When Mrs Morgan started the exchange program with the Hannah School Complex in Accra Ghana, none of us thought we would ever have the chance to go and meet with our pen-pals, who we had been writing to for the last four years. However, as we got on the Warminster School minibus at five o’clock in the morning, the realisation now filled us all with uncertainty and immense excitement.

Within 20 minutes of getting off the plane, on arrival in Accra late at night, we were soaked through. Not because it was the rainy season, as this hadn’t begun, but the humidity and the temperature, 45 degrees. We had definitely left the rain and cold of the UK behind us!

Our first three days were spent in the Hannah School, meeting all our pen pals. Many new friends were also made. At the same time, we began to experience the delights of Ghanaian food which was cooked by Agnes. We visited an amazing market to stock up on provisions, cooking pots for all the cooking we would be doing during the week, and the litres of bottled water we would be drinking. The sights and sounds were out of this world, but I wouldn’t say the smells were too good!

Whilst at the Hannah School we had the opportunity to experience life as a Ghanaian school pupil, attending classes and even sitting exams! We were able to work with the younger children, teaching them new games. It was so much fun and the children were brilliant. We also took on the ‘might’ of the Ghanaians in our own little African World Cup. With a borrowed goal keeper, as we were a player short, we did England proud! We had an amazing time at the school and loved every minute.

We left the school and headed for the Kakum National park, conditions became somewhat uncomfortable as it was the first night under canvas and we were still acclimatising! Here, we experienced the amazing colours, sights and sounds of the tropical rain forest. One of the highlights was a canopy walk on aerial walkways many metres up. The views were spectacular and so much better than any image from a Geography text book. However, if bugs and creepy crawlies of a larger variety are not your thing, then beware.

From the tropical rainforest of the Kakum National Park we then made our way to Cape Coast. Here, we toured the coastal fort where once thousands of slaves had been shipped to the Caribbean. If anyone has read the poem, ‘Limbo’ by E.K.Brathwaite, it really paints a torturous life of what the slaves went through and the fort clearly emphasised this.

After our educational trip to the fort, we travelled in our truck (‘Bruce’) to a small village, a few hours north west of Accra. It was here we would be working on our three day project. We set up camp at the village primary school. Our project was to help local volunteer workers to prepare bamboo to make a ceiling at a school a few minutes drive away. This consisted of learning how they cut down the bamboo from their farm, helping to carry it back up to the school, learning how to prepare the bamboo, stripping it, coating it in chemicals, painting it and finally taking it to the other school on the back of a truck.

This took us three days. It was hard work, especially in the scorching heat and humidity of the Ghanaian climate. Amongst all this hard work however, we had a great lot of fun sitting around our huge campfire by night and listening to the drummers and gospel choirs in the village at the bottom of the hill.

One of the most rewarding, insightful and best parts of the project however, was not the actual work, it was when we cut up our fruit and handed it around to the children at the school we were staying in. We were so very touched and moved by their expressions. Their faces glowed as we handed them each half an orange.

Before we knew it, our three days were over and we were packing up and getting ready to move on. As we were nearing the end of our trip, we no longer needed the cooking utensils, food, water and charcoal burners we had bought at the market earlier on in our trip, so we left them for two young girls to share amongst their families. They were so grateful. This made us all appreciate just how lucky we are!!!

We waved good bye to the children at the ‘Project school’ and drove back to Accra to stay at Mr Ernest’s home or as he is affectionately known by the gang as “the nice man’s house”. In the morning we left the cool, air conditioned house and headed for the Cedi Bead Factory to see how they made tiny glass beads and maybe buy a few souvenirs for our friends and families. The factory was nothing like you would imagine, but a sustainable business that uses old glass bottles to make beads and stained glass pieces of work. This was great fun and we all came away with a couple of our own handmade beads and bags full of gifts.

The expedition was finished with a trip to the Asokombo dam. It took us a few hours in our bumpy truck, Bruce. When we arrived, we were met by hundreds of red ants, all wanting a ride in our truck. After narrowly escaping the attack of the ants, we were given a guided tour of the hydro-electric power station below the dam, then driven up to the top of the dam to see the magnificent view of the lake below and the reservoir above.

Before we knew it, it was time to go and we all piled back into Bruce.

The trip was very good and easily brought home how easy it is to rely on creature comforts. In addition, it also highlighted just how friendly and hospitable people can be from different cultures and backgrounds. I can honestly say that the Ghanaian people were extremely humble and friendly and through the absence of money the simple things in life enable them to be who they really are.