avatarAnne Bonfert

Summary

Anne Bonfert recounts her transformative experience teaching in a rural Ghanaian village called Langbinsi, where she learned about happiness, resilience, and cultural richness amidst the challenges of limited resources.

Abstract

The narrative is a personal account of Anne Bonfert's time spent in Langbinsi, a small village in Northern Ghana, during her volunteer work in the country. Despite the village's lack of modern amenities such as electricity and running water, the inhabitants exhibit a profound sense of joy and contentment. Anne's role as a teacher in the local school, which was devoid of teachers due to the Ebola pandemic, allowed her to connect deeply with the children and the community. She details the daily life in Langbinsi, including the free-roaming animals, the vibrant market, and the importance of learning and teaching in the village. Her story is one of mutual growth, cultural exchange, and the realization that true happiness often lies in the simplicity of life and the strength of human connections.

Opinions

  • The author holds a positive view of the simplicity and richness of life in Langbinsi, emphasizing the happiness of its people despite their material poverty.
  • Anne conveys a sense of fulfillment from her teaching experience, highlighting the eagerness of the children to learn and the impact of her work on their lives.
  • The narrative suggests a critical perspective on the challenges faced by rural communities in Ghana, including the lack of educational resources and the effects of the Ebola pandemic.
  • The author expresses admiration for the resilience and resourcefulness of the villagers, as well as their warm hospitality and strong sense of community.
  • Anne reflects on her personal growth, noting how the experience expanded her skills and understanding beyond her initial capacity.
  • The piece hints at a broader critique of voluntourism, particularly the complexities of volunteering in orphanages, as evidenced by her linked article on the subject.
  • The author's opinion on the importance of cultural immersion and learning local languages is evident, as she emphasizes her efforts to communicate with her host mother and navigate the linguistic diversity of Ghana.
  • Anne's story underscores the joy and value she found in everyday interactions and activities, such as getting braids done or engaging with children after school hours.
  • The article concludes with a reflective tone, expressing gratitude for the experience and the lessons learned about life and happiness in Langbinsi.

TRAVEL WRITING CHALLENGE

Langbinsi — Where Donkeys Walk on Sandy Roads

The A to Z of my favorite travel destinations

Traffic in Langbinsi. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

I had to be home by 6 pm because by 6:30 it was pitch black. African dark. This village had no lamp poles. The only lights at night you’ll see are the stars and the moon if he shines.

Langbinsi is a small village in the North of Ghana. It is somewhere in the countryside. It’s rural. Very rural. Some inhabitants do think there’s no world outside of the edge of town.

There is more dust and sand than you’ve ever seen. The houses are built of mud. There is no running water. But every home has a TV. Bicycles are the mode of transport for those who can’t afford a scooter. Some still have carriages. Everyone has at least a donkey.

Donkeys are moving freely around between the homes. So do goats and chickens. Don’t ask me how they find back to their houses every night. I guess they just know.

Animals running freely. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

I woke up every night by 4 am when the guinea fowls had to greet the new day. They were sleeping on the walls of the non-finished rooms of the house.

Guinea fowls on the walls of the property. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

I slept on the floor. In the yard. I decided there are fewer critters outside than inside the room that was provided for me. Instead, I had chickens walking over my body every morning. Don’t know if they can’t see but they would always walk over my body and the mattress.

The room where I did store my things but brought the mattress outside every night. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

Langbinsi is different. Langbinsi is poor. Langbinsi is behind most of the world. But the people in Langbinsi are happy. They have the prettiest smiles I’ve ever seen.

Langbinsi has taught me a lot about life. How little you need. How much a cold bucket of water can mean to you. Langbinsi has taught me there are children in this world who crave nothing more than to learn from your knowledge.

On overloaded scooter bringing up sand. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

In 2014 I moved to Langbinsi while volunteering in Ghana. Originally I was placed in a different project. I was looking after orphans under the age of 2 years.

It’s a whole different story but you can read about it here why I will never volunteer in an orphanage again.

But once I heard about this school in rural Ghana that was teaching the poorest of the poorest kids how to write, read and speak, I knew I had to go there.

The school had no teachers and no volunteers coming due to the Ebola pandemic in West Africa. Yes, I was in Ghana, West Africa, during the pandemic.

Getting the children in line for the morning rituals. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

I ended up living in Langbinsi for a few months. I taught children from the age of 3 until 15. Sometimes I was the only teacher. Sometimes there were two others. I never knew in the morning who would show up.

The school children playing soccer during the break. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

I introduced morning routines such as brushing the teeth. I split the kids into three classes but actually had as many different learning levels as I had children.

I tried my best to teach them all as much as I could. Sometimes I felt like I had achieved something. Some days felt like a failure. On other days I was acting as a nurse. Treating wounds, cuts, and diseases I didn’t know.

I know it’s like you’ve heard it from everyone volunteering in some job but I sure did grow over the capacity of my skills.

Walking through town. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

But there was more to Langbinsi than just the school I was teaching in. There was a market where I bought fresh vegetables and other necessities.

One time an old lady who was selling me a bracelet also gave me ring to put on my finger so men would think I’m married and stop proposing to me. She knew my real problems as a white girl in this rural village in Ghana. I will never forget her.

A smiling neighbor. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

I also still remember the “hairdresser” I would go to once a week to get some braids done. There wasn’t much to do in Langbinsi so I would enjoy this task.

Getting braids done isn’t just about your appearance and looking pretty. The process of getting those braids is a lesson in patience. Just sitting in the shade of a tree for an hour or even two or three waiting until the girl(s) is/are done with my hair teaches you a lot.

Often children would come by and sit on the floor around me. Neighbors would stop and chat. And I would talk to people. In a mixture of English and their local language.

My host father's children helping with the building jobs. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

Ghana has 66 acknowledged languages. Not dialects but languages.

I first learned Twi, the one mostly spoken in the south. Then I moved to Kumasi and then to the North and in every village they spoke again another one. Not so easy for a foreigner if not even the locals from two villages can communicate with each other.

The courtyard of the house I stayed in — the “shower” room — the kitchen. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

My host father could speak English and helped me with most tasks and challenges in this for me foreign culture. My host mother couldn’t speak any word of English, so I spoke to her in the local language with the words my host father taught me.

I was happy once I could finish the greetings with her. Greetings are a big part of the culture and take time.

More donkeys and goats. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

I also did spend time with the children after school. Some of them came to my host father’s property and we’d sit together and chat. I would give them food even though I wasn’t allowed to.

Some of those children were alone. A 12-year-old fending for his two younger brothers for example. Some of them were orphans, others were neglected by their family members and left alone. They often came to school hungry.

Lunch I would get at the house. I knew I wasn’t allowed to give my food away, it would make my host father angry. But we were a good team. One of the kids would stand in the corner checking if my host father came and the hungry ones inhaled my plate of food.

The only “material” game these school children had and played. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

Some afternoons I would meet the older girls on the market or on the streets. They were selling tomatoes or sweets in small buckets they were carrying on their head.

I’d buy some of the things and test their math skills by making them calculate the price and the change I’d get.

The main street in Langbinsi. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

On other days I was just strolling through the streets.

Some toddler bringing home an old tire. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

One day I didn’t know what was happening. A large crowd was standing at the edge of the field. Only when I came closer I identified the place as a soccer field. A game was being played and everyone in town came to watch.

A crowd of people watching a local soccer game. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

While modern plastic packaging has reached this town in rural Ghana, no recycling trucks ever did.

One day I decided to clean up the grounds around the school together with the children but didn’t think about what I would do with all the trash collected afterward.

That was the day I almost burned down a village.

Recycling in Langbinsi. | Credit: Anne Bonfert

As little as this village had to offer in terms of development and facilities, it had so much for me. I will never forget my time in Langbinsi and am forever thankful for the experience I made working in that school.

You can read more about my adventures in Ghana in this collection of stories:

This is a response to a writing prompt started by Sam Millichap and many have participated since. I’m so happy to see the community is growing. So many amazing destinations coming up. We welcome anyone to join the fun. Write your own alphabet of your favorite travel destinations.

Sam Millichap with “How To Visit London Without Spending Lolly”

Adrienne Beaumont with “Ljubljana”

Michael Rhodes with “Desert Trip”

Jerry Dwyer with “Carson City”

Robert G. Longpré with “C is for Cusco”

Jillian Amatt — Artistic Voyages with “Banff, Bali, & Bahamas”

Nishan Fuard with “Anaheim: I Remember the Parking Lot from the Hotel Window”

Ronald Smit with “A is for … Ada Foah”

Darren Weir with “Angkor Wat — The Heart and Soul of Cambodia”

You can find the full series of the “A to Z of my favorite travel destinations” in the reading list here. And these are my latest ones:

I — “Italy — Without a Doubt”

J — “St. Jakob in Tyrol — Another Childhood Travel Destination”

K — “Sleeping in a Floating Cottage — Khao Sok National Park”

Join my email list here if you would like to read more travel essays or sign up for the Medium membership to receive unlimited access to my and other writers’ stories out here (I will receive a commission fee in return).

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Travel
Ghana
Culture
Africa
Development
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