Guy Bloembergen Journalism in Ghana

Every weekday morning I get up at 6:30 am, have a shower (from a bucket no less!), eat breakfast with my host family and get on a tro-tro (local mini-bus) by 7:45 to be at The Chronicle Newspaper's office by 8:30. This afternoon I attended a conference on women's rights. One of the things I've realised on my placement as a journalist at The Chronicle is that sometimes you've got to go out and find a story - whether it's an opinion piece on tro-tros or a feature on anything from a school for street children or pure-water sellers. The working hours at The Chronicle vary, there are days where I'm there till sunset but there are also days when things are quiet and I leave before lunch. I like the variety this gives me.

The social life in Accra, Ghana's capital city where I live is manic. If you want to you can go to 'spot' bars (local pubs), clubs on the weekends, movie nights on Sundays, 2-for-1 cocktails on Tuesdays, drumming lessons on Wednesday's and much, much more. There is always something going on with either my Ghanaian work mates or other Teaching & Projects Abroad volunteers

My Ghanaian host family is amazing: I live in a building next to the main house, so I have lots of independence and privacy. But I take my meals in the house dining room and talk to my host parents all the time, fostering a close relationship and gaining a unique insight into the local way of life. I couldn't ask for anything more.

One of my favourite parts of my time in Ghana has been the travelling - I've gone up north to Mole National Park and walked with elephants, relaxed on the beautiful beaches of Anamabo and seen the old slave castles of Elmina and Cape Coast. Travelling here is cheap and always a good laugh if you go with a group (trust me, there are always volunteers who want to travel with you on the weekends!).

So what else can I say? Work rocks. My friends rock. My host family rocks. Ghana rocks!

Guy Bloembergen

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