i wil have a look at that thanks. in the meantime if you want a really fascinating read from another VSO Volunteer try this one

http://www.mirandadillon.blogsource.com/

It’s compelling reading.

Cheers

Jon

Me again, yes I know, I really need to get off this computer.
Anyways, I found a blogger in Ghana http://karenpalmerinafrica.blogspot.com/
Just thought I’d share.

From what I can gather, being accused of witchcraft and then ostracised from their villages is still a huge problem for many women.

Yes I am definately interested and cant wait to hear about your experiences once you get there.

It is hard to imagine teachers not knowing how to use computers, we take computers, education and just so much for granted here.

Sounds like you have a lot of work ahead of you. There will also be many rewards, I’m sure. Watching the faces on those kids once what you are teaching them kicks in and they understand it will be amazing.
The kids will end up teaching the teacher

I was a Senior Support Engineer for a small company in Buckinghamshire, UK. I used to work as an ‘Outsourcd IT Dept’ for small companies in the local area. I might be advising companies on their IT, fixing the computer for a home user or installing new networks, along with managing around 30 small networks at the same time.

In Ghana, from what I have been told, I will be teaching IT to disabled Children. The level will be equivalent to an NVQ (this is like 14-18 year olds in the UK).

I may also be helping to set up the course (as it is new) and oragnise/improve the existing setup.

Finally, I will be teacher training in order to make the project sustainable. There is a local teacher who lacks the IT knowledge to run the course.

All of this may change when I get there, VSOs invariably take a while to find their role.

I don’t know much about the Ghana Witches. I have read stories about some women being otracised and even killed by their communities but I don’t know how much this still occurs.

I have received a lot of help in my prepartioons from VSO. Their training is outstanding. Their is also a VSO office in each country in which VSO works, who provide assistance to outgoing Volunteers. The community of Volunteers in each country also use each other for support.

I hope those answers are ok for you? Great foor me to thiink that at least one person is genuinely interested - as I have forced this site on all my friends and familly.

Ony joking folks :p

Ummmmmmmm ok thats not quite a million, I have to go think of the rest:)

Carol

That’s my mum’s name, I thought she had found me! I didn’t chose Ghana so much as it chosing me. I knew I wanted to do something for other people, something different and something more rewarding than I was. I applied to VSO and then you receive various job offers from around the world. I was offered Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana initially. I could have turned them all down and wated for something else but the job description in Ghana seemed just what I wanted. We will see.

Jonny D! Hello mate, yes the internet can be a bit like that. The largest small world in the world.

How’s things? What are you up to at the moment?

Happy Birthday.

Jon

You are doing something many of us (well, me) have thought of but are unlikely to have to guts to actually do. You leave on my 25th birthday - I dunno if that augurs well or not!

Good luck!

Crazy shizzle with old Alexander Litvinenko, funny that we were talking about that reporter then it all hit the news.