I'm here in Ghana!! And it feels oh so good. Most important things first, we got our site placements this week, and I couldn't be happier! Well, with the limited amount of information I have at least, and here it is:
I'll be in the Upper East Region (borders Burkina Faso and Togo) and I will work with the Ghanaian NGO, Sirigu Ecological Initiative for Sustainable Development (SEISUD). I will have electricity (yay!), but no running water. It is the least urbanized area in the country and since it is on the way to the Sahara, can get up to 125 degrees. I have yet to see about internet. I really can't explain how excited I am about my job and site! The assistant country director here (who also served in the Upper East) said it is the peace corps experience that is most romanticized. I'll be about 30 minutes from Bolgatanga, the capital city of the Upper Eastern Region, and learning Gurune. I am the only one of all the volunteers learning this language, so I don't foresee using it in the future. There are a few volunteers nearby, but they are learning different dialects.
Here is the job description:
1. Identification and establishment of Tree nurseries.
2. Training of farmers groups in; Group dynamics, record keeping, Tree nursery management and ICT.
3. Support SEISUD to write proposals and look for funding to expand programs.
4. Promote the establishment of Agroforestry Systems (AFS) - combination cultivation of trees (fruits/lumber) or other appropriate plants (legumes etc) and regular crops using leader farmers of identified groups.
I really can't wait to get started! I found someone's dissertation that interviewed my counterpart and supervisor, so it's an established NGO.
I will have a better blog post next time- I'll have to write it beforehand and post it. But generally, things are going well here. The Peace Corps really does have it together. My nerves betrayed me for the first few days, but now I'm adjusting. I'm living with a homestay family for the next couple of months. Well water, limited electricity, no fan, and only some english. I'm not learning Twi either, so the communication thing won't change. But I have a phone and will try to get internet again soon!
