Escuela

Most of the time the showers seem refreshing due to the hot days here in Ghana however on rainy days like today they seem like a form of self-torture. It rained all afternoon here, we had a few minutes of sunlight before heading back to play with the kids in the afternoon and I was able to walk down to the local woman who does Batik work to order myself a blue and white elephant sun dress- “Ready on Monday” she said! 

You will all be happy to hear that the children will no longer be swatched anywhere on the premise of Happy Kids (orphanage or school). After another day of witnessing it, Rachel couldn’t keep quiet out of respect anymore; I saw it happen to a young girl from across the building (on her head) and nearly ran into the room and took the swatch for the girl then broke his freaking cane! (I envisioned it in my mind that way at least) It was heart breaking. We spoke with Kelsey and she said she is going to send Emanuel a pile of reports on the effects of childhood abuse and then enforce a mandatory rule that it is NOT allowed on Happy Kids premises. So with her support we said we wouldn’t be part of working here if he continues to cane the children; he apologized and said it won’t happen again.

School was good today I taught the class all morning while Pat was in the city hiring a new cook for the orphanage (the old one quit). The children are still pretty young and unlike Rachel’s class, where they are old enough to speak full English and realize you have to sit and listen in class, my kids seem to always be sitting on their desks, speaking in full ewe, and singing and dancing. I think the kids are getting a lot out of working one on one but it is hard to explain things to the younger ones who really need it to be explained to them in ewe which is where the teacher Pat helps me out when I am teaching the full class. There is a child in my class who is named Prince and he has a hard time seeing; sometimes I see his eyes look like they go lazy or crossed but because he lives at the orphanage he really doesn’t have the means to see an optometrist and in turn he has difficulty doing school work. He is pretty good at math and writing though so instead of working with him on that I have been doing some eye exercises and games with him hoping that somehow it will help, I am sure I’m amusing myself, but he seems to enjoy them. The older children amaze me still after being with them every day for two weeks; When the younger children act up, hit each other, or are hanging precariously from a fence haha, they are so quick to make sure they are safe, reprimand in an oh-so caring way, or separate them and tell them to be nice to one another. They all sing this song that I’m pretty sure is a spin on an old Barney song “I love you, you love me, were a happy family, with a great big hug, and a kiss form me to you, won’t you say you love me too” It is simple and a very played out song but to see 11-13 year old boys sing it and dance to it with 4-7 year old kids they consider their family your heart melts. We are trying to organize a trip for the older kids; we want to take them to either the monkey sanctuary or the waterfalls; it is going to be like 10-14 kids but we think we can rent a Trotro (a van/buss thing) which is less than a taxi. As long as we work out the details and figure out which kids can and can’t go we hope to take them sometime next week.

This weekend Rachel and I have our first planned trip; we are going to a resort called Afrikiko it is located right on Lake Volta (the world’s largest man-made lake). While there we will get to relax pool-side, and go to a bead making factory. It will be a nice change of scenery and little get away. Hopefully we will get some new/different food choices too.

Aunt Steph! You had a terrific idea, pillows would be perfect for the kids to make and since some of them still sleep on the cement floor it will make their time down there that much more comfortable! I have been on a search for the last few days for batting or stuffing of any sort. I am going to the local sewing store we have been going to for supplies for the kids, and hoping she will have the correct outlet for me to buy some. I am thinking market will have it on Friday I will check. <3 Thanks for your input!

                I found these crackers called Milky Magic crackers and they come in small packs of six… they are like milk crackers- like the ones from “Wallace and Grommet” but they are sooo yummy and even better with some PB spread on top… they have been my sweet tooth savior the last week!

I can’t believe how fast the time is going by… it is hard to believe that three weeks from today I will be going home to the USA. Despite the people and things I miss it is going to be difficult to leave these kids. Check for me in the news “24 Year-old Volunteer Smuggles Five Un-Documented Ghanaian Children on Her Journey Back to America”!

First picture: This is Maxwell the cute little one I said I was playing with the other day in an older post. 

Second Picture: This is me and one of my student Daniel- he is so smart and helps me keep the others in line as he is older than my other students and always finishes his work first. He is also a very entertaining dancer..... I have videos.

<3 Jessie  

One on One

One on One

This week we spoke with Emanuel (son of the owner of the orphanage); we told him we wanted to observe and aide him and Pat (my class teacher) while they teach and we get a chance to work one on one with the children who need more help. This concept went over great with the teachers and the children seemed to love it as well. I discovered that two of the children in my class have no recognition of the letters in the alphabet… how did they get past nursery and into my class? I don’t know. One on one has proved to be more frustrating than teaching an entire class but I think the children are getting a better chance at catching up with the rest of their classmates.

Market!!

Every Monday and Friday there is a “market” in the center of town on the way back to our hotel from the orphanage and it is the best place to find fabric and anything else you are looking for really because there are tons of shops with huge selections of anything and everything. We were on the hunt for fabric for ourselves, flip flops for the kids, and a skirt for me (I UNDER packed… imagine that). Fabric was difficult to find and I ended up not being able to decide on just one so the search continues. Luckily we found flip flops for the kids at a little shop and were able to buy a few pairs at $.80 each… yes eighty cents! The children were so extremely happy you would have thought they won the lotto; they were all trying them on and figuring out who needed them the most and it was so adorable. We also got a loaf of bread ($.45) to keep in the room for times when we have the munchies (peanut butter sandwiches) and I got two large and delicious mangos.

There is a group of men we drive pass on our way to the orphanage that sits together and talks loudly as if to let everyone know they are big strong men having a manly discussion. They pay some sort of game too that involves beer and dice but I don’t know what it is. The reason I pay so much attention to this group of men is because it is extremely amusing to me the setting as to which it takes place: Under a very beautiful and dainty tree with full, waxy green leaves, that produce white flowers, and has branches that grow in the shape of a fan so the branches block the sun but create a perfect sitting area over the “manly men” who sit right under this very womanly and pretty tree.

Tuesday was a tuff day, Rachel didn’t sleep well and I was feeling a little tired too. We each worked hard with our children one on one but felt like they weren’t absorbing as much and then Rachel witnesses the teacher swatching the children on the hands fairly hard (to tears) today and it was hard for her to see and for me to except. We are aware and have to respect the way that people discipline here but it doesn’t happen often, and this is the only time since we have been here we have seen it happen to this extent (and we spend a lot of time with the kids).We are going to talk to Kelsey and make sure it is the expectable form of discipline, but honestly I have a feeling she will want it to stop, this daycare and school is much more affectionate and run differently than most in the area.  

We lost power again, twice in the last two days due to rain and windstorms. Today it rained again so we played games with the children under the covered over hang and played some music for them to dance to. I took some really amazing videos of the some of the kids dancing- haha. I also spoke with one of my favorite girls at the orphanage; her name is Lucy, and she is 12 I think. She is the oldest girl and is so adorable, very soft spoken, beautiful, caring and mother like to the younger ones. She pulls herself away from playing and prepares a stew/soup dinner for the children each night by breaking up the dried fish and cutting the veggies… She is one of those girls who deserve to win some sort of scholarship and move onto a life she never imagined she could ever have. She says she wants to be a teacher. 

Lucky- cooking tonight's dinner: Fish soup with veggies :) 

Running Errands in Ghana!

Saturday:

We had a lot of things to get in town today for the orphanage and for ourselves. I thought I was prepared for the walk and the weather but after about two strides I was drenched and felt like I had lost any moisture I had in my body to begin with. We found a really cool shop on the way back from the bank that had an amazing selection of fabrics and bags to choose from… we will have to revisit this store before we leave.

Going into the Chemical Store was insane… you can buy straight penicillin in a bottle. It’s all bottled in scary old labels as if you were in the medicine room of an old hospital. We were able to replenish both the first aide boxes for the school, and the orphanage so that later in the month we can do a first aide class for the teachers.

On our way back to the hotel we came upon something terrifying. The road to the hotel is a dirt road, like most of the roads in Hohoe, and lined with thick trees and bushes on either side of the road. On the walk down the road we came upon a group of about thirty worker men with machetes in their hands walking straight towards us. This was scary and intimidating on its own but what happen next made it even worse…one of the men picked up a large snake about 3 feet in length and 5 inches wide and held it in the air amused by how scared our faces must have looked; Rachel nearly threw-up and I nearly peed my pants.

Our second trip into town today was just as eventful, first we were stopped by two twelve year old girls standing outside of an orphanage/ boarding house and harassed by them to write down our addresses for them to have--- are they kidding? Then, after we escaped them, we were chased by a small three year old boy who was eye-balling my purse and yelling something in ewe (the language they speak here) as if he was a seasoned thief, he even was reaching in their air to grab hold of my purse, though he wasn’t tall enough to reach….. I suppose he could have been reaching for my hand but I doubt it.

Sunday:

Sundays is the  holy day so everything is pretty much closed down until around 6-7 at night, I like the solitude I could sit and think or listen to music for hours and not get bored, though time does go slower when you’re not doing anything. I sat outside and baked in the sun for a little to get a little tan going but the sun is so intense I only lasted an hour, if that. After researching some touristy ideas for the upcoming week and next weekend I found some things that look pretty interesting we just have to agree on something and pick the days to do them.

OK… the diet is getting to me; I am losing my appetite for chicken with barely any meat on it and potato fries or rice. Our cook returns tomorrow and we are going to ask her to prepare us the traditional dish called Banku but with chicken broth instead of the goat soup on the menu… that will we something different at least. I notice now how much my mood and life depend on the food I eat I am a true foodie and being without is going to be my greatest challenge…as stupid as that sounds. I dream of the restaurants and food I will prepare when I return… I miss cooking.

We visited the orphanage today for a short while to see a soccer game between too local teams in an 18+ team league and it was very cool to watch. Some were decked out in all the assumed soccer gear and others were barefoot or wearing just socks. I guess it all depends on how you learned to play.

I don’t think I have mentioned how the women and men around here carry insanely unimaginably large amounts of stuff on their heads, weather it be a child, man, women, or elderly person they carry anything and everything on their head without concentration. Boxes for food or supplies, tree branches to build, huge bags of rice, bowls filled with veggies or fabric, large plates stacked high with food for sale they carry it around while still walking and waving and even dancing like it’s no big deal. My jaw drops sometimes at what they are carrying as they walk past me.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of our second week here teaching and we are hoping to get some time to work one on one with the children in our classes; we will see how it goes. Waterfalls maybe on Wednesday?!!

<3 Jessie                

African Union Day:

African Union Day:

Today there was no school due to a holiday that was put in place only a few years ago that no one really knows much about or celebrates in the town we are in, at least. We were able to sleep in until around 730 and then have breakfast. Unfortunately the cook is away due to a death in her family until Monday so our eggs were not so good and they had no veggies as they usually do.

Our intentions for the day were to walk into town and see a few things as well as pick up a couple items the orphanage and school needed, but the weather had different plans as it seems to have often…. It started to rain as soon as we got into town and we were getting quite wet. Visiting a sewing store to get some supplies for the children’s sewing class and finding a local store for each of us to buy some crackers to have as snacks at the hotel was all we accomplished. The crackers are so yummy; some sort of milk/malt thing. Once the rain started to really fall we called Godwin (the very kind and funny man who has been driving us around while we are here) and he was there as soon as the phone had hung up… but not alone. In the back seat was a woman with a baby on her back (it is amazing how the women here wrap the babysit in sitting position with fabric right onto their back and the child just hangs/ clings on without falling out) This women and her adorable maybe 6 month old baby were going to the hospital though I don’t know for what. We accompanied her on her ride and then Godwin brought us back to the hotel.

Even though there was no school today we were still able to visit the children after the rain had stopped to play some soccer and enjoy each other’s company. We were also supposed to watch them in their sewing class that was SUPPOSED to take place at 3pm. This is a fabulous program was put in place to teach the children a skill as well as empower them buy having them create things like school bags or purses or shirts for themselves. The sewing supplies are dwindling and the women who used to come 2-3 times a week is now coming only once a week and has not even been there for three weeks now. Without guidance the children are going through fabric and needles as well as running out of things to do and getting let down each week they assume she will be coming. We got them some new needles and thread and some needles so they can do hand stitching as well as the part they needed to fix one of their two machines. It is great we are able to buy these items for them but it is hard to see them not going anywhere with their skills while this women isn’t showing up and they are going through product trying to practice without her. Today Rachel and I made them some hacky sacks with the sewing machine and some stones--- they loved them but like anything with 15 kids using it they broke fast. Yesterday I told them to take the scraps and make small bags out on them as to not waste material—it seems to work for an hour or so. Our hope is to speak with the director of project and tell her of what is going on to get the program running again or find a new seamstress to teach them more often.

We had bought them a 20 Cedi ($9-ish) soccer ball on Monday and it is already falling apart, I fixed it three times with duct tape but it is literally coming apart at the seams. Playing soccer is fun- the boys are so good at it and love the game. I try not to overexert myself which is easy to do with the sun beating down on you. My knee is continuously in pain, popping and giving out while running but I still am able to play for a decent amount of time. After I gave up at soccer I went to see the younger kids over at the mango trees and impressed them with my tree climbing abilities “Look the white is in the tree”… “The white can climb the tree”—so funny to hear them.

Back at the orphanage we played mancala and connect four then watched the boys feed the chickens which became an ordeal because they started to escape their pen so I was herding them back into it yelling weird words and waving my arms as if it was working… I was showed up by a small 9 year old girl Morta who came up in front of me and grabbed two birds at once by the wings heaving them into the pen like a professional… I just stood back; clearly I was of no help lol.

I was showing some of the kids how to do flips and upside down sit ups on an old bar from a swing set without the swings they play on when this very small boy who spoke no English came over and started pointing to the bar. His name was Maxwell; he was bald except for two small tuffs of hair near his ears that were clearly missed while he was having his head shaved. I picked him up and let him hang from the bar for a few second before his tiny arms gave out and then did it about 5 more time until my arms were about to give out. We moved on to jumping off a step while holding my arm and then after that he was like my little shadow for the rest of the afternoon.

Around the time we were leaving we heard a marching band coming and we all gathered to see it go past the gate of the orphanage, I held the very short Maxwell over my head so her could see and we soon realized there was a train of cars and an ambulance too signifying it was a funeral. The children didn’t put it together but were enjoying the marching band and trying to reenact the marching- the young following the old in a line around the orphanage… so cute!

MMMMM Dinner was so good tonight; we asked them to prepare us something off the menu (because we couldn’t handle all of the starch) they prepared once piece of chicken and a very large portion of cooked veggies which were so yummy and just what I needed after all the fries and rice I have been eating. I will finish the evening with a few crackers and maybe some peanut butter J read some of my not so interesting book and then bed for me!

<3 you all

-Jessie                

May 23

May 23, 2012

Today was a trying day… Wednesday is worship day as is Sunday so today when we reached school at 830 we held off on learning until worship is over in the classrooms and then we began to teach. Our teaching was brought to a halt again when some Cross Cultural Solutions volunteers came to do a demonstration for the children on how to properly wash their hands. This was a very well planned and executed demonstration I think the kids really grasped the concept as well. When I started teaching I was struck by my biggest obstacle so far…. The children feel as though they have learned to read and write though their capacity for words is limited and only made up of a few MEMORIZED words rather than being able to sound out what they see. The concept that a letter makes a sound is not fathomable to them and this makes it hard for me to even go on with teaching the way they are currently…. Not to mention the language and accent barrier makes it even more difficult for them to learn the correct pronunciation of the letters and words. The children also don’t have anything to write on or which and when I bought them supplies I was told they can’t use the lined paper and can only use the graph paper, and only for math…. I will have to be forceful and tell them tomorrow- THEY NEED TO WRITE IT DOWN TO LEARN THE MATERIAL! Needless to say I was exhausted by 12:30- lunch time.

Rachel was also exhausted from a very stressful morning of teacher and we sought each other as targets of our frustration. WE both quickly noticed this and stopped using each other as punching bags which was good…. It would have been a long night.

The volunteers that came to do the demonstration were very friendly and we all exchanged information and agreed to meet tonight at a local bar for a beer- this was much needed social activity for Rachel and I and though we haven’t ventured into town alone (without taxi or guide) we quickly noticed we were safe and everyone we encountered were just happy to see us helping their community and willing to say a friendly hello. It was nice to get out and socialize with other people as well as hear they were struggling with similar stressors as we were. WE were only out for an hour or so because I had to come home to do some school work before I teach tomorrow; I have put together some folders and lined paper for them to use as well as purchased individual chalkboards for the kids to practice writing words and math problems on at their desk. I am trying to think of a solution for the class chalkboard (did I mention my classroom is just 15 desks pushed together under a metal roof outside). The chalkboard is a piece of plywood painted in black paint, with a rip in the middle from water damage and you can barely even read my chalk writing on it, it is so worn. I am hoping to wither buy some chalkboard paint local or purchase a white board so the teacher and children have a sufficient place to learn material off of.

I am bloated from all the chicken and potato I have been eating and think I need to broaden my diet options though goat meat and fish don’t seem appetizing… or safe.

---Time for a snickers from the good ole’ USA!

<3 Jessie!