Aburi was great! Biking to the waterfall, it took us only a little longer than thirty minutes. When we got there we had to hike a mile or two to reach the actual waterfall. While we were hiking to the waterfall, our guide stopped us in our tracks. There was a large green poisonous snake that he threw rocks at until it passed.
During the week, I kept painting the school in Saviefe Deme. One of the days, the painting was minimal and the community was working on layering cement on the old school. This was a great opportunity to learn how to carry bowls of cement on my head. As they mixed the cement together, I would fill up the bowl and place it on the top of my head and proceed to walk to the school where it would be dumped out. I engaged in this process for a couple hours until I moved on to helping the kids carry buckets of water that we fetched from the river, to their houses.
The weeks have gone by way too and my flight home is just hours away. I spent my last night in Ghana out with the volunteers, enjoying card games and engaging with some of the locals. I'm dying to stay longer, just for a few more weeks but I am 100% positive that i will be back one day. Maybe not next year but I will be back. I'll miss what the locals call my 2nd home with my new "family" that i have met.
August 11, 2012
July 29, 2012
That's a wrap!
What a blur! This summer has gone by so quickly! I can't believe that we will be leaving for America tomorrow. This past week has definitely been a fitting end to our 8.5 weeks in Ghana.
Before I get into all the details, though, I will start on a sad note. This week the beloved Ghanaian president, John Atta Mills, died of throat cancer. Though there has been a lot of mourning, it has been peaceful here. Citizens who have never even met the man are personally grieving his death--our friend Michael said that he couldn't bear to eat at all the day after the death. There has been a lot of radio coverage of the funeral and about the transfer of power to John Mahama. Molly and I observed everybody resuming normal activities the morning after the death, but when we started to run in the morning, a woman said, "The president died last night and you are running?!?"
Though the children finished with their exams last week, they still came to school Monday-Thursday this week. It was pretty much like the last day of school for American children dragged out for the entire week... The teachers let the kids play the entire day, and the kids loved it! Instead of having to drag out the sports equipment multiple times during the day, the children just played and played continuously. Molly and I enjoyed spending some unstructured time with the children. They taught us more songs, including the local version (the Volta region's version) of the Ghana national anthem. They also continued to help us learn basic Ewe, reviewing the numbers (1-10) and the days of the week with us. They taught us games such as Ompi and Aisha, which they ALWAYS play even though they are very tiring (they involve a lot of jumping). We also were able to teach some of them the song "You raise me up." We came up with actions for it, and these were a pretty big hit!
By the middle of the week, Molly and I were pretty exhausted. Our cross country training has been going well, but we continue to increase our mileage and as we don't have the nutrition that we are used to in America, it is taking its toll on us. Two-a-days are especially exhausting, as we run at 5:30 am and then again after teaching, playing, and coaching the children at 5:00 pm. Molly and I continue to have a following--people literally stop whatever they are doing and run with us for a few steps or an entire mile. Sometimes we feel how Forest Gump must have felt on his long run. We have even added extra agilities into our training program, dodging men who approach us with open arms saying, "Hello! My wife!" and women who approach us with concerns about our health saying, "You are tired. Go home and rest."
Anyway, since we were so tired, instead of playing games with the kids all day we started to individually tutor students in reading and computer literacy. The children loved this. We found that we were able to teach them quite a bit one-on-one. We were surprised to discover--through reading the Magic School Bus--that many of the children had never heard of dinosaurs. Many books have been donated to McColin's, but the children can only read them when they are at school because they do not yet have a library loan system worked out. (Mama Suzie hopes to develop this when they move to their new site.) The children have to read on the floor of a cramped hallway. (This is why we are trying to raise money for a new library with our Indiegogo video.)
We also continued to film for our Indiegogo video. On Wednesday, all the Ghana ACT volunteers got together to brainstorm and plan out our video. Molly and I already had a lot of footage, but we needed a plan of how it would all fit together. Then we went to the new site of McColin's to do some more filming.
Throughout the week, Mama Suzie and the children planned for the long-anticipated last day of school/graduation ceremony. The children even collected stones to make an aisle for the 6th graders to walk down on their graduation day. Apparently, this was the first primary school graduation ceremony in Ho, so it was a big deal. Many administrators from the area attended. The children performed skits and dances. The atmosphere was so celebratory and exhilarating. The children kept referring to it as "our day." The 6th graders were excited about their accomplishments, but recognized that this is only one step on their way to achieving their goals. Every single one of them plans to go to junior high school, senior high school, and university. They all have lofty career goals. Some want to be bank managers and others want to be doctors. Mama Suzie has really encouraged them to dream big!
Molly and I made certificates for the graduates, and they were elated to receive their laminated keepsake. After they received their certificates, Mama Suzie surprised Molly and I with certificates of our own. The community was very appreciative of our efforts. Mama Suzie explained that we had taught every subject to many different grades the past eight weeks and that we had also started an afterschool sports program. She said that we contributed to the fund to buy a bus for McColin's (which was brought to the school and blessed during the graduation ceremony) and built basketball hoops for McColin's--which leads to the really exciting news...
The new site of McColin's will be one of the only places in this area with A BASKETBALL COURT! Mama Suzie decided that their new site has enough space for a court! So Molly and I have been consulting with the builders. Early next week they will be clearing and leveling the ground. Then they will pour cement for the court based on the dimensions that we have provided them with.
If the children are going to have a court, they need to have a coach to continue to teach them the basics of basketball... That was a problem up until yesterday. Only one teacher at McColin's knows how to play basketball, and he was going to leave the school after this term. However, he has decided to stay at McColin's, partly because he LOVES basketball and is really excited to coach. Molly and I have made him a basketball manual, with ideas for possible drills, offenses, etc. McColin's will be the only school in Ho that has a basketball program. Mama Suzie is very excited that the children will be able to learn a sport besides soccer. And the children, especially the girls who are often excluded from soccer games, are excited for the opportunity to play for an hour every day after school. (The girls and boys will be on an alternating schedule.)
This weekend we went to Hohoe for the wedding of Saraphine (a teacher) and Kingston. There was so much singing and dancing! It was held outside the church and it was kind of similiar to an American wedding, but much more informal and relaxed. Also, Ghanaians do not engage in public displays of affection, so there was a hug rather than a kiss. The family welcomed us and the mother of the bride even came over to us during the ceremony to see if we were hungry. She even invited us to come to their house so that she could cook us rice during the ceremony! Anyway, the wedding (including all the singing and dancing before the rites), was at least four hours. The brass band that played really added to the celebratory atmosphere--the bass drummer was phenominally good and fun to watch!
Speaking of drumming, Yao, one of our Ghanaian friends, brought over his drums. Molly and I have learned some of the drumming techniques. One of us plays a simple bass beat, and then the other improvises on top of the bass beat. I love it!
Anyway, on our last full day in Ghana, we are taking in all the sites one last time. We have been sitting on our porch a lot--we are really going to miss the woman and her baby at the store across the street, the friendly faces of our neighbors, the Ghanaians bustling by carrying their goods to sell at the market on top of their heads, and the company of the neighborhood children--especially Anthony, who is a sweet middle schooler who gave me a special happy birthday card on my birthday!
Although we realize that we will miss many aspects of our life here, we are definitely ready to be back in the U.S. We have developed such an appreciation of the U.S. since we have been here. The length of our stay here has definitely made that feeling even stronger!
Thanks to everyone for reading our blog throughout the summer. We hope you have enjoyed it--though we know some of our blogs (including this one) are probably unnecessarily long and detailed. We will probably write at least one or two more blog entries once we get home with some final reflections on our experience in Ghana.
--Annelise
Before I get into all the details, though, I will start on a sad note. This week the beloved Ghanaian president, John Atta Mills, died of throat cancer. Though there has been a lot of mourning, it has been peaceful here. Citizens who have never even met the man are personally grieving his death--our friend Michael said that he couldn't bear to eat at all the day after the death. There has been a lot of radio coverage of the funeral and about the transfer of power to John Mahama. Molly and I observed everybody resuming normal activities the morning after the death, but when we started to run in the morning, a woman said, "The president died last night and you are running?!?"
Though the children finished with their exams last week, they still came to school Monday-Thursday this week. It was pretty much like the last day of school for American children dragged out for the entire week... The teachers let the kids play the entire day, and the kids loved it! Instead of having to drag out the sports equipment multiple times during the day, the children just played and played continuously. Molly and I enjoyed spending some unstructured time with the children. They taught us more songs, including the local version (the Volta region's version) of the Ghana national anthem. They also continued to help us learn basic Ewe, reviewing the numbers (1-10) and the days of the week with us. They taught us games such as Ompi and Aisha, which they ALWAYS play even though they are very tiring (they involve a lot of jumping). We also were able to teach some of them the song "You raise me up." We came up with actions for it, and these were a pretty big hit!
By the middle of the week, Molly and I were pretty exhausted. Our cross country training has been going well, but we continue to increase our mileage and as we don't have the nutrition that we are used to in America, it is taking its toll on us. Two-a-days are especially exhausting, as we run at 5:30 am and then again after teaching, playing, and coaching the children at 5:00 pm. Molly and I continue to have a following--people literally stop whatever they are doing and run with us for a few steps or an entire mile. Sometimes we feel how Forest Gump must have felt on his long run. We have even added extra agilities into our training program, dodging men who approach us with open arms saying, "Hello! My wife!" and women who approach us with concerns about our health saying, "You are tired. Go home and rest."
Anyway, since we were so tired, instead of playing games with the kids all day we started to individually tutor students in reading and computer literacy. The children loved this. We found that we were able to teach them quite a bit one-on-one. We were surprised to discover--through reading the Magic School Bus--that many of the children had never heard of dinosaurs. Many books have been donated to McColin's, but the children can only read them when they are at school because they do not yet have a library loan system worked out. (Mama Suzie hopes to develop this when they move to their new site.) The children have to read on the floor of a cramped hallway. (This is why we are trying to raise money for a new library with our Indiegogo video.)
We also continued to film for our Indiegogo video. On Wednesday, all the Ghana ACT volunteers got together to brainstorm and plan out our video. Molly and I already had a lot of footage, but we needed a plan of how it would all fit together. Then we went to the new site of McColin's to do some more filming.
Throughout the week, Mama Suzie and the children planned for the long-anticipated last day of school/graduation ceremony. The children even collected stones to make an aisle for the 6th graders to walk down on their graduation day. Apparently, this was the first primary school graduation ceremony in Ho, so it was a big deal. Many administrators from the area attended. The children performed skits and dances. The atmosphere was so celebratory and exhilarating. The children kept referring to it as "our day." The 6th graders were excited about their accomplishments, but recognized that this is only one step on their way to achieving their goals. Every single one of them plans to go to junior high school, senior high school, and university. They all have lofty career goals. Some want to be bank managers and others want to be doctors. Mama Suzie has really encouraged them to dream big!
Molly and I made certificates for the graduates, and they were elated to receive their laminated keepsake. After they received their certificates, Mama Suzie surprised Molly and I with certificates of our own. The community was very appreciative of our efforts. Mama Suzie explained that we had taught every subject to many different grades the past eight weeks and that we had also started an afterschool sports program. She said that we contributed to the fund to buy a bus for McColin's (which was brought to the school and blessed during the graduation ceremony) and built basketball hoops for McColin's--which leads to the really exciting news...
The new site of McColin's will be one of the only places in this area with A BASKETBALL COURT! Mama Suzie decided that their new site has enough space for a court! So Molly and I have been consulting with the builders. Early next week they will be clearing and leveling the ground. Then they will pour cement for the court based on the dimensions that we have provided them with.
If the children are going to have a court, they need to have a coach to continue to teach them the basics of basketball... That was a problem up until yesterday. Only one teacher at McColin's knows how to play basketball, and he was going to leave the school after this term. However, he has decided to stay at McColin's, partly because he LOVES basketball and is really excited to coach. Molly and I have made him a basketball manual, with ideas for possible drills, offenses, etc. McColin's will be the only school in Ho that has a basketball program. Mama Suzie is very excited that the children will be able to learn a sport besides soccer. And the children, especially the girls who are often excluded from soccer games, are excited for the opportunity to play for an hour every day after school. (The girls and boys will be on an alternating schedule.)
This weekend we went to Hohoe for the wedding of Saraphine (a teacher) and Kingston. There was so much singing and dancing! It was held outside the church and it was kind of similiar to an American wedding, but much more informal and relaxed. Also, Ghanaians do not engage in public displays of affection, so there was a hug rather than a kiss. The family welcomed us and the mother of the bride even came over to us during the ceremony to see if we were hungry. She even invited us to come to their house so that she could cook us rice during the ceremony! Anyway, the wedding (including all the singing and dancing before the rites), was at least four hours. The brass band that played really added to the celebratory atmosphere--the bass drummer was phenominally good and fun to watch!
Speaking of drumming, Yao, one of our Ghanaian friends, brought over his drums. Molly and I have learned some of the drumming techniques. One of us plays a simple bass beat, and then the other improvises on top of the bass beat. I love it!
Anyway, on our last full day in Ghana, we are taking in all the sites one last time. We have been sitting on our porch a lot--we are really going to miss the woman and her baby at the store across the street, the friendly faces of our neighbors, the Ghanaians bustling by carrying their goods to sell at the market on top of their heads, and the company of the neighborhood children--especially Anthony, who is a sweet middle schooler who gave me a special happy birthday card on my birthday!
Although we realize that we will miss many aspects of our life here, we are definitely ready to be back in the U.S. We have developed such an appreciation of the U.S. since we have been here. The length of our stay here has definitely made that feeling even stronger!
Thanks to everyone for reading our blog throughout the summer. We hope you have enjoyed it--though we know some of our blogs (including this one) are probably unnecessarily long and detailed. We will probably write at least one or two more blog entries once we get home with some final reflections on our experience in Ghana.
The bus that Ghana ACT donated to McColin's because the site of their new schools is too far for the children to walk
Ibrahim, one of the 6th grade graduates, with his certificate
Molly and I with the teachers at McColin's. (Michael, the basketball coach, is behind us.)
Mama Suzie gave Molly and I certificates for our volunteerism
Saraphine and Kingston's wedding
July 27, 2012
Ghanaian Grub
Hello! I realized that it is our last few days here and we have not yet talked much about specific Ghanaian dishes that we have had regularly since we have been here. This is partly because we haven't taken many (if any) pictures of the food. As we have a Ghanaian woman, Linda, who is a student at the local nursing school, cook for us each weeknight, there is really no excuse for why we haven't taken pictures of our food. Anyway, we will have to resort to using other people's pictures from the internet to show you the food that we have each week.
In Ghana there are a few staple dishes that everyone has regularly. These are fufu, banku, and kenke. They all feature a dough ball in some kind of stew. You must take a piece of the dough ball and dip it into the stew using your RIGHT HAND--this is very important as it is offensive in Ghanaian culture to use your left hand for anything other than going to the bathroom. Then you put it in your mouth and swallow--you aren't supposed to chew (though I always violate this rule).
http://www.google.com.gh/imgres?um=1&hl=en&biw=1707&bih=1072&tbm=isch&tbnid=AJDEBxp3lqxJTM:&imgrefurl=http://www.touringghana.com/dining.asp&docid=uk8ZK0hqYo6IgM&imgurl=http://www.touringghana.com/images/dining/fufu.jpg&w=220&h=150&ei=YdUSUJPNB8PKhAe37ICYAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1251&vpy=565&dur=580&hovh=120&hovw=176&tx=78&ty=82&sig=105201438697101030999&page=1&tbnh=120&tbnw=176&start=0&ndsp=49&ved=1t:429,r:33,s:0,i:173
In Ghana there are a few staple dishes that everyone has regularly. These are fufu, banku, and kenke. They all feature a dough ball in some kind of stew. You must take a piece of the dough ball and dip it into the stew using your RIGHT HAND--this is very important as it is offensive in Ghanaian culture to use your left hand for anything other than going to the bathroom. Then you put it in your mouth and swallow--you aren't supposed to chew (though I always violate this rule).
The fufu dough ball is made from cassava, which is like a white yam. This dough ball, like all the others, is very filling and it expands in your stomach. I can never eat all of one. The texture is kind of like bread dough. It can also be served with light soup, which is a spicy tomato soup. The spices that are in almost every Ghanaian dish are garlic, ginger, onion, and LOTS of pepe, a kind of pepper.
Fufu with goat meat in palm nut soup
Me pounding fufu with our cook Linda
The banku dough ball is made from mashed plantains. It is similiar to the fufu dough ball, except slightly more sour. Molly and I like this dish better than fufu. The texture is different--it is more like clay.
Banku and "okro" (okra) stew
Kenkey is made using corn. It is usually wrapped in a corn husk, so you must unwrap it first. You take a piece of it, dip it in the spicy red sauce, and tear off part of the fish and eat it all together.
Kenkey dough ball wrapped in corn husk
Kenkey, sauce, and fish
A rice ball is often served with groundnut (peanut) soup. At first Molly and I loved this dish, but as it was the last dish we ate before we got food poisoning, we are now kind of repulsed by it even though we don't know for sure that we got food poisoning from it. Anyway, most of these dishes are usually served with chicken. ALL PARTS of the chicken are served, including the eggs from the inside of female chickens. Ghanaians even eat the bones for calcium since there is no milk here.
Rice ball in ground nut stew with chicken
Red red with fried plaintains or bananas is another commonly-served meal in Ghana. It is basically beans in a red sauce. This meal is not very spicy, so it can be a nice change of pace. The fried plantains are very sweet. I prefer this dish with bananas rather than fried plantains.
Red Red with fried plantains
Mpoto Mpoto is a yam dish. I cannot find any pictures of it... It has a consistency kind of like mashed potatoes, except it is orange, rich, and spicy!
Fried yams are the Ghanaian version of french fries--except here it is the main meal. It is dipped in a spicy red sauce. We usually share an omlette on the side for protein. In Ghana the starch is viewed as more important than the protein. Chicken and other meats are more expensive, so Ghanaians fill up on startches before consuming a little protein at the end of the meal.
Fried Yams (one of the other volunteers took this picture)
Jollof is a spicy rice, commonly served with chicken and a little salad on the side. The lettuce is usually smothered in mayo.
Jollof Rice and Chicken
And last but not least, cosi. Cosi is fried bean dough, and it is usually served inside of bread like a sandwich. This is a breakfast food.
Cosi Sandwich (This picture was also taken by another volunteer)
Though we have enjoyed experiencing all aspects of the Ghanaian culture, including the food, we are ready to return to America to EAT RED MEAT! We are excited to eat pretty much anything that does not involve carbs as we are pretty burnt out on carb consumption.
I know this hasn't been a real update on what we have been doing the past week... We will be posting one more time before we leave on Monday, so stay tuned!
--Annelise
July 24, 2012
One Busy Weekend
Hey all!
This past weekend was jam-packed with exciting events. On Saturday we woke early to travel via tro tro to Aburi, a village about three hours away. In Aburi we visited the Botanical Gardens, which contains an amazing tree that is actually composed completely of fungus. The gardens also have weeds that shrink when you touch them, and an actual helicopter that crash landed in the garden but was never removed. After roaming the gardens we rented mountain bikes and off-roaded it to a waterfall in the woods. The waterfall is a hidden gem, and many of us enjoyed a dip in the cold water. After the ride back we were served freshly cut pineapple. Our bike tour guide was very welcoming, and even escorted us to his uncle's house, who is the Togbe (chief) of the area. We got to met the Togbe and take photos with him while he sat on his throne.
We then traveled to the nearby street filled with carvers. Carving shops line the streets, and there are more carvings than you could possibly look at in one day. Our tour guide even had his own shop. We shopped and bought souvenirs, and then climbed back in the tro tro for the ride back home. When we returned our friend Charles, who is from Saviefe Deme, spent the night at our house with his wife Ernestine and daughter Enyonam. Charles goes to the teacher college in Ho, and often joins us on weekend nights.
On Sunday Erika and I went to church with my teacher, Sam. He is a member of a very small church, and when we first arrived Sam, his wife Vivian and his deacon were the only people in the church. The church was a small, one room, cement building with pews and a carved wooden alter. Sam, Vivian, and the deacon all started prayer immediately, and their prayer time included playing tamborines and other instruments. As mass went on more villagers joined us, until eventually about fifteen people were gathered in the church praying and singing together. After an hour Sam preached about a passage in the bible. Sam graduated from bible school before becoming a teacher so his sermons are very moving and well-versed. After church, which lasted 2.5 hours, I joined Sam for lunch at his apartment. Sam lives in a room in the office building of his college. His room consists of his bed, many chairs, and a small TV. His wife does not live with him, she lives at the hostel for her college. Sam's wife cooked us rice with chicken and red stew. She even walked down the street and bought us Alvaros, which are fruity sodas that taste amazing. We ate as much as we could, and then watched a Nigerian film together.
In the late afternoon I returned home, and Charles, his wife, and his daughter, spent another night with us. That night we played Mafia, a game we have come to love that involves solving imaginary murders, with our neighbors Sam and Priscella. After many games of mafia we all called it a night, and the next morning Sam drove me all the way to get Kosi (a fried bean-curd sandwich) and I taxied the rest of the way to school to start another eventful week.
Until next time!
Molly
This past weekend was jam-packed with exciting events. On Saturday we woke early to travel via tro tro to Aburi, a village about three hours away. In Aburi we visited the Botanical Gardens, which contains an amazing tree that is actually composed completely of fungus. The gardens also have weeds that shrink when you touch them, and an actual helicopter that crash landed in the garden but was never removed. After roaming the gardens we rented mountain bikes and off-roaded it to a waterfall in the woods. The waterfall is a hidden gem, and many of us enjoyed a dip in the cold water. After the ride back we were served freshly cut pineapple. Our bike tour guide was very welcoming, and even escorted us to his uncle's house, who is the Togbe (chief) of the area. We got to met the Togbe and take photos with him while he sat on his throne.
We then traveled to the nearby street filled with carvers. Carving shops line the streets, and there are more carvings than you could possibly look at in one day. Our tour guide even had his own shop. We shopped and bought souvenirs, and then climbed back in the tro tro for the ride back home. When we returned our friend Charles, who is from Saviefe Deme, spent the night at our house with his wife Ernestine and daughter Enyonam. Charles goes to the teacher college in Ho, and often joins us on weekend nights.
On Sunday Erika and I went to church with my teacher, Sam. He is a member of a very small church, and when we first arrived Sam, his wife Vivian and his deacon were the only people in the church. The church was a small, one room, cement building with pews and a carved wooden alter. Sam, Vivian, and the deacon all started prayer immediately, and their prayer time included playing tamborines and other instruments. As mass went on more villagers joined us, until eventually about fifteen people were gathered in the church praying and singing together. After an hour Sam preached about a passage in the bible. Sam graduated from bible school before becoming a teacher so his sermons are very moving and well-versed. After church, which lasted 2.5 hours, I joined Sam for lunch at his apartment. Sam lives in a room in the office building of his college. His room consists of his bed, many chairs, and a small TV. His wife does not live with him, she lives at the hostel for her college. Sam's wife cooked us rice with chicken and red stew. She even walked down the street and bought us Alvaros, which are fruity sodas that taste amazing. We ate as much as we could, and then watched a Nigerian film together.
In the late afternoon I returned home, and Charles, his wife, and his daughter, spent another night with us. That night we played Mafia, a game we have come to love that involves solving imaginary murders, with our neighbors Sam and Priscella. After many games of mafia we all called it a night, and the next morning Sam drove me all the way to get Kosi (a fried bean-curd sandwich) and I taxied the rest of the way to school to start another eventful week.
Until next time!
Molly
July 23, 2012
McColin's Handymen
Wow....I cannot believe we've come to our last week here in Ho! Annelise and I are both excited at the prospect of returning home to our families, but we are also very sad that we will be leaving behind the awesome McColin's students that we have come to know so well, as well as the beautiful landscape and warm community that that we are fortunate enough to have been a part of the last two months.
Here's a recap of last week:
The students had final exams this week, so our normal rountine of teaching from 8 to 3 was a little altered, but this allowed us some great opportunities to help out in other ways. Last weekend the Ghana ACT volunteers decided that before everyone departed at the end of the month, we would make a video to raise money for the new site/facilitiies of McColin's School (at this point McColin's is renting its current location, and could potentially be kicked of the site at any time). The funds have already been raised for the bare essentials of the project, and work has already been done to clear land and build the main classrooms, but Mama Susie (the school's headmistress/founder---an awesome lady!) has shared with us the school's dream of having a computer lab with enough computers for thirty students, a real library, kitchen/cafeteria, and a playground.
We plan to launch our project using the website indiegogo.com, which is an online platform to raise awareness for worthy causes of all kinds, be it community development projects, artistic endeavors, or even medical bills. People create short films explaining the cause and then post them and share them through facebook, email etc. So this week and last week Annelise and I are taking video of the students and teachers, filming them in their daily routines and interviewing them about their hopes for their new school. We really hope we can pull together an awesome final video--especially because our friend Mike (who volunteered here with the Volta Aid Foundation) has offered to help us with editing and he is incredibly talented.
There have been quite a few other odd jobs and projects at McColin's to keep us busy, in addition to the video. We sat down with our teacher friend Michael ( the script writer) and went over his plays with him and gave all of the feedback and advice we could about mastering English grammar and strengthening his writing--he seemed really enthusiastic--I really hope he is able to pursue his work further at the studios in Accra. We also worked with Judith, the computer science teacher, for a few days going through the ins and outs of Microsoft Office. In addition to that we've spent a lot of time just playing with the kids, singing songs, exchanging dance moves and shooting hoops. The kids love the basketball hoops, and its been great being able to actually start doing some half court scrimmages--their enthusiam for the afterschool sports program has definitely spiked now that they are getting to play real games of 4x4 and 5x5! It's awesome to see.
On Thursday I turned 22, and it was a great birthday, even though it was so far from home. After a nice morning run, Annelise surprised me with banana pancakes, which were delicious, and all my students mobbed me and sang a FIVE-VERSE rendition of "Happy Birthday to You"--so precious! On the weekend we went back to Aburi, the gorgeous mountain town with a secluded waterfall. We decided to try to run to the falls instead of bike and it was a good adventure--though we may or may not have gotten turned around once or twice.. in the middle of the African bush...but anyway :)..we're gearing up to finish strong with a great last week here..trying to treasure every moment...and even with hot showers and chocolate chip cookie dough beckoning in the distance, we're doing our best to appreciate all that life in Ghana has to offer.
This pic alone says more than enough about their need for a new computer lab... When they have their computer science class in this tiny room, most of the kids in the class sit out in the hallway and try to entertain themselves. These are the only two working computers they have right now!
Here's a recap of last week:
The students had final exams this week, so our normal rountine of teaching from 8 to 3 was a little altered, but this allowed us some great opportunities to help out in other ways. Last weekend the Ghana ACT volunteers decided that before everyone departed at the end of the month, we would make a video to raise money for the new site/facilitiies of McColin's School (at this point McColin's is renting its current location, and could potentially be kicked of the site at any time). The funds have already been raised for the bare essentials of the project, and work has already been done to clear land and build the main classrooms, but Mama Susie (the school's headmistress/founder---an awesome lady!) has shared with us the school's dream of having a computer lab with enough computers for thirty students, a real library, kitchen/cafeteria, and a playground.
We plan to launch our project using the website indiegogo.com, which is an online platform to raise awareness for worthy causes of all kinds, be it community development projects, artistic endeavors, or even medical bills. People create short films explaining the cause and then post them and share them through facebook, email etc. So this week and last week Annelise and I are taking video of the students and teachers, filming them in their daily routines and interviewing them about their hopes for their new school. We really hope we can pull together an awesome final video--especially because our friend Mike (who volunteered here with the Volta Aid Foundation) has offered to help us with editing and he is incredibly talented.
There have been quite a few other odd jobs and projects at McColin's to keep us busy, in addition to the video. We sat down with our teacher friend Michael ( the script writer) and went over his plays with him and gave all of the feedback and advice we could about mastering English grammar and strengthening his writing--he seemed really enthusiastic--I really hope he is able to pursue his work further at the studios in Accra. We also worked with Judith, the computer science teacher, for a few days going through the ins and outs of Microsoft Office. In addition to that we've spent a lot of time just playing with the kids, singing songs, exchanging dance moves and shooting hoops. The kids love the basketball hoops, and its been great being able to actually start doing some half court scrimmages--their enthusiam for the afterschool sports program has definitely spiked now that they are getting to play real games of 4x4 and 5x5! It's awesome to see.
On Thursday I turned 22, and it was a great birthday, even though it was so far from home. After a nice morning run, Annelise surprised me with banana pancakes, which were delicious, and all my students mobbed me and sang a FIVE-VERSE rendition of "Happy Birthday to You"--so precious! On the weekend we went back to Aburi, the gorgeous mountain town with a secluded waterfall. We decided to try to run to the falls instead of bike and it was a good adventure--though we may or may not have gotten turned around once or twice.. in the middle of the African bush...but anyway :)..we're gearing up to finish strong with a great last week here..trying to treasure every moment...and even with hot showers and chocolate chip cookie dough beckoning in the distance, we're doing our best to appreciate all that life in Ghana has to offer.
Some pics from McColin's:
Teaching the kids about the Internet... We hope that we will be able to raise money so that McColin's will be able to have wireless internet--It will be easier for them to learn the uses of the internet when they actually use it!
Closing prayer...the preschoolers were NOT impressed that we were snapping pics instead of bowing our heads
The rambunctious Adchato--the smile..the ears..we can't get enough!
Two of the three basketball hoops that we made... We already hung the third at the current site so the kids could start playing, but these two will be hung at the new school. Mama Suzie said they are clearing some of the land so that they can have a court!
--Molly
July 22, 2012
Azonto
With an event filled weekend, we had a relaxed but enjoyable time in Cape Coast. Touring the slave castle the first day, we were stuck in our hotel the morning of the second day due to rain. When the sky cleared up we went off on a big canoe to see what Ghanean fishing was like. The water was choppy and the waves were high but the suspense of it all made it that much better. Finally our last day their, we went on a Canopy Walk (Kakum).
My students had exams this week so my time was spent by painting their new school so it can be ready in the fall. I experienced my first community development day this week working side by side with the Ghaneans who live in Safiefe Deme. I had a gash on my leg that the flies kept bothering so a man took me aside and sprayed juice on it from the leaves then covered the cut with a leaf. As it sizzled and burned I was skeptical to see whether it would help or just make it more infected. Later on that evening when I took the leaf off, my gash was closed and hardened over. My first herbal treatment had been a success.
One of the boys in the neighborhood taught me how to dance the "Azonto", a common dance in Ghana. When I figured out there was a song to go with the dance, it just made it all the better. On Friday we skipped school and went to a construction site, where a new school was being built. we spent our day there, hot and tired, shoveling rocks and pushing wheel barrells full of cement. The day was finished and we accomplished a lot, putting down most of the base. Now I look forward to our day trip to Aburi on Saturday. Until then!
Brian
My students had exams this week so my time was spent by painting their new school so it can be ready in the fall. I experienced my first community development day this week working side by side with the Ghaneans who live in Safiefe Deme. I had a gash on my leg that the flies kept bothering so a man took me aside and sprayed juice on it from the leaves then covered the cut with a leaf. As it sizzled and burned I was skeptical to see whether it would help or just make it more infected. Later on that evening when I took the leaf off, my gash was closed and hardened over. My first herbal treatment had been a success.
One of the boys in the neighborhood taught me how to dance the "Azonto", a common dance in Ghana. When I figured out there was a song to go with the dance, it just made it all the better. On Friday we skipped school and went to a construction site, where a new school was being built. we spent our day there, hot and tired, shoveling rocks and pushing wheel barrells full of cement. The day was finished and we accomplished a lot, putting down most of the base. Now I look forward to our day trip to Aburi on Saturday. Until then!
Brian
July 21, 2012
Pictures
Unfortunately, a couple of weeks ago our camera got wet on one of our weekend excursions, and it stopped working due to water damage. We tried to get it repaired in our village, but apparently we would have to travel to Accra to get it fixed. We won't be in Accra until we fly out in about a week and a half, so a nice man from our village is loaning us his camera for the remainder of our time here. Here is a conglamoration of pictures for the past couple of weeks:
Building the basketball hoops.
We have a new appreciation for power tools. It took SO LONG to use a (dull) saw and a nail and hammer to build these hoops. But it was a fun process!
The neighborhood kids even helped us with the sawing and hammering.
Our hard work paid off! The kids loved the first hoop we put up. One of the other volunteers brought real basketball hoop rims from America, so we are using them for the other two hoops that we will give to McColin's before we leave.
Teaching the proper shooting form
Ibrahim and some of his basketball buddies. They were practicing their skills during lunch break.
Practicing layups
Molly playing soccer during lunch break. The internet connection here is slow, so the picture didn't load very well.
Adzeo and his friend during break.
Akezah during break
Learning how to roll the wheel down the road with a stick. It's harder than it looks!
Yes, we actually do teach! We have not been able to post many pictures of us teaching, but since we both teach all day, it is difficult for us to take pictures of each other.
One of the teachers, Michael, and his mentee, Evelyn
Teaching P4 (4th grade)
Clifford, a drummer/basketball player
Laudina, a thinker
A HUGE ant hill--there are so many of these here!
Our trip back to Wli Waterfall--we tried to get close to the waterfall, but it is just so powerful!
Pictures don't do it justice. It is so beautiful!
The funeral anniversary procession for Linda's mother
We have many more pictures, but that is all we have time to post for now... More to come!
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