Experiencing People
on The Ghana Experience (Ghana), 18/Jul/2010 12:11, 34 days ago
16-17 July 2010Some of the posts might be boring for the readers as nothing excitinghappens, but these posts are serving as my diary as well and everyexperience counts some where so I am going to write about them howevertrivial they may be.Yesterday on 16th I went to Bolga for the sector meeting whichbasically involved meeting of volunteers working in Secured Livelihoodgoal area and in the Upper East Region. The meeting, as majority ofthe meetings are, did not result into any great decision or anything.But some of the things related to work, problems at the placement andthe goal area were discussed and it proved useful to some extent.One man came near me when I started walking from my office at Bongotowards the circle where one catch bus for Bolga. He told me his nameand started asking me whether I want some lady to clean my house. Theprevious volunteer living at my place had recruited. He told that hewas a teacher. He looked very ragged and certainly did not look like ateacher. I told him that I can do the job myself and I did not wanthis help. This is true because I have a lot of free time as theyfollow five days working week system, I don't have to commute to theplace and I don't mind doing that job. But the first thought was tojust get that person away from me as he had came offering someunwanted help without any reference.While I was waiting for bus or some shared taxi at the circle. I askedone guy near me about the timings of the bus and had some smalldiscussion on the scene around us. When bus arrived, there were notmany people around, but they all started to stand in a queue to enterinto the bus. The conductor, who was a lady gave everybody ticket.Very disciplined for a rural area!! This guy offered me to come nearhim so that I shall be near the start of the queue. I accepted hisgesture. He sat besides me in the bus. He asked my name and then hewanted my address and number etc. I was not sure about whether Ishould give him or not. I did not give it though he kept on asking meabout it and where could he meet me. I told him to meet me at thedistrict assmebly office. Poor lad knew it will be difficult for himto get catch of me there. I had to maintain that because I did notknow whether I could trust him or not.While returning from Bolga, I found that at 17:00 in the evening,despite the closeness of Bongo to Bolga i.e. 15Km, there were no busesor shared taxis available. I had to charter a taxi and go back toBongo.I spent the next day reading Ghana travel guides and deciding onplaces which can be visited during the period I am going to be here.In the morning, two boys came to the house and told me that they couldclean the weeds near the house. I looked out side. All the neighbourshad clean yards. I thought why not to get it cleared. I told them toproceed. Besides, it was good to have somebody around the house. Theyfinished the job and started to look at me. I gave them one cedi note.They took it happily. I asked them about the school and their teacherand what will they do with the money. One of the boy told me that theywill buy some soap for the house. They added further that they couldplant some flowers around the house if I wanted it. Really smart boys!I thanked them and they ran away laughing out loud. Surely they werenot going to buy the soap.While I was giving the note to the boys, my neighbours' small boy waswatching it. He came to the house and knocked the door. I saw himstanding with his eyes closed and palms spread as if begging. The way,he was behaving, was just sickening . The same boy had came the daybefore when his mother had sent him to tell me that the water supplyhad started and I could fetch the water. I had liked his round eyesfilled with innocence then. I told him to go home but he came again. Itold him that I can only give him a biscuit. He looked happy and thenwent away with it. I heard his mother scolding him afterwards.