Since arriving here in Achiase, Ghana we have entertained local children with our funny accents and pale skin. Every morning children run to greet us as we walk to work and in the evenings they enjoy hanging out with us in the village centre. At times it can be quite intense, when children fight to hold your hand or stroke your strange soft hair. However most of the time it is fantastic to be in their company, listening to how much they enjoy school and watching how they take care of one another. It is clear to see the hierarchy of age here in Ghana. Not only is great respect paid to your elders but children differentiate between themselves. The older children take care of their young siblings as if they were their own child and enjoy exerting authority over them. Being the youngest in my family, I empathise with the smaller children who begrudgingly obey their older siblings (although I was never that obedient!).
As I was walking to the boy’s house to play scrabble, I encountered the most beautiful baby. She was smiling and giggling as her mother cradled her. I couldn’t help but stare. Her mother noticed me watching and engaged me in a small conversation in Twi. She passed baby Beatrice over to me and I enjoyed a cuddle as the baby happily gurgled. The mother then said I could take her, I thought she was joking so made a quick remark about not being able to fit her in my suitcase back to England. But she was serious.
Making change happen
Platform2 is a unique opportunity for 18-25 year olds from the UK to volunteer in a developing country and then come back and creatively express their experiences in the UK.
