Ghana Non-Work

 This trip I was determined to not spend my entire time working. One weekend I ventured west of the capital Accra to an 'eco-resort' that had been highly recommended to me...the Lou Moon Resort.

In order to get to see more of the country, I decided to hire a car and driver to take me there. It was only about 130 miles from Accra. But in a country like Ghana that meant on a Friday an almost 7 hour car drive. On the map it looked like a lot of the road was close to the coast. But in the event, there was little coast seen on the drive. It was in fact a pretty long and dreary drive on very poor roads. But this is the reality of being in a developing country. The resort itself was lovely.   The food was really good which I did not expect. They get their fish fresh from villages right next to the resort. I had a chance to do some photography and really escape/

Les Photos

If you go through a town in Ghana, there will be vendors

Lots of towns like this

And lots of traffic

We stopped for lunch at one of the few places where the road came to the actual coast

Lou Moon Resort

Hike in the area around the resort

And back for a chill evening overlooking the Atlantic

Finishing Up This Ghana Trip

 

A month seemed like such a long time when I left for this trip. During the trip there were times when I felt the pangs of being out of one’s own rhythms. Yet as the last week rolled out, the feeling changed to, ‘Where has the time gone? There is still so much to be done? I am going home already?”

 

Local people seemed to adjust their expectations of when I would be available similarly. My prior two week trips always had people misjudging how long I was to be there and then not having time to schedule meetings with me. This time even with twice the time here, the same thing happened.

 

As I reported in my last post, we have made great progress in the areas we identified as critical. Despite quite a bit of drama in week 3 due to some longstanding issues between individuals within the group of initial participants and their leadership before I ever came on the scene, we ended on a very good note. I have observed that this group clearly understands the depth of the opportunity they have. More than once they have confronted situations that could have severely affected their ability to progress by overcoming those obstacles.

 

Without going into too much gory detail, we recognized the need to deal with these issues and had started using a conflict resolution facilitator. After the first session, we had a complete blow-up between a number of members, I mean shouting and yelling. But after letting everyone cool off for a day or two, I reminded everyone of what was at stake and the choice they had to get bigger or smaller as people. I am happy to report that the last week was a vast improvement. I think the world of this group. Each challenge is met. They have much longer to go, but I am confident with the right guidance they will achieve all they seek.

 

Sometimes when you are in the middle of things, it is hard to see the magnitude of the changes that have taken place. I was asked by those doing our website and developmental work to get some up-to-date video footage of our participants talking about how they have changed as a result of the program. We did this the last week. The videographer is the same person who did your initial video work a year ago. When it was all over, he made a point of telling how astounded he was over the change that had taken place with the women. He commented they were calmer, more confident and more articulate. He said they conducted themselves as professionals. A far cry from where they were a year ago. I had him do a testimonial video as well!

 

The month finished off with the first ever all-hands meeting (virtual) of all who are volunteering time for the program. This was 22 people including the six participants, covering 10 time zones. It is a far cry from just six months ago when it was mostly my other founder and I. We are entering a period where we have the opportunity to take this venture a significant step forward.

 

And…finally…our website

 

https://theodoraafrica.com/

Ghana Mid Way Point

 

It seemed to take me longer to acclimate than in prior trips. I suspect this had to do with being the long gap since I’ve traveled – having gotten out of practice so to speak. That plus all the stress related to COVID test requirements and whether I would actually get into the country. Be that as it may, I made this trip because of the Theodora Project. We have had more success than we could have anticipated. But that same success brought on other challenges, particularly in Ghana. These challenges were ones that required my personal involvement as the project up to this point has been very dependent upon me individually. Specifically, we needed to 1) establish a sound Ghanaian not-for-profit organization with its own leadership that could oversee things there, 2) determine how we would manage our existing group of participants both in their work and in their personal development, and 3) lay the ground work for expansion and sustainability by documenting training and recruitment.

 

Happily we have had the kind of success I hoped for with the first and third goals. Not only do we have the independent Ghanaian organization required but its Board has members who are committed to our goal. Our initial group of participants found that the training that was developed during our very chaotic start in April fulfilled their requirements and allowed them to make the necessary transition to an American work environment. So we are using that curriculum as the basis for future training.

 

The second goal has been more problematic. I was far more optimistic about our initial group being able to grow into a self-managing team than the reality of capabilities is allowing. It is clear that we will need some kind of local management that can provide the structure and discipline that a group like this needs to function effectively. Fortunately, I have members on the local Board that I can lean on to assist in that effort.

 

Due to the pandemic, I have restricted my going out. Fortunately I have the best apartment I have had yet. It is spacious. I have been able to run all of my group meetings in it. It is well situated with many more places one can walk to. I hope to secure it or another in the facility for future trips. I have one-week to go. I took a trip out of Accra this weekend that was both ‘interesting’ and nice. I will put up a separate post on that. It is the first time I have taken time to myself on one of these trips to Ghana.

 

The last week will be devoted to summarizing and putting in place a project management system that will allow us to start pulling together the volunteer efforts that include a wide variety of individuals in different parts of the world.

Back To Ghana

 

Although a lot of the world is hunkering down, and with good reason, I am in Ghana. I have had a lot of second thoughts…not about being here, none at all about that…but about posting that I am here. There is so much intense feeling on the part of many people in my circle about the dangers of the current pandemic that in all candor I did not want to expose myself to their judgments by making too big a deal about what I was up to. But so much progress has been made that it seems a shame to not be posting about it.

 

As Theodora Project has grown and progressed, a number of issues in Ghana screamed out for attention…in person, live attention. But Ghana’s borders were closed and there was no way to get there. As that country got control of its contagion, it began to consider how to create an opening to the world to revive the kind of interaction needed for economic stability. Finally at the end of August, the country opened up its only international airport with an ingenious system. It invested heavily into the capability to do rapid testing to passengers upon arrival. It initiated a system that required incoming visitors to be tested in there county of origin 72 hours before you flew to Ghana (you have to show a copy of your test report or the airlines will literally not let you on the plane). Then upon arrival, you are immediately given another test (costs you $150). You get the result in about 45 minutes. Get your bags and are on your way. Then before you leave, you have to have another test done 72 hours before your departure.

 

There was a lot of gnashing of teeth, frustration and fear before I left trying to figure out how I was going to get the test done within the allotted time and still get the result before I flew with most of the labs in our area promising 2 to 3 day results and my losing 10 hours of time window since my official flight was from Chicago not Albuquerque. Further, I was not able to get my hands on the actual lab report. The report was sent to my doctor and only the results were recorded on a patient portal website. Much calling to doctor and the labs ensued (while I was actually on my way from Albuquerque to Chicago. I got lab reports but they had the wrong time. But in the end I showed them the documentation from the patient portal whose date was not the lab date but the date the lab report was received. It proved to be perfectly acceptable. I feel the airline people who are forced to do these check-ups can’t possibly know all the variations on what lab reports look like. As long as there is a negative test, a legitimate lab name, and a date within their parameters, they are happy.

 

Business class on my flights from Chicago to Paris and then from Paris to Accra, Ghana were virtually empty so no problem social distancing there! When I arrived in Ghana, they didn’t even look at the test papers. They just put me through their on the spot test. It was done with well done effectiveness. Within an hour and half of touching down, I was in my apartment. I was back in Ghana.