unicef

10/27/08
It seems like you never know how certain people will play a role in your life, or what role they might play in connecting you with other people. A Ghanaian girl who I went to high school with, named Michelle (or "Chelle"), noticed that I was in Ghana when looking through my Facebook albums. She sent me a message, telling me that all of her family still lives in Ghana and that her mom, Cynthia, works at the Unicef House here in Ghana. I couldn't believe it. I hadn't heard from Chelle since high school, and what a wonderful and thoughtful way to connect me with a piece of her!

Cynthia sent a driver to come pick McKenzie and I up from our on-campus hostel bright and early! Issac, the driver, drove us to the Unicef facilities, where Cynthia greeted us with open arms. She gave us a thorough tour of the office building and introduced us to one of her colleagues, Kofi, who briefed us on the history and mission statement for Unicef. It was wonderful learning about such a reputable and well-known non-profit organization. Kofi explained Unicef's main objectives in Ghana--to educate young girls, to improve water sanitation, to fun immunizations for children, to empower women, to raise awareness for social issues, etc.

After meeting many Unicef employees and asking many questions about the organization, Cythia and "Grandma" (they call her Grandma because she's been working at Unicef for over 22 years now), treated Kenz and I to a delicious Chinese lunch! It was the first time that we had Asian cuisine since coming to Africa. We enjoyed golden shrimp rolls, lobster in some sort of soy sauce, sweet and sour chicken, and many other Asian delights over nice conversation.

Cynthia took McKenzie and me to her brother's house (Chelle's uncle's place, I presume), introducing us to Chelle's grandparents and family. Kenz and I enjoyed ourselves on leather couches in a nice air-conditioned room, while we took naps until Issac returned for us! It was a great day and reminded me that you never know how people might affect you or play a role in your life down the road...

For more information on Unicef in Ghana, check out: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ghana.html