A Return Trip to Ghana

When I originally planned to return to Ghana, I knew that I could not return empty handed. I made a simple request to some friends for second hand clothing for children, and the outpouring was incredible. People donated clothing, but also cash, medicine, and other goods. My spare room looked like a thrift store for some months.


I eventually had to stop taking donations of clothing.
There is only so much that one person can carry - and 310 lbs was quite enough! But cash is always useful.

This blog is a description of the distribution of the cash and goods that were donated. My good friends Jessie Nana Kofi and Adjei Agomavi were there at the airport to greet me when I arrived. Without their assistance, this adventure could
not have happened. Jessie is looking rather annoyed in this photo because this is the second trip to the airport to retrieve a lost bag. Although I had been told the bag was found, it was still some ordeal to actually retrieve it.

I learned a lot on this trip. About how things are done (and how they are not done). I saw the economic model that Africa uses with brutal efficiency. I learned more about the delicate art of indirect speaking and managing expectations, of doing business and finding resources, and the limits to what can really be done.

Certainly there will be things I do differently next time. Was your money well spent? Absolutely! But read on and you make your own decision.