GonetoGhanaNews

October 14, 2005

I have a home... for the next 2 years, starting December 3rd, I will be living in the village of Mpaha of the Northern Region. It is about an hour and a half to 3 hours (138km) south of Tamale depending on the frequency of cattle cars going down my road that day :D! I will be taking over a Guinea Worm project that has been going on for 2 years, making me the 2nd volunteer at this site. One of my Trainee friends has been to this site for a visit and said it is beautiful grass land... and I have my own little compound. There is no running water and no electricity in my village... so, no one will have TV!!! I am so excited to live in a place so far removed from the Western world.


There are several other volunteers (about 20), with whom I have become very good friends, all living with in a days trip from Tamale. There is a Peace Corps sub-office their where I can go to enjoy free internet, good company, and air conditioning when I need to get away. The Guinea worm season is only a few months out of the year... when there is stagnant water that may contain larve, which can be ingested if the water isn't boiled and filtered. It is easily prevented, but
very painful to contract. In the off-season, I can work with a clinic only 10 kilo away and a school only 20 kilo away for various projects... my mind is racing.

community stats:
population: 3720 men= 1099 women = 1133 children = 1488
Language: Gonja
Religions: Islam and Traditional Religion
Predominant occupation: Farming

Farmers here only make about 2 million cedis a year ($200), yet there are individuals in the community who take time to volunteer themselves and collaborate with Peace Corps to Eradicate the Guinea Worm. I am very excited to go to a community that is so active... last year there was only one case of Guinea worm in the whole village!


Also, I will be near the Mole National Reserve where they have all sorts of wildlife!!

That's all I have for now...
I hope all is well,
jenell OR Jamia, as my host family has renamed me b/c jenell is too hard to say.