In at the deep end

Hello everyone!

Just thought I would write a quick update. Even though I have only been here 48hrs I feel like I have so much to tell you all! 

So I arrived at 0530 on Monday morning to a 28*C Accra. The flight was fine - managed to sleep most of the way. I was really nervous to meet Emmanuel, my contact, and I had no idea how I would be getting to the house 4 hours away in the Cape Coast. There was a big sign at passport checks that read: "All paedophiles, rapists and homosexuals, please turn back now, you are not welcome". It was a lot to take in before breakfast (Virgin Atlantic ran out of meals, bastards), but I realised that I am on this trip to tolerate intolerances, so I put my best foot forward. When I got through arrivals I saw a smiley faced Emmanuel holding a sign with my name on it - I felt like a rockstar. He gave me a big hug which instantly relaxed me and we made our way to his car. How do I explain the driving in Ghana? Hmmm.... Put it this way, I stayed awake.

Accra is like any other capital city in a developing country - loud, busy, dirty, hot, overwhelming, dusty, under construction. I was glad to eventually get out of the traffic and drive into loud, relaxed (but still busy), tropical, green, humid, hot and overwhelming Cape Coast. The house that I am living in is massive. It is is a small village called Kwaprow, just off the UCC (University of Cape Coast) campus. There are goats, chickens and little Ghanaian children running about everywhere, all shouting Obruni (white girl) at me and giggling. The children that is, I'm not that jet-lagged! The house has 8 bedrooms with bunkbeds, so myself and the other three interns are lucky enough to have our own rooms. One of the girls is an American called Jen who has been here since October and is pretty much an honourary Ghanaian. She has been showing me the ropes and has been really generous answering all of my millions of questions! She is doing an internship with an organisation that focuses on public health. The other girl is Russian, half Burundian and is called Jenya. She is doing a placement at an orphanage just out of town. The third girl, Bianca, is half Jamaican and half Guyanan and is doing sexual and reproductive health placement. It's nice that we all do different placements so that we are not in each others hair all day and in the evening too, and there is an enormous degree of independence involved at our placements. There is a lady called Fati who is the housekeeper, she lives in the house and spends the evenings chilling with us which is nice. There is no running water, the house uses the 'if it's yellow' method to conserve water and all washing needs to be done out of buckets. There is electricity though which is great, and I have bought myself a USB internet modem thingy for fairly cheap which is how I can post this now.

To get to my placement in the mornings I have to walk or take a shared taxi (like a public bus, but smaller) to the UCC campus, and then take another shared taxi into town. The building in which my office is located is right next door (and I mean RIGHT next door) so one of Ghana's most famous landmarks - the Cape Coast castle. This is the one of the oldest and biggest slave forts in West Africa. This castle was the main holding pen and pick up point for African slaves to be taken across the Atlantic by the Dutch, British and Portuguese. My orientation included a tour of the castle which was harrowing. It is somewhat of a pilgrimage for many African American's and Caribbean's to come and visit the castle, and I got several unfriendly glares from some Rastas on the tour when I asked a question with an English accent. On the whole, though, people are unbelievably friendly and welcoming. The town is also incredibly safe, everyone I speak to says I shouldn't worry at all about even walking around alone at night. I get the impression that the culture is incredibly proud and protective - if someone were to attempt to hurt the lone Obruni in public, they would get mobbed by disapproving onlookers. 

What else can I tell you? Ah yes, my placement. Well, I have been thrown in at the deep end! I have my own desk, but am sharing an office with a gentleman named Titi. He is who I will be reporting to during my stay here. He gave me a schedule of tasks today, which covers me up until I leave. It reads:

• Take part in at least 15 mediation sessions
• Take part in local radio programme discussions at 'Yes FM' and 'ATL FM' every Friday morning
• Take part in public education programme at schools and colleges
• Take part in basic human rights course for health professionals at Ankaful and Cape Coast colleges
• Present a research paper on any topic of your interest relating to human rights and administrative justice in Ghana
• Exit interview with the executive director in Accra

I almost fell over when he said I would have a radio interview this Friday, where I will have to discuss for around 20 minutes my opinion of administrative justice in the UK (public officials being held to account, etc). Suppose I better start research NOW. Tips/ideas welcome.

It would be lovely to hear from you all. I am overwhelmed by this place and hope I will settle in - I am feeling homesick at the moment but am enjoying myself.

Lots of love,

Jess