You Are Home Again

I signed up to host a basketball clinic in Ghana, in the Eastern Volta Region for 3 weeks.  I picked Ghana because I have known of so many people traveling to Ghana and they have all had such good things to say about their journey. Also because they speak English and there is a rich history of the slave trade and colonialism.

My volunteer site was an orphanage/school/church community.  The people were extremely nice and helpful.  I had a room, and 3 meals delivered to me daily.  Stuff like fufu, pounded corn, coco yam leaves, tilapia or tuna soup, fried plantains, and yams. Since it was their raining season, it took a bit longer than I anticipated to build the basketball court.  So, I spent the first two weeks working with the school to improve their teaching techniques, lesson plans, and assessment.  In the rural areas, there are not professionally trained teachers, most are mere high school graduates.  So, they were very receptive to my input.  I also taught the orphans games to play.  They LOVE dodgeball. Once the basketball court was built (cement, rocks, water, tree trunks, wood, and paint), I taught the orphans how to play the game.  I ran various drills on dribbling, catching, passing, shooting, and defense.  For many, not using their feet to make a basket presented a huge challenge, but overall they were excited to learn the game and adopted the techniques well.  It was imperative to get the girls involved, as gender inequalities are still prevalent in this area. 

Aside from my volunteer experiences, I had a chance to explore the rich culture of Ghanians.  I visited Cape Coast.  I went to Cape Coast castle and Elmina castle.  To walk on the floors where my ancestors were held captive, beaten, and sold was an experience. Humbling. Grounding. Solidifying.  Horrific.  Informative.  Course Changing.  I saw male and female dungeons, the door of no return, the water they were taken to and everything in the castle. A must do and see in Ghana.  I also went to a place called Kankun National Park. It has tons of plants and animals in the rainforest.  I walked across the longest canopy walk in the world, some places, over 100 feet high, through the trees. It was amazing.  I also went to a local soccer game in Cape Coast.  Another memorable experience was going to the monkey sanctuary to feed the monkeys.  The monkeys ate the bananas right off my hands.  So cool!  Wili falls was another spectacular attraction – the longest waterfall in West Africa.

In summary, my trip to Ghana was very memorable and life changing.  The motherland is so beautiful.  My words will not compliment my experiences.  You have to go for yourself! 

Check out my website at: www.togethereachachievesmore.org for more information on sports in rural areas.

Blessings,

Davi Afi (traditional name given to woman born on Friday)