Murphy's Law for volunteers

Well, it all just seemed too good to be true. That return flight for £617 which I wrote about in the last blog appears to have been a myth. I was patiently waiting for Travelhouse UK's agent to get back to me yesterday and today so I could book the quoted Ghana airlines flight he had told me about on Saturday. When there was no response by 4pm today I rang him, but as I was almost out of credit and in the internet cafe ready to finalise the details, I asked him to ring me back.

That took another hour, and I was anxiously looking at my watch as I was due to go to work shortly afterwards. Problem was, I couldn't hear what he was saying on the phone. But I caught enough to hear that the flight he thought he had for me could not be booked. Even though it claimed to be available when he tried to access it the latest return date available was March 27th 2009. I already knew this from my own efforts online.

So I asked him to email me the details immediately. Still waiting................

Next, I went onto Ghana airlines website, which was down on Monday night and wouldn't allow me to access their fares. If I was to get a one way non-refundable ticket it would set me back €497. The same would apply returning from Accra to Ghana. All other flights, whether it be from British Airways or Lufthansa are far more expensive. I just don't understand why Ghana airlines, who must have the worst airline website service in the world, do not allow people to book beyond March 27th 2009 even though their flights are valid for one year.

I emailed them yesterday for info. on this. Still waiting..............

Then more bad news poured in. Seems like Dorota will be staying in a room with another volunteer so our hope that I might be able to bunk in has just gone out the window. Now I really do have to worry about accommodation, despite casual assurances from a host of people that everything would work out in time. Well, we'll have to make it work out some way cause the dice just ain't throwing up any 6's at the moment.

So the question is, should I revert back to the offer of 6 months accommodation and 2 meals a day for €770 with a host family in the hope that Dorota could stay there when she wants? Should I request a host organisation to set up a concrete placement for me prior to my departure, rather than keeping my options open to work with small, grassroots organisations that have little infrastructural support? Should I bring a tent and a sleeping bag and kip anywhere I find space?

My tired brain and need for concrete information and security says yes on the first 2 counts. The latter, before you think I'm dumb, is only a joke. Hopefully Dorota will be able to sort out something over the next two weeks. In the meantime I'm going to keep my hand in my pocket, creidt card in my wallet, and keep plugging away at getting a flight.

Given that I am going to receive my new 10 year Irish passport on October 9th and that the Ghanaian embassy is only open that same day from 10-12, I may have to wait until the following Monday to get my visa sorted. Good news is that I only need 2 photos, passport, relevant filled out form and the name and address of a host organisation in order to receive a visa to work as a volunteer. In order to get a 1 year visa one would need an invitation letter. Nevertheless, it seems that immigration on the Ghanaian side only give 60 day stamps and require one to check in at a local office to renew the stamp. There should be no additional cost of course, in theory that is.

I hope that every cloud in this saga has a silver lining. One thing is for sure, every independent volunteer has bucket loads of bureaucratic hardship.

Donations gratefully accepted

Thank you so much for donating to my voluntary work in Kumasi, Ghana. I really appreciate it, will ensure that your money is spent wisely and give a full account of how it has been used through this blog, accompanied with photos when possible.

I am prepared to cover all my costs to volunteer and have been working and saving for over a year to do so. However, if you can specify whether you would like part of your donation to help cover my vaccine, flight, visa costs, etc. (I promise it won't go towards pizzas or tourism) or to just assist the educational and community development projects I will be engaged in, then please let me know by adding a comment here or emailing me at dbamoran@yahoo.com

Thanks again for your generosity and please let friends know about this blog. Although donations are important, education and knowledge about the benefits of volunteering and our responsibilities to help make trade fair, donate aid without strings attached, alleviate debt unconditionally, etc. are of far more importance in the long-term.

The money you have donated will assist in the provision of much-needed resources, like the financing of school books and equipment or key infrastructure for small community development projects in the form of computer gear and medicine. More details of how your donation has been used will be given in detail here from mid-October 2008 to the summer of 2009.

On return to Europe in August 2009 I will be available to speak at schools, churches, social centres, sitting rooms, pubs, etc. about my voluntary work in Ghana, in addition to previous work on a wide range of social justice issues. For more background on my activities go to my olderPeacenikhurler blog, anti-war acquittal website PeaceonTrial, Palestinian diary, Polish anti-war activities, amongst others.

Please keep in touch as will I through regular blogging here.

I would really like to teach my students how to say 'Thank you' like the above image from this interesting teaching website

The Masterplan

My pet hate is procrastinating. Therefore, I have decided on the following:

VACCINES - Get them this Friday in Banagher clinic

FLIGHT - Take the British Midland €813 return offer

ACCOMODATION - Bank on Dorota's organsation helping out

VISA - Request invitation letter from organisations I have been in touch with and hope that I will get a business visa.

Let's see if the Masterplan pans out as easily as I wrote it down!

Patience isn't just a popular card game

It embodies everything when one is preparing to volunteer, travel, move house, amongst an abundance of other stressful yet exciting transitions. We're still waiting to find out if we will be able to share accommodation through Dorota's organisation. If not, there are contigency plans, but it doesn't help ease the stress factor.

On a positive note though, I found out on Wednesday from Thomas Cook travel agents that British Midland fly Dublin-London-Accra return for €813. That's €70 lower than the previous cheapest quote of €874 we had received with Lufthansa. Dorota heads back to Poland this Thursday so I will be all on my own in overcast Dublin. Let's hope I get relief work in homeless shelters asap for the last month before I head off. Question now is whether to leave early October around the same time as Dorota, or wait, let her settle in, and head over a few weeks later.

Lots of questions, not so many answers at this stage.

I will also have to make do with a 6 month holiday visa initially unless I get an invitation letter from a host organisation. That would grant me the possibility of a 1 year work/volunteering visa.

Anyhow, I'll get the jabs over and done with soon to have that out of the way. One hurdle off the list will help in the long run.