IST 2

Last week, the 2007 group of Environment volunteers met in Kumasi for a second "in service training." Gray and I composed the agenda for the meeting and had it approved for funding by PC administration. For the most part, it allowed our group to meet again and discuss any projects/ideas that have come up since March. In the past, IST 2 meetings have been predominantly negative and are spent bashing Peace Corps more than providing productive feedback.

Our meeting was great. At first most volunteers were talking about how little it felt like they had accomplished during the first year. As time went on and all volunteers shared similar stories, it made each of us realize that we're dealing with a lot of cultural difficulties yet getting a good deal done in addition to the hardships.

I have new ideas for projects and really feel like I have to get on the ball if I'm going to see any of them come to fruition.

Gray accompanied me on my way south as he had to visit the medical office. We had a good 4 hour conversation about our time in Ghana, our time leading up to Peace Corps and more. We talked about deciding to join the Peace Corps, we agreed that we couldn't think of our lives without this experience etc. We talked about how much more free and liberated we felt after havind done something like this. As we talked about how much a 9-5 job can really restrain you, we pulled to an intersection and saw two dead bodies lying in the road. While stopped at the intersection, the angle didn't provide an appropriate angle and we weren't sure what we were looking at. Dead sheep, dogs and goats aren't uncommon and we crossed our fingers that our eyes were deceiving us.

As we crossed the intersection, we saw that it wasn't one sheep in the road but that there were two dead bodies laying there with twenty or more Ghanaians standing on the median talking. Nobody was tending the the bodies and nothing was used to cover them. Neither Gray nor I had seen a dead body while in Ghana and we were shocked. Another volunteer from our group saw a young boy hit by a truck during the volunteers first month at site. The boy was torn to pieces what remained landed at the volunteers feet. That volunteer is still in Ghana.

As much as our service is about helping our communities and teaching Ghanains about American culture, just as much is based on exposure to Ghana and life in a developing country.

The two men in the road may have been hit by a car and they may have been beaten after trying to rob a car, I'll never know. Either way, it was a shocking experience and is emblazened in my mind.