I'm going to Africa!

I have received my volunteer placement for my time in Africa! I will be at Adullam Orphanage in Obuasi, Ghana from August 15th through October 31st.

Reading about it and seeing where I am going to be helps make it all more real. I'm excited to hear that there's an internet cafe nearby so I can keep everyone updated while I'm gone. And no, I don't know what a tro-tro is either! I guess I'll find out! Here is the info they sent me:


About Adullam

Adullam Orphanage is a private orphanage run by Reverend Louise Timothy who moved from Australia to Ghana over 6 years ago. She lives in Obuasi with her husband and 4 children. The orphanage accepts children of all ages, backgrounds and conditions of health; there is no discrimination. Currently there are 178 children being cared for at Adullam, ranging from the ages of newborn to 21 years old. The home runs on strong Christian principles and religion plays a large role in the moral, social and academic education of the children. You should be prepared to talk about your faith and belief (or lack of) because the children will be curious and may want to ask you questions. As a volunteer it doesn’t matter if you’re not a religious person or not a Christian, what’s important is how much you give to the children in terms of your time, energy and motivation.

Adullam has its own school, medical clinic with 2 nurses, a crop garden, chicken farm, rabbit farm and a school for deaf children. The orphanage is in the process of expanding the school so that all children can be educated in the orphanage as some are currently schooling elsewhere. There is also much ongoing building work to create a playroom for the toddlers and to relocate the deaf school to a new building, as the one it’s currently in will become a library.

Volunteers may be overwhelmed on arriving at Adullam because of its size and the amount of children there; this is natural. However, it’s very important that you introduce yourself to all the workers you meet as soon as you arrive. This will help you to become known amongst the staff and children and will make your role as a volunteer much easier. The office comprises of 3 pastors; Moses, James and Emmanuel, an administrator; Wendell, the manager; Mr. Peter and the accountant; Comfort.

Depending on whether you’re a volunteer during term-time or during vacation will determine what kind of activities you are likely to be doing. School starts at 8.30am and finishes at 2.30pm and all teachers will be glad of classroom assistance. Otherwise you may organize all sorts of creative or physical activities with the children depending on what kind of person you are. There are many resources and materials at Adullam, so if there’s anything you need make sure you ask to gain access to them. This sometimes involves a little persistence! At the moment the orphanage is trying to start a band because many musical instruments have been donated. Volunteers with any musical ability will find many enthusiastic and motivated pupils! Be prepared to take initiative at Adullam; Louise will be only too willing to help you if you need some guidance, but the best way to get started is to jump in! You will soon find which age groups you prefer to spend time with and which activities the children enjoy the most. Don’t worry about making mistakes, every volunteer is different and every volunteer can bring something new to the orphanage.

Volunteer House

All volunteers live in a big house with Mr. Peter (the manager of the orphanage), his wife Elizabeth and their 2 children Richmond (14) and Beatrice (8). Also living in the house are Rita (one of the nurses at Adullam), Wendell (the administrator) and a permanent volunteer/worker from Holland called Mariette who is in charge of the babies’ room. The house is roughly a 15-20 minute walk from the orphanage and volunteers will usually have their own room but may sometimes have to share depending on how many volunteers there are. The bathroom is separate from the family quarters and has a toilet, shower and sink (and running water!).

All meals are taken at the house and are prepared for you by Mr. Peter’s wife Elizabeth. The house has electricity and all rooms are equipped with fans but there is no landline telephone, television or radio. It is also forbidden for volunteers to smoke in the house. Volunteers should be aware that the family often receives visiting Pastors and because of the amount of people living there it can sometimes be a bit noisy and hectic. However, the family is very nice and they make all volunteers feel very welcome.

Obuasi

It’s true that there’s not a lot for volunteers to do in the town Obuasi but after a day at the orphanage there’s not really a lot you’ll want to do! The town is friendly; you may hear ‘Obruni’ (white man) being shouted to you wherever you go, but it’s never threatening or aggressive, and is a friendly way that people interact with you. It’s possible to get most things you will need in Obuasi; there’s a small supermarket where you can buy more western-type foods and also an Internet point. To get to the supermarket from the volunteer house you will need to walk to the orphanage and take a taxi from the main road just in front of it. The Internet is a little slow but reasonably priced at about 10,000 cedis for an hour and there are always computers available.

If you’re in need of a night away from the volunteer house, there is a nice hotel called Anyinam Lodge where you can have a drink and more westernized food if you need it. It’s quite expensive for Ghana prices but worth a treat once in a while. Volunteers will become familiar with Obuasi tro-tro station if you plan to travel at weekends. Tro-tro is by no means a comfortable form of transport but it’s cheap and you can get to most places at any time of the day.