My last post from Africa.
During the last week on camp, with school out and the office closing for the holidays, things were pretty slow. It was both odd and nice to have work slow down a bit as we prepared to leave.
The football match between the teachers and administrators took place on Thursday morning. The teachers won. That means my team lost! Fair enough though, since only one of the players came to practice. Hopefully, next month the admins will be compelled to practice! It was a fun game because it was closer than last month and the competitiveness was running at a fun, but reasonable level.
The leaving ceremony was on Thursday night. There were many remarks given by IVs to other IVs. We were presented with our gowns, which fit more like shirts. Usually the shirts are tye-died, but for some reason, Simon and I were both given shirts that were mainly solid colored. His is dark blue with white and blue embroidery and mine is white with blue and white embroidery. I love my shirt. The CBW children's choir performed at the ceremony as did a 5 man acapella singing group. They both did wonderfully and helped to keep the mood at the ceremony uplifting. The party that followed was good as well.
Finishing up at camp was strange. A couple of big projects that were supposed to occur right that the end of December fell through. I will take a moment to register surprise...nope. I just can't muster any.
It was hard to say goodbye to everyone on camp. Especially Asa, the little boy that I spoke about before. He was sitting on my lap and I was tickling him and giving him random hugs. He is too young to understand about goodbyes I think. I said goodbye anyway. Almost cried but kept it together. Simon has gotten close with Asa's slightly older brother. That was hard to watch, because Diamond does understand what it means to say goodbye. It must be so difficult for the kids that live around the house, that consistent feeling of being left. The end of the month and beginning of the next is tricky because the kids have to figure out each new volunteer. If they get close with a volunteer, like Diamond did with Simon, they will have to deal with some really difficult feelings (as will the volunteer) when the IV leaves. I dislike the notion that my temporary presence on camp is adding to the instability of the lives of the children, but it is. Sometimes we, the IVs, wonder (both collectively and individually) if our presence on camp is benefical over all. I don't want to do more harm than good.
I'm feeling pretty numb about camp just now. I think that I will have quite a bit to unravel when I get home. Thank goodness for Joshua. He is excited to hear about the trip and to do some philosophical discussion about the ethics of the situation.
I believe that I am going to do here. Hopefully, my travels will be pretty clockworkish, and I will be home as I expect to be.
I just said goodbye to my IV friends who work at the camp. Simon, Stacy, Anna and I rang in the New Year at a local bar near our hotel in Accra. I started 2007 in Africa! I think I will cherish that fact all year long.
I've learned so much and it will be interesting to see how the things that I have learned translate back to life in Rochester. Only time will tell... I'm starting to get excited about getting home and seeing everyone again.
I am hoping that the exorbitant amout of time that I will spend sitting in airports over the next 32 hours will be helpful to my mental stability. I think it will be good if I can decompress a little before stepping back into the country. I imagine it is going to be difficult to wrap my head around the desparities between Rochester, NY and Buduburam, Ghana.
My love to my loved ones. See/Talk to you soon!!
