i apologize for this post

it will likely be boring.  

today i received another email from pc, this one with a couple of letters to pass on to my family and friends.  and what better way is there to pass them on than here!  

and i haven't forgotten my promise about my packing list.  i did find it.  and i'm working on that post as well!

Greetings from Ghana. My name is Mike Koffman and it is my privilege and honor to serve as the Peace Corps Ghana Country Director. My number one goal and a responsibility that I take very seriously is to lead the Peace Corps Ghana program in a manner that allows all of our Volunteers to have safe, enjoyable and productive service experiences during their time in Ghana.

I am sure that many of you are sending sons, daughters, mothers and fathers off to West Africawith mixed emotions. It is only natural. As I recently mentioned to one Volunteer: “If your family was too happy about you going far away for a long time I would be more than a bit suspicious!”  I hope that, after the initial shock of your loved one’s decision, you have been able to strike that balance where your feelings of pride and excitement are equal to or greater than your initial reservations and worries.

Let me assure you that the Peace Corps staff here in the Ghana works very hard to support each of our 140 Volunteers in many areas. We have administrative systems in place to ensure that living allowances arrive on time. We have two excellent medical officers, one MD and one PA, who are available 24 hours a day to provide emergency and routine medical attention. Our programming staff works closely with Ghanaian project partners and communities to find safe and productive sites for each of our Volunteers.

The safety and security of each of our Volunteers is the number one priority for our entire staff. For that reason, we have a Safety & Security Coordinator, whose sole mission is to address any issues that may impact the safety or security of any of our Volunteers.  While nobody can eliminate the risk of every day life activities, we do all that we can to make our Volunteers aware of cultural norms and differences and aware of risks specific to Ghana so that they can make good decisions and avoid trouble.  I am happy to report that we have had great success in this area.

We tell each Volunteer that it is Peace Corps’ responsibility to provide each of them with safe and healthy sites, work to do and the support to do it. Each Volunteer must assess his or her own professional commitment and personal behavior to ensure that he or she is productive and maintains a safe and healthy lifestyle.

The Peace Corps experience is a very personal one. We encourage Volunteers to keep family and friends informed of their activities through letters, internet and telephone calls. However, we encourage Volunteers to test their independence, creativity and resourcefulness during this rare opportunity to walk in someone else’s shoes. We discourage visitors from home during the first six months in Ghana so as to encourage each Volunteer to engage totally with his of her new community.

If you need to contact your loved one in an emergency situation, please call the Office of Special Services at Peace Corps. The Office of Special Services will then contact me immediately and we will notify our Volunteer and either pass a message or notify the Volunteer to contact you, as appropriate:

                        24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays:

Toll free 800-424-8580, Ext 1470

                        Direct 202-692-1470

In closing, let me thank you for “loaning” your loved one to the people of Ghana for the next two years. Having been a Peace Corps Volunteer myself, I feel confident in telling you that your sons, daughters, mothers and fathers have embarked on a journey that will provide them with incredible opportunities for personal growth, job satisfaction and an enhanced perspective unavailable to many.

Most Sincerely,

Mike Koffman

Country Director

Peace Corps

Ghana

 

Dear Families,

Greetings from the Ghana Desk in Washington, D.C.  It is with great pleasure that we welcome your family member to the 2009 Ghana training program.  During the past year we have received many requests from Volunteers and family members alike regarding travel plans, sending money, relaying messages and mail, etc.  As we are unable to involve ourselves in the personal arrangements of Volunteers, we would like to offer you advice and assistance in advance by providing specific examples of situations and how we suggest they be handled.

1.  Irregular Communication.  (Please see #3 for the mailing address to Peace Corps' office in Accra the capital of Ghana). The mail service in Ghana is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service.  Thus, it is important to be patient.  It can take from three to four weeks for mail coming from Ghana to arrive in the United States via the Ghanaian mail system.  From a Volunteer's post, mail might take up to one to two months to reach the United States depending upon how far the Volunteer is from the capital city, Accra.  Sometimes mail is hand carried to the States by a traveler and mailed through the U.S. postal system.  This leg of the trip can take another several weeks as it is also dependent on the frequency of travelers to the U.S.

We suggest that in your first letters, you ask your Volunteer family member to give an estimate of how long it takes for him or her to receive your letters and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other.  Also try numbering your letters so that the Volunteer knows if he or she missed one. Postcards should be sent in envelopes--otherwise they may be found on the wall of the local post office.

Volunteers often enjoy telling their "war" stories when they write home.  Letters might describe recent illnesses, lack of good food, isolation, etc.  While the subject matter is often good reading material, it is often misinterpreted on the home front.  Please do not assume that if your family member got sick that he or she has been unattended.  The city of Accra has medical and dental facilities, and there is a Peace Corps Doctor and nurse there as well.  Most Volunteers can reach Accra in less than one day's time.  Many Volunteers also have access to a telephone (most have cell phones!) so that they can call our Medical Office.  In the event of a serious illness the Volunteer is sent to Accra and is cared for by our Medical Unit.  If the Volunteer requires medical care that is not available in Ghana, he/she will be medically evacuated to South Africa or the United States. Fortunately, such circumstances are very rare.

If for some reason your communication pattern is broken and you do not hear from your family member for at least one month, you should contact the Office of Special Services (OSS) at Peace Corps in Washington at 1-800-424-8580, extension 1470.  The OSS will then call the Peace Corps Director in Ghana, and ask him to check up on the Volunteer.  Also, in the case of an emergency at home (death in the family, sudden illness, etc.), please do not hesitate to call OSS immediately, so that the Volunteer can be informed in person by a member of Peace Corps/Ghana staff.

2.  Telephone Calls.  The telephone system in Ghana has reliable service to the United States.  While few Volunteers have access to a telephone (land line) at their sites, more and more Volunteers are choosing to buy cell phones.  Some sites have clear cell phone reception and others do not.  In any case, most Volunteers have access to a phone (land line or cell) when they travel to a larger town within a few hours from their sites.

When dialing direct to Ghana from the U.S., dial 011 (the international access code) + 233 (the country code) + the number.  Volunteers generally set up phone calls with people in the U.S. in advance, and have the distant party call them, which is much less expensive than calling the U.S. from Ghana.  You may also choose to call your volunteer on their cellphone, if they decide to buy one in Ghana.

The Ghana Desk in Washington, D.C. usually calls the Peace Corps office in Accra at least once a week. However, these calls are reserved for business only and we cannot relay personal messages over the phone.  If you have an urgent message regarding travel plans, etc., you can call the Desk, and the message will be relayed. 

3.  Sending Packages.  Parents and Volunteers like to send and receive care packages through the mail.  Every package mailed to the PC Accra P.O. box is opened by Ghana postal staff in the presence of a Peace Corps staff member to verify that the contents match what is listed on the (small green) declaration form. For example, it is therefore not appropriate to write "Religious material inside" if there are no religious materials inside.

You may want to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. Even though most Volunteers eventually get local post office boxes, you may always use the following address to send letters and/or packages to your family member:     

                                                 John Doe, PCV

                                                Peace Corps

                                                P.O. Box 5796

                                                Accra-North, Ghana

West Africa

It is recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently.  Packages can be sent via surface mail (2-3 weeks arrival time) or by ship (4-6 months).  The difference in cost can be a factor in deciding which method to utilize.  For lightweight but important items (e.g. airline tickets), DHL (an express mail service) does operate in Accra, but costs are very expensive.  If you choose to send items through DHL, you must address the package to the Country Director, c/o Peace Corps, 26 West Cantonments, Switchback Lane, Accra, Ghana, West Africa.  The telephone number for the Peace Corps office in Ghana is (233) 21-775-984, should DHL need this information.  If you send the item to the Country Director, no liability can be assumed.  For more information about DHL, please call their toll free number, 1-800-CALL-DHL, or visit their web site at www.dhl.com.  

Sending airplane tickets and/or cash is not recommended.  Certain airlines will allow you to buy a prepaid ticket in the States; they will telex their Accra office to have the ticket ready.  Unfortunately, this system is not always reliable.  Many airlines (eg., KLM, Air France, Sabena, Ghana Airways) fly into Accra, but each has its own policy on pre-paid tickets.  Please call the airline of your choice for more information.  You could also send tickets via DHL as mentioned previously.  However, Peace Corps will assume no liability in the event of a lost/stolen airline ticket.

Trying to send cash or airline tickets is very risky and is discouraged.  Volunteers are meant to live modestly and not accept any additional financial resources to support their service.  If your Volunteer family member requests money from you, it is his/her responsibility to arrange receipt of it.  Volunteers will also be aware of people visiting the States and can request that they call his/her family when they arrive in the States should airline tickets need to be sent back to Ghana. 

We understand how frustrating it is to communicate with your family member overseas and we appreciate your using this information as a guideline.  Please feel free to contact us at the Ghana Desk in Washington, DC, if you have further questions.  Our phone number is (800) 424-8580, ext. 2326/2325, or locally at (202) 692-2326/2325.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Brown, Country Desk Officer

Evan Baker, Country Desk Assistant