Ghana 2011

During the summer of 2011 I visited the Republic of Ghana in West Africa for three weeks. I worked at a school in Central Region called Heritage Academy as an assistant art teacher. 

I arrived in Ghana on 23 July 2011. It was a direct flight on Delta Air from JFK in New York.

This was my first sight of Africa. The flight went slightly off course and flew almost directly over Dakar, Senegal.

My passport stamp was received on quite an angle, but it works. Hello Kotoka International Airport, and Hello Ghana!

This was my first picture taken in Ghana. There are about as many taxis in Ghana as regular cars, but they work differently than any other country I have visited. In Ghana a taxi is similar to a small bus, so if multiple people are going the same direction, it will pick multiple people up during one trip. 

This is a termite colony near the Accra-Cape Coast road. Termite hills are very common in Ghana, and can be much larger than this one. Some were up to 5 meters (15 feet) tall, but this one was only about 2 meters (6 feet) tall. 

After turning off of the Accra-Cape Coast road, we drive down this smaller road to Essiam and Ajumako.

This was what my bedroom looked like before it was inhabited by my roommates and me.

This is the Heritage Academy campus. Only some of the buildings can be seen in this picture.

This is the smaller one of the two Heritage school buses. It was designed to seat 12, but at times up to 40 kids can be jammed into it at a time.  

This is the hallway in the main building. This section of the school is still under construction, so there are dirt floors, unpainted walls, and no doors or windows.

This new tin roof looks nice from inside. Many buildings in Ghana have tin roofs. 

 Helen and Mark inside a classroom

The storage building is to the left. It is full of donated books and other school supplies. The principal's office is the building to the right.

Here are two more buildings at Heritage. The building in the foreground used to be a garage for cars before Heritage Academy existed. Now it is home to two classrooms. The building in the background is the one I worked in. It holds several classrooms, the library, and the school store.

This is the principal Mr. DeGraft's Nissan Maxima. 

These were some items for sale at Heritage's school store.

At first, I was surprised to see Barack Obama themed pens. However, after three weeks in Ghana I am almost surprised that there are pens that are not Barack Obama themed. In Ghana, you can find Obama themed food, clothes, shoes, posters, art, and billboards. If you can imagine any material object, there is an Obama version of it somewhere in Ghana.

The next day, there were still only four volunteers there. We visited a nearby postcard quality beach.

This was a classic Ghanaian beach. 

The water was crystal clear.

After walking down shore for a while, you begin to see some unusual things washed up on the beach. 

Where else would you find a gun washed up on the beach?

...or a camera

...or a doll's head

Make that two doll's heads.

We decided to get shoes before continuing the walk when we saw our first razor. 

After more volunteers arrived, we set off for Mole National Park in Northern Ghana for the first week.

A Barack Obama themed wrapper was on the ground at our house.

Chickens were at a nearby petrol station.

...And we're off.

Driving North

This is Kumasi, Ghana's second most populated city.

HEAVEN'S GATE

EAT & EAT

Kumasi Mosque

This is the Mabhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi. No pictures are allowed inside, but it is home to the oldest Television set, refrigerator, and ceiling fan in Ghana--all in working condition.  

Peacocks aren't only at American zoos, they are also at Ghanaian Museums.  

That night, we stay at Hand in Hand, a haven for mentally disabled children. The cost of staying there, meals, and anything bought in the gift shop all goes to fund Hand in Hand. Here is their website: http://www.operationhandinhand.nl/engels.htm

A nice placemat

And a nice multi-lingual juice can to go with it.

At night, we go exploring around hand in hand. We find some very exotic creatures including snake-sized bugs and toads. The night sky is the most clear one I've ever seen.

As we drive farther north, the condition of the road gets much worse.

Eventually, the constant bumps knock some wires out of the engine.

Only in a Ford.

After about 20 minutes, another group of volunteers stops to see if they can help us. They are working on building wells in northern Ghana, and had also done similar projects in Sierra Leone and other areas. When our car finally starts, they drive away. 

But alas, it breaks down again. Our driver Kobe opens the hood, tightens a few bolts, and we're back on the road. The car breaks down about ten more times before we can reach a decent sized town and repair it properly. The whole ordeal takes at least four hours.

Hallelujah! Mole National Park! 

Please note that elephans in this park are not tamed.

In Mole, Warthogs are very common.

Vultures are circling above. 

We can get very close to the elephants in Mole. 

After this baboon finishes his bath, he begins to push other baboons around.

Warthogs are outside of the room.

This is quite possibly the best view I have ever had--and it's only a few meters from my room.

This is the oldest mosque in West Africa. It is located in a town called Larabanga, right outside of Mole National Park. 

Nobody is allowed to volunteer in Larabanga unless they promise that they will not try to convert the town's population from Islam. Many towns in the area have been converted to Christianity by missionaries, and this is not wanted in Larabanga. 

The door you can see in the picture is extremely short. It is only about 1.5 meters tall, and most people need to duck to enter.

The mosque in Larabanga was built in 1421 by Arabian settlers. It is still in use to this day. 

Our van breaks down one more time on the way back, but it has no more problems after it is fixed. 

Some people aren't so lucky. 

Children are chasing our van. 

At last! A paved road!

Here we are crossing the White Volta River.

On the way back, we stop at a monkey sanctuary. 

The people in this village believe that after they die they become the monkeys in the sanctuary. As a result, monkeys are allowed to walk around the town as humans do.