tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33957562408990858272024-03-21T15:49:54.756-04:00The Ghana ProjectThe goal of the Ghana Project is to improve the lives of the residents of the Tamale Children's Home through low cost/high impact sustainable engineering solutions. The project is a collaboration between the University of North Florida, Engineers Without Borders-USA UNF, the UNF School of Engineering and the UNF Honors Program.2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-80735194239928823302013-05-07T20:01:00.000-04:002013-05-07T20:03:05.807-04:00Shea Butter Facility of Tamale, GhanaHello,<br />
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My name is Mason McGough, an electrical engineering student from UNF. Today the other members of the Ghana Project and I traveled to a village on the outskirts of Tamale to visit the local women who harvest and produce shea butter.<br />
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To this day, the women of Tamale make shea butter by hand using the traditional method. In the heart of this ancient village of clay huts, the ladies showed us step-by-step how to make the popular butter they have used and sold for generations.<br />
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The butter is extracted from the fruits of the shea tree that grows here in sub-Saharan Africa. First the sweet meat of the fruit is removed, revealing a core similar to that of a small avocado. The brittle shell of this seed is removed by smashing the seed with a blunt object until the raw nut is exposed.<br />
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Next the raw cores are crushed until they achieve a grainy consistency. This process has been expedited at this particular home with the aid of a mechanical device.<br />
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These grounds are then left out in the sun to dry. Once sufficiently dry, the grounds are placed inside an iron cylinder, which is spun over a fire like a spit until the grounds are reduced to a fine powder.<br />
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Next the powder is mixed by hand in a bowl with water. As the mixing continues, the mixture begins to solidify into a paste, changing from dark brown to off-white after quite a bit of churning.<br />
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This process is difficult and time-consuming, so the women will often take turns stirring a batch until the proper color and consistency is obtained. Within the first few minutes of mixing, the paste begins to look a lot like chocolate ice cream, though that could just be the homesickness talking to me.<br />
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Once the paste has settled into its off-white color, it is then cooked in a cauldron.<br />
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As the pot is heated and stirred, it begins to separate into two layers. On the surface forms the light butter, which is scooped out with a ladle. Underneath forms a dense layer of black sludge. The people of this village are resourceful and will use this byproduct in paints.<br />
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The butter is then set aside to cool down. Once it's thoroughly settled, the women take it to use themselves or to sell in the markets. Shea butter is an important resource to the people of Ghana, who use it to moisturize the skin, repel mosquitos, treat hair, and in cooking. <br />
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2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-52642445453172491532013-05-06T18:45:00.001-04:002013-05-06T18:45:48.209-04:00My name is Corey Jones, and I am an Honors student on the UNF Ghana Project 2013. I love Ghana so much and I am having such a wonderful time here. The culture and the way of life here is so fascinating and I can't get enough of it. I miss all of my friends and family but I feel like I will miss this place a lot too. I would write more but I am exhausted from all the things that we have been doing, so I'm going to sleep now. I love all of you at home, goodnight!2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-21413465142020961082013-05-04T05:31:00.001-04:002013-05-04T05:31:10.969-04:00My 1st Ghanaian Market ExperienceHi! My name is Beatrice & I'm a first timer to the Ghana Project. Here's a bit about my 1st Ghanian market experience! =)<br />
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Ok! Now I love to shop & came to Ghana fully expecting to purchase & bring home plenty of gifts but nothing could prepare me for this shopping experience! As we drove through the streets of Accra people were already selling their merchandise on, in the middle, & on the sides of the streets; so you could only imagine the pressure of being in one central location surrounded by vendors. The MOMENT we walked off the bus people were trying to get us into their stations. It was like walking into a real-life world of pop up ads! Everywhere you turned people were trying to get your attention & give their best persuasive snippet on why you should purchase their items. There were a variety of paintings, cloths, wooden figures, etc. and eventually, after learning how to barter, meeting a bunch of vendors, & having a few laughs (each encounter becoming more interesting than the last) I survived with 2 paintings, a few bracelets, Shea butter, & a new found appreciation of online shopping lol. Definitely a day in Ghana I will never forget. <br />
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-Beatrice C.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsM-Gvot_e5Xe_TbBND68TTkY73VYw6IWCbc00ehONnu5Y1aHdyMcLkW0rFAt5sXFhyphenhyphenWUR5COCrjOqGEflhd9Kin1bZCTXAJ_ctrPF1wV3uMuhbxa5g3hVZtP-T-RreTnlKGjs_X0GB44O/s1600/arts_centre.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsM-Gvot_e5Xe_TbBND68TTkY73VYw6IWCbc00ehONnu5Y1aHdyMcLkW0rFAt5sXFhyphenhyphenWUR5COCrjOqGEflhd9Kin1bZCTXAJ_ctrPF1wV3uMuhbxa5g3hVZtP-T-RreTnlKGjs_X0GB44O/s320/arts_centre.jpg" height="400" width="383" /></a>2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-90256428001678975602013-05-02T16:32:00.001-04:002013-05-02T21:19:46.173-04:00Ghana Project 2013We are waiting to board our flight to Ghana!<br />
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This year, the UNF Engineers Without Borders Ghana Project team will complete their fourth engineering project at the Tamale Children's Home. The team of four engineering students spent the last two semesters designing and planning water improvements for the Home. Their project will focus on bringing water to the building where the older children live at the Home. They will connect to the existing municipal water supply line and run several hundred feet of pipe to new water storage tanks, install a pump and an elevated storage tank on an existing reinforced concrete tower. The water inflow will connect to an indoor shower, sink and toilet. The team will connect outflow from the toilet to an existing septic tank and will construct a graywater infiltration pit to safely dispose of the outflow from the shower and sink. This system is the last major water system that the Home administration have requested and will mirror the systems that the 2009 and 2011 UNF student teams constructed at the infant nursery and kitchen buildings at the Home.<br />
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The second project that this year's team will focus on is filling in a five foot diameter, thirty-two foot deep open well, that was abandoned fifteen years ago, but poses a serious falling hazard to the children and contamination hazard to the local water table. <br />
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We are all excited for the next two weeks of adventure and travel!2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-89269280649659524492012-12-22T19:45:00.002-05:002013-04-06T00:19:43.004-04:00Let the fundraising begin!The holiday season is here, and the project plans are coming together nicely. With final designs on the way, we have the materials list for the 2013 projects close to wrapped up! With the materials list, we are also able come up with a budget for the projects. <br />
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Visit our page today to see what our estimated budget is, and you will be able to make a small donation to the trip if you wish! <br />
<a href="https://www.alumni.unf.edu/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?&pid=392&srcid=183"></a><br />
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If you prefer to make a donation by check, you can send them to:<br />
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UNF Ghana Project 2013<br />
1 UNF Drive<br />
Bldg.50 Room 2500<br />
c/o Dr. Eason<br />
Jacksonville, FL 32224<br />
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Be sure to spread the word of our work to your friends and family who may be interested in seeing what a group of engineering students are able to accomplish.<br />
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To find out more about how EWB-USA is making a difference, go to ewb-usa.org<br />
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Thanks in advance for your support.<br />
2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-84524628169661823622012-06-01T12:21:00.001-04:002012-06-01T12:21:24.886-04:00Pictures!Watch the slide show below or click on this link to view some of the highlights of our trip:<br />
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/113653345346141488842/albums/5748732248221029265">https://plus.google.com/photos/113653345346141488842/albums/5748732248221029265</a><br />
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<br />2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-78039098945663687112012-05-15T07:02:00.003-04:002012-05-15T15:52:09.180-04:00Water is LifeMy name is Katrina Myers, and I am the Engineers Without Borders - USA professional mentor for the engineering project. I am a water resources engineer, and I have been involved with this project since 2005. This is my sixth trip to Ghana.<br />
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Each time I return, I learn something new. This trip was no exception. The barriers that prevent the Tamale Children's Home from having reliable access to clean water are different than I thought a week ago. Every year, without fail, Augustina (the administrator of the Home) says that their number one need is water. And, every year, the students design improvements their water system - storage tanks, pumps, graywater drainage, etc, etc. Their need for water is nothing new.<br />
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When the students called Augustina early this year, they discovered that the Home had not received municipal water since October. The Home uses rainwater and borehole water to supplement the municipal supply, which is their only "clean" water.<br />
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When we arrived last week, they still didn't have water. In order to understand the water shortages, we followed the system upstream and examined every aspect as best we could.<br />
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<b><u>Water at the Home</u></b><br />
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We spoke with a local water expert, who has worked at the Home for many years, and filled in the gaps with information from Mumuni (a sixteen-year-old boy who lives at the Home and does most of the heavily lifting and upkeep) and Augustina. The Home has received municipal water three times since October, and they order tanker trucks of water to drink. The on-site water storage tanks (many of which UNF team's installed) allow them to survive for one month without refilling. Augustina mentioned that she had been billed for months that they had not received any water. The Home pays a flat fee for water 70 GH Cedis per month per building (compared to an average month per capita income in the Northern Region of approximately 25 GH Cedis). The Home could reduce their monthly bill significantly if the water company would install a meter and charge them for the volume of water used instead of the flat fee.<br />
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Jeff Carling led the water meter investigation</div>
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<b><u>Local Water Authorities</u></b><br />
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When we spoke with Stephen Tecku, the Tamale Municipal Assembly Engineer, he mentioned that about 70% of Tamale lacked water due to power outages, which had disabled the main pump station.<br />
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Then, we visited the local water company to discuss installing a meter on the Home's main line, and to find out the prognosis for the water system. The regional manager said that they could install a water meter. He sent two for his employees out with us to the site to gather information for a cost estimate. The employees determined that the Home was connected to an old galvanized line from the '70s and not to the new PVC line at the main road. The neighborhood across the street, which is connected to the PVC line, is receiving water weekly - still a shortage, but not nearly as severe as the Home had experienced. Instantly, our focus shifted to connecting the main line instead of installing a meter. <br />
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The water company's office was impressive - enclosed by a 12ft concrete wall, air-conditioned with covered parking outside</div>
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Water tanker trucks are common in Tamale, but the quality of the water that they deliver is always uncertain.</div>
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<b><u>Water Source and Treatment</u></b><br />
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While we were at the water company office, we also asked about the city's water source and treatment, more out of curiosity than anything else.<br />
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The City draws water from the White Volta, and the water intake and treatment plant are located in 30km outside of town. Cosmos (our travel guide) was happy to set up a visit to the facility.<br />
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The water intake tower was located in the middle of the river, connected to the bank by a concrete footbridge. The water level was low because of a dam in Burkina Faso, but the area floods when the gates open.</div>
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The water treatment plant contained similar equipment to treatment facilities in the U.S. </div>
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With only two civil engineering majors on the trip, the majority of the students were not familiar with the water treatment process and learned quite a bit on our tour</div>
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The technical knowledge and enthusiasm of the men who showed us through the plant gave us hope for the water system in Tamale</div>
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Cool, clear water flowed into a pipeline to the city. </div>
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<b><u>Next Steps...</u></b><br />
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We left Tamale without resolving the water connection at the Home. We met with the director of the Social Welfare department (the agency responsible for the Home) on our way out of town. He made a commitment to work on the water connection over the next month and report back to us. Although, the pessimist in me doubts any progress will be make in such a short time.<br />
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In our meeting, Gordon (CEO of CTB World Travel, our main in-country contact) said "water is life". This is so true, and it is visible in the children at the Home. The ramifications of not having water affect the children's health. Not only do they suffer from more instances of diarrhea because they are more likely to ingest bacteria. But also, the majority of the infants and toddlers suffer from severe skin infections because the shortage of water forces the women at the Home to bath all of them in one shared bucket of dirty water.<br />
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The infrastructure that supplies the water to Tamale gives me hope that improvements are coming soon. But, seeing the issue the children face every day makes me feel like soon is not quick enough.<br />
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<br />2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-68401176195765528762012-05-14T06:12:00.000-04:002012-05-14T06:12:26.968-04:00Day 7 - The ProjectMy name is Alex and I am a senior civil engineering student at the University of North Florida. I am also a member of the engineering design team for the UNF Ghana Project 2012! My teammates and I have spent the last week in Tamale, Ghana implementing our engineering designs for the Tamale Children's Home.<br />
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I cannot believe how quickly and smoothly its gone by. Tomorrow is our last day of construction and there is not much left to do. I feel that I have learned so much throughout the last seven days about engineering, culture, health, and so many other issues. <br />
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I think one of our biggest accomplishments is really coming together and working like a team. The leader of our team was detained in DC for the entire week of construction and it was difficult for us to get organized and productive at first. After some confusion and chaos, we were able to come together and really work like a team. <br />
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One aspect of our project that has been interesting is that we are a multidisciplinary team consisting of 2 civil's and 6 mechanical's, and we have been able to learn and grow from each other. <br />
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Our project is small... its main focus was on installing grease/sediment traps in three locations for the home. I remember when we started this project back in August and developed the scope of our service project; back then is seemed so small and simple; not noteworthy. I had this idea in my head that in order to make a big difference you needed to construct a big project. I have come realize in the past 7 days that this is not at all the case. These small simple projects are just as important, if not more important than the big, flashy ones. They are more important than donating large sums of money. It is these small impacts that take place in a community that help to build and unite people to make positive change.<br />
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Brian (mechanical engineering student) and Chase (civil engineering student) working together to build the grease trap forms.</div>
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Michelle and Amy (honor students) cutting form boards.</div>
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The team installed two pump housings and slabs.</div>
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Cody (engineering team leader) FINALLY got his visa and made it to the Home in time to help put the finishing touches on the project. </div>
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The team installed two propane housings and slabs.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> The team installed</span><span style="text-align: center;"> a propane stove in the nursery, which the staff at the Home will use to sanitize baby bottles.</span></div>
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Before leaving the Home, the team taught the people to use their new systems.</div>
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The team installed three concrete grease/sediment traps at the Home to improve their graywater drainage.</div>
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Each water tank was numbers and labeled with important information about the source and destination of the water. </div>
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During breaks in construction, the team members enjoyed playing with the children at the Home.</div>
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Before we left, Dr. Eason handed the keys to the project over to Augustina Quainoo (the administrator of the Home).</div>
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<br />2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-43174579891170218542012-05-07T17:42:00.001-04:002012-05-07T17:43:01.918-04:00Day 6 - The Fulera ExperienceHello! I'm Kaitlyn, an honors/nursing student. Today, Alyssa, Marcia and I had the amazing opportunity to delve deeper into the healthcare component of the trip. After dropping the engineering and honors students off at the children's home, we were then dropped off at Madame Fulera's Maternity Clinic. We had been sitting out back for a little bit while the nurses prepared for the day, when one nurse let us know that a woman in labor had come in. <br />
The three of us quickly made our way into the labour ward, where Sister Dorris, Sister Jane, and Sister Gladys (the three nurses) were scrambling around trying to figure out what to do and trying to put on gloves. The midwife, Madame Fulera, who started the clinic had not arrived yet so one nurse phoned her to come quickly. They actually expected Alyssa--and even Marcia at one point--to know what to do. One nurse broke the woman's water with a syringe, which I found very interesting. I also noticed throughout this process that the woman made hardly any sound, which was pretty incredible considering that she had no epidural. Eventually the head began to come out. When the head was fully exposed, we noticed that the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. The nurses were screaming and shouting to PUSH and one nurse even slapped the mother. The baby soon came out, limp and very pale. I was certain that the baby was dead, making it very difficult to watch, however the nurses were able to resuscitate him! He was very weak but eventually gained some color. We were pretty much all in shock at that point. The women then had us weigh him and help clean him off and wrap him up. <br />
When that was all over, we decided to head out into the nearby village to do outreach. As we were leaving another woman who believed she might be in labor came into the clinic. We walked through the streets to this village and went to various houses to give treatment to those who might need it. What we found was that most of the people had health insurance cards, but they had been expired for up to 6 months. For those who had current health insurance cards, we took blood pressure and gave them medication. One man really stuck out to us in one of the homes. He had just been discharged from the hospital after 4 months, with pain in his side, swollen legs, and a catheter. He was in pretty bad shape, but there was nothing we could do. <br />
When we arrived back at the clinic, the second woman who had come in had begun to have contractions. We helped to deliver that baby as well. Shockingly, the baby girl also had her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. She was okay, though, after the cord was removed from around her neck. The nurses went through the same processes as before.<br />
As if the day weren't intense and exciting enough, another woman came hopping in with blood dripping from her foot. Apparently she had been in a motorbike accident that left her with a huge gash in her toe and a missing toenail. The women flushed the wound out with what looked to be alcohol and put gauze on it, but they could not suture it because the numbing medicine was not able to be found. At that point we had to leave, as our bus had just arrived.<br />
The whole experience at Madame Fulera's today taught me several things. I observed the lack of sanitation methods as well as the lack of careful handling and techniques and was able to relate that to the lack that exists in other areas, such as water, strong government support, and education. My initial response of shock and frustration was altered when I realized that the healthcare people in Ghana do what they can with the minimal resources that they have. In order to advance and improve the healthcare, the people would need clean water, more and updated supplies, educated faculty, and better, more reliable government support. I also learned that the women in Ghana are very strong and tough. They had no pain medication what-so-ever, and hardly made any noise while giving birth. They gave birth very quickly and were out of the clinic within two hours after.<br />
I cannot believe we were able to experience so many incredible events today. It was really eye-opening to see the differences between healthcare in Ghana and the United States. <br />
<br />2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-85755571536868252962012-05-06T18:03:00.000-04:002012-05-06T18:03:19.553-04:00Day 5 - Africa HotMy name is Samantha, I'm a senior at UNF majoring in International Studies. First things first, HI MOM! Secondly, yes, it is THAT hot. It feels like it could be over 100 degrees, plus the humidity is outrageous and there is no wind. Regardless of the heat, the group really pulled together yesterday while constructing at the Tamale Children's home. As a team, we accomplished a lot. I'm not an engineer, so I won't go into detail about exactly <i>what</i> was built, at the risk of mistaking wire cutters for pliers in my explanation. But it was cool. As someone who has never worked with tools or cement or water testing kits, I can still safely say that this project is pretty cool. More importantly, the project has really enlightened the class. As a group, we're starting to realize that although this project will ultimately benefit the children's home, it's also benefiting us as individuals. For example, I've learned more about teamwork, especially in tough conditions. I've also realized how fortunate I am to be part of this project. And I've realized how fortunate I am, in general.<br />
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Tomorrow we place some of the final touches on the project. Something about removing wooden forms from the cement...but it's exciting! Everyone's hard work is paying off and I hope the children's home will be able to implement our project into their daily lives.</div>
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Here are some pics I've taken thus far!</div>
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Samantha</div>
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A typical Ghanaian meal consists of rice, veggies and chicken</div>
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The women in Tamale go about their daily business with loads of goods on their heads and babies on their backs.</div>
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The children at the home love to play with water bottles and sunglasses.</div>
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And, also gloves!</div>
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The nursery has 27 infants and toddlers who welcome the attention of our group. </div>
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The children (and some adults) enjoy looking at their pictures as we "snap" them.</div>
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Wherever we go, there are children following. </div>
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Even the young girls carry goods on their heads.</div>
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Sam, Caitlin, Michelle, Marina and Dargen visiting the Sheabutter processing village.</div>
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One of the infrastructure issues of Tamale is the drainage/sewage/garbage gutters, which run throughout the city.</div>
<br /></div>2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-37161369714671506452012-05-05T18:27:00.001-04:002012-05-05T18:27:06.906-04:00Day 4 - ConcreteToday we poured the concrete for the grease traps and the housing foundations. The day started off with couple of people feeling nauseous, including Marcia and Dr. Eason. Once we got to the home we started finishing up the forms so that the concrete could be poured, which took a couple of hours. The group started to get into a pretty good rhythm working together on several different tasks at once which helped the day go by a little faster.<br />
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Our overall efficiency as a group greatly improved once the forms were done and we started mixing the concrete, everyone lent a hand when it was needed and we all took turns doing the more labor intensive jobs to make sure no one passed out from heat exhaustion. Some of us also learned how easily heat exhaustion can set in. Kudos to Chase and Alex for manning the concrete mixer ALL day.<br />
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It was incredible hot out and the mixer was pumping out some thick smog so the fact that they were lifting buckets of cement, sand, water, and gravel all day is very impressive. Also the honors students helped out a lot with loading the buckets for Chase and Alex, especially Brad, he was shoveling all day. Once the concrete was mixed the workers we hired helped Matt fill the forms in while everyone else was fine tuning the concrete and the forms to make sure they were picture perfect. After 4 or 5 hours and several concrete "suggestions" from Katrina our job was done for the day and half of our project had taken shape. Then we cleaned up and headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest.<br />
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Aaron placing the grease trap form</div>
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Completed grease trap </div>
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Brian casting the grease trap lids</div>
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Alyssa adding cement to the concrete mix</div>
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Local workers helping cast the concrete</div>
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Chase and Alex were exhausted after a hard day of mixing concrete</div>
<br />2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-90007550630900531502012-05-05T16:44:00.000-04:002012-05-05T19:10:57.943-04:00Day 3 - Soon, very soonAfter an early breakfast we headed back to the children's home. Our Ghanaian work team was already working - digging the holes where we would be putting in the water filters and grease traps. We did some tearing down and breaking apart, the engineers doing most of the grunt work while the honors students looked on. A few of us girls gladly escaped into the nursery where we were surprised to find several babies lying around on the floor in the hallway. Since there are only a few women working in the home, the babies don't get much individual attention. They just wanted to be held, and we were happy to oblige. The little guy I picked up scratched at my face as if trying to figure out why my skin was such a strange color. There were three students from Belgium volunteering in the nursery as well as a guy who said he was from Papua New Guinea.<br />
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The older kids were at school in the morning, but in the afternoon they came to investigate. One little boy found a tape measure and was very entertained by the way the tape would snap back in when he pulled it out. The kids like our sunglasses. And they like having their picture taken. One girl grabbed my sunglasses off my head and then posed, saying "snap me!" I took her picture and then she put my glasses back on my head and said, "Now I snap you!" I showed her which button to push on my camera, while making sure to keep ahold of it.<br />
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As more kids came out, they ran around the playground and played various games. Their version of soccer is mainly keep away, with no goals and seemingly no solid rules. They taught us a sort of version of duck duck goose, which involved yelling "Ra ra there's fire on the mountain!" and slapping the "goose" on the back with a flip flop. Some of the younger kids had left their pants inside, but seemed unphased by being naked in the dirt. There was a lot of hitting and roughhousing going on, but even those getting sat on and kicked were laughing.<br />
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We needed a few supplies, and all of the honors girls went along to the market to fetch them. We tramped through the market stalls, passing a roasting meat station where whole chickens and cow heads lended their potent smell to the market. As we walked, we gained a following of children, and a lot of attention. At our second stop at the pvc store, a group of us split off in search of some fabric. We crossed the busy street, avoiding motorcycles and taxis, and found a table with rolls of cloth piled high like jenga pieces. The lady told us it was 120 cedis for two yards of cloth. No thank you. A few tables down we found some for eight cedes for two yards. We had fun picking out our favorite bright patterns.<br />
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We picked up lunch on the way back. By that time, it was about 3:00, so we all scarfed down our chicken and rice. </div>
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After lunch we left the engineers making molds for the concrete and went to a compound where a group of women make Shea butter. None of them spoke English, so our bus driver, Alex, interpreted for us. They showed us how they wash the Shea nuts and then grind them up and roast them over a fire until they get soft. The women have a contract with body works, and had actually just shipped out a lot of the butter the day before, but there was still a good bit of the stuff in a pot, looking like a ball of mashed potatoes. All of us filled our containers and then we got all the women to come take a picture with us. They were very friendly, laughing and trying to talk to us in Dagbani, then laughing again when we didn't understand them. </div>
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We got back to the children's home just as the engineers were finishing up, so we helped put away some of the tools and then headed back to the hotel, worn out and ready to shower and have dinner. </div>
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</div>2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-86270768002332400452012-05-03T20:46:00.003-04:002012-05-03T20:46:22.085-04:00Day 2 - Welcome to TamaleFinally...we are in Tamale! We flew in from Accra this afternoon and arrived at our hotel, the Radach Lodge, around 2pm. Thankfully, we have wifi so we will be able to blog every day during our journey! :) Just to introduce myself- My name is Lyssa, the honors and nursing student on this trip. I came last year with the group, and hopefully I can continue to come back with more nursing students!<br />
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After arriving in Tamale, we met Cosmos, our guide during this week. As we drove around he explained details about the town and showed us the taxi station, the educational ridge, the Tamale Stadium, and the largest mosque in Ghana. While we traveled through Tamale I noticed things look quite different from the southern region we were in. The roads have less traffic, there are mosques on almost every corner, and motorbikes, taxis, and bicycles are the way of transportation. This is quite different from our experience in Accra where the streets were crammed with cars and trucks! I noticed that there were not as many street sellers coming up to our van, which was a nice break since we had so many in Accra.<br />
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After unpacking at the hotel, we went to Swad's Fast Food for lunch. It is an outside restaurant with surprisingly quick service! We tried chicken marsala, mushroom lamb, jollof rice, vegetable curry, and (my favorite) potato chips. After lunch we went to the Tamale Children's Home where we we implement the engineering design project over the next week. We took a tour of the property and looked at how the polytanks were holding up from last year and double checked our design plans since this is the first time most of us have seen the place in person.<br />
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One thing I noticed that made me very happy was the road improvements on the streets leading to the home. Last year the road to the children's home was only narrow enough for our bus to fit through, but this year it has been widened and drains have been put in alongside it. Cosmos told us that it will eventually be paved! Another big improvement I saw was a garbage can out in front of the home which is actually being used! This is something we were pushing for last year since trash is a very serious issue for the children.<br />
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So, while the engineers were assessing the property, some of the honors students and I went in to the nursery to check on the children. Several of them from last year have returned home to their fathers, but there are many new infants and toddlers in the nursery. They were all enthusiastic and excited to see us!<br />
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Well it's off to bed for now...tomorrow is going to be another adventure as we begin to work on the project and start to see all of the past year's hard work fall into place. :)<br />
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<br />2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-14366238005470919032012-05-02T18:26:00.000-04:002012-05-06T18:20:47.733-04:00Day 1 - AkwaabaSo. . .we made it. One person short and still waiting for Marcia, we're at our hotel in Accra. We intend to post a blog each day written by a different student every time to update our friends and family at home. I'm Christine, an honors member of our team, and I'm the one starting this epic of our adventures in Africa.<br />
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We ran into our first snag before we even left the country. We made it to Dulles airport to discover Cody's (the lead engineering student who went on this trip last year) visa was a single entry instead of the multiple entry visa he paid for. Dr. Eason, Cody and Katrina spent the entire time between flights trying to get him on the plane but he ended up staying in D.C. for the night. As of this post, we still don't know when he'll get here but we hope he can make it to work with us in Tamale. </div>
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Once we arrived in Accra, after a 10 hour flight, we were shuffled through immigration, grabbed our bags, and breezed through customs following Katrina's lead. Gordon (Marcia's contact in Ghana who sets up the tourist part of the trip each year) met us at the airport and immediately loaded us on to a bus. Crammed in like sardines, and fighting for a window seat, we set off to tour the capital of Ghana. </div>
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I've personally never traveled abroad so this is all very new to me. I still can't believe I'm here. Sometimes I look around and it seems very much like America, but other times, I definitely know I'm on the other side of the world. We drove down the coast and saw the beach - caught in slow traffic all the way there, the street vendors took advantage of our stationery bus and tried to sell us everything under the sun. The women were wearing baskets on their heads filled with peanuts, sunglasses, water, toys, chocolate, plantain chips, maps, grapes, sim cards, calculators, bread, fried chicken, workout gear, buckets. . .quite literally anything you can think of. My favorite thing being sold were puppies! They like to come right up to the bus windows and talk to you through the glass - don't look them in the eye! Michelle, another honors member, caught a guys eye and he practically fell in love with her - trying to get her phone number - for the five or ten minutes we were stuck in traffic. She felt very awkward! </div>
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We stopped at a place that made specialty coffins. Established in 1957, this store made coffins into any shape you wanted. This is a big thing in Ghana. When a family member dies, some people bury them in a coffin that reflected their life. We saw a crab, coke bottle, fish, film camera, etc. They're expensive coffins but that's one way the Ghanaian's honor their dead. </div>
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We went straight to the hotel from there, through the west side of Accra and past some military schools and other important government buildings. There aren't specific areas where all the financial offices are or the embassys, everything is very spread out here. We could be passing a nice government building and then five minutes down the road there are small huts with tin roofs. One thing I noticed is all the trash along the sides of the road and in the alleys. Everything here just seems like someone started a project and forgot to finish or keep up with it. There are lots of pedestrians!</div>
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When we arrived at the hotel we just hung out around the pool waiting for dinner. It was surprisingly breezy out on the patio and gave us a false sense of the weather in Africa. We were comfortable cool outside, and felt stuffy inside our rooms. </div>
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It's bed time for most of us now, even though our body clocks still think it's 4pm but we have a busy couple days ahead at the site in Tamale. Without Cody, we're trying to distribute the leadership among the engineers, but we really hope he makes it here soon! We miss his constant bantering with Eason.</div>
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We'll post some pictures along with this blog so you can follow our journey! </div>
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Good night!</div>
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</div>2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-8828380544502732872012-05-01T22:55:00.001-04:002012-05-01T22:55:05.671-04:00Ghana project 2012We are about to take off from the DC airport headed for Accra! We have a great project and trip planned, more updates to follow. Stay tuned!2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-33220214397479588322011-06-08T23:04:00.000-04:002011-06-08T23:04:41.406-04:00Welcome Home: You want pictures? I got picturesWe've been back in the states now for just about two weeks, just enough time to catch our breath and return to some version of normalcy. (**Phew** wipes sweat off brow, what's next)<br>
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So do you want to see some pictures?<br>
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No? Well ok, if you say so.<br>
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Just kidding, of course you want to see pictures.<br>
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<a href="http://ghanaprojectunf.blogspot.com/2011/06/welcome-home-you-want-pictures-i-got.html#more">Read more »</a>2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-32492586989573573762011-05-22T14:47:00.000-04:002011-05-22T14:47:22.525-04:00The Great Kumasi Market RaceThe Kumasi Market is the frenetic heart of the city of Kumasi. Kumasi is the 2nd largest city in Ghana and is a large metropolis. This was the setting for the greatest race of all time. (I imagine that being said in a deep, echo-ee, announcer voice). Three teams, the Asante, the Fanti, and the Ga pitted their muscles, wits, and craft abilities to unload the most yams, make the most shoes, form the most tins, and arrive at the finish line first. Each team had one hour at each station to complete the highest number of tasks possible.<br>
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<a href="http://ghanaprojectunf.blogspot.com/2011/05/great-kumasi-market-race.html#more">Read more »</a>2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-50989238473004349622011-05-20T05:04:00.000-04:002011-05-20T05:04:26.587-04:00The Project is....The team is now in Kumasi, and has completed the Great Kumasi Market Race, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's talk about the project first:<br />
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The project is a success! <br />
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What you want more detail? <br />
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After the propane stove was leak tested, the fire department came in and taught the women of the home how to use the system. This included a demonstration of the fire extinguisher. Each of the women got to light the stove, and put it out with the fire extinguisher. At the loud pop noise of the extinguisher, the women all jumped, and Madam Quainoo managed to get out of the room in about a millisecond. After it was all said and done, one of the women did a I'm making Banku celebratory dance around the stove. It was really impressive and satisfying. <br />
<br />The water system was also completed. This was the largest and most complex part of the project. It involved storage, delivery, and sanitation and required the most work to get done. Workers came out a dug the ditches and excavation pit for us. Putting it all together seemed like an insurmountable task, especially as the days started to wane, and we still didn't have workers or sand. Amazingly we managed to get the entire thing done. <br />
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Yesterday was the Great Kumasi Market Race. But since I'm out of time, I'll just leave that as a teaser for my next post. <br />
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We love and miss you all!<br />
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Hugs!<br />
Maria2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-10316065510365755362011-05-14T11:16:00.000-04:002011-05-14T11:16:12.499-04:00Update from Tamale - A Rainy AfternoonWe are still here in Tamale working on the project, today was a hot day but we had an afternoon rain that helped cool things off a little. Some of us have seen the clinic and have been working on health assessments of the children and staff at the Tamale Children's Home. We have found difficulties getting materials to the site as the Ghanaians run on what we call "Ghana Time". It basically means when you think you will get a pile of sand to make concrete that afternoon it still hasn't come by the next day. Not everything takes that long, but many things we have no idea how long we will wait for. Steve Teku, the city engineer of Tamale, came today and we were very excited to have his help and he should be able to speed things up so we can continue working on the project. The next couple days should move smoothly and we leave on Tuesday for Kumasi, where the next part of our adventure takes place. We are getting excited for the big market race! Toodles for now!<br />
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Natalie, Brandy, and Amber2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-42361511927167209812011-05-13T12:45:00.001-04:002011-05-13T12:49:57.061-04:00Ghana Project Update: Day 3This is the first chance I've had to get into an internet cafe since arriving in Ghana. <br>
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Everyone
has arrived safely in Tamale, and we have gotten to work on our
project. Yesterday, the honor students got all dirty knocking down an
adobe chicken coop behind the kitchen. Meanwhile, Heather, Nicole,
Katrina, Dr. Eason, and I went shopping to get supplies to get our
project underway. Shopping is quite an experience. We visited one
hardware shop that from the side we saw was maybe the size of a
smallish two car garage. Every spare space was crammed with tools, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1305304761_12">plumbing supplies</span>,
nails, and bits of randomness to the point that there was just a narrow
walkway to move through the store. There was even a huge gate valve
that looked like it belonged in a NY sewer. Yet despite being so small,
the store had most of what we needed. Workers would go into the back,
and come out with 20 ft sections of copper and <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1305304761_13">PVC pipe</span>, or hammers and other tools since some of the ones hanging were only for display. It was a bit like Mary Poppins bag. <br>
<a href="http://ghanaprojectunf.blogspot.com/2011/05/ghana-project-update-day-3.html#more">Read more »</a>2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-11057934898750566602011-05-10T07:33:00.001-04:002011-05-13T12:48:39.957-04:00We're in LondonThis morning I woke up in London. That's right. The lights in the plane came on and we were about an hour outside of London. Now I will admit that I felt a little like a human pretzel, but the fact tthat we were almost in London made my day that much brighter . And while it was still about 3:30 AM EST, it was 8:30 AM GMT. (That first cup of coffee was a blessing). <br />
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We rode on the biggest jet I've ever been on. (I know there are bigger jets). The engines were Rolls Royce. It had two levels and that cool Club World seating (not that I got to sit there) where your seat turns into a bed. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmmjosoZMnCRsD7pm8kInefdDZQlS1T9JtTixah6RDDB9BZx3RByYtgaiztUuH1dMmKP_jb7TsXiOKwSa2n39SYV7M4oU3iqf3_P904bjNhK7H1FSYNdaHy6c5MRMLmdjJJm6tCcbNmIX/s1600/IMG_0049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmmjosoZMnCRsD7pm8kInefdDZQlS1T9JtTixah6RDDB9BZx3RByYtgaiztUuH1dMmKP_jb7TsXiOKwSa2n39SYV7M4oU3iqf3_P904bjNhK7H1FSYNdaHy6c5MRMLmdjJJm6tCcbNmIX/s320/IMG_0049.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After a trip to Boots (Think CVS or Walgreens but British and a high end mall layout), now some of my teammates are crashed out. Which is not surprising since we only got about 4 hours of less than comfortable rest. </div>
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Everyone arrived safe, happy, and excited to be in London. Next stop, Accra! Two continents in two days.2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-43954419811414587252011-05-08T13:47:00.001-04:002011-05-08T13:48:38.426-04:00Not Your Ordinary Team: Take 2Here is take 2 of the meet the team series.<br>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Nicole R.</u><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Major: </b>Civil
Engineering<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Class Standing: </b>Graduated<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Five Things:</b>
Chaco sandals, camera, chapstick, journal, pen<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nicole is a recent graduate of the Civil Engineering
program. Very recently (YESTERDAY), she married her long time sweetheart. Congratulations
Nicole and Brehnan! Nicole, you looked gorgeous, and Brehnan looked positively
dapper.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div><a href="http://ghanaprojectunf.blogspot.com/2011/05/not-your-ordinary-team-take-2.html#more">Read more »</a>2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-29220434034177711252011-05-07T00:28:00.001-04:002011-05-07T00:32:37.129-04:00The Team: Not your ordinary students<br>
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The Ghana Project consists of a group of diverse students
with degrees ranging from engineering to nursing to international studies. We
come from different backgrounds, and have different career paths. The most
important thing we have in common is a belief in this project. Since we leave
for Ghana in just a few days (Monday!), I thought this would be the perfect
opportunity to spotlight our team. I sent each team member the same 20 questions,
which even I answered. I'll be posting this in a series so here's the first one. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Here is a summary of their responses. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://ghanaprojectunf.blogspot.com/2011/05/team-not-your-ordinary-students.html#more">Read more »</a>2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-15527684909792743302011-04-14T23:32:00.000-04:002011-04-14T23:32:48.701-04:00Enginerds ahoy!<br>
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This week has been a whirlwind. One minute I was just moving
along at a nice relaxed southern rate. (Marcia would call it Ghana time) The
next minute I had so much to do, and no time to do it in. Between preparations
for Senior Design Symposium on Wednesday, Senior Dinner on Monday, and trying
to find time to work on a final paper for our West Africa Seminar, (not to
mention the countless exams my teammates have had this week) late nights, and
early mornings have been status quo since last week. <o:p></o:p><br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_1N9T5s4CbBMA4KwIEGJpJQk0w-C9Rz2SRvGMPhNQ3yDBK2ZEM7Mtv3I9guk00MOO81TmhR7IwYhgx3_ju417Y4-MlErQPLcSBbqYPbXvfZhYjzWlf4x7JpbupvTUQOHm0nM4N5ljlzN/s1600/team+%2528or+most+of+us+anyway%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_1N9T5s4CbBMA4KwIEGJpJQk0w-C9Rz2SRvGMPhNQ3yDBK2ZEM7Mtv3I9guk00MOO81TmhR7IwYhgx3_ju417Y4-MlErQPLcSBbqYPbXvfZhYjzWlf4x7JpbupvTUQOHm0nM4N5ljlzN/s320/team+%2528or+most+of+us+anyway%2529.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Half of the Ghana Project Team at Symposium<br></td></tr>
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</div><a href="http://ghanaprojectunf.blogspot.com/2011/04/enginerds-ahoy.html#more">Read more »</a>2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395756240899085827.post-62130417870690826142011-04-02T22:15:00.000-04:002011-04-02T22:15:02.934-04:00Comfort FoodThe team met at Comfort Foods on Thursday night to try traditional Ghanaian cooking. Anticipation was high and the team was excited to taste everything. "Am I going to be able to eat Ghanian food for 16 days?" was definitely a question in the back of everyone's mind.<br>
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The travel team, and a few extra arrived before Marcia, so we decided to check out the Ghanaian market which was in the same plaza. The market was small, about the size of a convenience store. Most of the items inside seemed to be food staples, like rice flour. There were whole smoked chickens in boxes. On a shelf in the back was smoked fish. Wikipedia tells me (I know I know) that smoking meats has been around forever as a way to preserve meats and proteins which ordinarily spoil quickly. In a place were electricity is intermittent and refrigeration is iffy at best smoking meat is such an obvious solution. It is just another reminder of the luxuries we take for granted.<br>
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<a href="http://ghanaprojectunf.blogspot.com/2011/04/comfort-food.html#more">Read more »</a>2013 Ghana Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05498588448407115205noreply@blogger.com0