Experiences: Lotus

Projects > Africa > Ghana > Lotus

Libby Long from the US volunteered during June 2004
In the short 4 weeks I have spent at the Lotus Children’s Centre here in Accra, I have been exposed to a culture and a world unlike any I’ve ever experienced or imagined. Every aspect of life here in Ghana is different from my home in South Carolina, USA and it has all been special and exciting. From the moment I entered the country I have felt welcomed by the Ghanaians and especially by the girls here at the Lotus Centre and the members of Ananda Marga and the other volunteers.

I enjoyed spending my morning teaching arts and crafts with the 14 wide eyed and eager children who attend the nursery school t the Lotus Centre. Even though their hands and clothes were often more colorful than their paper, I believe they still enjoyed using their creativity and imagination.

The girls who live here at the Lots Centre are by far the strongest and most mature I have encountered. They are hard working and lovable! I am sure that I learned more from them that they did from me! I have always been impressed by their sense of sisterhood and constant high spirits.

Ghana has certainly been an adventure, with surprises around every corner; always providing something new to learn about yourself and the world around you. While it has been tiring and frustrating at times, Ghana will always be a country, a culture and a people that I will hold near and dear to my heart. While my visit in Ghana has been short, its impression will certainly be life-long and meaningful. I am grateful to the Ananda Marga organization and Didi Ananda Shanta for providing me with this opportunity to help others and learn more about myself and the world in which I live!

Robin Cole from Canada volunteered during June 2004
Having the opportunity to stay at the Lotus Children’s Centre for the past four weeks has been an enjoyable learning experience. Due to my stay being short, I feel as if I am just really getting to know the girls now, and also how find way around Accra!

The Center is a very comfortable place to stay and everybody works hard cooking, doing early morning chores and on top attending school! It would be nice to have more time with the girls as they all have unique personalities and many talents. I am grateful to them for keeping me well fed and entertained!

I also had the pleasure of working alongside some of the other volunteers. They made me feel welcome and helped me to get around. We did some traveling together and had a lot of laughs. Thanks Flora and Libby!

Ghana takes some getting used to. Whether it be trotro-rides or your first bowl of fufu. I am still trying to figure out how the frozen-yogurt stays frozen on top of the guy’s head as he walks around in the heat that nearly killed me! But I can honestly say that their culture has taught me many things about my own country and lifestyle that I would not have realized had I not come.

The Ghanaian people are friendly and helpful. It was so refreshing to see a culture of people that take care of each other so well. They all appear to be one large family. Even if they are strangers they mind each other’s children, lift each other’s shopping bags and so on. It all seems to come so natural to them. It was a wonderful thing for me to watch. People fixing babies on mom’s back without being asked, everyone passing each other’s money to the driver on the trotros. Even going as far as to chase down thieves and retrieve personal items. The list goes on and on. This innate and natural caring for each other can be a rare thing in the West and we could be wise to learn from it. Even if they appear to be tough on the outside, I believe they are soft and concerned on the inside.

I have met some truly lovely souls here and will remember appreciate this experience for the years to come. Thanks to everyone for an enjoyable visit. Best wishes to Didi Shanta and all the girls. Good luck to all the new volunteers. I hope you have a great time and enjoy your stay. God Bless.

Flavia Robin (Switzerland) Volunteered from 13 May to 2 June 2004
Even though I only had the opportunity to stay at the Lotus Children’s Centre and with friends in Accra for 2 ½ weeks, I think that I have gained an extremely valuable insight into Ghanaian life, art and culture, the values, the potential still lying ahead, the challenges and difficulties that the population are confronted with.

Assisting with various teaching tasks at the Ananda Marga school in Korlogonno and teaching a little French to the lovely girls at the Lotus Children’s Center has been great fun. The children are really motivated, enthusiastic, willing to learn and develop their skills with a little stimulus from the teaching staff, and they show great spirit and affection for us ”obronis”, once they see we really mean what we say during tuition and keep a regular structure/schedule but above all keep our promises which seems a rare quality in this country!

Even though I only had few opportunities to enjoy Didi Shanta’s cooking skills, I thoroughly appreciated the fact that all the girls made an effort to cook 3 times a day for us, even if a lot us were entirely vegetarians. Something that struck me a bit was the use of cane for punishment for most children, since caning has been banned officially in most European countries. I am absolutely convinced that if the cane is replaced by affection, love, idealism, willingness to develop the children’s skills and the education in general, the result will be equally successful, if not better. A constant stimulus on behalf of the teaching is essential though!

Thanks again for an extremely valuable glimpse into Ghanaian life; and when I’m back, I’ll definitely make sure I live up to the ideals that I have just point out which make the success of education here. It would be enjoyable to help develop the children’s skills in order to make use of their full potential, to stimulate awareness, appreciation of moral values, to turn them into independent and responsible citizens of Ghanaian future society.

Merlanie Tapang (Canada) Volunteered from November-December 2003
Since arriving back home to Toronto, Canada almost a month ago, not a day has gone by where I haven't thought about my days at Lotus Childrens Centre. Volunteering for Ananda Marga was a great introduction to the African culture for a first time traveler to Africa, such as myself.

The most memorable times, were those spent with the nursery school children and the girls at Lotus Childrens Centre. As a volunteer, I had the opportunity to work with children, which was something I always wanted to do, but had little experience in. What I once thought would come easily and naturally, proved to be challenging at times. The nursery school children were always full of energy and enthusiasm, so that most days, it was difficult to keep up with them. But what was most rewarding was being greeted each morning with enormous smiles and being showered with affection by the children.

The girls at Lotus were always a source of laughter, whether it was them making fun of me with the way I hand washed my clothes, when we danced, which you will find yourself doing often, and even with them pestering one another. With great help from Didi Ananada Shanta and the girls, adjusting to life in Ghana was an easy transition. During my first days in Ghana, Didi would often invite me to accompany her on errands, to help me familiarize myself with going into around the city using the tro-tro (local transportation). And each time I traveled to visit places outside of Accra, the older girls would always make certain that I knew how to get to my destination. Traveling around Ghana wasn't a difficult as I had imagined, due to the generosity and friendliness of Ghanaian people who were always eager to help me find my way.

Deciding to visit Ghana and volunteering at Lotus Children Centre is one of the best choices I have made and one that I will never forget. A special thanks to the girls at the centre for making my trip a memorable experience.

Alison MacDonald (Canada) 19 November - 29 December 2003
I arrived in Ghana expecting to spend my days in rural Ejura, helping out at the school there. Instead,after a week and a half in Ejura and a case of malaria (or only food poisoning, I'm not sure), I decided to return to the hustle and bustle of Accra and to the house filled with the girls whose names I’d finally learned just before leaving them.Returning to Accra was like coming home for me.I really enjoyed just hanging out with the girls ,reading, studying and helping them, which in turn helped to boost my energy - the Accra heat made me sweat continuously .I don’t know how much I will miss waking up at 5:00 am(or earlier) to the sounds of sweeping, roosters crowing, ladies selling ice kenke or goats crying, but I will miss the people especially here at Lotus Center, the girls, Didi, the volunteers and whoever else stopped by.Thanks to all for a great experience in this wonderful country

Ine Blancke (Belgium) Volunteered from 2 July to 15 August2003
Not really knowing what to expect, I left my safe little country to do something useful with my school holidays and experience something new. I can say that I had a wonderful experience in The Lotus Children Centre in Accra. I had already been in Africa before, so I didn’t really have a culture shock, but every country is different. The first few days I just fell from one positive amazement into the other... Read more

Valia Pentarvini (Greece): Volunteered from 29 July to 20 August 2003
Dear all,
Firstly I have a confession to make...I really don’t know if it was me who volunteered or helped the children in any way or if it was the other way around! I’ll be leaving for Greece in a few hours but I just wanted to say thank you to all these people who have helped me understand and appreciate the every day life in Ghana as far as possible in such a short spell.

From the moment I set foot in Accra everything has been an experience all day; everyday had something different to show. Well in short, it's too soon for me to put my thought in writing but I truly believe that whoever comes to Ghana to volunteer for Ananda Marga / AMURTEL will not want to leave easily. A special thanks to the Didis and the Dadas but most especially to Didi Shanta.

Tineke François (Belgium) Volunteered from March to April 2003
My first time in Ghana! My first time in Africa. In a few hours I take my plane back to Belguim. I had a great month! The Lotus Childrens Centre is a great place for volunteering. Very lovely children and Didi takes care of me. I liked it that I had a lot of time to travel and see most parts of Ghana. The accommodation here was very good. I was happy that we had a fan in our room (I am still not used to the heat in Ghana) and the food was also OK, especially when Didi cooks noodles!
I really don’t want to leave this place...but Belgium is calling me. I will miss the girls a lot. I hope that I can come back here, when I have the time and money.

Vernica Formosa Veronica Formosa (Australia) Volunteered from January to March 2003
Whilst living in London, I became aware of Lotus Childrens Centre through an agency that specialises in NGO's. I was invited to come to work with them in Ghana in January 2003, not really knowing what lay ahead, but thinking that I was reasonably prepared for the challenges....Read more

Catherine Brin (Canada) Volunteered in August 2002
"The children are nice. To be with them makes me forget that they're not mine...When they laugh I can just laugh. When they cry I feel the tears. If it's time for homework I become a teacher.
Being a volunteer has changed my way of thinking about how I use my time. When I'm with the children, time doesn't count anymore. I feel free and enjoy their company, mixing together with everyone. Each child has her own character and they each freely express themselves."

Valerie Valerie Grisel (Canada) Volunteered in August 2002
"For me, it's being finally involved in the African community, after 6 months of travelling across the continent. I'm doing something useful! Being with the children is a really good way to remember real values: to assist with their homework, to listen to how their day has gone, or simply to just be there as a friend. It means doing art with them and finding as much pleasure as them doing it! Back to childhood! It's good for them but probably even better for you...that feeling of accomplishment!"