Experiences: Cosmic

Wieke Hengeveld from the Netherlands volunteered at Cosmic from October 2005 until April 2006.

In my room there are still pictures of the children. I miss Ghana a lot. I miss
the children, the people, the volunteers. Everything in the Netherlands was
different when I came back and it will never be the same.

I still cry sometimes when I look at the Kids Worldwide website and I can't listen to some songs without having tears in my eyes.

The whole experience changed me, estranged me from my home country, made me whole and myself and it is and was an experience that I won't give up for anything.

I had hard times, but I remember the good times. Times that children came up to you to give you a hug. The time I went to Atsu and Aldo's home and they waved me goodbye; laughing with Madona, Kylie and Ley; hotel experiences in Accra with Rebecca. I remember going to Kasoa with Angela; swimming with the neigbourhood kids with Julien and Laurine (although the end wasn't fun).

What else I remember -

• The warm welcome I had from Martha and Madame.

• The time all my children could read three letter words.

• The fact that I didn't get malaria.

• My mum who came to visit me.

• All the weekends at Big Milly's, Kokrobite (just go there and experience. Take a taxi, or take the
  trotro to Old Barrier and a shared taxi from there)

• Every time I took a camera
  and the joy of the children following when they could see themselves.

• The day we went to the Zoo and the day we got the slide.

The school was fun. We had a lot to do and a lot of input. There were no guidelines, especially in the beginning. In the end I got a syllabus and I made lessonplans but it didn't really work for me, the Ghanaian way of teaching.
(it's rehearsal and copying, not challenging enough for the children).

I took weeks off or days of which was no problem. You're there for the experience and also for yourself. If I wasn't happy, then nobody would be happy I figured.
I have a lot to tell about places to go and visit, where to go for what and
other things. Anybody who is interested, I'm happy to e-mail. Write to Katie Jo, the volunteer coordinator, to get my email address.