Greetings from Ghana - Day 1!

 Greetings from Ghana!

We are happy to report after 24 hours of travel, we made it to Accra Ghana in time to celebrate ringing in the New Year!  Our Ghanaian staff - program director Kwabena, chef Nana Ama, and trusted guide Officer Reginald - are amazing and are already ensuring our visit is memorable.  We have toured Accra; visited Black Star Square (pictured below) and the W.E.B DuBois home; and explored a bit of Ghanaian quizine - jollof (spicy rice dish), fufu (cassava & plantain dough-like finger food), bissap (hibiscus & ginger tea), and omotou (spicy peanut butter soup with fish, chicken, goat & sticky rice balls).  We're traveling with quite the group of foodies and many are looking forward to trying more of the local fare.

Our students are proving to be well prepared - they have already shown us they come with open hearts and intriguing minds.  Today's introduction to the language and history of Ghana brought about many questions and further opportunities for clarification.  Later, others paused and considered their own backgrounds and blessings as they observed Nima (a slum area in the capital city).  All around us we are reminded of our dependence on first world luxuries as we encounter outside basins for hand washing, intermittent water supply, and sporadic electrical resources.  We're embracing our experiences and looking forward to tomorrow as we explore Haatso Junction and Ghana in the 21st century.

Dr. DeVinck