Ghana

I bought a child. I actually did this last week, but the paper work arrived today, so now it feels more real! World Vision arrived on my doorstep one day a little while ago. The girl was doing her whole speal, I was listening with the intent of telling her to go away (well, more like I cannot afford a dollar a day for a child in need... but then, whoa! How can one in our society not afford a dollar a day? That is not even a coffee!). However, she produced two pictures, one male, one female. As I gave these pictures a cursory glance, one word jumped out and I knew I was doomed. The little boy lives in Accra. World Vision Stalked Me! I do not believe in chances. She KNEW if she produced Ghana, I would be sucked into their deep hole of money!
Forget that, I believe in World Vision and I think they do good work. I believe they are probably one of the more reputable humanitarian aid organizations out there. However, I do feel like I was tricked into it! I had no intentions of handing this girl my credit card, and sponsoring a child this year! I talked to my girlfriend in England right after I did this. She was like why on earth would you do that when you have 31 other children in Ghana? But after I was like aww, he is from Ghana, the girl took off on her sales pitch, and before I knew it, everything was done, and I was holding a picture of a 6 year old boy.

I wrote Shamsudeen a letter today. His name sounds Muslim. If he is Muslim, he is of the 5% minority of Ghana in terms of religion. But, I am unsure of how to send it. They tell me that all the information I need to send Shamsudeen a letter is on the magnet they sent today... the magnet only has a website, so I guess I could go there! They also promise me even more information soon.
I am kind of excited to have a pen-pal in Ghana. Shamsudeen will have a different perception on life than my other babies, as he still has his parents. World Vision says that you can visit your sponsored child, as long as you arrange in 3 months in advance. I hope to know that I am going back to Ghana before 3 months in advance! I know I will have only been his sponsor for half a year or so by then, but I hope to be able to meet him. I would probably bring him some toys as well as stuff for the orphanage. I know that most of the children in Ghana could use help, so why not help someone else too.

Of course, when the orphanage is facing eviction and we do not have nearly the funds that we need to complete the new building, maybe my $420 bucks would be better spent there. I never know. Do those 30 children deserve more than Shamsudeen? In some ways, they already have far more, because of the sheer amount of volunteers that go through there. Andrea says there are 17-21 volunteers in Bawjiase right now- and we have had to rent a second house for them all to stay in! Eddie has 23 volunteers in the volunteer house in Accra right now! None of them are going to Bawjiase as far as I understand, but I am pretty sure Bawjiase has quite enough until August 1!

I talked to Pastor last week. He said that my baby's family took him to Togo. I almost cried at that news! I cannot find him if he is not in Ghana! I was hoping to be able to see him for a bit while I was in Ghana next, but I guess that will be out. I will talk to Pastor again then. Pastor said that the oldest teacher will not teach anymore, so the oldest kids are all looking for someone to sponsor them to go to school at a real school for now. I think that is great, however, I think they all should be, and obviously, we do not have the money for that! Andrea and many of the children have Malaria. Andrea says it's no big deal – you just feel very weak! But, she did take all the drugs and is back on her Malaria tablets again. It is the rainy season, I gather it is very damp and very buggy! Crazy! And to think that I didn't really consider Malaria to be a problem! But, it was a different season. There were so few mosquitoes in the time I was there. Besides, I suffocated inside my mosquito net....