Site Visit to Likpe Todome and New Address

Once I move to Todome in mid August, I will be able to receive mail/packages at the address below.


Jeanna Rolsing, PCV
c/o Frank Dogbey
HoHoe Municipal Assembly
PO Box 126
HoHoe, Volta Region
Ghana
HoHoe is about 30 minutes from my village and is where the tourism office is located. Thanks for the mail hook up HoHoe Assembly!



July 7, 2010
So July 4th we left our homestays and had a 4th of July party at the spot in Kukarantumi complete with hotdogs and REAL Heinz ketchup (the Ghanaian “ketchup” is funky). But that morning, I woke up at 6am so my host mom could teach me to make my favorite Ghanaian dish, fried plantains and beans or in Twi, “Red Red” or in Ewe, “Abladgototoe kple Bobo.” So by 8am I was stuffing my face with heavy food and therefore could not get even one hotdog down…boooo.

After the festivities we bussed to Bunso where we met our counterparts and supervisors we will be working with for the next 2 years. We all had a 2-day conference together. My counterpart is Mawuli, aka Frances. He’s probably around my age, is really nice, and seems like a great person to work with. He’s the finance secretary of the Tourism Management Team in the village I will be in; he is also the caretaker at the guesthouse I’ll be living in. Fo Nicho is Mawuli’s supervisor and also my counterpart; he is older and seems really cool too. My supervisor is Frank; he lives in HoHoe and is the HoHoe District Tourism Officer. So looks like I got good people to work with.

This morning (5am supposed to leave, actually left at 6:40 am…oh Ghana time) several of the volunteers who are moving to Volta and our counterparts all loaded up and troed to HoHoe where we went our separate ways. In HoHoe I met the Jica (Japanese Peace Corps) volunteer, Aki, who I had met when I vision quested there. She’s really nice and comes to my village on Thursdays to work with a women’s group…very cool. Also found out that there is a current teacher PC volunteer that is in the next village (about 5 minute walk).

PCT's and counterparts heading to the Volta Region.  The guy on the left is Mawuli, my counterpart...he is awesome!!!

Anyway, a 30 minute, 90 pesawa tro ride and we arrive at my village…IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL!!! On the far side of the village we stop across from the primary school. Up a red dirt road flocked by corn, plantain, and cassava fields is the guesthouse where I will be staying. Out my front window are the towering green mountains, a mango tree, chickens…it’s really pretty. Mawuli lives right behind me; there are 4 guest rooms; I am in one, a HoHoe district assemblyman is in another, and the other 2 are open for when tourists come. Fo Nicho lives at the main road at the bottom of our dirt road.

The guesthouse I stay in. I stay on the right side where you can see three windows. for some reason I deleted the pics of the mountain view from my window...so I'll put those up later...the view is excellent :)

Walking in the door of my place :)

built in closet, hall going back to toilet, first door, shower is second door, and the back door goes to a storage area that will be my kitchen.

View coming back from the hall

For the next 4 days I will be in my village before I go to Ho for my 2 weeks of technical training. In the meantime, Mawuli has arranged for Confidence to cook me food until I get my place set up when I come back. She’s a really good cook and seems like a great person; she speaks English well and has a striking face. She works at the District Assembly in HoHoe as an environmental person and is organizational chair on the Tourism Management Team in Todome. She also makes batik fabric and said she will teach me how.

So I was supposed to go to meet the chief and stuff tomorrow, but he heard I was in town tonight and wanted to meet me. So I was taught a few Likpe words (I can’t remember the name of language…Sal…something) as we walked to the palace…oh yeah, did I fail to mention that my village has a language separate of Ewe…so that’ll be language #3 and apparently this will be the ONE I will really use. So I met our chief and some of the elders. It is quite strange having a bunch of men sit in a circle and talk about you in a different language; then comes the part where I’m supposed to throw out a few words I learned moments before…ah, yes, it went ok, they appreciated the effort. Anyway, they did a prayer to keep me safe and to wish me well, poured some libations and told me tomorrow I will be greeting the whole community by 10 am and the chief and elders will perform the naming ceremony where I will receive my Likpe name…pressure for tomorrow.

Anyway, that is all. I have my netting rigged up and am trying to settle in to my new digs. So far seems great...running water, electricity, fantastic view and good cell reception!
j