View of the Volta

Over the Easter weekend we had the opportunity to travel with some of the Senior Missionary couples up to the Volta Lake and Akosombo Hydroelectric Dam.  Volta Lake is the largest man-made lake in the world, built in the 1960's and is the main fresh water source for Ghana.  The total length of the lake and river is 930 miles!  The lake submerged nearly 740 villages and displaced about 80,000 people.  Most of the people were re-located, but there were many problems in the new settlements.  The lake covers 3.6% of Ghana's total land area.  The main purpose for the Dam was to provide electricity for the aluminum industry.    It was wonderful to be out in the country.  The land is so much greener to the north outside of the city of Accra.  There were large groves of mango trees (above).  We never realized that the fruit grows hanging down like ornaments on the trees.  They are so delicious.  These are still green, but we bought some to bring home with us.  On the roadside we ran into a couple families of baboons.  They wait alongside the highway hoping for travelers with extra bananas.

We took a tour with a guide across the top of the dam.  It was interesting to hear how the lake and dam were constructed.  Many families were displaced because of the area the lake covers, some of whom were fisherman who still fish along the banks and in the lake.  On the whole, the lake and the dam have not been good for the area and people who live in the area.  Disease has increased, farming has decreased, and socioeconomics have suffered.  The electricity generated serves Togo, Benin, part of the Cote d'Ivoire and all of Ghana.  John will come back later with Dr. Sampong to make some sound measurements down in the structure itself where the men work with the turbines.  We asked our guide about the daily power outages in Accra.  He said it was "complicated".

After the tour we stopped at a hotel for lunch.  Even with the holiday, we thought it was a little long to wait for a sandwich.  (90 min).  It is a good thing we had delightful company.  The Warners are our Public Relations couple missionaries.  (in blue)  The Coopers (in white) are Temple Missionaries.

The Petersons are newly arrived for their second mission in Accra.  This time they are working with the many single adults we have here.  The Kleins are below with Dago in his great African shirt.  They are in charge of welfare and it is amazing what they accomplish; teaching gardening (farming), co-ordinating distribution of wheelchairs, schooling, vision screening, immunizations, digging wells and of course...audiology.  (US!)

The Fitzgeralds (above) are the Executive Secretary couple to President Dickson.  Huge job!  The Haws, on the right, work in the Church auditing department here.  

   On the way home we stopped at the Cedi glass bead annex.  They crush glass bottles into a fine powder, then heat it and mix with colored sand, pour into molds and fire again.  Before cooling they make the holes in the center so they can string them to make beautiful glass beads.  We had fun picking some out with our new friend.

 We love how the Bouganvillia grows over the walls everywhere.  Apparently they tie rocks on string and then to the bush to make it drape.  These were on the hill below our hotel where we stopped for lunch.

Lastly...John has just returned from a week in California attending the American Academy of Audiology conference.  Ramatu was able to attend because she already had a visa, but the other students were again denied a US visa in a last ditch attempt to let them go.  It was sad, but John was able to accomplish much at the conference in facilitating future relationships between US companies and the students (soon to be Audiologists) in Ghana.