In-Transit(ion)
Fall is in the air, in North America anyway, and the seasons are changing. We are aware, increasingly so as the cooler weather settles in, of the inherent emotions associated with transition. We strive to stay in rhythm with the Earth – place our trust in its cycles – and we let go like the leaves on a tree. We release and open ourselves up to the change and transformation.
For this exchange is a little different. Rather than watching the flight departure statuses of CIH volunteers, this fall we have watched the travel routes and customs checkpoints of our projects and supplies. This time around, only super stuffed boxes were in-transit. We sent them on their way with a mixture of sadness and joy, but we tracked their progress, day-by-day, with excited anticipation for word of their arrival in Ghana.
We have changed things up a little bit with this – our 12th – exchange. While we wish we could be in Ghana ourselves to share the projects with the students and teachers, we are thrilled to take advantage of the opportunity to strengthen our Ghanaian team. We want to transform our trips and make them shorter so they become more accessible for many more people to travel with us. We celebrate this change and breathe a sign of relief when we receive an email to signal that the boxes of projects and supplies have arrived. Let the exchanges begin!
Our first few days have gone smoothly. We have welcomed Gershon as a new co-facilitator to the team. And, we have had our first former participant, Fred, join as a mentor within the classroom. Kelvin Abba, our Chief of Operations in Ghana, shared with pride that Fred “went desk to desk, preparing each student for their work.” Interestingly enough, Fred himself is preparing for change and transition; he has been accepted to Senior Secondary School and will begin this new chapter in his story on Thanksgiving Day.
Our partner schools have a new head, new teachers, and new pupils all ready to connect with students in America and to explore what it means to be a Citizen of the World. And, now it is our turn to wait, eager with excitement, for updates with photos and stories. We rise each morning and quickly add the 5-hour time difference to get a sense of where our CIH team is in their day. We wonder, like you, what horizons have been broadened, and whose smiles have brightened the darkened Ghanaian classrooms.
Stay connected and join us on this journey. Open your hearts to transition and the transformation therein.
Stay connected and join us on this journey. Open your hearts to transition and the transformation therein.