Africa notes: Part deux

M'ma ache! (Good morning!)

Day Four in Ghana. May I just declare it's been lovely so far. I still can't believe I'm here. It hits me every so often when I pause to reflect. I'm simply amazed of where I am and how I got here. I mean – who am I? Who would have thought that me - a simple girl from little Mombasa - would get the opportunity to study what I did, where I did and do what I do. Craziness, if you must ask me.

So..Saturday was my 'day off'. I got connected to a friend of a friend who lives here. She very graciously came to get me around mid-morning so we could go 'roam around town'. While I was waiting for Victoria (she was an hour late..hehe..African-time! Y'all better not complain when I'm like 10 minutes late for things!), I started chatting with this woman over breakfast. A native of Cameroon, but living in Harare, Zimbabwe - she'd come to Accra to facilitate a workshop. Such an interesting vivacious lady! A lawyer by training - she was a World Bank consultant working on the issue of strengthening systems in developing country governments, and how to build good governance from the ground up. Anyways - she was leaving for Harare on late-night flight, and had the day to 'roam around' - so I invited her to join me and Victoria.

Victoria, a shy graceful woman in her mid-20s, is working on her 'National Service' (an internship mandatory for those who go through public education in Ghana to 'pay the government back'). Throughout the day, I got the most interesting conversations with these lovely African women. Both so different in socio-economics, age, background, education - and yet - here we were - a Kenyan-Indian-soon-to-be-American, Ghanaian, and Cameroonian - spending the day sharing about our respective backgrounds and what motivates us to be where we are. And all this, in the midst of a jostling crowd while in a busy open-air market on a hot day. I was loving it!

There's more stories - like how we ate at this local restaurant with live chickens literally being slaughtered right outside! And how exciting it was to be on a trotro packed with more people than fingers on all my hands/feet. But let me not bore you with more minutiae. Again - it helps to "process" by writing. You unwittingly are someone that I'd love to tell these stories to right now, so here - you got this email! :)

This next week will be full of meetings - lots of listening/writing. Wish me luck - I'm conducting interviews with 20+ country health leaders who are at this conference that I'm attending. I did two yday evening. Talking with Africans is always joy - simple questions can take 1hr’s worth of long convoluted answers. (Wow. I know how YOU feel when you talk to me! ha!) Processing/analyzing these interviews will be fun when I get back.

Meda ase (thank you!)