We were able to go with a group of senior couples and Ghanaian friends to the Volta River, near the Gulf of Guinea, for a boat trip and the opportunity to view an electricity-generating merry-go-round installed on a remote island to provide a village and school with a much-needed source of power. It was fun and relaxing on the water, leaving busy traffic and honking horns far behind us for a few hours.
 |  |
| We parked our cars close to the shore where the boats were waiting for us. This was definitely a sunscreen day. | A little outboard motor kept the pace slow and easy as our boats headed upstream on the gently rolling river. |
 |  |
| We were glad to have hats and tennis shoes to wear -- not our usual attire, but crucial for the hot sun and muddy beaches. | Ben Markham, a returned LDS missionary who served in Ghana, founded Empower Playgrounds, Inc. |
 |  |
| This beautiful flamboyant tree sits near the village school on Pediatorkope Island where the equipment was installed. | This is a double dream come true for the villagers. Children can play on the equipment while it generates light for schoolrooms. |
 |  |
| The power generated in the merry-go-round is stored in car batteries that charge portable LED lights used in homes/schools. | This type of lighting can also be installed, connected to the recharged battery for several hours of light in a home. |
 |  |
| As we returned to the beach, we noticed the name of our boat. | It was fun to see the well-kept homes in villages near the shore. |
 |  |
| Fishermen repairing and preparing the nets on their boats. | The ocean is just on the other side of this spit of land. |
 |
| Here's a first for us -- coconut-eating chickens! |
