I have just spent 5 amazing weeks in Ghana and have had some fantastic experiences.  I was the guest of www.volunteerwestafrica.org .  Some of the sights I have seen have inspired me and some have upset me but all of them have humbled me.  A lot of people in Ghana have so little and some live in terrible conditions but these people aren’t bemoaning their lot, they just get on with their daily lives no matter how difficult.

I visited several schools, schools that have so little in terms of buildings and resources but they all have one thing in common, students that want learn and do well.  The children were all happy to be at school and have the opportunity to be there as sadly so many children do not have that opportunity.  The children were happy to see us and sang for us and also performed some cultural dancing.  One of the schools we visited had classrooms with no walls and roofs with holes in so when it rained the water poured through.  Some classes have as many as 108 children in them.

Volunteer West Africa runs a nursery in its compound.  The nursery is for children from the local village, Oshieye.  Oshieye is a very poor fishing village where most of the men work as fishermen in wooden boats and the women work as fishmongers.  The children that come to the nursery are vulnerable and are often sickly due to malaria and malnourished.  At the nursery they are fed and washed and taught songs and nursery rhymes in English.  they also start to learn to read and write.  It is a very important part of the community now and is always looking for new sponsors to sponsor places at the nursery.  I sponsor a child as does my partner and my mum and dad.