<p>On his trip to Africa, President Bush will cast a spotlight on the kind of smart, bipartisan initiatives that are saving lives. In six days, he will visit Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, and Liberia and witness the very real progress in fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria and extreme poverty that has been made since 2003 when he last visited the continent.
[AfricaNews</a> - Bush on historic trip to Africa on Friday - RSS english](<a href=“http://www.africanews.com/site/list_messages/15708]AfricaNews”>http://www.africanews.com/site/list_messages/15708)</p>
<p>Look who is flying to Africa the same day D is-
It just seems funny to me- when she went to NYC in 8th grade- they were visiting same area as Clinton ( Bill not Hil), and were irked at the rerouting of their tour.
I can imagine her 
with GW in Ghana.</p>
<p>I will crack up if he shows up at their presentation- she was told to bring a nice skirt and heels- she is bringing flip flops.</p>
<p>( this is a nice distraction from how nervous I am about her trip)</p>
<p>Maybe your D can cash in her ticket and just hitch a ride on Air Force One.</p>
<p>So the team has left Amsterdam and has about 7 hrs? to Accra.</p>
<p>They are going to be getting LOTS of media coverage. Ghanas largest newspaper has been interviewing pre-crew & will be at the airport to greet the students. National television will be there as well. This will be a good opportunity not only to highlight efforts to impact in a positive way the Ghanian students by giving them tools ( computers) and training them on maintainance.
[Garfield</a> High students reach out to Ghana](<a href=“http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/351333_ghana15.html]Garfield”>http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/351333_ghana15.html)</p>
<p>It also will be a wonderful opportunity for Mr Labi & Kyirenkum, to gain publicity for their village.
Now that she is off I am able to appreciate all her hard work & congratulate myself for helping her access this opportunity. Go me!</p>
<p>It can even be good that Bush will be there- he hasn’t been totally incompetent in every way & I do not think he is mean spirited.
[In</a> Africa, Bush makes case for US aid](<a href=“http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1151ap_bush_africa.html?source=mypi]In”>http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1151ap_bush_africa.html?source=mypi)
He is still the president- even if a majority didn’t elect him. 
[url=<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/15/AR2008021502750.html]washingtonpost.com[/url”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/15/AR2008021502750.html]washingtonpost.com[/url</a>]</p>
<p>It may even get their efforts more publicity back in US ( a television station will reportedly be here in Seattle to greet them-)</p>
<p>I hope she remembers to bring me back some soil.</p>
<p>EK, I very much understand your nervousness about your D’s trip to Africa. One of my Ds spent 8 weeks in Kenya two summers ago, in a very remote area and I didn’t think I’d sleep a week for the time she was gone. 
She did fine (a truly life-changing experience) and so did I! Best wishes to your D and her fellow students.</p>
<p>p.s. She won’t be able to bring back some soil, at least not legally. Customs and immigration will not allow soil to be brought into the country. A friend’s son had his shoes confiscated upon returning to the U.S a couple of years ago from Costa Rica, because they were encrusted with dirt. They made him take them off and he didn’t get them back!</p>
<p>alwaysamom- I guess they are worried about foreign microbes or something?
Someone who is in Seattle said they had a film canister of soil- that they are going to give me-</p>
<p>So D emailed me today! I was so surprised. 
I have been keeping track of the blog that has been updated by students, mostly giving relatively sparse information- going to the memorial for 1st president of ghana, meeting with a regional chief & having their meals in the school cafeteria.
( which is interesting-…I agree that it is a great way to make friends with the Ghanian students- but she doesn’t eat in her own school cafeteria- I don’t blame her either)</p>
<p>I also had read that a few students were suffering from the heat ( it has been 104 F the past week), & I knew since my D gets heat exhaustion in Seattle, that she was one of the ones not feeling well. Which I wasn’t really worried- because I had given her friends a heads up & I also gave them several boxes of emergenc-e packets ( electrolyte powder to add to water) for their first aid kit.
I felt bad for her though- because it takes so much out of you & because they were in a village without electricity and going by the “google map” not much vegetation either.</p>
<p>But it sounds like the kids are recuperating- she played soccer yesterday & they are playing a Ghanian team this afternoon- sounds quite unevenly matched ;). She also asked me for measurements- it is quite inexpensive to have clothing made- and wants to have clothes made for every one.</p>
<p>I also met a couple at the seattle garden show yesterday- who go to Ghana regularly to get crafts from 'Fairtrade" artisians, they then sell to retailers & they are very interested in the class trip & want to help Nana Labis village!</p>
<p>Hard to believe she is in Africa-
but 104 F :p</p>
<p>Ek</p>
<p>She is growing amazingly. Wow–what an adventure! Of course, I’d worry about my kid too. This is what we do.</p>
<p>I picked her up today - it is 3 am in the morning there and I told her she didn’t have to go to school tommorow</p>
<p>They took about an hour to get through customs at least- she has two big tubs full of stuff. She was very jabbery on the way home ( which is quite unlike her), but the gist is- she loved it- and she is going back in Sept with several of her classmates ( they all graduate this June), for three months & teach photography. (- they have apparently already discussed this with the school where they were working- it is a boarding school and they could stay there)</p>
<p>It is nice to have her home- even though she is in her room catching up on her email- but I guess I didn’t expect for one of the first things she said to me to be " Im going back in Sept"</p>
<p>She’s growin’ up.</p>
<p>Oh, ek–how great. Don’t be surprised if she has a bit of a tailspin re: our consumeristic (made-up word) culture when she has time to look around. They don’t call it culture-shock for nothing. It can be very upsetting to come home to a wealthy country with a glut of resources after visiting a developing country. Glad she had such a growthful experience–I know you’ll support her if she has a temporary “let-down”–it is normal. She sounds like a wonderful young woman–you done good!</p>
<p>EK:</p>
<p>I’m glad your D is back home safe and sound and likely full of stories!</p>