Things that belong to the Ghana-experience: about churches and Malaria.
96% of the Ghanaians are religious. A fact that plays a big role in daily life. Shops are named like „Talk to Jesus Phone Shop“ or „Blood of Jesus Hair Care“, on every fifth corner there is a church, big, small, still under construction or already finished; and when starting a conversations it is likely to talk about belief. Every kind of religion is accepted, but only the „not-believing in anything“ is often hard to understand for the inhabitants. That’s how Muslims (about 30%), Christians (about 60%), Hindus, Buddhists or people who believe in traditional religions live together in peace.
A small church in Komenda
The majority here in the south of Ghana are Christians, that’s why for most of the people Sunday is the day to go to church. Sometimes also we, the volunteers (or at least some of us) join neighbours or friends to their church. So far visiting the Catholic Church, the Methodist Church and the Mosama Disco Christo Church we have only seen a few of the big variety of churches. And yeah, the Mosama Disco Christo Church is the place where people were dancing most: the length and breadth through the church, in lines, with donations in their hands and their babies on the back and of course supported by loud singing, drums and over modulated battery- and keyboard-sounds from the huge speakers. Definitely an adventure for me and the other volunteers – but with the duration of four hours also enough for four weeks 😉 The catholic mass in comparison is a little bit more strict and shorter so it reminded me of the mass in Germany. But if within two hours you nearly don’t understand anything as Fante is the language used in this mass it still might be tiring.
That’s how it went some weeks ago. When I arrived back home I was falling into the armchair on the veranda and I felt tired, even more tired than I usually feel. Eating and sleeping didn’t really help, my head was hurting more and more and the fever thermometer was climbing up and up. “It’s time for the Health Centre in Komenda” I thought, but unfortunately the 24 hours service doesn’t count on Sundays. Luckily I had already became friend with the medical assistant, who finally saved me with his visit at home, packet with Malaria test and strong drugs from an even more exhausting night – with Malaria… that’s how I became the second of the volunteers to stay in bed for three days with this common disease here around.
But thanks to the strong medicine soon I got stronger and I was fit again for the workshops, pounding Fufu or going for a run at the beach for sunrise… 🙂
Going for a run at the beach during sunrise is wonderful!
