Tangential chicken-related fun fact #1: Roosters do NOT just crow at dawn. Unless dawn starts at 2am.
So after 20+ hours of commercial air travel and what I am sure are countless deep vein thromboses cooking in our lower extremities, Farhan and I are officially within the city of Accra, Ghana! And what a fine welcome visitors to Ghana get:
At least we know what kind of company we'll be in.
So after a rousing game of "How little information can we get through Customs with disclosing?", we emerged from the airport to be met by a member of our host family named Bismerk, whom his friends refer to as Nii. After an AWESOME van ride out of town (which included 2 stops by police and one or two sightings of dudes with automatic weapons... nice
), we arrived at the guest house, which is WAY beyond at least what I was expecting. We're on the third floor, and, even though Farhan doesn't believe me, I'm sure we found a TV station that was broadcasting Al-Jazeera. Just cause I can't find it anymore doesn't mean it doesn't exist.We spent the next day in random travels around the city of Accra, which included (but was not limited to) a trip to the coastline, a walk through the streets of Dansoman (the town we're in), and a long and cramped car ride to the U.S. Embassy that is still known today as "the Embassy incident". We do not speak of it.
But alas, the dawn came, and we set out for our first day at the school! L&A Memorial Academy (which, after the past few days, I think stands for "Lovable and Adorable") enrolls students ages 1 through 16, and we got to meet all the classes on our first day. I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say that maybe one of my all-time favorite memories will be having a classroom full of 3-year-olds sing us a "Welcome" song and then all 30 of them bull-rush us for a group hug. None of them reached above our knees. Classic.
We set up clinic at the school, and, almost immediately, we had sick kids (and teachers) coming out of the woodwork. It was an extremely humbling experience, having to do all this diagnostic work without so much as a functioning otoscope or even basic labs, but, once we got our ridiculous amount of meds unloaded and organized, it made things a lot easier.
I'm sure the days and weeks ahead will see this blog filled with stories of these kids and the things we've seen and (hopefully) diagnosed, but we can save that for another time, as this entry is pretty expansive already. But let's just leave you with some images of the kids we've met, cause I can say without a doubt that these are the images that will be with Farhan and I for the rest of our lives.
peace out!
6 comments:
Just so you'll know this is really your dad: "...the images that will be with Farhan and ME for the rest...." This is great, Ben! Make sure you remember everything because, by the time you get home, I'll have forgotten most of the questions I wanted to ask.
Take care of yourselves.
woww farhan bhaijan
this is amazingg
im so proud of u!!!!
one day i really want to do something like this
i love you!! and good luck!!!
take care
-- Ali Shah
Farhan bro. As much as I am Broud of you...Don't take eddi's advice and try to find a wife there. Also, Egypt is playing in the quarter finals in the city of kumassi or somethin like that on sunday..go and cheer son. After all it is the country of Dr Khaleefa. Miss you bro.
Be careful man
Um, Ben, can you bring home that child in the picture who is peeking out by the wall? Because he's really cute and I want one. I think he's small enough to fit in your suitcase. Thanks!
The children are so beautiful. I can't imagine the experience you're having Ben and Farhan, and I'm more than a little jealous. It's hard to find that many places where almost all you can do is good, plain and simple good. Congratulations guys.
Post a Comment