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| TEM Lab Team: me, Carlos Cortez, Shinu Thomas, Eric Ams, Erik Saether |
My name is Brody, I'm married to Kylee, just in case some of you weren't aware. Currently I am in Accra Ghana, I've been here for about ten days and will be here until the 13th of August. I'm here doing a consulting project for a local NGO that is receiving funding from the ExxonMobil Foundation. I was going to start a blog so I could post pictures, videos and updates but it turns out I'm just a titch too lazy so I figured I'd just hijack Kylee's every now and again. The main reason for starting a blog was to document my crazier than normal dreams (anyone that knows me well is aware that I regularly have very trippy dreams that are probably brought on by some repressed memory from when I was 4 and saw something terrifying. who knows. That coupled with my anti-malaria medication, Malerone, which supposedly gives you nightmares as a side affect, is a recipe for some whacked out dreams). Problem is, I'm on the daily dose, but apparently the side affect is strongest with the weekly dose...dang. I will say that I have been having my normal crazy dreams more often, but thats it.
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| Moringa Oleifera Tree |
Our project is basically to determine the feasibility of using Moringa seeds to create biodiesel. Then to build a business plan for our client, PALMS/Mofil.
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| Pastor Joseph Kwame Brenyah |
This is the Pastor, he is the director of the NGO that we are working with. He always dresses like this, he's an extremely happy and likable guy and is ALWAYS smiling.
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| Moringa Seeds |
Moringa is a pretty amazing tree, it is loaded with vitamins, minerals and pretty much everything you need to live. It is being hailed as the solution to malnutrition (if a malnourished child eats two teaspoons of powdered Moringa daily, he will reach a healthy status in a month, pretty amazing). The tree grows anywhere and can survive on very little water. Most scholars refer to it as the Miracle Tree.
Upon arrival I was told that the seeds have detoxifying properties and that I should eat no more than five seeds in order to "purge" my system. Seeing as how I'm pretty hardcore, I ate 8. I spent the next day running to the bathroom every 20 minutes. I am officially detoxified.
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| Carlos, Shinu, me, Pastor, Isaac the intern, Erik, Kwadwo the VP, Eric |
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| Fufu and light soup at a local eatery/shack on the side of a dirt road |
I cant say I've been real impressed with the food here in Ghana. The most popular dish by far if you ask the locals is Fufu and light soup. Fufu is made of corn meal and cassava, it has no taste and has the consistency of Elmers Glue. It definitely took me back to my 3rd grade glue eating days. The soup was actually decent, super spicy but good.
As far as my time in Ghana and my first impressions, I'm having a great time. Ghana is like no other place I have ever been. It is known as Africa for beginners because it is relatively safe and stable compared to other African countries. I knew this before coming so I admit I didn't know what to expect. I also know that despite this title and attributes, Ghana is a 3rd world country, and that is exactly what I found. Accra is the biggest city in Ghana and the capital with a population of about 4 million people. The majority of the city is dirt roads with no buried sewage system. Power outages are a common occurrence (while writing this post, the power has gone out 3 times). Traffic is terrible, especially when the main highways have only two lanes going in each direction (most of the time its only one lane). The pollution is overbearing and sometimes suffocating. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, I'm no stranger to the developing world and actually feel very comfortable in it. Ghanaians are awesome people, I have felt more than welcome since getting here. the church has a pretty solid presence here, I've passes several LDS meeting houses and have seen numerous missionaries. They also have a pretty stellar temple here (Which is by far the nicest building in all of Accra). All in all, I'm having a blast.
A bunch of videos can be found here and pictures here, enjoy.
As far as my time in Ghana and my first impressions, I'm having a great time. Ghana is like no other place I have ever been. It is known as Africa for beginners because it is relatively safe and stable compared to other African countries. I knew this before coming so I admit I didn't know what to expect. I also know that despite this title and attributes, Ghana is a 3rd world country, and that is exactly what I found. Accra is the biggest city in Ghana and the capital with a population of about 4 million people. The majority of the city is dirt roads with no buried sewage system. Power outages are a common occurrence (while writing this post, the power has gone out 3 times). Traffic is terrible, especially when the main highways have only two lanes going in each direction (most of the time its only one lane). The pollution is overbearing and sometimes suffocating. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, I'm no stranger to the developing world and actually feel very comfortable in it. Ghanaians are awesome people, I have felt more than welcome since getting here. the church has a pretty solid presence here, I've passes several LDS meeting houses and have seen numerous missionaries. They also have a pretty stellar temple here (Which is by far the nicest building in all of Accra). All in all, I'm having a blast.
A bunch of videos can be found here and pictures here, enjoy.
We are keeping a team blog that we update regularly that you can check out if you'd like
6 comments:
Awesome!!! Glad you're having a good time! And the fact that you're having weirder dreams than the ones you've shared with us in the past is unnatural lol
Dude. I'll pay some big bucks for some of those detox seeds:) Totally enjoyed your post. Africa for beginners was classic. Never heard that before! Glad you are enjoying this experience and learning so much. Keep posting!!
Great post Brody! I loved hearing about how africa is. Looks like you are having fun.
Good job with this post. Can't wait for more. I'm glad to learn more about what you're doing. Be sure and post abt your dreams.
Loved reading about Brody's experiences and observations. What an amazing thing for him to be doing and I can't wait to hear more.
What are the chances of Brody bringing home some of those magic seeds? That tree sounds like something from Avatar. Glad that you have this post, it is holding off the pains Bundy is having from missing Brody so much ;)
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