First encounter with jollof rice..

We've spent the day with the delightful Opportunity International team. First order of the day was a trip to the airport, to sort out the customs treatment of the consignment of children's books. Next priority was an early lunch - a delicious serving of jollof rice, which will set us up well for an afternoon exploring the backstreets of Jamestown.

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Praise God! We're on the plane

Cases are packed and checked, Jasper has gone on his holidays and we are at the airport, eating noodles and about to board a plane to Accra.

We are here by the grace of God! A few days ago the prospects of Eileen being on the same plane as the rest of us were bleak, as her visa application had been lost in the system. Out of the blue, and without knowing about our problem, Caroline had a chat with her cousin Peter about Ghana which led to Peter kindly seeking the help of the Ghanaian Deputy High Commissioner. That wonderful lady resolved it in style. Thank you, God! So we are all on the plane together, and looking forward to our adventure.

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Adventures at Virgin Cargo Centre

Three days to go.. We spent this afternoon at the Virgin Cargo Centre, where the friendly Virgin team consigned 225kgs of books to a flight to Accra later in the week, for delivery to the schools in Accra and Kumasi which we will be visiting during our stay.

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Seven Shopping Days To Ghana

we are VERY busy ordering things  for Ghana. So far we have 3 puppets and 2 MASSIVE skipping ropes. soon we will have two footballs and will be very pleased! We are having trouble about the visas for Ghana, so please pray for them (and us!)

so there you have it!
R's 7th post
 wow!

Ghana's Economy

Ghana is a low income economy:

30% of Ghana’s population is now living on UNDER £1.25 PER DAY.

46% are living on less than £2 per day

25% youth unemployment 

Strangely enough Ghana is one of the world’s top gold producers and exports:

1.       Cocoa

2.       Crude oil

3.       Natural gas

4.       Timber

5.       Electricity

6.       Diamond

7.       Bauxite

Debt

In December 2011 Ghana’s debt  was  $18 billion.

Electricity

Ghana gets its main electricity from The Akosombo Dam which was built on the Volta River in 1965 by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah which provides hydro-electricity for Ghana and its neighbouring countries

flag

Ghana's flag!

here is the flag and the meanings of the colours!



red: blood of the people who died for freedom
green: forests and vegetation
gold: mineral wealth
star: african freedom

Rs 4th post!

research!

Rs 3rd post


I did some research about ghana!


population: 23,233,431
Capital: Accra
Official language: English
size: small!

Noticing Nature Now!

Rs second post!


I love birds! i am experienced at ALL the birds that come to my garden! i don't know ANY Ghana birds and hardly any  African birds. (only one bird called the go away bird) so i will enjoy the birds and hopefully remember the names! 


Birds that visit my bird feeder


Blue tits, great tits, greenfinches, wood pigeons, magpies, song thrushes, 
robins, willow tits, green crests, blackbirds and crows!

Map of Ghana

Books, books, books galore!

Rs Post!
We will go to two schools in Ghana. One is in the Greater Accra region, the other in Kumasi (coo-mass-ee) the second biggest town in Ghana. (Accra is the first!) we have heard that in every classroom there is only one textbook! And in every classroom there is 56 children. So one member of our party has been collecting books for Ghana and with MY help ( (make that clear!)she has been sorting them out! We had generous donations from lots of people AND (praise God) a school! Now we have too much books and we are worrying about shipping them over to Ghana.

Big journeys start with small pin-pricks

In late March we go to Ghana, to spend a couple of weeks working with a couple of schools in Accra/Tema and Kumasi, and to see some of this beautiful country. Preparing for the trip has been fun. We've met with a number of people who have spent many years in Ghana, and who have helped us understand the place much better. Generous friends from church and school have donated hundreds of children's books for use in the schools that we will visit. And on a more mundane level, we have just returned from the local surgery where C and R have had the latest instalment of the many jabs that are required for the trip. ouch! Lss than three weeks to go...

James