Northern and Southern Ghana during the Northern Dry Season


Traveling south last week gave me a view of the difference between the climate and vegetation in the southern and northern regions of Ghana during the northern dry season.

The northern regions get one rainy and one long dry season.  The southern regions get a second smaller rainy season that supports more plant growth.  The difference can be seen out the window of a bus as one drives through the south and the north.

View out the bus window in the Eastern Region in Ghana.
So much green

View with a smudge on the window out the bus window in the Upper West Region 3 days later.
So much brown.

I was struck by the difference, this being one of the few times that I travelled south during the day, rather than on the overnight.  I spend a good bit of time searching and scrounging the bush for grass and such for the rabbits to eat.  In the south this would be much easier.  So even in a country like Ghana there are drastic differences between regions that impact development and profoundly impact people lives and the difficulties they face day to day.


Electricity power issue


Someone in the village was cutting trees and hit a power line causing a problem with the transformer that feeds the homes and school in my area.  That was on Wednesday.  As of Saturday we are still without lights and no sign of work to fix it.  The replacement cable or transformer (depending on who is talking) is not found in the area and may not be in Wa – so a trip from Kumasi or Accra might be needed.  We might get it repaired by Wednesday, but that is just a guess.  For the time being I am managing with the heat – 90 at about 6:30 in my house (cooler outside) and 100 by the afternoon.

African Map Mural


Bismark is the student painting the African continent map.  The map was pretty much finished Thursday, on the last day of the term.  He still needs to write in the countries, but that will wait until the start of next term.

Ghana painted with the colors of the national flag

Congratulations on a job well done.

I also hope to get a map of Ghana painted in the library.

Library work during the break.


We have about a three week break.  I’ll be here for two of those weeks and will open the library up each morning to give the students a chance to practice reading.

Health


I had a clear chest x-ray in Accra this week.  However, I still have a cough that keeps me up a night.  The heat is not helping, but then neither has the medicine given by the Peace Corps doctors.  I’ve tried a couple of liquid cough medicines, but nothing like Robitussin.  For now, “I am managing” (a common response in the face of difficulties) is my mantra.  I also tell myself that other people have to deal with much more serious things so a nagging cough is not so bad.

Love always,

John

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