GREETINGS from GHANA

We've been sleeping under our bednets in Navrongo for the past three nights, and we just figured out how to work the air conditioner. Last night I slept soundly compared to the night before when I tossed and turned in our stuffy apartment. I kept swatting at bugs all night, but it must have been all in my head because I only have one bite. I think night is when my mind is working overtime, trying to store away all the thoughts and first impressions I had during the day. And there have been many.

On Monday, we flew from Accra into Tamale which is about 2 hours south of Navrongo. Our driver was late picking us up, but it didn't matter! We just sat in this tiny airport and played card games with Dr. Liese. Then, we finally started to make our way into Navrongo, and I think all the girls can attest to having that "Wow, I'm in Ghana" moment. In Accra, we did not see anything except while driving, so there was really nothing to internalize. But on the road to Navrongo, as we drove deeper and deeper into the country, I couldn't have felt further from home. These small towns have a livelihood I've never experienced before, and as foreign as it felt driving through Walewale and Bolgatanga into Navrongo, I was excited by the idea of living here for the next few months. When we finally reached the Navrongo Health Research Center, we met Dr. Williams, Cornelius, and Patricia. They seem very nice and on top of their game. Already, we have been shadowing different departments within the NHRC, which I didn't expect to be doing so soon! It's exciting to dive right in.

Until tomorrow, I will be shadowing the Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH) department at the Center, and I have already felt very much like a part of their work. They gave me a 2005 report to read to catch me up on some of the studies they work on (they have MANY), and then I sat in a mock interview. They are about to conduct a series of discussion focus groups with parents to discuss their perceptions of their children's SRH, but before they go out into the field they have to run mock interviews. They do this to critique the interviewers' style/execution, and to be sure that questions are worded so that they receive proper feedback. These interviews serve as qualitative assessments of the PEs (peer educators) and AMs (adult mentors) in the villages, as well. Although the mock interview was done in one of the local languages (Nankam or Kassem), it was still interesting to sit in. I could tell when participants were fighting, becoming disinterested or defensive. You could tell by the tones of their voices what was going on (not to mention I had a sheet to follow). It was fun rehashing the session at the end. The one thing I was surprised about was the issue of using a community person's real name. Someone commented that they should not be used as a rule, while others theorized that if the session is confidential, there is not reason why the name cannot be used. I thought that was an interesting conversation.

That afternoon, I was able to accompany James, Eunice, and Sarah into the field. We went to Naga, which is about 45 minutes south of Navrongo. I knew we were going really far into the countryside when the road went from asphalt to dirt. We didn't pass another car for miles. When we finally got to Naga, it was market day, so the women brought me around to buy some food. They bargained until they got what they needed, while James talked to the PEs in that village. Being in Naga was the first time I had ever walked into a setting and felt completely out of place! We had ventured to the market by ourselves the other day, which was slightly painful, but once we bought some things, we felt better. Besides, we had each other, so you felt like everyone was staring at ALL of us. But in Naga, it was just me. Everyone stares. Children either point and laugh or hide behind their mothers. I kept wishing I could just speak their language so I could communicate with them.Maybe then I wouldn't have seemed so disconnected. But this is a feeling I'm going to have to get used to. I told GI (everyone in the center has a code that they go by) that I would like to learn to speak some of the local language, and she said she would teach me! So I'm excited about that. On our way out of Naga, we stopped at a small shop to see another AM. There, they offered me some soup that I just could not eat...because it was dog. The people from the Center laughed because they knew that we keep dogs as pets, not as a meal source.

Speaking of food, Ghanaian cuisine is definitely a change. I think the last vegetable I ate was a cucumber on the plane to Accra. Everything here is very good, but starchy, heavy, hot, and SPICY. There are not very many vegetarian options, but I'm okay with picking around the meat. It's the spiciness that I have trouble dealing with!! Amariah is going to take Amy, Grace, and I to the market on Friday to find some fruits and veggies. Until then, we may have to just keep eating our rice and tea bread with tomato sauce. Mmmm...