Leaving today!! I'm all packed and ready to go- at least I hope I am! My flight leaves tonight at 6:45pm (Seattle time) and it takes about 9 hours to London, 3 hour layover, and then another 7 to Accra. I should arrive in Africa tomorrow night around 8:30pm (Africa time). Not sure what the time difference is... I think Ghana is about 7 hours ahead of Seattle.
Right now I'm just waiting on Heather (my roommate) to get home and take me over to my mom's, and I'll head to the airport from there.
Next time you hear from me I'll be at the orphanage!
Also, the orphanage I'm going to is called God's Eye, if anyone wanted to check it out online.
See ya'll in a month!!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The countdown begins!
So only one more week to go!
25th birthday went great- I'm going to miss all my friends while I'm away, but I'm getting so excited! I leave for Vegas tomorrow with the family, going away party on Saturday, and then it's time to get down and really prepare for the trip.
I got a duffel bag and did all my laundry so I can start packing and making sure I have everything I need. Just a few last minute things to get but all of my travel documents are taken care of and I made copies to leave with my roommates and my mom.. just in case they need any of my information.
British Airways have stopped canceling flights to Europe so I don't need to worry about not making my flight anymore. (In case you don't know what the problem was, there was a volcano in Iceland and volcanic ash in Europe had all the flights cancelled that were supposed to be entering Europe).
I'm using my mom's old laptop now, which doesn't have sound... so I won't be able to Skype with anyone while I'm there... hopefully I will still be able to access the internet every once in awhile so I can post pictures and update the blog.
The countdown begins!
25th birthday went great- I'm going to miss all my friends while I'm away, but I'm getting so excited! I leave for Vegas tomorrow with the family, going away party on Saturday, and then it's time to get down and really prepare for the trip.
I got a duffel bag and did all my laundry so I can start packing and making sure I have everything I need. Just a few last minute things to get but all of my travel documents are taken care of and I made copies to leave with my roommates and my mom.. just in case they need any of my information.
British Airways have stopped canceling flights to Europe so I don't need to worry about not making my flight anymore. (In case you don't know what the problem was, there was a volcano in Iceland and volcanic ash in Europe had all the flights cancelled that were supposed to be entering Europe).
I'm using my mom's old laptop now, which doesn't have sound... so I won't be able to Skype with anyone while I'm there... hopefully I will still be able to access the internet every once in awhile so I can post pictures and update the blog.
The countdown begins!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Placement!
Received an e-mail with my placement today.. Sounds like it's going to be pretty hardcore! I don't even know how to begin to prepare myself for what I'm about to experience.
I'll sum up what my info packet said:
Situation at the orphanage:
The district town of Nkwanta in the Volta region. There are 80 orphans and the average age of the children is about 6 years old, with a staff of 13. There is electricity, but it often goes off with many power cuts. The majority of the water comes from a local river which is about a 10 minute walk. The water is very dirty and not suitable for drinking. There is an outside toilet, and showers are taken place in a bucket bath every morning. There is no running water at all. The children have flimsy straw mats and little/no shelter from wind and rain. There are no tables.
Situation for volunteers:
I will be placed in a host family house. I will share a room with other volunteers during my stay. It is a 1-2 minute walk to the orphanage. This is where I will eat and spend my spare time. The toilets are a basic hole in the ground and like the kids, the showers are a bucket bath. I will have a bed with a mattress and a lock for my room. Cell phones can be temperamental there, and there is an internet cafe with 2 computers but the internet is slow and disconnects or the power goes out.
So needless to say, I'm pretty anxious! I am very excited though, and feel very lucky that I have this opportunity. I can't wait to get there and fill everyone in on what's going on, and hopefully be able to post some pictures!
2 weeks to the day!
I'll sum up what my info packet said:
Situation at the orphanage:
The district town of Nkwanta in the Volta region. There are 80 orphans and the average age of the children is about 6 years old, with a staff of 13. There is electricity, but it often goes off with many power cuts. The majority of the water comes from a local river which is about a 10 minute walk. The water is very dirty and not suitable for drinking. There is an outside toilet, and showers are taken place in a bucket bath every morning. There is no running water at all. The children have flimsy straw mats and little/no shelter from wind and rain. There are no tables.
Situation for volunteers:
I will be placed in a host family house. I will share a room with other volunteers during my stay. It is a 1-2 minute walk to the orphanage. This is where I will eat and spend my spare time. The toilets are a basic hole in the ground and like the kids, the showers are a bucket bath. I will have a bed with a mattress and a lock for my room. Cell phones can be temperamental there, and there is an internet cafe with 2 computers but the internet is slow and disconnects or the power goes out.
So needless to say, I'm pretty anxious! I am very excited though, and feel very lucky that I have this opportunity. I can't wait to get there and fill everyone in on what's going on, and hopefully be able to post some pictures!
2 weeks to the day!
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