Alumni Blog

Broken Bones

I’m left with just 12 more days in Ghana… the teaching is finished and exams will be starting on Wednesday. Hard to believe it’s all coming to the end! Yesterday my Ghanaian “dad” said he wanted to discuss something with me. When I went to their house in the evening, as is my nightly ritual, he told me he wants to throw a party for me before I go, if I would like it, where we’ll cook some banku or rice or any food I like, all eat at the table together and have pictures taken, so that I can bring them home to show my friends and family my Ghanaian family. It was so touching! So we are planning to have the party on Sunday.

My good friend Ezekiel broke his wrist the other day doing high jump at the school. It is interesting to see how they deal with broken bones here! He didn’t go to the hospital but first walked home to consult his dad (my dad…) who just picked up his arm roughly, moved it around a bit as Ezekiel writhed in pain, and then sent him to the next village to see an old woman who fixes breaks (twins are the only ones qualified to do this). She again seemed to handle his arm very roughly, rubbing it to find out where the break was, and then put some herbs over it and wrapped it in a gauze bandage. He has been going back to her every evening for her to soak the arm with hot water and massage it bit (VERY painful!)... she changes the bandage every 5 days or so (it’s been about a week and a half now). A friend told me yesterday that they don’t know how to fix breaks at the hospital, so it’s better to go to the local people who are really good. Interesting to hear that perspective. I’ve been giving Ezekiel lots of reiki to try to help with the healing - he seems to love it! He doesn’t understand reiki, but he’s big into Harry Potter so we just call it my magic! It’s so cute when I’m doing it and he looks at me and he’s like, “Hey! Can you feel that?” or “yes, yes, do that!” =)

-Tabitha Kroeker, Intercordia Alumni and Program Mentor, Ghana