Tamale, Ghana…
In October 2006 I traveled from Finland to Ghana to work as a volunteer. The city, where I was working, is called Tamale and it lies in the northern part of Ghana. Tamale isn’t a big place but it’s a good place. People are friendly and they welcome you with open arms…what is theirs is yours…You get lots of respect and even strangers are always ready to help you, what ever your problem is. The main religion in Tamale is islam and before I arrived there, I was just a little concerned about the cultural differences I may face, but I found out my worries were unnecessary…people are very liberal and you can be yourself … just don’t forget to respect their habits, culture and religion. – What you give is what you get. As a woman I felt safe in the city. Even when I went around alone at night, I was never worried or scared. I think the greatest threat for me was the traffic (it’s crazy out there!), my way of biking and the goats on the roads…too many things to concentrate at the same time…how ever after some time you get use to that too. The Ghanian culture is very different if you compare it to Finnish culture, but it’s beautiful. Old people are respected, families (I mean the whole family) are living together, children are raised together and work is done together. People share everything they have and money is not the only reason to live. The Ghanian way of life is relaxed. And a piece of that you will get, when you lie down on a mat, outside underneath a huge mango tree that will protect you from the hot mid day sun or when you take a walk on one of those endless red sandroads…you might even find happiness.
Revsodep…
It’s a young organization and I’m glad that I had a chance to be a part of it. The people who are working for the organization are easy going and there for you, no matter what. You are not only volunteer, you are one of them, you are a sister or a brother. You will be listened and heard. If you have any problems, even if it’s personal, you can share it with the staff (your brothers) and it will be taken care of. They will also help you, if you desire to travel around Ghana and actually they hope that you do that. The more you know about Ghana, the better you can work there. So don’t hesitate…with anything… The work Revsodep is doing, is important. To me it was very interesting to see how they are doing their work and my opinion is that they are sharing information with a way that truly helps people. They believe in what they are doing and most importantly they enjoy it. It’s rare to see someone smiling, while working, when it’s +40 degrees, sun is up on the blue sky and people are asking some difficult questions. But my brothers were, and I think they do that every day. By working for Revsodep, you have the opportunity to help the organization to develop itself and develop Tamale. So just be yourself, ask all the questions there are in your mind and let them know about all the ideas you have. This is team work.
Voluntary work…
During the six weeks I was in Tamale I was working at orphanage and as an English teacher at the local junior secondary school. It’s responsible work that you do with babies and little children, but it’s also fun. You are just smiling while working. Those children are amazing. You are important and a big help at the orphanage, how ever the African way to raise children is different and it’s very important that you respect that way. For me it was difficult to adapt their style and I would have done some things differently. On the other hand I finished working there before I found out could I learn their way of raising. Teaching English at the junior secondary school was great. As a teacher you get lot of respect from the students and the only thing you need to do is to teach. Students do everything else. At first it felt really weird and I tired to do everything myself, but my students explained to me it’s an honor for them to help the teacher, so I accepted their way.
Living…
I was in Tamale with my boyfriend and we had three options to accommodate: rent a house or stay in a guesthouse or in a host family. We lived in a host family because with a small amount of money we got everything we needed. Living with a host family is also a very good way to learn about Ghanian culture and language. Our family was wonderful. From the very beginning we were considered as a part of the family and they took good care of us.
These are my opinions about my experiences. If you want to know what Ghana and voluntary work is all about, you should go and do it yourself. It’s the only way to find out…just don’t forget to take prophylaxis for malaria…
Tiina Ahonen
For verification more information, you can contact me:
ahonentiina@hotmail.com