The Ghana Adventure is About to Begin!

Thank you all for supporting Tomorrow's Stars -- an organization creating educational opportunities for children in West Africa. As you all know, I am leaving very soon to do four months of volunteer work for Tomorrow's Stars in Ghana. Here are some details about my trip!



I will be in Africa from August 21st, until December 18th, 2007. I will be living in the small fishing village of Elmina, which is on the coast, to the west of the capital, Accra. One of my main contacts will be a man named Ben, who has been working with Tomorrow's Stars from the start. Ben is the headmaster of the primary school that Tomorrow's Stars funded and helped build -- Christ Cares School. Contrary to the name, neither I nor Tomorrow's Stars are doing any kind of missionary work: I hear that names like this are quite common in Ghana, and many people make lists of their favorite signs (like, "Blood of Christ Hair Care." Seriously.).

I will start out by meeting with Ben, who has generously arranged to let me live in the school until it starts up in a few weeks. They are putting windows and doors on "my" room as we speak! (The rest of the school does not have windows and doors yet.) I will be very busy trying to get to know everyone, and working on establishing relationships for the rest of my time. There are many, many educational projects in the area, both current and potential, so there will be no shortage of tasks to keep me busy.

The local language is "Fante," and English is the official language of Ghana, though I hear it is very different and takes awhile to get used to. Many people speak this Ghanaian English, and it is supposedly the language taught in schools, though this may just be in theory. Most people of older generations, and young people who are not educated, do not speak any English at all.



I am so excited to embark on this fantastic adventure! As always, if you have any questions or would just like to say hi, please email me! My address is spingucsd@hotmail.com, and I'd love to hear from you!! And if you would like to learn more about Tomorrow's Stars, go to the website. Their contact information is there, and they are some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet.

Check back periodically -- I will be posting throughout my stay in Ghana....when there is electricity...

And thank you all so much for your support!!!!