Loughborough University graduate, Claire Cummings aged 21 and from Merseyside, set off to take part in BUNAC’s Volunteer Ghana programme in February. Claire will be sending in regular web diaries based on her experiences in Ghana.

15th May

Travelling

So with heavy hearts and heavy bags we left Kumasi and headed for Accra. After dumping our bags at the SYTO office it was time to party! We headed out to eat and then went for some drinks and a dance…yet our plans came to an abrupt halt when the whole of Accra was plunged into darkness! All the power was out and the generators had given up too! Never ones to admit defeat we headed outside into the tropical rain with a bottle of red wine and continued the party there before eventually heading to the only club with power!

The next day we headed to Cape Coast for a couple of days. We arrived late in the afternoon so we just had a walk around the old town and had a nice relaxing evening, ready for some sightseeing in the morning. We were up bright and early the next morning so we could go and see the castle. The tour was really informative and it was amazing seeing such a historical place first hand. After finishing the tour we got in a taxi and headed to Elmina, which is about 20 minutes from Cape Coast, and went for a tour of the castle there too. It was good getting to see a different side of Ghana and being there in a different capacity, although I think Carly was ready to abandon the all-new, photo-taking, sightseeing me!

After Cape Coast we moved on to Green Turtle, which is a beautiful deserted beach resort. It was pure heaven, far removed from the hustle and bustle of Kumasi and Accra. We spend two days here relaxing on the beach, sunbathing, playing in the surf and drinking cocktails! Then it was time to head back to Accra to do our last minute preparations for home. It was hard to believe that it was soon to be all over.

Going Home

I had the most incredible three months of my life. I have experienced more in three months than I ever could have imagined. I have met incredible people, made life-long friendships; I have laughed and I have cried.

I will never cease to be amazed by the compassion and humanity of other people. I have learnt so much from people like Yaw, who selflessly dedicate their lives to helping others. I have witnessed people dealing with difficult situations in the most inspiring ways and I will never forget the lessons I have learnt in Ghana.

Arrival Home

I arrived home with a mixture of emotions; I was heartbroken to leave Ghana yet I was also excited to see my family and friends. Having been back in the UK for a few days, life is pretty much as it always was, and Ghana feels like a million miles away from life at home. But I now know, that whatever I do in life and wherever my life may take me, I will never forget the people that I met in Ghana and what they taught me.