1 day left

Almost there! I'm at home in Boston right now spending a couple days with my family before we leave Saturday. Even though I'm studying for midterms that I have when we come back, I too share the incredible excitement and anticipation of what we are about to experience. :) I just hope the jetlag isn't too bad both on the way there and way back! Me and Nikki went to 7Hills yesterday to drop off some forms, and we looked in one of the offices where all our donations (supplies and things for the school--kids) were being kept.. it was AMAZING! There were these gigantic duffle bags stuffed to the brim with donations that we had collected over the past few months. Insane. And I'm not just talking about a little throw-over-your-shoulder duffle bag... I'm talking like me and Nikki could both FIT IN one. And there were already 6 of these filled. I'm glad that we can really bring tangible things for the students as well as care and appreciation. 6pm tomorrow we'll be hopping on that flight !! We hope to get to an internet cafe soon and update everyone on what's going on while we're there. See you when we get back! Sincerely, E

GHANA HERE WE COMEEEEEEEEE !!!!!!!!!

Its 3 days, and im so EXCITED. This entire week has been hilarious because i'll be in class learning about say guided transmissions in my Mgmt Information Systems class and i suddenly realize that I AM GOING TO GHANA...in 3 days. I can finally count the number of days left for ghana on my hand, matter of fact on ONE hand. Like whaaaaaaaattttt!!!! It doesnt seem real sometimes, because of being a student who is involved at Clark, but i know its about to happen, in 3 DAYSS. I think it will still feel like a dream until i actually land at the International airport in Accra and actually step foot on Ghanaian soil. ( i know cheesy, but true). Id have to say that i am most nervous about.....well i actually havent really thought about. I cant wait to meet the kids at the school and see what fun adventures we will begin, and i am just as excited to eat the fooooooddddd (i love food, all food, all the time). And of course the weather, the warm, humid warm (yeah i said it again. im that excited) sunny weather, because this New England weather is just not cutting it. Can i also just say how amazingly PROUD i am of this group, we have raised at least $12,000 and we are still raising more, we have an amazing group of women and a group dynamic that just works so well, and probably one of the reasons we have achieved so much and most importantly (this is about to mad cheesy, very uncharacteristic of me, but still) become better friends and gotten to know a different aspect of each other. Ok so im doneeeeeee yay GHANAAAAA One thing i am not looking forward too................PACKING...i hate packing and i hate unpacking, so if anyone wants to pack for me i promise i'll give you chocolate. :) Next time I post on here it will either be from Ghana or after Ghana !!! - Nish

OH MY GHANA IS RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We leave in 3 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok....so I'm a little excited....can you blame me though? we are leaving in 3 days. At this time in 3 days we will be at Logan airport in Boston, MA waiting to board the plane which will begin our journey to Accra, Ghana. ::Jumping up and down:: (can u see me? no? GOOD because I look like an idiot hahaha) O.K. So yeah, I can't wait! and you want to know what I'm most nervous about? no, not the flight... going to a place like no where I've ever been before? nope, not that either... can't guess?.... ok, I'll tell you... what I'm most scared about is taking these friggin Malerone (malaria) pills!!! I heard they don't have bad side effects, but they do give terrible nightmares...as if my insomnia itself wasn't bad enough already...now the few hours I get to actually sleep will be like being in a SAW movie... well, it will make for some interesting journal writing and some in depth psychoanalisis! Oh boy... GHANA HERE WE COME!!!! XoXoXo- NikkiiZ

OH MY GHANA!

umm wow ! I have been trying to get pictures up here forever! good looks!  We are officially going to Ghana in less than a week..it is really hard to conceptualize because it seems so foreign to me...I have travelled a lot but I have never been anywhere in Africa and everyone just keeps saying how different it is and how life changing its going to be but I just won't know until I get there...

We really have come full circle. We raised almost all the money and now we can really focus on our mission and going to visit the schools in Accra. I think often times one is prevented from doing good because of the bureaucracy we all have to live and work in and I am just so glad we did not give up and were able to jump through the hoops we needed to jump through because now we are doing what we all really wanted to do in the first place.

I think this experience will be beneficial for everyone in the group and I am honored to be going with the company I am going with.

I am also really looking forward to coming back to Clark and sharing our pictures and documentary with the Clark and Worcester community!! :p

A few pics of pre-ghanaian banquet and of the banquet Feb.7, 2009

So, this is the group involved in the Ghana Trip. (From Left to Right)

Karleen, Valery, Kathy, Leslie, Rachel, Nicole, Johnna, Stella, Dr. J, Elena, Nishana, Alexa, Ashley.

Is this just a dream? am I really going to be in Ghana...better yet, in AFRICA in less than a week? I woke up this morning, and that is the first thing that came into my head. But I'm not even packed yet, and I have classes all of this week...is this for real??? I can't believe that after so much time of planning, meetings, events, and counting down, I am still in disbelief that at this time next week the 8 of us will be in Accra, Ghana. I've always had a strong desire to go to Africa yet never in a million years did it ever occur to me that the opportunity would present itself so soon in my life. Nothing has ever come so easy to me...Although, I would have to say that it has been anything but easy getting there (raising funds, stressing over whether or not to spend time doing SCHOOL WORK over letter writing, meetings, misunderstandings, frustrations and disappointments) Yet, aside from all the difficulty we have faced in putting this trip together, the benefits and rewards far outweigh anything negative. I am not in Africa yet but would have to say that this experience has definitely changed my life so far. I have been blown away by the dedication and passion of my colleagues, the support that we have received from the Ghanaian community in Worcester, a few people at Clark University who have been amazing to us and who have recognized the importance of what we are trying to accomplish abroad and on campus, the friends and family of all of us who have supported us unconditionally, and for the warm opened armed welcoming we are receiving in Ghana. It has been a truly humbling and enriching experience so far and we haven't even gotten to Ghana yet. I guess that's part of my disbelief that we are going... I think I have already been so impacted by everything that has happened until now that Ghana is going to be the icing to the cake. So...6 more days...I can't wait!!!! GHANA, HERE WE COME!!!!!!