A fine mess of contradictions

There are no words that accurately describe Agnes Opoku. Energetic, hilarious, caring, loving and motivated are some that could try. She started African Hope, had five children, works twelve hour days with the school kids, sex workers and PLWHA's and still goes to church at night acting as a local pastor. I don't know how she does it. But I love her for it.She treated me like one of her daughters and didn't care about me just as a volunteer but really made me feel like one of her own.

She normally didn't have time for breakfast because she was always running late. In typical Ghanaian fashion, things never happen on time, and it was one of the things about her that made me laugh.

I was driving in my car the other day loving the high life music CD's that Aziz made me in Ghana and I started having some great memories. I decided to take my braids out one day because Femke told me they were getting fuzzy, and they were definitely getting itchy, so I spent a few hours trying to get them out on my own. Braids are impossible to take out- they took almost 4 hours to be put in and about 8 hours to take out! Femke and Saskia came over to my house to help me, but by 11 pm, we were all exhausted. I had to do a presentation the next morning and half of my head was in braids and the other half was a complete fuzzball so I was starting to freak out. I woke up at 4 in the morning and started unbraiding again. At 8 am I still wasn't done! Agnes came out of her room, took one look at me and said, "okay we aren't going to do our presentations today because I have so much laundry and housework to do, and you need help!" She hadn't taken a day off all weekend- I went with her on the weekend to show a potential donor a plot of land for an orphanage- and trust me, laundry and chores take at least half a day here! So she plopped down and helped me unbraid my hair for over an hour. It is those moments, where she sat with me and chatted and was so motherly, that I will never forget about Agnes.

Another morning, at about 7 am on a Saturday my cell phone started ringing. It was Agnes so I figured she was already out and about. We chatted for a bit and she asked if I could go to a meeting with her that morning. I agreed and asked her where we should meet and then things got very confusing. Speaking to Ghanaians on the phone is always a bit challenging because they pronounce their words quite differently and there is not the greatest reception. She said we would meet Mike at the tro tro station, and for about 5 minutes I tried to ask her where WE should meet because I didn't know where she was. Finally she said, "oh Kate, I am in the house, in bed!"... hahaha she was calling me from her room in the same house because she didn't want to bother me! So funny, that one had me laughing all day.

I really miss her and so many things about life in Ghana. The weather, the music, the people and the general attitudes. I don't miss some of the smells, but I do miss some of the food. I hope to go back and visit Agnes and the family in the next few years, or maybe even end up working somewhere in Africa. I am trying to get started on raising funds/getting grants for AHFOGH so if anyone has any places they suggest applying for funds let me know!