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Dear Wellness Seekers,
Into Africa Day 4 Kingdom Cares Orphanage & School Asikuma Ghana is a soul wrenching way to start the day Asikuma Ghana. After a quick cup of tea we skip breakfast to get down the road for a tour and introductions at Kingdom Cares International Mission Central for Ghana.
Doug hops on his motorcycle and tells me to hop on back. It is definitely an unexpected highlight for me to be back on a cycle again – especially on a dirt bike because I am most familiar with large-scale street bikes. I could feel more adrenalin flow (as I am already a heart pumping level just by being here in unfamiliar territory). I road when I was in college with guy friends and then again with my husband Bob when we felt the need to be free-spirited with wind in our hair – it’s a feeling only riding a motorcycle can do for your psyche.
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We head off on the mud streets of Asikuma and see all types of women and men setting up their stores for today’s trading – food, fruit, machetes, clothing, shoes, mobile phones and even coffins! Soon we arrive at the Mission Center. As ride up to the school I calibrate my mind to take it all in knowing this could get emotional. Doug wants me to meet Wisdom who is the Director of the Center and Comfort who is the House-mother of all the children who are orphans living under their watchful eye.
The main building is sturdy and purposeful having been designed and staged by Chris a very experienced home builder in Des Moines who donates his time to Kingdom Cares with Doug. The children come running to meet us. They recognize Doug immediately – he is clearly a hero here. Upon entering the center with Wisdom one can see it is already overcrowded. It houses all ages of children – babies to teens, the adult care takers and the volunteers who come for periods of time. Two gals in their late twenties – one from Britain and one from the Balkans are spending their summer their helping to care for the children. More housing space is clearly needed. I begin to see Doug’s vision for creating the AbodShelters Village of the Future here. We could easily populate the open space into a community surrounding the school and orphanage. It would provide secure, comfortable, private homes that would last for a lifetime.
Children emerge from various directions. All look bright and eager in the uniforms the school provides when a child is formally register are arriving at the open air school to start their day of learning with the teachers. Many are from the villages near by who cannot afford public schooling. This are humble classrooms as you will ever see. Yet, you can feel the hope and the eagerness to learn. It is clear the Kingdom Cares Team is laying the right groundwork to help the children take steps toward a brighter future through disciplines and structure. My Self Care DNA kicks into high gear here. I hold back my instincts to help empower these children on the spot to take charge and not be victims of their circumstances This will have to wait until a more appropriate time.
In the Orphanage are the very little ones – happily there are strong connections between the people of Kingdom Cares International in Des Moines, Iowa as these twins are being adopted by a couple who are coming to pick them up on Saturday and take them to their new howe in the US. I learn this is a really positive outcome of the orphanage – several children have been adopted by caring parents in the Des Moines area. These babies deserve a healthy home to thrive. Thank God for the enlightened.
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Into Africa Day 4 Kingdom Cares Orphanage & School Asikuma Ghana puts the spotlight on one experience in a vast continent where the needs here are great. In this village at one orphanage, you can see that wash day at the school is a huge chore. One is as resourceful as needed to get any job done with the basics at hand. Doug tells me they recently provided money to buy a washing machine and are happily anticipating its arrival. Amen to that!
After I hear the story of The Mission Center and what is needed to help them progress to help the children, Doug and I jump back on the bike to head to the Fish Farm. While we ride our conversation turns to the reality of effecting positive change. We focus on the opportunity. The beauty is there is land available at the Kingdom Cares Mission Center for building an AbodShelters Village of the Future, which is usually the challenge in Africa. Now we need to put the planning wheels in motion but first we have to complete the first floating AbodShelter on the water. We down the road and stop for a Ghana pastry for a quick breakfast on the fly and take some back t the team. Yummm. If I only had a a Starbucks right now.
Join Spanista tomorrow to experience more from my humanitarian trip to Ghana, Africa.
To Your Self Care Journey To Joy,
Ginny
