There are a number of people we interact with daily that I truly believe don’t get the proper expression of gratitude often enough. So, I think I’ll use this post to really take a chance to thank the people who seem to be doing the most but getting the least amount of credit for it.

• The Tro-Tro Mate: This is the guy that basically gets me where I need to be every day. He picks me up and makes sure that I get off at the right place. This also goes for all of the men working at the 37 station, asking me where I’m going and helping me get into the correct vehicle. The amount of people that he deals with daily, while handling money and always giving back proper change (and probably dealing with some loud preachers from time to time) is unfathomable. Sometimes, to keep it full, he will give up his own seat and stand the whole ride, just so someone extra can get on. I can’t imagine doing his job and not getting incredibly irritated from time to time. I turned to my mate this afternoon and said “thanks, have a great day!” and he seemed shocked. He just smiled and went about his business, but still, I know he probably doesn’t hear it nearly as much as he deserves to… so that’s why I’m doing it here. 
• The Hawker (AKA The Donut Lady): This is the woman (or man) who walks up and down the busy highways and side streets selling anything from gum to water to extra cell phone minutes… to even our beloved donuts. I don’t know how she does it; walking up and down the busy streets, dodging cars that might hit her, and giving me what I paid for (plus change if necessary) in a matter of seconds simply because your car might have to pull away quickly. It baffles me how often I see men and women alike calling over a hawker with bags of water, exchanging money for the item, and the hawker walking away without any form of thanks. Again, as I said before, she (or he) probably doesn’t hear the words “thank you” enough… so that’s why I’m doing it here.
• The Aya Centre Security Team (Alex, Lucy, and the rest): We 100% thank these people every time they open and close the gate for us or fix something in our house, but I still think that they don’t always receive the appropriate amount of thanks on a daily basis. They guard our house 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and they do it with a smile. They fire up the generator right at 6 pm every evening and they don’t ask us for a thing. For these people, I am grateful and wanted to thank them… so that’s why I’m doing it here.
• Professor Chris Chavez: What a guy. Really. I never really interacted with him too much in the SOJC except for awkward encounters when I try to become friendly with various professors and build relationships, without ever having had them as a professor. My first “real” one-on-one interaction with him was going into his office to ask about potentially checking out equipment to take with me. He was kind and enthusiastic and very genuine. My next interaction with him was on our 10 hour flight from New York to Accra (a flight which was delayed 5 hours, 4.5 of which we were sitting on the plane). We were both annoyed but understanding that it was out of our control, and that’s also how I knew that he was someone I could vibe with. I knew that he would be a great mentor throughout the program and really just someone I could talk about professional or personal things with. He was really just a great person to travel with us and to help us make the most out of our global experience here in Ghana. His positive attitude and all around mensch-y-ness are worth more thanks than he likely received and wanted to extend my gratitude… so that’s why I’m doing it here.
• Michael “Doc” Williams: Another person for me to simply say “what a guy.” We may not see him all of the time, but he has continuously been there for us and always comes and checks in on us. He made sure our transition into Ghanian life was smooth and has personally offered to drive me to get anything I needed, whether it was medical care or some hot wings. He’s just a great guy who has made it clear that he will do anything to make sure we are comfortable here. He comes and hangs out at the house every once in a while, just sitting and reading a book. I’ll come outside after work and sit and talk to him for a while. Maybe I should thank him for his wisdom, or maybe I should thank him for taking the time to listen to me and what I have to say. Nonetheless, I don’t think any of us really thank him nearly enough… so that’s why I’m doing it here.
• Leslie Steeves: I’ll keep this one short but sweet because I truly have no clue how or where to begin. This woman is an angel and truly cares about her students, this program, and this country more than words can express. We thank her whenever she takes us to dinner or lunch, or after weekend trips or mainly any act of physically doing something for us. However, I personally don’t think we can ever thank her enough for putting herself out there to make sure that we aren’t cheated in a Kente cloth market or for arranging for us to take a bus around an arboretum. She deserves even more thanks for stopping by to say hello to us when she could be hanging out with her Ghanaian friends. She deserves even more thanks for always vouching for us and making sure we are getting every opportunity we deserve and making sure we’re always comfortable. Essentially, I don’t think that she gets nearly enough thanks for making the Media in Ghana program happen in the first place… so that’s why I’m doing it here.