Author: Stephanie Hills

  • Who do you think you’re talking to?

    Something I’ve been thinking about lately is the fact that we are so connected with one another that even in our private moments we are not islands. Our thoughts are always directed at someone – we think to a virtual listener, just as we speak to an audience with our speech. In a way, thoughts […]

  • Start with the physical

    Recently I’ve found myself sinking into negativity, getting irritated with people and their perceived stupidity and thoughtlessness and especially their negativity. Of course, it’s not that people have suddenly got more stupid or unkind. The problem is that I am lacking energy, which means I also lack patience and find it harder to be understanding. […]

  • More funny signs

    In Ghana, people are ostensibly very religious. Taxis have quotes like “Not me but God” painted on their back windows and business names are often religious messages too. This can lead to some comical signs, such as: God Is In Control Sewing Batik God’s Time Is The Best Kitchen Trust Books and Stationery Not Me […]

  • A trip to the beach

    After deciding that it would be best to give the orphanage children experiences rather than material things, I put forward the idea of taking the kids to the beach during the school holidays. The idea was well received, but of course, not knowing my way around here, I had to rely on Madame Rose and […]

  • Things you get used to

    – washing clothes and bathing without running water – sweating a lot – small plastic bags and plastic water sachets littered everywhere. There’s no rubbish collection, so people burn their own rubbish but generally think nothing of dropping their empty sachets on the ground. And everything you buy is served in a tiny black plastic […]

  • Things I’ll miss when I leave

    – The noise. There’s always someone with a big sound system playing African music loudly in the street, or in the taxi – The friendliness. People here all talk to each other. They don’t pass on the street without spending time chatting to people they know, even mere acquaintances. – The hosts of local children […]

  • Getting through the hard time

    That’s when I thought, “I’m so glad I’m in Africa!”

  • I need your help to stay on track

    Thanks so much for the comments affirming that I am making a difference. Today I just feel overwhelmed by the hugeness of the problems here and the seeming impossibility of changing anything. For a start, it’s so hard to give anything to the orphanage children without someone else taking it from them. And it seems […]

  • Help for a stranger – even if unsure

    Recently, while working in a Hamilton shop, Jane (not her real name) was approached by a man who needed to use the phone. He was apparently passing through on his way north, but had run out of petrol just outside her shop. There was a petrol station nearby, but the man had unfortunately left his […]

  • Happiness Consultation

    A Happiness Consultation is a 1 ½ hour session that includes: 1) an evaluation of your happiness levels in various life spheres 2) identifying your areas of strength and of dissatisfaction 3) A personalised plan for improving your overall life satisfaction Usual cost per session: $85 Special discount rate: $45 for the month of January