Arrival

Somehow I managed to avoid both the ash cloud and the British Airways strike to arrive in Accra as scheduled at 8pm Tuesday night. I was so grateful that Sandrina (my co-intern) and Sule (a CEPIL employee) were there to greet me. They brought me back to where Sandrina is living, in downtown Osu. Luckily there was a room free in one of the housing compounds so I am living on the third floor of a quasi-apartment building with three Spaniards, a German and an Italian who have been here almost a year. Three of them are working for the UN so it has been fascinating hearing about their experiences thus far. My room is small but cute and I’ll be thrilled when I get some curtains and a working fan.

The next morning Sandrina and I took the tro-tro (a 15-passenger van that somehow fits 20) to work. The Center for Public Interest Law is located in a lovely house-type building in East Legon, about an hour away from Osu. There about 10 staff members employed in various capacities; accountants, lawyers and a few local law students interning here as well. We already have our first assignment: to assist in the creation of an oil and gas human rights manual. Ghana just discovered some offshore petrol last year and the Director of CEPIL, Dr. Ayine, would like ensure that all protocols are respected when the drilling begins.

I am normally concerned when I do not have a specific deadline to work towards but I have decided to take things slowly and really enjoy the learning process. (Something I don’t always have the luxury of doing during the school term). So yesterday I spent the entire day soaking up the Ghanaian Constitution. It’s very different than ours – much more specific and more easily amended. Sections that we would find in our criminal code and citizen and immigration laws are contained in their constitution instead.

I’m slowly easing myself into Ghanaian cuisine – yesterday I had my first pineapple = divine. They are much smaller here and more white inside than yellow. Today I’m looking forward to sampling some plantains.

I’m looking for a soccer team to join but in the meanwhile I will hit up the gym at the Aviation social center. I hope I can find my way there and back! We shall see…