band-aids for bleeding hearts

I've been here for three intense days. By intense I mean I spent Friday and Saturday at a tropical beach resort, swimming in the warm ocean water, getting some sun, and enjoying a real shower before I've even gotten tired of bucket showers. But even that wasn't all fun and games. When swimming I cut open my foot on a rock. Luckily I had brought a few band-aids and some of the Ghanaian boys on the beach helped me clean it up and bandage it. I've been keeping it clean and I should be fine. The culture shock and the poverty and problems around me are much harder to heal. A lot of the other volunteers who have been here for a while have gotten disillusioned. But they are still finding meaningful work to do. But I need to get used to saying no to adorable little children begging for food or money. And I need to realize I can't fix everything but I can make a difference. I hope.

I arrived safely Thursday night, and met most of my fellow volunteers. Friday was orientation day at the camp for me and Kyle, the other volunteer who just arrived. We had a very formal overview of PCO (pronouced Pee-Co) and its different projects. Then we had a tour of the school and the mother's center. It was a lot to take in. I was excited to have a little girl run up to me and grab my hand, to make a little friend, but it has since happened more times than I can count. Everything, it seems, becomes mundane. The poverty, the kids, the bucket showers, drinking water from a plastic bag. The living conditions I'm having the easiest time adjusting to, actually, for I have plenty of experience with bucket-flushing and living surrounded by bugs. There are also chameleons everywhere. And chickens. I've never seen so many chickens in my life.

After our tour and lunch, Kyle and I had program orientations. We both spoke with the Peace Cells leader and I spoke to the Tribal Leaders Forum coordinator. I'll work with them both tomorrow and see what I think. They both involve a lot of mobilization work, which should be interesting. After the visit to the camp and meeting the rest of the volunteers, we went to the beach, as I said before. Today we're in Accra. We're going to the expat grocery and an expat restaurant. Then Monday, work begins...