Week 2 in Volta

We have now been at the orphanage for 10 days and have settled into the rhythm of things quite well. Aside from having toilet facilities which make Reading Festival look amazing and a shower which consists of a bucket with Dettol in (not using Dettol would result in worms getting into our bodies) life here is good. A very relaxed pace would be the best way to describe it here with few stresses or strains, we usually have no idea even what the time is.

We teach lessons about once a day and then it is largely dependent on whether a class shows up or not. it can be a little frustrating but as everyone keeps telling us "this is Africa" and we have learned to just go with it. We have made good friends in the other volunteers and feel as though we really know quite a few of the kids really well now.

We generally get up around half seven, eat breakfast with the other volunteers which is inevitably sweet bread and yellow tea.In the mornings we usually teach a lesson though the kids are on inter-semester break for the long weekend so there are no lessons until Tuesday. Lunch is usually bananas which I have gotten unbelievably bored of within a week and a half. Afternoons are usually spent reading outside and chatting to the older boys and the other volunteers interspersed with playing a lot of volleyball and football. It gets over 30 degrees every day though we aren't really getting tanned as the air is so close and muggy.

The children here do almost all of the work while the adults spend most of the day lounging around in chairs, seldom seen doing anything other than yelling at children to do things. 'Grandpa' the pastor who runs the orphanage seems to have no affection for any of the children and is almost permanently in a bad mood with them shouting at them and calling them lazy. He believes in the literal word of the old testament and beats the children regularly for fear that otherwise God will punish both them and him. He believes that evolutionists are sent by the devil and he originally started the orphanage so that he would be by God's side in the afterlife, though one would have thought an omnipotent God would see this plan as self interested? On the other hand the pastor has saved countless lives by setting up the orphanage and pumped a large amount of his own money into it, losing the trust of two of his sons in the process who believed the money to be their rightful inheritance. Maybe I should not be so harsh on him, especially seeing as his perceived reward will never be received.It took me a while to decide on my views of the pastor but after attending his church service last Sunday and the service for the children on Wednesday I can not do anything but dislike the man. The anger with which he delivers his message is the only weapon he has to make the children believe what he is saying, it really is quite scary and mental.

Our friend Chelsea from America came to the orphanage for a week before having to go back to Ho, the nearest town to have her foot seen to by a doctor. I am pretty scared of getting ringworm as lots of people seem to have it in their feet and most of the children's legs are covered in scars, definitely not banter. It also seems like their are some weird back room politics going on at the orphanage which are a bit weird and uncomfortable but we are fine and getting on well. Hope everyone at home is well, miss you all lots and it's nice hearing from you all.