Monday, January 23, 2012

The Beginning

This is the blog I am going to be posting to allow family and friends to see what I'm doing while in Ghana and also to express my thoughts and ideas about anything and everything while I'm there.

To start, I am going to post a couple of maps and some information about Ghana itself as I've had several friends and family member ask where exactly Ghana is...

This is Ghana's location in Africa...

This is a map of Ghana itself. On Saturday, after flying from Pittsburgh to Washington-Dulles and then to Frankfurt, Germany, I will fly into Accra, the capital of Ghana. You can see it on the southern coast. From there we will drive about three hours to Takoradi, further down the coast, where the Egyam Orphanage is located.

I will be working in and around the orphanage, in conjuction with Mercy's Dream Ministries.

Another question I get asked is, "Is it safe there?" Ghana is a stable democracy and is one of the more developed countries in Africa, thanks to rich natural resources. It was said to have the world's fastest growing economy in 2011. (Economy of Ghana) Although there is widespread unemployment and poverty, Ghana also has a relatively low crime rate compared to many of the more violent countries in Africa.

The third most asked question I've gotten so far is, "What languge do they speak there?". Ghana was a British colony (it was then known as the Gold Coast) until 1957 when it gained its inependence...it has the distinction of being the first sub-Saharan African country to do this. So, that being said, English is still the official language of the country and the most widely used, although there are scores of other regional languages still used, usually divided into the Kwa subfamily (south of the Volta River) and the Gur subfamily, north of the river. Here is further information for anyone interested...Ghana. Ghana has a fascinating history and political history.

Anyway, I leave on Friday and arrive in country on Saturday. I am beyond anxious and excited to get there! I will be posting as regularly as I can, including pictures, so stay tuned!

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