  We also witnessed agricultural crops using human waste as fertilizer and the resulting increased crop quality.  This summed up the activities for the day under punishing heat, and we headed back to our families’ homes for some further rest and relaxation.  We were picked up for the Rotary meeting at the Millennium club and honed our presentation skills, although we were somewhat late tonight.

Tuesday, April 20th – Ouagadougou

We all survived the night for better or for worse with a newfound appreciation for the importance of electricity.  Unfortunately our plans for a visit to a local village’s treatment centre fell through, so we headed over to the Hotel Amiso for some lunch and drinks and attempted to get caught up on the blog with mixed success.  We had set up a late afternoon meeting at the national Census Office, which was a modern, contemporary facility having elegant curves and a hub-and-spoke floor plan.  Athena and Katie took full advantage of the opportunity to discuss statistics and data with the Director of Communications and Technology, who was also a Rotarian.  It developed into a fascinating discussion regarding the divergence of wealth and quality of life issues.  Next, we went directly to the Rotary Club meeting this evening with the Savane club, where we had success with the PowerPoint and an improved run for our presentation in the French language.  This was our final evening under the Crystal club, and they treated us to dinner and local entertainment at the “Jardin de l’Amitie” restaurant.  A gentleman on stilts put in quite a remarkable performance, and the musicians adjusted some of their lyrics to say “Rotary”.  It was a great end to our time with Crystal, but fortunately we’ll be meeting our new friends again for their meeting on Friday.

Monday, April 19th – Ouagadougou

This morning, we had the opportunity to visit the District Governor’s business, an engineering and architectural firm.  They have completed some remarkable projects, including the National Heroes Monument and the Municipal Stadium.  We visited the local Rotary District Governor’s office extensively, followed by an extended visit of the Rotary Governor’s office, along with an attempted visit to the local District Secretary’s workplace.  Unfortunately, as he was a lawyer, he was needed in court.  We then headed to our homes for some rest and relaxation.  That night we visited the Doyen Rotary Club, albeit without our PowerPoint presentation due to projector troubles.  We headed home for what would hopefully be a cool night inside, dependent wholly on the reliability of the local power supply.

Sunday, April 18th – Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

We took things easy today, having spent the bulk of the last little while driving almost all day. In the afternoon, Rotarians Pare and Prince brought us to the Artisan’s Village, a quiet and pleasant shopping experience. We were also introduced to our vehicle of choice for the next little while, a red 12-seater bus that probably runs on diesel given our olifactory perceptions. A few mask purchases later and we were brought to our host families for the rest of the evening. We experienced authentic Burkinan culture at our homes and thoroughly appreciated the hospitality shown to us right away.

Saturday, April 17th – Tamale, Ghana to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Today is our last day in Ghana and we left with a great deal of sadness. Before heading out, Adam and John brought us to a biosand filter development in a neighbouring village. And so we left on a new adventure, reaching the border in about an hour. We spent a brief time in the immigration offices of the two countries and then we were off, loading into a new van with Aziz, a GSE participant from earlier this year. We wished John farewell, and were off through the wilderness of southern Burkina Faso. Stopping for drinks on the way, we were introduced to Beaufort, a local favourite. Just after dusk we reached the Hotel Amiso, which would come to be a familiar place for us. The rooms were compact but nice, and we were treated to a nice reception this evening from local Rotarians in the hotel lobby.

Friday, April 16th – Mole National Park to Tamale, Ghana

With a 7am start time for our safari adventure, we were ready and raring to go to witness the wildlife of Mole Park. We needed an armed guard, though, to lead us through the wilderness. One thing is certain about Mole, it is home to a lot of Wild Boars and Antelope. We didn’t get a chance to encounter much wildlife initially (unless you’re counting our pickup truck and potentially its passengers). The ride was completed in about 3 hours and concluded with a visit to the elephants’ watering hole. Indeed, we witnessed these majestic beings in their full glory. The ride wrapped up with a visit from some baboons to the side of the road. Unfortunately, timing dictated a noon departure time, so following a last dip in the pool we were off an back to Tamale. We relaxed for the rest of the evening as dusk was breaking on our arrival, and enjoyed a nice, cool breeze back at the African Dream Hotel.

Thursday, April 15th – Tamale to Mole National Park, Ghana

Breakfast at the African Dream was nice and early, although we had a bit of a wait for everyone to arrive for the day.  John was our driver, and Adam was to be our guide for today.  Adam is a local Rotarian and high school physics teacher.  We headed to a community not far from Tamale where we visited a Rotary project completed by Tamale, Sherbrooke Qc Ca and Lebanon, USA.  It was a majestic windmill which worked continuously to ensure the water supply for the village was replenished.  The water was then brought through gravity watermains to various pump locations in the village.  It was a great system.  Around lunchtime we headed over to Mole National Park via the 86km dirt road between Tamale and Mole.  Some of us enjoyed the sunny rustic ride in the back of the pickup truck, which added a nice reddish colour to our skintone (from ground and sunshine alike!)  Once at Mole we went to the main office to check into our rooms.  In our sight was the most beautiful oasis to behold… a swimming pool!  Suddenly that planned afternoon safari in the hot, hot sun wasn’t looking so great.   Athena was first in the water, meeting a group of students from Washington D.C. who were enjoying the facilities.  Katie, Paul, and Andrew checked out the safari arrangements and quickly concluded that the best (and coolest) time to go would be at 7:00am.  The pool beckoned, though, and soon we were all in.  We didn’t leave the poolside until bedtime, even having Katie and Athena coax our driver, John, to come swimming for the first time.  We also met the students’ professor, who was enjoying the aftermath of two room fires that had occurred with air conditioning units.  At dusk, Athena broke out her small arms survey playing cards and we played blackjack and Go Fish until dusk, broken only by a violent windstorm shortly after dusk.  The lightning in the distant sky overlooking the watering hole tinted the sky into a regal purple colour and illuminated the scrub landscaping in the distance.  It was a wonderful sight to behold.

Wednesday, April 14th – STC from Kumasi to Tamale, Ghana

Today was a travel day in all senses of the word.  Charles came back for breakfast, along with Professor Seth, and Charles reminded us that our role on earth was to “aspire to inspire before we expire.”  We weren’t to be left alone, however, as Paaf joined us for the trip to Tamale via STC, the regional intercity bus service.  It was an adventurous experience all around, from the bus station itself to the vehicle.  We wished Chris, our driver, well and headed out.  Our eventual seating arrangements didn’t quite match what was on our tickets, but it was a comfortable ride with air conditioning and curtains on the windows.  Sleep may not have been an option for most, however, as we were introduced to the world of Nigerian cinema and the local superstar that is Vin Vickers.  About halfway through the trip, we pulled into what was signed as a mandatory stop.  Indeed it was as we didn’t leave for a couple of hours – the rolling stock was in good shape, however it stalled out and the local mechanics weren’t quite specialists in chinese bus technology.  Paaf called back to Tamale to summon John, their local driver, however we were eventually back on our way on the STC and were treated to more local film.  Clearly we wouldn’t be making the Rotary meeting tonight.  Dusk hit and we arrived in Tamale about 8:30pm or so.  The Rotarians, however, waited for us, and we headed to the meeting and were introduced to the local members and the president, Joseph.  They treated us to some well-needed water, and took good care of us while at the Rotary Centre.  That night, we spent at the African Dream Hotel, a beautiful and spacious facility that was notable for being a home for silence.  We had dinner fairly late, and with a bit of confusion with the orders, but the owner was very nice and would have moved the earth for us.  Bedtime came quickly, though, from sheer exhaustion and we retired to the wonderful facility and looking forward to our forthcoming adventure in Tamale.

Tuesday, April 13th – Kumasi, Ghana

It was another early morning for us as our Rotarian hosts were anxious to show us around Kumasi.  Today the planned itinerary was light, a gesture much appreciated given the amount of travel we’ve done over the past while.  We were joined by rotarians Josephine and Dora, along with Paaf for the day.  Our first visit was to the Lake Bosomtwe area, where we stopped at a Rotary Project site nearby.  Rotary had arranged for borehole near a school which services the community as well as the school.  True to the Ghanaian tradition, a football (soccer) field was nearby!  We stopped in and visited the school and had some fun singing songs with the students and testing their knowledge.  Athena had brought along some gifts and we distributed some to all, including cars, kites, and bubbles!  We next visited the Lake Bosomtwe itself, a wonderfully expansive lake with a shallow depth.  We had a buffet lunch of rice, chicken, and potato chips (better known in North America as French Fries!) and enjoyed the idyllic setting.  The coconut drinks we had were as fresh as could be – the wait staff literally jumped in the trees with machete-like knives and cut the prime fruit down for us!  Returning to the hotel that night, we headed back to clean up and visit the Kumasi Rotary Club meeting.  It was a bit of a surprise meeting that evening, as we encountered a Rotary Club from the Netherlands at the meeting, and were treated to an absolutely delicious meal at the Golden Tulip hotel.  The local Rotaract Club visited the meeting as well, who reported on their Hepatitis B prevention program at the Kumasi Polytechnic School.  As the cost to screen is only 2 cidis versus an average treatment cost of 12 cidis, the hope was that their program would allow for 500 screens.  The team donated $100 to the project from the Rotary funds from back home, which was promptly matched by the Dutch Rotarians (100 Euros).  The Rotaract Club was definitely pleased at the outcome!  It was a great evening for all and we wished, Charles, Dora and Josephine best wishes that evening as we wouldn’t be seeing them again until the District Conference.

Enjoying the Big Asante City

Monday, April 12^th – Kumasi, Ghana

We were greeted by Paaf and Charles this morning, who had secured a bus for us. We saw Kwashie and Sam goodbye, certainly missing them immediately as they headed back to Accra. Our first stop was the Okomfo Anokye Sword site located at the hospital, where we learned about Asante culture firsthand. Sadly, removing the sword from the stone was not to be today. We then proceeded to the hospital where we received an update on a Kumasi East – Ann Arbor Rotary project ensuring children born with clubbed feet would be rehabilitated. We next visited the Kumasi Cultural Centre and visited some local vendors. We saw a traditional weaving operation, and Athena became the proud owner of a Ghanaian stool. Next we visited the Asante Royal Palace and learned more of the modern day Asante kings and the artifacts they have each left behind for their successors. The amazing life-like wooden recreations of a past king took Athena’s breath away. Charles challenged the masculinity of male team members unable to finish their meals, a criticism much-deserved: a litre of Palm Stew, Goat and Fish with traditional Ghanian spice was easily downed by Paul, who was declared the better man of the GSE Team. We retired to our hotel in Kumasi for a quiet evening to relax and recover from the bustle of the day.

Off to Kumasi

Sunday, April 11^th – Cape Coast and Kumasi, Ghana

Breakfast was bright and early once again, with a visit to the restaurant next door to the guest house on the campus of Cape Coast University. It was a sad meal in a way as it meant we were to leave Cape Coast today. Sam and Kwashie joined us and we we were on our way, wet laundry be darned. On our way we stopped at the Cape Coast fire station, we paid a visit to our new friend Edith who, had been our unofficial social director the past two nights and whose profession had only been revealed to us that morning! It is the relationships like these that make you want to come and explore the world and all of the great people within it. The road to Kumasi had much evidence of geomorphology – the pavement was nonexistent in just about every low area. It was a truly scenic drive and it paved the way for ever-majestic beauty along the highway, even if the highway wasn’t always paved itself. We stopped at the Final Bathing Place for those imprisoned into slavery in the former Gold Coast. The facilities celebrated the work of those who worked tirelessly to eliminate this injustice towards humanity, although the mood remained sombre at the site itself knowing the atrocities committed there. Athena distributed treats to the children living in the nearby woods, who had earlier met us along the trail and met us in the parking lot. Each of the villages passed through showed their own character and charm. Throughout, the Rotarians we had met since last week dutifully called to ensure we were well taken care of. The trip to Kumasi didn’t feel like it took very long, and soon enough we were at the Confidence Restaurant in Kumasi, which was by far the most popular restaurant we had visited so far. We truly did have confidence that our appetites wouldn’t be exceeded before abandonment of the meal to the flies, but not everyone was successful. We met a gentleman named Tommy from Boston at the next table. We were also visited by Seth and Paaf from the local Rotary Club, and would soon meet with them again. We toured downtown Kumasi before heading back into the main roundabout to reach our hotel. Seth, his niece Faustina, and Charles met with us for introductions. Kwashie, Sam, and Charles joined us to enjoy the local culture for the rest of the evening, where we had a blast.

Our first week in Ghana

Saturday, April 10^th – Cape Coast, Ghana

The thunder and rain of the morning did not dampen our thirst for adventure.  After breakfast, we didn’t allow a pesky problem like a van sunken in the mud derail our attempts to visit Kakum.  With the help of a number of good Samaritans, a Toyota flatbed truck, a gravel surface for said tow truck, two wooden planks, and trial and error ingenuity, the van was freed and we were on our way to Kakum.  Just around the corner from Cape Coast, the park features a canopy walk among the tree tops on rope bridges and an extensive nature walk which studies several native trees to the area and their role in the ecosystem.  Ben and Eddie surprised us with a visit at our lunch site, the Hans Cottage Botel, which is a floating restaurant housing a pond with several crocodiles peeking just underneath the surface.  Athena was acting as navigator during this period, and with the precision of a Loran, we arrived at our destination.  Paul and Andrew tried the spicy chicken kebob, which was much less spicy than most Ghanaian dishes.  Katie tried the hazelnut soup.  After lunch, we caught sight of the crocodiles a couple of times.  Heading home, we took a break for the rest of the afternoon to shower and to get our clothing cleaned up. We headed to the Goil to enjoy the local drum band and were joined by Edith, as well as new friends Prince and Shandelle to enjoy the culture.

Friday, April 9^th: Accra to Cape Coast, Ghana

We left our host families and converged at the Ange Hill Hotel.  There was a bit of difficulty actually leaving as Paul and Andrew arrived on time to find nobody present.  Learning that the others would be late, they were given a tour of their host’s development projects which were expansive and located in many areas of the region.  The rest of the group enjoyed some early morning refreshments at the Hotel before meeting our new Rotary host, Quashie, and our new driver, Sam, who will be joining us for the trip to Cape Coast.  Getting out of Accra took a while but once traffic was cleared the drive was a joy.  The scenery along the highway to Cape Coast is majestic and lush, with the most rewarding sights coming in near Anomabo as the highway approaches the ocean.  We stopped in at Grace’s residence to inquire about the status of the District 6400 projects in the area.  Grace was kind enough to offer us a case of water, her self-made yogurt from the farm, and her own assistance as a guide for us in the area.  The view from her property of the ocean was stunning and gorgeous.  She joined us into town where we visited a number of sites of great interest to District 6400 Rotarians.  We visited the local health clinic and the youth centre in the basement, and which has been well-maintained since RELAY’s project was completed.  We also visited a site purchased to house a family in Anomabo currently living in a tree, and the school site that RELAY had refurbished a few years ago.  Next, we visited the Anomabo town proper, visiting another local school housed in a colonial-era building and paying visit to the Chief of the village.  Finally, we visited the unfinished school site on the top of the hill near the town, which is unfortunately noting some deterioration as it remains exposed to the elements.  Finally, we proceeded to Cape Coast, narrowly making it to the Cape Coast castle before closing time.  What a moving experience that was, learning about how our ancestors treated fellow human beings and hoping that such cruelty shall never again be repeated.  We had dinner next door, with Andrew getting a grilled chicken dish, Derek having the Benkey, and Paul having fish.  We were entertained by local music performers in the courtyard adjacent to the restaurant offering a good assortment of music.  Katie, Athena, and Sam took advantage of the ocean’s proximity to walk into the water.  Most of us went out to enjoy our own Rotary Fellowship, taking advantage of new friend Edith’s suggestion to visit a dance club downtown.  Things were wild and thoroughly fun, and was a great immersion into local culture.  Not to be stopped by the extreme heat, we stopped by another local bar at the Goil station for more drinks in front of a huge movie screen.  What a night!

Thursday April 8 – Accra, Ghana

Community Water & Sanitation Agency, Oyibi

The visit began at the head office where we met the Director, Head Engineer, and Extension Services Manager. They discussed the important role of the agency and described how they deal with everything related to water as it relates to sanitation.

They then took us to meet the water board for Oyibi, which is one of five water boards in the Accra area. We met the Water Board of Oyibi under the water tank outside of their main office. This particular Board was given a grant from Denmark for the original project, which included 2 hydrogen mechanized boreholes that serve 9 neighboring communities. This means that the groundwater is pumped out of the borehole and then through the pressurized pipe system. There were additional storage tanks, like the one we were sitting under, for times of high supply and to ensure steady flow in times of high demand.

The community was so well organized – the Board was made up of members from each of the 9 water councils representing all of the communities. They managed everything. There was a very positive feel to the entire project. At 3 pesuas / 18L bucket, they had been able to invest enough money to expand their system and plan to dig another borehole in the near future.

After leaving Oyibi we headed to Nanoman where the Rotary Club of Tema Meridian has sponsored several water projects. One is a borehole that is not currently being used by the community for drinking because the water is too salty. This seems to be a common problem in Accra due to the geology. Groundwater may not be the most ideal source of drinking water in some areas and surface water projects are starting to be explored. The other is a series of tanks that are filled when the municipal water is turned on once a week and then doled out to community members during the week for a small fee (less than a 5 cents) so that households have regular access to water throughout the week. While they do have access to city water, the demand always seems to be greater than supply – as seems to be true in many of the places we’ve visited. There were locks on the storage containers and stand pipes to ensure that they were only used at the proper times and when the price had been paid.

There is much good work being done. We hope that the Oyibi development scheme, which includes the local community from the very beginning, empowering them to take ownership, ensuring sustainability, and providing local jobs is something that can be replicated in more communities throughout Accra and Ghana, and even the world. There was an observable difference between the two projects. As is the case in many parts of the world, an information infrastructure needs to be developed to increase the sharing of knowledge and training.

Lunch Marina Hotel: We stopped for lunch at the Marina Hotel where a herd of peacocks celebrated our arrival with loud squawking and ruffling of feathers. More Ghanaian food was on the agenda: Katie and Athena were served a large plate of boiled plantains with a sauce of vegetables and peppers over fried chicken. Andrew tried the rice fried with beef.

Rotary Club of Accra East, African Regency Hotel

At the Accra East meeting we were joined by Ako, Ben, and a few other Rotarians from the Tema club. It was great to start to know faces and names and be able to carry on more than an introductory conversation. The fellowship at meetings never dwindled. The GSE team seems to have ignited a slight battle over the best banner – Accra East and Accra West both noted how unique and beautiful their banners were. It is true. They are all lovely.  Following the meeting, we were invited to a local Rotary fellowship for some more drinks.  Nana Yaa and most of our hosts from our time in Accra visited, as did a few of the Rotarians we met at the various club meetings.  Athena bowed out early suffering from sheer exhaustion.  Derek gave thanks to all of the Rotarians who assisted us, specifically Ako, Ben, Eddie, and Nana Yaa.  It was a late night but a lot of fun, and we’ll be missing a lot of our new friends as we leave Accra.

Wednesday April 7

CSIR – Water Resources Institute

The CSIR was on “the other side of the wall” from the hotel where we were meeting.  A sprawling facility, they have two satellite offices in Accra and 13 within the region. Centers range from Agriculture to Medicine to Environment.  Shortly before 10am we met with the Director General of the complex, along with several key staff, where we exchanged our ideas about source water protection, drainage, and sustainable agricultural practices.  Following this, we toured the various labs, including the water and wastewater facilities.  The equipment in the laboratory was top-of-the-line, with spectrophotometers, gas chromatographs, atomic devices detecting quality assurance benchmarks, incubators, and various other equipment of impeccable quality, supported by a team of research assistants.  We were thoroughly impressed.

Lunch – rotary Club of Accra West

Rotarians in the Accra West club are a thoroughly generous bunch.  Their contributions to the fine bank far exceeded all other clubs the team had seen (including back in North America.)  Kudos to the finemaster, especially for tying poor Derek into the mix with fines related to “bringing the third daughter of President Bush to the country”, and what clothing Derek did not pack in his suitcase.  Food was great and Club drinks were among the Ghanaians’ best.

The team gave another rendition of their 10 min presentation, which Derek had to start with an explanation of why he is only traveling with 2 pair of underwear. We were also proud to let the Accra West club know of the Detroit Rotary Clubs 100^th anniversary as President-Elect Kojo Dom and his family have been associated with the Accra West Club for many years.

OSU Children’s home

Our next stop was the OSU Children’s Home.  We met the director of the Home and got an introduction to the operations.  We brought girls dresses made from new pillow-cases in a variety of sizes from a company Little Dresses for Africa based in the Detroit area.  We were able to present the dresses to the girls. There was slight chaos because all of the children gathered around, but the boys were offered some treats in lieu of a dress.

We also talked to them about their water supply and found out that they have a borehole but the quality of the water has never been suitable for drinking. They told us they do use it for washing clothes, bathing and flushing toilets.

Snacks at Sunshine Café, an Indian fusion restaurant

After visiting the orphanage Nana Yaa treated us to a snack at this lovely Indian fusion restaurant, which were surprised to find in downtown Accra. We shared a smorgesboard of treats including masala fries, spring rolls, and lamb samosas. We just relaxed and shared some thoughts about the day before heading to the rotary meeting.

Rotary Club of Accra Airport – African Regency Hotel: We happened to visit this club on the day that two new members were inducted. It was an inspiring experience. It was been really interesting to witness the different club styles and personalities. This club appeared particularly young and discussed the unveiling of their Foundation sometime this year. Now well practiced, the team made some brief introductions and exchanged banners with the club. Katie found out that one of the Rotarians had graduated from UM SPH about 10 years before – it is a small world!

Tuesday April 6 – Tema/Accra, Ghana

We met early and swapped stories of our host stays. Did you have AC? What did they serve you for breakfast? What were the roads like by your house? Once we had all gathered we departed for our first professional visit – dressed in our blue polos, fancy nametags attached.

ZoomLion

Our first visit in the morning was to a Waste and Sanitation Company named ZoomLion. We received an orientation by the communications Director then watched a promotional video. The scope of services offered by the company was very impressive; everything from waste pick-up to pest control. The company was named of course after the lion, which is strong, fast and powerful much like the way they approach their business.

Redd Lobster Lunch

We stopped for lunch at a local establishment. Some Paul, Andrew, and Athena tried the jallof with friend chicken, Derek sampled the Tilapia with benkhu, and Katie tried the okra stew with benkhu – which got passed around the table because it was too spicy for her. Luckily, Ben, with appreciated forethought, had ordered some chicken and fries to share.

Associated Consultants

After lunch we visited a consulting firm specializing in sustainable development where they did everything from design to structural engineering. Two of the Directors are Rotarians in the area. We saw their offices and some pictures of past and present projects.

Ralphs Office

With some extra time before the evening Rotary meeting we stopped by the Architect House to meet Ralph – who we had heard a lot about – as a GSE Committee member. We were glad to finally meet him as we had been lucky enough to travel around in his van throughout Accra. While we were there Nana Yaa arrived and distributed cell phones to each of the team members so that we can keep in touch – but it is taking us some to adjust/remember that we have cell phones, or to charge them for that matter! But, we were thankful and some team members got in touch with folks back home easily after purchasing some “top up minutes”.

Tema Rotary Club meeting

Tuesday night we arrived early at the Tema Rotary Center, one of only 2 centers in Ghana. They have a library and book distribution, a large hall, and a bar (perhaps the reason behind the great fellowship we experienced immediately upon our arrival). In all seriousness, the Tema club feels like “our club.” AG Ako and Ben are both members of the R.C. Tema. Everyone was so welcoming. We fell into easy conversation about our experiences so far, how we were handling the heat, and what adventures were yet to come. The group had their first run of their 10 minute introduction message, which was meet with smiles and applause. Paul remembers having two guiness at the meeting

and Katie got to try some excellent chicken kebab. It felt very rewarding to meet the other club members close to Ako and Ben, as our group of Rotary friends continued to grow.

Monday April 5- Tema, Ghana

Everyone managed to rise at around 9:00 for breakfast. Same food as yesterday. Once breakfast was finished we walked up to the “BusyInternet” the local internet café. That’s how you got yesterdays post. We also tried to exchange money, but being Easter Monday, the banks were closed.

Rotarian’s picked us up in the afternoon to take us to our Orientation & Introduction meeting. We were greeted by the GSE Committee and the Rotarians who will be hosting the team members.

The committee gave us a thorough orientation, including an introduction to Rotary in Ghana and a brief overview of Ghanaian culture. When the meeting adjourned we went our separate ways to stay with our host families: some in Tema and some in Greater Accra.

We are settling into a nice routine and have adopted a go with the flow attitude. Today, a national holiday following Easter, most people are picnicking and we will meet the group for lunch today and then depart with our host families.

Arrival in GhanaWe had a great flight from Amsterdam to Accra and breezed through immigration. We had an early experience with some of the local culture as we witnessed verbal jousting on the airplane over baggage stowing. Just beyond customs, our Rotarian friends were there to greet us by the baggage claim: AG Ako, Ben, Eddie and Naniya. We all got our bags, none missing and were whisked through customs to waiting cars. Andrew learnt not to give $20 dollars to one of the guys following us who said that he needed it for the cart rental fee.The Rotarians then took us to the “Home Touch” restaurant to have our first taste of Ghanaian beer and food. None of us were too hungry, as we had been eating all the way from Detroit. We did sample some local grilled chicken with yams and some guinea fowl with rice. The yams are not like our sweet potato. More like a potato. We were then taken to our hotel, which is in Tema, not Accra as previously arranged. We are staying at the “Oak Royal Hotel” which is basic but nice. Some air conditioners worked better than others.
After a good nights sleep the team rallied around 11:00 a.m. for breakfast; toast and a one-egg omelet with onion and tomato. We sat around and signed thank you cards and chatted in the garden for a while.Ako, his wife Joann and Ben came to pick us up at 2:00 p.m. Joann is originally from Pennsylvania. They took us to their house for the afternoon and fed us lunch. They had a beautiful home constructed in a circular concept, which was quite interesting. They had grilled samon (not like salmon) and a fried fish with avocado and a fermented cornmeal steamed “bread” called kanke, and a selection of hot pepper sauces. The first sauce was brown, a fried pepper sauce, the second a red chili tomato sauce and the third was a green chili pepper sauce. All were delicious. A spicy soup accompanied this, which had beef, goat and goat intestine in it, with rice balls. Delicious too After a long meal some of us explored the yard where we found bats living in a tree and a plant with a sweet-smelling flower (called, to Ako’s amusement, Ladies of the Night). The bats have come to live in Joann and Ako’s yard since their neighbor cut down his tree that used to be their home. There were dozens of bats, some which appeared to be surprisingly awake for that time of the day, hanging from the branches. Ako offered to throw a rock at them so they would fly up and we could see them better, but we declined.
2 April-Departure from Detroit
Well after all of the planning we finally left Detroit. Of course Andrew and Paul were the first at the airport.	But we did manage to stop for a little light refreshment
We made it	On the flight
Paul’s breakfast in Amsterdam	Note: Derek is not the one drinking beer for breakfast
Lunch In Amsterdam Airport