Spring Break 2010

There was a huge rush of activity (that I can write about later) after Easter Break in April-which is apparently my excuse for not blogging about Bolga. I had a life changing experience up north in Bolgatanga, something that I would struggle to put down in words. There are hundreds of pictures that I fell in love with and managed to get some of them up on facebook (if you're on there, check 'em out).

Bolga was just an area that was SO different from Accra. I felt like it was the Africa that I went to Ghana for in the first place. It was incredibly laid back but sparse in supplies. The people were SO welcoming and I never once heard "Obruni" or something to that effect screamed at me while meandering down the road. This will forever be a place that I felt at peace and will definitely visit again soon. The group of us that went up there spent half of our time at a foster home. Mama Laadi

is the superwoman that is running this place and it would fall apart immediately were she to leave. Somehow she is caring for upwards of 50 children and some of their families. She offers school fees, clothing, food, and for about 20 some children, housing. There is a bus that picks up these kids


(this was actually our truck for the week-so they held off on the bus and we took 'em!)

every Sunday for church and they either walk or ride their bikes to school every day if they can afford it or are sponsored by an outsider (people who wire money to Mama Laadi from the States or Europe-you could be one of these people, just ask me for info and I'd be happy to get you in touch with Mama Laadi herself!). The other half of our 10 days was spent in the villages outside of Bolgatanga. We visited I think 5 schools while we were there-this number may need to be corrected, and brought supplies to build desks! The boys made one at Mama Laadi's and tested it out before leaving...



Looks good! So they made sure they had enough wood, nails, and muscles for 60 desks and loaded it all in the truck! Now these five or so schools that we headed up north to visit were in desperate need of some extra desks. Most of the children are sharing a desk with one or two other students or sitting on the crowded floor-books in hand.



I remember hitting three schools in one day. It was a long day, but totally great! We arrive on the truck and the school (staff and students) comes out to greet us. Chat a bit and commence building because they knew we were coming. This happened during school hours, so the students got to watch and the teachers got to help build! Our guys put 20 desks together faster than I could have imagined!



While they were working up a storm...my friend Anne Clair and I tried to keep the kids from suffocating the boys and their swinging hammers.



At the end of the week...60 brand new desks had been built and placed into schools that needed them like WHOA. So if we only reached about five schools...I bet you can guess that there might be a need still hanging out in the north of Ghana.

(Foreshadowing for summer 2011...)

We came back to Accra on the 15 hour bus ride with swollen feet and a need to rest, but still TODAY (September 8th, 2010) we call each other talking about when we get to go back.