KoSa Beach Resort

Most of us rose at 6.30 this morning (I won't name names) and went for a walk along the beach. The sand is fine like brown sugar and we all enjoyed a good pedicure. Today being Tuesday there are no boats on the ocean as Ghanaians believe that Tuesday is the day of the week that the Godess of the sea gives birth to new and plentiful supplies. Today is seen as a fertile day and couples who pledge their marriage on this day are assured of 10 children. Even our driver reminded us not to swim today as the sea will take you away.The truth is that the waves and the currents are so strong that we had decided even before travelling here that swimming would not be an option. We'll have to stick to the our own piece of the Atlantic at the Flaggy Shore.

The girls are now catching a few rays on the beach before we depart.We will reach the capital, Accra in about 2 hours but then it will take 3-4hrs to cross the city to Adente and the Spiritan house for our final evening. Traffic around Accra is a nightmare and you just have to go with it and enjoy the roadside sights. I do pity the drivers though, its like driving through one long continuous "Red Cow" roundabout.

We are now at the stage of looking back and trying to reflect on all we experienced. Tonight we will take time as a group together to discuss our highs and lows, our expectations before travelling and the reality we have lived.

I believe that the highlight for all of us and for different reasons was the time in school. This was what it was all about, having an immersion into a new culture, an experience of a developing country first hand. But, you can never be sure how it will all pan out. The truth is that each one of the girls has been brilliant, they have engaged fully in every new task and there has not been one word of complaint. They ate the food they were given, drank their water at Anne's request and got a decent amount of sleep each evening all of which kept them well and able for the long days and the heat.

The staff of Notre dame could not have been more welcoming and really understood that we wanted the girls to get as close as possible to a real experience of school life and that they did apart from the opening and closing ceremonies. Yet, we do understand that we did cause a stir and that everyone was very aware that this was no ordinary week in the life of the school but we all know that a break from the routine can be very positive for all concerned and this was how it was looked upon in Notre Dame too

Will this trip be life changing? I don't think that any of us would dare suggest that the 2 weeks together will shape these young lives but I do think that it will be character forming. I do believe that perceptions have been changed or maybe even formed having never been considered before. Minds have certainly been broadened and our hope is that in making decisions later in life that more informed decisions will be made. These could be big decisions like career choices or even more simply like shopping decisions. The truth is that we will all slot back into our respective lives as one has to live in the society to which they belong but every now and then we will draw upon the bank of memories, the images, and the friendships formed and that will bring a smile to our faces.

Having Aidlink facilitate our trip has opened up so much more than we could ever achieve on our own. Anne's long experience in Africa brings a richness to this project that is hard to quantify, but, definitely doors have been opened to us to give us access to African life. Anne is development education in action.