In her first letter from Ghana, Abby discusses adjusting to life without running water or electricity in the village of Kwamoso. She also discusses Ghanaian food and transportation.
The road to Abby's home in Kwamoso
A typical home in Kwamoso
Bucket shower!
A tro tro
Our boys and girls club is in Bario Haiti. Not in Haiti, that just the name of our neighborhood. Right across the street is a playground. It’s not the worst playground in the world, but it’s not the best. Still, these kids have so much fun! It’s a thousand degrees and they love running and sliding and climbing on everything. One day, I was in the club working on some media stuff and I looked out the door to see at least 15 of our kids piled on the slide! They were seeing how many could fit on the slide at once it was so funny! There are so many basic needs here that should be met, but aren’t and still the kids are kids and just want to slide with their friends!
I will give these to in different sittings. These videos of my travel are not for the faint of hear! Aiport 1 Nashville!
1. Batida de Coca is the most delicious treat you will ever have. It is a Coconut milk shake. I know what you’re thinking “I don’t like things that are super coconuty,” well I don’t either. It is coconut and rice milk blended and is just sweet and tastes more like vanilla with a hint of coconut. You can get one fresh from the corner store near our club for 30 pesos, thats like $.90!
2. I wish with all my heart that everyone could see me riding the moto! I feel like such a world traveler when I take it, twice today in fact. So I have decided to film my next ride..stay tuned.
C. Many Dominicans love Celine Dion and Michael Bolton. When I went to Jamaica last year everyone loved Celine! All I have to say is props, I never knew.
In other news I had a very exciting meeting yesterday about starting the music program up again here. If you are a musical friend of mine prepare to help! Today is a boys day at the club and tomorrow everyone is off. I have started taking pictures finally so all of those will arrive very shortly. I still can’t believe im here, on this island in the shadow of a huge mountain with these fantastic people! More to come everyone!
Love
Amber
P.S. everyone loves this here, I don’t know how I missed it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRpeEdMmmQ0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRlrS_Kf2qU
This is my house where I am staying with Liz the founder and exec. director. Don’t judge the quality it’s in its rawest form, no editing, as am I, no make up!! Enjoy!
Hola Amigos! Estoy aqui en El Republico Dominicana! It has been two days, but it already feels like a week! After nearly 20hours of travel it felt so good to get here on Monday! The first thing I did was take a shower, then Liz, the organization founder and my surrogate mom, took me to the beach. Montellanos, the local beach area, is only 5 minutes away and she wanted to show me how beautiful it was and to just talk and get me feeling good about being there. The next day I got to hang out at the club. The club is where the local kids have class and learn job skills; boys on Tuesdays, girls on Thursday, English class on Friday and Monday and everyone on Saturday. I feel as if I am just breaking the surface of all I will do and see and experience here, of course it’s only day two! Hasta luego!
I will be in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic which is a coastal city in Hispaniola. In the DR I will be teaching English classes at a boys and girls after school program. I will also be working to do special projects in music and arts. There is a job skills program for some of the older children that helps to teach a trade that I will be a volunteer in. The orphanage I will be working at is across the border in Haiti. Since the destruction the number of orphaned children has sky rocketed and they need all the help they can get. At the orphanage I will get to play with and love on children as well as helping in any way I can there as a volunteer. Furthermore, for Dove Missions as a whole, I will be using my journalism skills to write press releases, shoot and edit videos, take photos, update all the orgs blogs and web-sites and any other media need they might have! I will be there from Sept 5 to Dec 3 living with the organizations founder Liz McKie and doing my best to learn and absorb the culture as much as possible!
Abby Selden, a May 2010 graduate of Belmont University’s Journalism program, is the first recipient of the Lumos Student Travel Award. Working through an organization called Projects Abroad, Abby is volunteering in Ghana for three months at the Mount Zion Foster Home, located in the Akuapem Hills. While volunteering at the foster home, she is assisting in whatever capacity she is needed, with the ultimate goal of helping the children achieve a good education and live in a positive environment.
While in Ghana, together with other volunteers from around the world, she is living with a Reverend and his family in Kwamoso, which is near Akropong, about a thirty minute Tro Tro ride from the orphanage itself. In a recent cell phone conversation, about the only form of contact she has with folks back home, and even that is only possible very occasionally, Abby said she was having a wonderful experience, with her host family, with the children, and seeing parts of Ghana most casual travelers never get to see. As soon as she can get to a post office, another task whose ease we often take for granted, she will be sending letters that will be posted to this site. In the meantime, a recent posting on the Projects Abroad website gives a taste of how (and what) she is doing.