6 YEARS ?

Can it possibly really be 6 years since I posted in this blog!

Easy Track Ghana keeps me "On" all the time, and it has been many years of long days and nights of work. I've got a great team to work with and it is really rewarding to be helping a developing country. I have seen so much change here in the past decade it is amazing.

Originally I was living at the edge of the capital city of Accra in what was a "bush area" called Kisseman. The area is all developed now with paved roads, multi-story buildings and even a large department store and a mega-church. This has all been built around the original, unplanned village, so it is a strange situation with the ghetto now completely surrounded by all this development. 

I moved further out to the bush again, but the pavement followed me. I now have a pharmacy, various African restaurants, a liquor store, barbershop, electronics store, 2 convenience stores, a toy store, clothes shops and a Ghana Bed & Bath all within 2 blocks of my front door! At least it is easy to get my Bacardi now! 

I think the population of greater Accra has doubled since I've been here! The city skyline is fully populated with construction cranes. China is of course the biggest investor and trading partner, but that is a tourist market we still have not been able to break in to.

In an effort to focus more strongly on tourism, the Kisseman Community Library that we previously managed has been donated to the Ghana Library Authority, now run by my good friend and the infinitely capable Hayford Siaw.

Last week I was guest of honor at a village called Adanwomase, one of the traditional weaving villages where Kente cloth is still woven by hand on wooden looms. They were having their 2nd official Kente Festival. All the chiefs from the area were there and I was given a wonderful award and cloth after completing my speech. They were very happy with the efforts of Easy Track Ghana to bring tourism to the village and directing other tour operators to visit there. It was a very moving experience. 

Things like this make my few hardships here seem like nothing. Adanwomase now has one of the best tourism projects in Ghana and they have wisely used those funds to create one of the best high schools in the area.

I've been very blessed in life. And some of the best days are happening now as I am in a position to teach and help.

Come and see Ghana with your own eyes. It will change the way you think about life.