Category: Africa
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Am I really in Accra?
March 25 So in case you’re wondering why I have time to post all of a sudden – at the end of my vacation no less – it’s because I decided to pass the last couple of days in a western style hotel (the Ramada, but don’t tell anyone) on the coast just on the…
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Land of Honest Men
So passionate was Thomas Sankara’s desire to make his country a model for Africa that when he became president of Upper Volta in 1984 he renamed his country Burkina Faso, meaning “land of honest men”. In the 3 short years he led his country, he initiated groundbreaking initiatives and reforms that would help raise literacy,…
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Team Oweataa says goodbye
Never knowing the build schedule until one arrives in country, it’s impossible to predict whether a house will reach completion while we volunteers are present. It usually takes about 5 weeks to complete a single house from start to finish (carpentry work around the roof and plastering of the walls takes awhile), so it’s luck…
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More fun in Humjibre
Our fearless team leader, Jim, suggested we do a talent show for the locals. “Um, Jim, we have no talent,” was the collective, reluctant and, unfortunately, mostly silent reaction of the team. “Trust me!” he exclaimed with boundless enthusiasm. “You’ll be surprised what we’ll be able to throw together. The locals will love it,” he…
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More worksite news
I’m horrendously behind in my blog, so I thought I’d take a moment to try and catch up on the rest of my stay in Ghana. As I mentioned, I’ve been on the move quite a bit and will report on that as soon as possible. For now, suffice it to say that I’ve covered…
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present location
Apologies for the lack of postings lately, but I’ve been off the grid so to speak for the last while. Mali is also notorious for blackouts at inopportune times. I promise more information later, but click here for my current location. All is going well!
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Mali
Just a quick update that I’m in Mali now. I’ve been on the move quite a bit since Friday, hence my lack of postings. I should have a bag full of stories out of this place – super interesting!
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PTL
We did a little PTL while in Humjibre (PTL, as in praise the Lord). While I’m not a religious person, I think it is important to partake in the local religious services to understand the culture as they are one of the best moments to see the community in action. It would also be taken…
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Where am I now?
Just in case you are wondering where I’m hanging out at the moment, I’m in Burkina Faso, a country with place names only rivaled by Newfoundland. I spent the first day in the fiery and dusty capital city Ouagadougou. I’m now in the country’s second city, the cleverly named Bobo-Dioulasso. Just in case you are…
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How the other half lives
As Habitat vounteers, we are always given the chance to meet and perhaps get to know the families who will occupy the houses we are building. As I’ve probably mentioned to all of you at some point or another, Habitat requires that the families put a certain amount of hours into building the house they…
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