June 10, 2004
First time visitors toured the city after a stop at Gracia Fabrics in East Lagon. Onyameba and Doug headed for the electrical shop to purchase a whole bunch of transformers to run the old workhorse Apple II GS computers being placed in elementary classrooms courtesy E-quip Africa. http://e-quipafrica.org The transformers are not cheap, but at least there were no transportation charges, and the students are bound to gain from all the fun software in English, spelling, math and reading. This will be the first teaching “gadget” for many classrooms. No, the old Apples are not computers in the current sense of the word nor are we trying to pass them off as such. Rather they are fun learning machines where students can practice academic skills and have fun doing it. Just think back to the days when you played "Oregon Trail!"
The electricals shopping, plus many unsuccessful attempts to cash travelers checks meant that we left Accra after sunset, with 4 hours of hard driving through construction zones and a section of Ghana’s old style roads (narrow, full of potholes, goats, people, trucks, trotros and police barriers. Roads are improving and this coastal route will eventually be a part of the trans-Africa highway, but for now, certain parts of it are not a lot of fun!
Arrival in Takoradi (actually Apowa) at St. Kizito’s Retreat Center was at about 11:00 p.m. where thrice warmed dinner was sadly waiting. After eating it is off to our minimal style, self contained rooms for our first night in the tropics without that old AC. Hot and steamy, but you get used to it! It was a tough day.
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