Another early start for the ewb crew. We arranged to meet at Kakum for a guided hiking tour of the park at 6:30am, always a challenging task for this crowd. I told the team I would use the commute as my long run in the morning and meet them at the park. The run was a thrilling experience to say the least. The Ghanaians are surprisingly supportive of my athletic pursuits. I seem to be universally known as "The Sportsman" in all parts of the country. It caught me off guard to see large machete-wielding men step out of the shadows and suddenly breakout with toothy smiles and shout "Sportsman!" Fourteen miles never felt so short. The team pulled up to the visitor's center just as I arrived at 6:30.
Kakum National Park proudly boasts the only Rain Forest Canopy Walk in Africa. It certainly did not disappoint. Rope bridges span the tops of seven giant trees reaching 150 feet above the forest floor. The hike continued to one of the largest trees in the forest. Danielle, Berai, and Olivia stand at the base of the old giant. And yes, that's the tree behind them.
Later in the day we spontaneously decided to go check out some of the castles down at Cape Coast. It was a scenic drive along the coast highway to some historic castle I had not heard of. The van pulled up at the base of a beautiful white castle overlooking the ocean. We piled out of the van and gleefully walked across the draw bridge. I was the first to spot the chilling inscription on wall beside the main doorway. On it was written
IN EVERLASTING MEMORY
OF THE ANGUISH OF OUR ANCESTORS
MAY THOSE WHO DIED REST IN PEACE
MAY THOSE WHO RETURN FIND THEIR ROOTS
MAY HUMANITY NEVER AGAIN PERPETUATE
SUCH INJUSTICE AGAINST HUMANITY
WE THE LIVING VOW TO UPHOLD THIS
I remember thinking to myself "what is this place?" Elmina Castle was the first, oldest, and largest slave trading post in Africa. It served as a major hub of the Atlantic Slave Trade for almost four hundred years. Men and women were marched in from as far away as Mali to be exported from the castle. We saw the slave dungeon where they were held and the loading room that docked to the transport ships. The door was intensionally narrowed so that captured slaves could not slip through to join their chained family members.
Dinner was quieter than usual tonight. David in particular seemed especially reticent. I think it hit him the hardest.
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Global Partnership Project and Engineers Without Borders at Northern Arizona University
Blog Archive
Engineers Without Borders at Northern Arizona University (EWB-NAU)
Engineers without Borders (EWB) is an international non-profit organization that uses simple engineering technologies to improve the quality of life in communities around the world.
EWB at NAU is dedicated to the international EWB mission. We also emphasize the development of global awareness among students at NAU through experiential learning in the communities we serve. All of our efforts are supported through the generous support of donors like you.
To support us financially, visit: alumni.nau.edu
EWB at NAU is dedicated to the international EWB mission. We also emphasize the development of global awareness among students at NAU through experiential learning in the communities we serve. All of our efforts are supported through the generous support of donors like you.
To support us financially, visit: alumni.nau.edu
Ghana
The Yua Project
The Background:
The community of Yua lies in northern Ghana, just south of the Burkina Faso border in the Upper-East region. In the Fall semester of 2006, Engineers without Borders at Northern Arizona University accepted a proposal to collaborate with Yua in an effort to improve their quality of life. This partnership is considered to be a multi-year endeavor between EWB-NAU and Yua. The proposal’s goals include three distinct phases.
The Need:
More than 3,000 people in the Yua do not have adequate access to water and sanitation facilities. This has contributed to the existence of preventable disease, sickness, and death in this community. The high child mortality rate in this area can partly be attributed to waterborne diseases.
Our Partners:
Ghana Poultry Network: This organization based in Ghana works to assist rural farmers in meeting their basic needs.
Afrikids: Over ten years experience in N. Ghana, working for the welfare of children.
The community of Yua lies in northern Ghana, just south of the Burkina Faso border in the Upper-East region. In the Fall semester of 2006, Engineers without Borders at Northern Arizona University accepted a proposal to collaborate with Yua in an effort to improve their quality of life. This partnership is considered to be a multi-year endeavor between EWB-NAU and Yua. The proposal’s goals include three distinct phases.
The Need:
More than 3,000 people in the Yua do not have adequate access to water and sanitation facilities. This has contributed to the existence of preventable disease, sickness, and death in this community. The high child mortality rate in this area can partly be attributed to waterborne diseases.
Our Partners:
Ghana Poultry Network: This organization based in Ghana works to assist rural farmers in meeting their basic needs.
Afrikids: Over ten years experience in N. Ghana, working for the welfare of children.
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