I feel like a bit of a sitting duck. They want 50% of the total fee within 14days. And the total amount as soon as possible thereafter. Here comes the credit card. They told me the total amount is 2000 euros, for 20 weeks. That is pretty good I think. That is how much I pay, I don’t get paid anything. I chose this program because they looked the most genuine, and with the amount I could spend, I could have only spent a month or 2 maybe less at other programs.
I told James Ell today of my plans. He said; you know Ghana is in Africa?
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. This is definitely not the easy road. For sure. By the same token it is a fast track to a good job, a job I think I want at the other end. I don’t want a high paying job, I don’t want a fancy car or expensive things. I want a meaningful job? Where I can come home feeling like I am on the way to making someone’s life a better place, or making the world a better place for my kids and grandkids.
Maybe I will get out the credit card, I am going to have so much debt at the end of this. At least it will be meaningful debt and not on a brand new car or anything. Although the only thing I will have to “show” for it is more information in my head.
I can see myself walking through the streets in Accra, watching kids playing and people selling fruit and trinkets at the market, scarfs and meat, and vegetables. I can see myself bending down to the young boys and girls and asking if I can take their photo while they play. I would love to be able to capture their laughter and games.
Maybe someone will mug me. In the information pack that VPWA sent states that when withdrawing money, be sure to take a friend with you and separate and store it on different parts of your body, just in case someone robs you, you won’t lose all of it. I am not afraid of being robbed. I am afraid of being raped. That’s something that doesn’t go away, if you are robbed, it’s sort of short term. I don’t think I will be able to get over being raped. I think that will haunt me. It’s not even AIDs I am afraid of either.
I think there are two things going on in Africa. On the one hand, westerners are so afraid of the unknown and have so many preconceived ideas about Africa that a lot of it remains ‘untouched.’ By this I mean that, well guess, that there are vast open spaces with no McDonald’s signs. That is when I think the world will be completely destroyed, when America takes over Africa with consumerism. On the other hand, the west has already spoilt Africa through exploitation, corruption, greed for oil, slavery and so on.
A few years ago, mum and I were discussing human rights and I was furious that some people could treat people with absolutely no respect or dignity. What she said, I will never forget, it is one of the reasons I have stuck at this path. She said that not everyone is as passionate as she is about vegetation and cultural heritage, and she doesn’t understand how people could tear down beautiful old buildings to put up high rises. Everyone has different ideas, passions, interests, and unfortunately it seems the people who are passionate about money, getting rich and having fancy things, they are the ones who commit genocide, and replace beautiful old buildings with monstrosities and ice ores. Obviously not all of them. But those who have committed genocide and created ice ores, seem to have made a handsome sum of money in the process.
I don’t think that everyone should have the same level of wealth or power. But I do think that everyone should have the same opportunities to do what they want to do, to get out of life what they want to get out of it. I also think that worldwide, a taxi fare should cost the same, a doctors fee should be the same, what a doctor or a school teacher earns should be the same. I haven’t completely explored this idea, so tell me if you disagree. If everyone has the same basic make-up, the same basic body structure, so in order for someone with cancer in England to be operate on, and someone in Russia, the surgeon should receive the same wage. By the same token this should be completely affordable for every single person.
At age 10, three boys are best friends in primary school, and they receive similar marks all the way through school. At age 18, they are still best friends, and are about to make their preferences for university. One decides to be a teacher, one a lawyer, and one decides not to go on to uni, and work instead. By age 50 they are all still best friends, which one is most likely to be able to afford the cancer surgery? They received the same opportunities all the way through school, but each made different decisions. I don’t agree with private health care, it seems necessary, and I know I will always have it, because I am well aware of the consequences. But I think everyone should be entitled to the same level of health care, regardless of whether they can afford it or not.
Maybe I am a socialist? I know I am an idealist. I agree with the system in Sweden I think. I am not 100% sure of the details but I know they pay higher tax and schooling and health is free, or highly subsidised. University in Scotland is free, if you are Scottish. In Germany it is about 200 euros a semester, depending on your program. I currently have a 10-15 thousand dollar debt for my course, and that is nothing compared to some of the other degree programs in Melbourne, whoever decided education should go to the wealthy and not those who deserve it and who have worked for it should be shot. Whoever invented guns should be shot too, and war.
Meeting mum and James at the airport tomorrow in the morning, I have butterflies. When should I tell them? They know I have something to tell them because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut, I feel like it is going to be a bit of a dead beat thing to say, so I might just casually drop it into conversation instead of building up to it. I hope they approve.
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