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Hello! My name is Marlene,

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My sign language name is this:

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(birthmark at the chin) and I am from Hamburg.

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I am here through the 'worldwards' volunteering programme.

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That is an umbrella association for many other organizations.

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I am a member of one of them:

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The organization BEZEV (Disability and Development Cooperation).

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What does the organization do, or rather, which responsibilities does it have?

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It is a contact point for volunteers

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who want to support development and work in developing countries in Asia, Africa or Latin America.

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Surely you have noticed that I am not in Germany?!

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Where could I be, then?...

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Yes, right, in Africa!

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And where exactly?

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In Ghana!

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How long do I stay in Ghana?

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For eight months.

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And where do I stay here?

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I live with a native host family, in the small city of Swedru.

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And what do I do here in Swedru?

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There is a deaf school here in Swedru

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where I work together with the teachers.

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Do I teach in German Sign Language, my native language?

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No. The deaf people here have their own sign language,

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which is different from the one in Germany.

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By the way, the Ghanaian sign language

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is more closely related to American sign language.

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The children ask a lot of questions and want to know

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how it is to live in Germany and how our world there looks like.

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I am having a lot of fun teaching them.

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But I don't only teach, I am on the other hand also learning many new things from them.

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I am very fascinated to experience the different culture,

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the other life styles and the other eating habits in Ghana.

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It is also amazing for me to see how smoothly I am being accepted

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and able to integrate myself into the surrounding as a white person.

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It is very nice to have gathered such experiences.

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I will take these enriching experiences with me back to Germany.

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However, I do not at all want to remain the only deaf volunteer!

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Hence, if you have a big interest and it is your goal or dream

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to support the developing countries, but you do not know

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to whom to turn:

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The organization BEZEV would like to continue working together with deaf volunteers!

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You are VERY WELCOME there!!!

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I can really highly recommend joining the 'worldwards' programme to you and

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daring the great adventure- like I did- where you will gather so many precious experiences.

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In this spirit: ILY!!! ('All the best')