Woke up cramped with the other 3 brothers in a box room in Living Faith Orphanage with a ceiling fan spinning around at top speed. When it span it wobbled like it wanted to break free from the plaster. This was always in the back of my mind before I went to sleep.
The Living Faith Orphanage is run by Auntie Agnes (we're all family here). She has looked after and helped many, many children. Including our lovely bunch. She used to run it in a one bedroom house but then some Canadians built her a fancy house on the school grounds. When you walk into the house it's kind of stepping into the cupboard in Narnia. When you walk through the front door it is like a divide between Africa and the Western world. Because of this when ever Agnes has guests they always think she is very rich, which she is sadly not - money wise.
When we went to see the children in the morning I wondered where they had gone. There was no jumping on the furniture - not even a back flip. No more Johnny the human trampoline. It was a strange feeling really as when we were with them sometimes I would pray that they would just be quiet for a moment, or without a second going by with out something being broken. Sitting there watching them sitting on the chairs, upright, was kind of like seeing an animal in a zoo, not really able to run wild or do what they want to do. I was just glad that the kids were able to run wild around us and be themselves even if at times it did drive the RHF brothers and sisters a little crazy from time to time.
Sister Kinza had planned for the next week after our hard work that we would go to cape coast and to go to the rainforest also. We were hoping to take the children with us but on this day we were told that they would not be coming with us as the Canadians who built the house wanted to spend time with them.
The children either really didn't want to say goodbye to us or they really wanted to go to the coast, as a drought ending amount of tears ran down their little faces.
So this is where we say goodbye to our children. I will write a little bit about them all.
I feel bad as I remember lots about a few of the children as I wrote down the stories in Ghana and didn't get around to finishing writing down the other's funny stories. (Help other RHF Brothers and sisters)
I'll start with Nunana...What's his name? as we all would sing
He was the first child I met when he was placed on my knee in the tro tro, spending six hours together. Just like me he loves his food and everyday expresses his concern about what is for dinner, for Jollof he would throw his hands in the air and do a twirl and for Bankoo he would say "I will not eat Bankoo" even though he eventually always did. He can eat and eat and I would really like to see what kind of damage he could do in an all you can eat buffet. He had the sweetest little smile to cover up the mischief he would get into. I remember one day I caught him feasting on some sweets that weren't his. His face when he was caught was a picture and I put him in the naughty corner, which I never liked to do to him as I had a soft spot for his cheeky demenour. Later in the day I saw him in the naughty corner again, looking sorry for himself so I asked him why he was there. "First I stole some toffee. Then I got a belt and started to beat sharita" (his sister). On the day that me and Glenn had to move from the house to the compound, to make staying in the comfy bed with a fan fair we carried our bags. Nunana said to me " Are you going back to England?" I told him that I was just moving across the road and then "what would you do if I was going to England" He looked at me " I'd get my bag and follow you".
Sharita - The youngest of the group and also the cutest thing I have ever seen with the voice to match. She was Nunana's sister and they were close despite the belt beating incident. Sharita hated to walk any where and because of her cuteness was never with out a piggy back. I recently heard that she was adopted although Nunana wasn't, which I think we were all pretty upset about at RHF. But in the pictures I've seen of her since she looks so happy and healthy.
Courage - A sweet boy who would bounce around the place, singing little songs and always jumping on the volunteers. His favourite things are looking cool in sunglasses, making high pitched noises and squeezing boobies. For his Christmas box I put in some small sun glasses that would actually fit him and also a stress relief pac man.
Kwame - My favourite thing about little Kwame was when he saw a Minnie Mouse dressing gown with little ears on the hood. After he put it on he wouldn't take it off for days he even went to school in it with his little hood up.
Yau - Such a sweet boy who would always help out and wanted to be read stories. At one point I thought I had managed to teach him to read as he whizzed through the Winnie the Pooh book that I read to him earlier. I realised though that he memorised it and repeated it back which is pretty amazing.
Prosper - Always reminds me of a cartoon character with his little evil laugh and crazy moves that he would do mixed with his little run. One time he found a little stick and started doing ninja moves with it. so funny.
Believe - Was the leader of the girls, probably as naughty as the boys and always stealing the football from the boys when they played in the compound.
Angela - Was with Believe in the naughty girl crew.
Cornelius - Was the oldest of the boys and also the leader of the whole group always scheming on ways to get extra food and making sure he always got a piece of the action.
Dolce - Was also one of the oldest boys but was very shy always hanging around with Cornelius and causing trouble.
Mila - Was a mighty fine ballroom dancer.
This time the Tro Tro was half empty, well really it was full but not the same without the kids and the random bag hitting you in the back of the head every bump that the tro tro encounters. It didn't take long till we went from dirt track to actual roads in Accra. We arrived at a petrol station that sold english snacks and food and we went crazy for pringles, chocolate and other comfort foods.
We would often pass Hawkers who would sell food, drinks, and even ice cream to passing cars. They kind of just start putting things through the open window. As soon as you touch them I think it counts as a sale. This one guy took an interest in all the sisters volunteers. He looked at me "Are these all your sisters? Can I have one?" I asked him "how much you got?" But before negotiations could be taken further the Tro tro continued on it's journey.
We eventually arrived at Cape Coast which is the closest I've ever been to a tropical paradise. The landscape went from mud and wooden huts to palm trees to a sea of hand made wooden fishing boats. I can't remember the name of the hostel we got too but it was just on the beach. It was beautiful and felt like a world apart from the village of Santrokofi.
There was a problem when we arrived because they gave away our rooms. In Ghana even if you book the room for a date you have to call them on the day to tell them that you're still coming, otherwise they will give it away. But luckily Kinza managed to get a room which belonged to the manager and they put loads of beds in for the girls. And for the boys it would be a tent outside which kind of looked like a giant mosquito net next to a wall. But on the other side of the wall was the beach so it actually was pretty amazing.
For the first time in two weeks there was Western food on the menu and all those late night talks about getting a burger or what food we couldn't wait to get our hands on came true. And we went to town on that restaurant with a couple of beers and then danced at the club that was there.
I crammed into the Tent with Joe, Kwame and Saviour staring up at the sky. All that could be heard was the crashing of the waves as they hit the beach then.....zzzzzzzzz.
