Intense...Like Camping?

Elizabeth has one joke.  If someone describes anything as intense, she responds with “like camping?...as in, in tents.”  Get it?  We always give her a hearty laugh because we like to support our people, but you and I both know this isn’t that funny.  The segue here is that the last few days have been like camping…super intense.

We left the big city and made a 4 hour trek northeast into the Volta region to the small village of Kpando (silent “k”). Our in-road movie on the bus was  “Apostles of Hell.”  We are now in Ewe territory and fewer people speak English and Twi.

The exciting news is that the Dzidefo Women’s Cooperative began production of the Afia line!  I saw the physical product of something I imagined in my head.  Creation…Magic!  The production process is a learning experience for me and pretty grueling at times.  To see what goes into the making of something makes me appreciate the finished product even more.  I am looking forward to getting to know the women and their children.

At the office, doing what Elizabeth calls my "Rain Man."  

The Dzidefo Co-op is in the same complex as the Raybanz Mia orphanage (My Ray Bans?), who took us in for a few days and fed us THE best meals I’ve had in Ghana.  There are 7 orphanages just within miles of this town, with between 20-40 kids in each.  In conclusion, I’ll be adopting someday…

Kevin is thrilled that the orphanage uses handmade clay water filters.  You should see his eyes light up:  “The clay captures the larger particles and bacteria and the colloidal silver kills the smaller bacteria!!  They last for 10 years!!”  He has been our bodyguard, mule, family dog (as in we slip him our unfinished meals), and engineer.  Basically, we wouldn’t survive without him.  To create an accurate mental image of Kevin you must include beans: 

 

Dreamy: handwashing laundry.
Not Dreamy: two days without running water, the bank suspending my debit card despite alerting them of my travel plans, and taking a full day to upload these photos due to spotty internet.

<3 <3 <3