Experiences: Tafo

Samantha Ferm from Arizona, USA volunteered at Tafo from 28th June to 5th August 2005

How can you begin to describe an experience like the one I had in Kwahu Tafo? I could talk about all the things that tend to shock you when you first arrive in Ghana: the crowds, the traffic, the hectic pace of everything, the food vendors, the trash, and, of course, the tro-tros, but that’s only the beginning. What first really hit me about the beauty of this country is the landscape. It is green. And I’m not talking there’s some nice trees, some grass, etc. It is the closest I’ve ever been to anything tropical. Granted, I come from the desert, but to me, this looked like paradise: rolling hills, big, billowing clouds, afternoon showers, breezes, misty valleys…it’s gorgeous. And this beauty is only a reflection of what you find in the people you meet. Nearly everyone greets you, or, at the very least, responds to you when you greet them. In fact, it’s considered rude for someone to not greet someone else, esp. an obruni (white person) not greeting the locals. Remember that you are guests here—treating everyone with kindness and respect is the best way to get it back.

To me, Tafo was the perfect place to be. While it takes a while to get to from Accra, it is well worth the trip. Not only are there some beautiful parts to the town (ie the Catholic church, shrine, and palm grove), the people are even friendlier here than in any of the big cities, as I believe is typical of most small towns. It is very easy to develop friendships with the local children, local women, and vendors around town, as you walk past them several times during the day. I think one of the most stunning sights that I never got tired of were of the children and adults coming/going to their farms with their loads carried delicately on their heads. Life here is very simple, but wonderfully so. It makes you look at what is really important in life: strong relationships and community, working, spiritual well-being, and eating well. Ghanaians love to eat! My entire time there I was joked with about my growing “Ghanaian appetite.” Which, by the way, is very true. You will eat a ton while you are here. The food is good too… depending on your tastes. My favorite was fried yam and fried plantain, red-red (a bean stew), jollof rice and wagashi (fried cows’ milk, or cheese).

While the amount of spiders and mosquitoes take a bit of getting used to, it really isn’t that bad. As I do not see many spiders/mosquitoes back home in Arizona, I think it was a bit harder for me to handle than it was for my roommate, Kate. But even I, an almost-arachnophobe, was fine. If I can do it, you can too! It is very cool, however, to see all of the different types of insects and birds they have here, as opposed to where you come from. I can see why Africa is a biologist’s dream come true.

But the most important and touching part of my whole trip to Ghana was the work I did with the kids. The coordinators definitely keep you busy, although you are given plenty of time to rest as well (be prepared for chickens starting to crow at 6am though!) Every morning until lunch time I taught in the local Presby J.S.S. (Presbyterian Junior Secondary School). I was originally hoping to teach English, but as I came in July, there was only a little bit of teaching involved as opposed to more review and exam-taking as it was the end of the school year. I ended up teaching pre-technical skills with Eric, one of the cultural center coordinators. It actually ended up being perfect as I got closer to him and he understood my role better than other teachers would have. I introduced a Jeopardy-style review game for his classes, and they went wild for it, as did Eric. Keep in mind that simple ideas that might seem inconsequential to you can have a great and wonderful impact on the community there. After lunch I sometimes returned to teach again, and sometimes stayed back to rest or work on my own project. Three days a week, from 4-6pm, I went to the cultural center and watched the kids practice their traditional dances, taught new games, or practiced for our talent show (my group was the poetry recital group). If you have ANY ideas for dances, plays, etc., make sure to bring music and get ready to have some fun. The coordinators want you to show the kids anything you can, because the more they learn, the better it is for everyone (and more fun too). Finally, the typical day ended with all of the volunteers (from the boys’ academy and from the cultural center) going to the hostel where some of the boys from the academy live. We helped them review for exams, taught them new things (ie: Haiku poems and proper stretching exercises), as well as fun group games and stories. We never seemed to run out of ideas as we enjoyed doing almost anything with the footballers, who are great kids by the way.

It’s important to keep in mind that while you are a volunteer, you must try to integrate yourself into the local customs and way of life. Trying their food, greeting them appropriately, and forming strong friendships is the key to success, as is asking a ton of questions (which I happily did). While you should come prepared with ideas for the kids, it is also important you show interest in their lives, which is equally, if not more, important. The coordinators, my host family, and my new friends, were definitely the highlight of my experience. I consider them all family now, and I can’t wait till I can go back and visit them again. It is a great program, one I would not have traded for any other experience, and the care and attention the coordinators give you is unsurpassed. I hope you have as great of an experience as I did, and I know that the people in Tafo look forward to your coming.