Hello All…
Wow…a whole week has gone by since my last blog! I had one busy week however.
First things first: I have a new baby sister. To clarify, I have a new baby host sister, and my host mother, Georgina was mistaken when she told me she was just 7 months pregnant. She had a baby girl late last Thursday night and although I believe she is a few weeks early, she is healthy. Apparently she will not get her actual name for another 3 months (in which a naming ceremony will take place) but for now she is called “baby” or “ya” (one of the names given to girls born on Thursdays). Little Patrick, my host brother, doesn’t really know how to take the idea of another baby in the house. I saw him walk past her crib and he a face, said “baby…go” meaning ‘go away.’ He says ‘go away’ all the time.
On Friday I packed my back pack and headed to Kumasi to meet with three other volunteers, one from Sweden (and from my organization) and two from Denmark (whom I met through Emily-from my organization). The 4 of us found a tro tro headed to Cape Coast and proceeded on a 4 hour, sweaty, crowded, fairly uncomfortable ride. Once we arrived we found our hotel/guest house, dropped off our luggage and headed straight for the beach. I had no idea how much I missed the ocean! It was great to lay on the sand and hear the rolling waves. I was in Cape Coast until Monday afternoon and the whole weekend consisted mostly of laying on the beach, eating pizza, pasta and greek salads, sharing drinks with other travelers and volunteers and meeting many new friends. Each night we hung out at the Oasis Beach Resort where there was a lovely outside restaurant and bar (and club at night). And each day I met people from all over Europe, New York, various other countries in Africa, people just passing through and many Ghanaians from Cape Coast. On Saturday my group (plus another Danish girl and a girl from Germany who joined us) traveled one hour west to Kakum National Park. While we saw no animals at this park, it was a beautiful rainforest with many trees and vegetation. We paid 7 Cedis for an hour long nature walk/hike and the canopy walk. I loved being outdoors and being active (although I the heat was a lot to take in). For those that know me well, you know that I have a fear of heights and was therefore quite worried about the canopy walk. I did not let my fear get the best of me though and I conquered the canopy walk. This was amazing and beautiful-the picture will explain themselves. We learned all about various plant species on the nature walk and our guide should us a tree that is used to produce Viagra. He then went on to explain what Viagra is used for “to make the man strong and to please the woman. If you use Viagra, the wife will be happy and will cook a big meal for the man.” How interesting.
On Saturday night we attended a wonderful performance at the (very) old Cape Coast Castle. We watched African Footprint International, an African drum and dance group that have traveled to Europe and most recently Denmark, and a Danish youth choir to create one interesting night of cultural diversity. The choir sang in Danish, which of course I do not understand, but it was still beautiful to listen to and the African Footprint drummers played along with electric guitars. After the choir was finished the dancers took the stage and performed. Saturday night I also met a family from Seattle, Washington! Well they lived just outside of Seattle and moved to Canada many years ago but still, it was really nice to talk about Pike Place Market and the Space Needle. The parents and two daughters (17 and 20) and the elder brother have been traveling the world for the past 3 years (started in Hong Kong) and were currently working their way through Africa. The third son, recently out of the military, joined his family for a month or so but heads back to the PNW soon. It was great to meet new friends! Email addresses were exchanged and I hope to stay in touch. In addition to new friends, I have a nice tan coming along!
It is Friday and lunch just ended. Each Friday the kids head to the church after lunch to be blessed by the Pastor and the school concludes early. I am sitting in the computer “room” typing to save precious time on the internet later today. Children love to watch me type saying I am so fast. Starting next Monday all classes, excluding the nursery school, will be taking 2nd term exams. I read the topics that will be included on the tests for classes 3, 4 and 5 and realized that about half of each class will be passing these tests. I’m not sure what “passing” is or what happens to those students that perform poorly but I have spoken with the teachers and started taking the few students who are really behind out of class one by one. Until the exams start (and will go on all next week) the teachers are just refreshing the kids minds and going over all the topics from the term. Many of the kids will do just fine but I am going to do my best to help them before and during the exams. After the exams I am going to try to do an art project or game of ‘football’ with each class to make sure they are also having fun. Then April 10th starts break between the terms and lasts 21 days! I have three weeks and have no idea what I will be doing. There are many volunteers going to the big national park up north and I want to join them but that will not take a full 3 weeks. We will see.
Each day I have worked one on one with children in classes 3, 4 and 5. Yesterday I took Jennifer Owusu, class 4, out and we worked on Math. I quickly realized that she have no concept of what multiplication means so we stepped back and worked on addition and subtraction. Even this was quite difficult for her. Jennifer is the girl who I believe to be dyslexic, at least with her numbers. She and I wrote out numbers 1 through 20 and I made her say each one. She gets confused easily when I go out of order but I want her to be able to read the numbers without the repetition on counting 1, 2, 3 and so on. I would really like to see progress in her before I leave in August.
Yesterday Naomi, my host sister, and I went to Tafo (a 15 minute tro tro ride away) to pick up my dress. Last week she and I went to buy the cloth for my dress (5 Ghana cedi’s for 3 yards of African print) and I was fitted. We went back to Tafo to try on the dress. There are many styles to choose from, I choose a longer dress with a slight front slit (so I can actually walk) and an off the shoulders top. To get the dress made cost just 5 cedis so in total I paid $10 for a dress specially made for me. I promise to get pictures up as soon as possible.
Alright I guess that is all for today. I am headed into town to spend some time on the internet and then will be meeting friends for dinner. Have a great weekend!
***I promise I am trying to get pictures up here. I keep trying to upload them but either the files are too big or the connection is too slow. I'll keep working on it.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
here I go again...
Hello again…
I have discovered a new system: I found the flash drive that I thought I had surely lost so I am using one of the school computers to type out my blog, will then upload it onto my flash drive and will be able to quickly upload the document online. This will hopefully help me keep my blog organized AND without (many) spelling or grammatical errors.
With that said, please let me know if I am unclear about certain topics and if you need clarification on people. I must remember that everyone is very far away and things such as the names of those I am living with here in Ghana are hard to keep straight. One thing I want to clarify for sure: my host father is named Columbus Appiah. He is the pastor (bishop/prophet) and the founder/owner of the school in which I teach. The school is named “Columbus preparatory school and orphanage.” So when I write Columbus, I am usually referring to the school, not my host father.
Before I forget, I now have a Ghana post box and would love a letter or any form of mail (hint). I have no idea how long it takes to actually receive mail but I am curious. In that case here is my mail information:
Erin Williams
Ks 13664
Kumasi, Ghana
To me, this address seems all to simple for Africa but I was told as long as people remember to write Ks before the box number, there should be no problems. With that said, I am also working on getting post cards out myself and am also curious as to how long it takes to deliver mail from Ghana to the US. We shall see.
I know I finished the last blog very abruptly, this is because I was being “picked up” by Martina and Klara and they arrived at the internet café a bit earlier than planned. Therefore, I still have much to say (as always). Saturday night I went into Kumasi to check the internet (something I have been doing every few days) and to meet Emily. I can hardly believe it took 3 weeks to finally meet her but it happened and we had a great time. Emily is the only other American from the ICYE volunteers and is the one I have been speaking with (on the phone) since October. We were supposed to live together but plans changed and we now live 1.5 hours away which makes it difficult to see each other during the week. Right away we began to chat, it was so wonderful to talk to another American. I could speak “Erin,” as my friends say (very quickly), and there were no language barriers. Emily lives with 4 other volunteers, all from different organizations. Sam, 18, is another American, from Rhode Island, an older Canadian man, a girl from Austria and a girl from Denmark. I very much enjoyed hearing American slang from both Emily and Sam. Though we did point out that all three of us are from different parts of the US. The three of us plus another two people from my organization met at Vic Baboo’s for dinner. This is one of the nicer restaurants in Kumasi with a large menu of both Western and Ghanaian food, and an even larger cocktail list. I ended up staying with Emily and Sam at their place that night. They work at a different school and orphanage called Fotech. Again, this is the place I was meant to be at first. But other than the fact that I do not get to see Emily often, I really feel at home at Columbus.
I stayed with Emily and the rest of the volunteers she lives with Saturday night and we sat outside to talk and eat lunch the next day. Then I was off to make the 1.5 hour trip home but this turned into a 3 hour trip home. The tro tro I took made it about 25 minutes before one of the tires busted. All 12 or so people piled out, a few women had babies attached to their backs. We were on the side of the road and I had no clue as to where we were but it was around 1 pm and I was fine. Everyone told the “obruni” to get out of the sun so I don’t burn and once I did so, everyone continued to simply stare at me. I pulled out my book and started to read. One man decided it was his duty to make sure I was comfortable and also wanted to ask question after question about the US and about my life, the first question of course being “are you married?” This is a typical question asked by both men and women. I say I am too young, although 22 to Ghanaians is plenty old enough to get married. After they understand that I am not married many will then ask if I would like to marry them. I say no, but thank you for asking and everyone starring at me begins to laugh. I’m glad I can provide so much entertainment. A little over an hour later a taxi appears with a new tire we are finally on our way. I did get through the first 30 pages of my book however.
This was another short week for school. Today is the beginning of Easter holiday and school is out Thursday through Monday. Half of ICYE is going to Cape Coast today and I plan on joining them tomorrow with the other half. Cape Coast is obviously at the coast of Ghana and is about 4 hours away from Kumasi. I hear the beaches are lovely (or most of them anyway) and there are many nice, yet cheap, places to stay. School starts again on Tuesday but with just 3 more weeks before the end of second term. The kids will have to take their second term exams (which is why the kids needed to pay the printing fee, something I talked about in the last blog) and then have a 3 week break from school. I had no idea there were this many school breaks in Ghana.
Overall I am feeling really good about my work at the school. I do get quite frustrated sometimes, mostly because I want to be helping everyone, but I feel like I am making a difference. On both Monday and Tuesday I had to teach an entire class because the teachers had prior engagements. This was tough but we managed to get some math work done and I had each child in class 5 reading one of the many books Isabella had bought before she left. (Isabella is the volunteer from Norway who was teaching at Columbus for 5 weeks before leaving last week. She did raise $400 to spend on school supplies however). Because April is a short month for school, I am pushing back my sex-ed class until May. I would like to work with the vocational school girls and the girls in class 5 to discuss not only sex health but menstruation, living a healthy lifestyle and puberty. I would like to find some resources before beginning this class however so I am glad I am waiting until May.
Like I have said before, I mostly work with classes 3, 4 and 5 but I will occasionally walk into the younger classes and see what they are doing. The kids erupt with the phrase “obruni, obruni” and proceed to climb all over me. I know that this simple interaction is very important to the development of these children. When one of the younger ones are crying it is my natural instinct to go to that child and give him/her a huge hug, wipe away their tears and ask why they are crying. Usually they were just “beat” by the teacher or fell down and are simply looking for some attention. Many look surprised by my reaction, almost to say “what are you doing?” but almost immediately they calm down, take a big breath and then smile. I love that I can provide this bit of comfort when it appears that no one else will.
A few other small tidbits about my daily life before I let you go: it is now rainy season in Ghana (and will be for the next 3 months I believe). This does not mean it is at all cold but it is wet. The rain will come out of nowhere and it will pour for anywhere between 10 minutes and an hour before it let’s up. Usually the rain is accompanied by crazy lightening (like nothing I have seen before) and booming thunder. At first these storms spooked me just a bit but I am becoming used to them. When it pours there are a few leaks I have discovered in the room but nothing too bad…no leak onto the bed or anything. I have noticed some new “friends” coming into my room when it rains however and they are NOT welcome. Dad, you will be proud of me-I killed a HUGE brown spider all by myself and did not even scream! But now I am worried they are everywhere. I am very thankful for my large mosquito net covering my entire bed. I also have either one or more mice living in the large wardrobe at the foot of the bed. I do not use this wardrobe but I hear them at night chewing on the wood and can see little mouse droppings all over the inside of the wardrobe. I have tried many times to cover the various holes with duct tape but that does not seem to work. I really don’t want to set a trap but they are starting to get on my nerves! I am also proud to say that I am sticking to a workout routine. No I have not yet ventured out to try going for a run (it is too hot anyhow) but I have been doing crunches morning and night as well as other various exercises. I’m not sure if they are working but I refuse to let my daily dose of rice and bread take over my body! Either way I feel as though I am sweating off 5 pounds a day by just sitting in the heat. I’ll let you be the judge when I return home in late August.
Alright I guess I have gone on long enough for this blog. As always, please send emails and comments about life back home and I wish you all well.
Love,
Erin
(or Afia Henewaa) or my new name, given to me by my host father (who speaks little English)…U.S.A. (which he likes to say very loudly and every time I see him).
I have discovered a new system: I found the flash drive that I thought I had surely lost so I am using one of the school computers to type out my blog, will then upload it onto my flash drive and will be able to quickly upload the document online. This will hopefully help me keep my blog organized AND without (many) spelling or grammatical errors.
With that said, please let me know if I am unclear about certain topics and if you need clarification on people. I must remember that everyone is very far away and things such as the names of those I am living with here in Ghana are hard to keep straight. One thing I want to clarify for sure: my host father is named Columbus Appiah. He is the pastor (bishop/prophet) and the founder/owner of the school in which I teach. The school is named “Columbus preparatory school and orphanage.” So when I write Columbus, I am usually referring to the school, not my host father.
Before I forget, I now have a Ghana post box and would love a letter or any form of mail (hint). I have no idea how long it takes to actually receive mail but I am curious. In that case here is my mail information:
Erin Williams
Ks 13664
Kumasi, Ghana
To me, this address seems all to simple for Africa but I was told as long as people remember to write Ks before the box number, there should be no problems. With that said, I am also working on getting post cards out myself and am also curious as to how long it takes to deliver mail from Ghana to the US. We shall see.
I know I finished the last blog very abruptly, this is because I was being “picked up” by Martina and Klara and they arrived at the internet café a bit earlier than planned. Therefore, I still have much to say (as always). Saturday night I went into Kumasi to check the internet (something I have been doing every few days) and to meet Emily. I can hardly believe it took 3 weeks to finally meet her but it happened and we had a great time. Emily is the only other American from the ICYE volunteers and is the one I have been speaking with (on the phone) since October. We were supposed to live together but plans changed and we now live 1.5 hours away which makes it difficult to see each other during the week. Right away we began to chat, it was so wonderful to talk to another American. I could speak “Erin,” as my friends say (very quickly), and there were no language barriers. Emily lives with 4 other volunteers, all from different organizations. Sam, 18, is another American, from Rhode Island, an older Canadian man, a girl from Austria and a girl from Denmark. I very much enjoyed hearing American slang from both Emily and Sam. Though we did point out that all three of us are from different parts of the US. The three of us plus another two people from my organization met at Vic Baboo’s for dinner. This is one of the nicer restaurants in Kumasi with a large menu of both Western and Ghanaian food, and an even larger cocktail list. I ended up staying with Emily and Sam at their place that night. They work at a different school and orphanage called Fotech. Again, this is the place I was meant to be at first. But other than the fact that I do not get to see Emily often, I really feel at home at Columbus.
I stayed with Emily and the rest of the volunteers she lives with Saturday night and we sat outside to talk and eat lunch the next day. Then I was off to make the 1.5 hour trip home but this turned into a 3 hour trip home. The tro tro I took made it about 25 minutes before one of the tires busted. All 12 or so people piled out, a few women had babies attached to their backs. We were on the side of the road and I had no clue as to where we were but it was around 1 pm and I was fine. Everyone told the “obruni” to get out of the sun so I don’t burn and once I did so, everyone continued to simply stare at me. I pulled out my book and started to read. One man decided it was his duty to make sure I was comfortable and also wanted to ask question after question about the US and about my life, the first question of course being “are you married?” This is a typical question asked by both men and women. I say I am too young, although 22 to Ghanaians is plenty old enough to get married. After they understand that I am not married many will then ask if I would like to marry them. I say no, but thank you for asking and everyone starring at me begins to laugh. I’m glad I can provide so much entertainment. A little over an hour later a taxi appears with a new tire we are finally on our way. I did get through the first 30 pages of my book however.
This was another short week for school. Today is the beginning of Easter holiday and school is out Thursday through Monday. Half of ICYE is going to Cape Coast today and I plan on joining them tomorrow with the other half. Cape Coast is obviously at the coast of Ghana and is about 4 hours away from Kumasi. I hear the beaches are lovely (or most of them anyway) and there are many nice, yet cheap, places to stay. School starts again on Tuesday but with just 3 more weeks before the end of second term. The kids will have to take their second term exams (which is why the kids needed to pay the printing fee, something I talked about in the last blog) and then have a 3 week break from school. I had no idea there were this many school breaks in Ghana.
Overall I am feeling really good about my work at the school. I do get quite frustrated sometimes, mostly because I want to be helping everyone, but I feel like I am making a difference. On both Monday and Tuesday I had to teach an entire class because the teachers had prior engagements. This was tough but we managed to get some math work done and I had each child in class 5 reading one of the many books Isabella had bought before she left. (Isabella is the volunteer from Norway who was teaching at Columbus for 5 weeks before leaving last week. She did raise $400 to spend on school supplies however). Because April is a short month for school, I am pushing back my sex-ed class until May. I would like to work with the vocational school girls and the girls in class 5 to discuss not only sex health but menstruation, living a healthy lifestyle and puberty. I would like to find some resources before beginning this class however so I am glad I am waiting until May.
Like I have said before, I mostly work with classes 3, 4 and 5 but I will occasionally walk into the younger classes and see what they are doing. The kids erupt with the phrase “obruni, obruni” and proceed to climb all over me. I know that this simple interaction is very important to the development of these children. When one of the younger ones are crying it is my natural instinct to go to that child and give him/her a huge hug, wipe away their tears and ask why they are crying. Usually they were just “beat” by the teacher or fell down and are simply looking for some attention. Many look surprised by my reaction, almost to say “what are you doing?” but almost immediately they calm down, take a big breath and then smile. I love that I can provide this bit of comfort when it appears that no one else will.
A few other small tidbits about my daily life before I let you go: it is now rainy season in Ghana (and will be for the next 3 months I believe). This does not mean it is at all cold but it is wet. The rain will come out of nowhere and it will pour for anywhere between 10 minutes and an hour before it let’s up. Usually the rain is accompanied by crazy lightening (like nothing I have seen before) and booming thunder. At first these storms spooked me just a bit but I am becoming used to them. When it pours there are a few leaks I have discovered in the room but nothing too bad…no leak onto the bed or anything. I have noticed some new “friends” coming into my room when it rains however and they are NOT welcome. Dad, you will be proud of me-I killed a HUGE brown spider all by myself and did not even scream! But now I am worried they are everywhere. I am very thankful for my large mosquito net covering my entire bed. I also have either one or more mice living in the large wardrobe at the foot of the bed. I do not use this wardrobe but I hear them at night chewing on the wood and can see little mouse droppings all over the inside of the wardrobe. I have tried many times to cover the various holes with duct tape but that does not seem to work. I really don’t want to set a trap but they are starting to get on my nerves! I am also proud to say that I am sticking to a workout routine. No I have not yet ventured out to try going for a run (it is too hot anyhow) but I have been doing crunches morning and night as well as other various exercises. I’m not sure if they are working but I refuse to let my daily dose of rice and bread take over my body! Either way I feel as though I am sweating off 5 pounds a day by just sitting in the heat. I’ll let you be the judge when I return home in late August.
Alright I guess I have gone on long enough for this blog. As always, please send emails and comments about life back home and I wish you all well.
Love,
Erin
(or Afia Henewaa) or my new name, given to me by my host father (who speaks little English)…U.S.A. (which he likes to say very loudly and every time I see him).
Monday, March 17, 2008
"your skin is changing..."
This is what I am told everyday (although I still think I have a LONG WAY to go before I become "black." haha. Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone! I have been explaining this (quite) American holiday to people here in Ghana, mostly discribing it as an excuse to drink beer (sometimes green beer) in which I am told "why do you need an excuse to get drunk?" I was hoping to meet up with some of my American friends (I'll explain) and enjoy a guiness, something that is very easy to fine here, but due to our locations, we are going to have to celebrate later this week.
I am planning on spending quite a bit of time on the computer today so forgive me if this blog takes you longer to read that the first few. I have been told (by my parents) that I am writing about people without reminding my readers who they are so here is a quite review:
Catherine: My first volunteer friend in Ghana. From England, was working at Columbus school since early January-returned home one week ago.
Isabella: Another volunteer teacher at Columbus, from Norway, spent 5 weeks working as a teacher, is now in South Africa about to start a 45 day camping safari all over Southern and Eastern Africa (also the one with the terribly romantic boyfriend).
Douglas and Nana: my organziation's coordinators who work closely with all ICYE (International Cultural Youth Exchange) volunteers. They are also students in Ghana, both are 24 I think. They are quickly becoming friends as well as coordinators and are the ones we go to with any questions or concerns.
Martina and Klara: From Switzerland and Denmark respectively and are my fellow teachers at Columbus (both are also part of ICYE).
Emily: My wonderful American friend (who I FINALLY met Saturday night)...she and I have been communicating over the phone since October and were both scheduled to go to Kenya, then choose to go to Ghana together, were told we would be roommates but are now working at different projects about an hour and a half away. She is also 22, from Arkansas and is leaving in two months because she plans on attending law school in August and must move to D.C. and find an apartment.
Columbus Opea: My host father and the owner of the prep school/orphanage. He has quite an interesting story and is someone I am always trying to figure out. He is the pastor is single-handedly named himself bishop and most recently prohet, although the man seems quite un-holy to me.
Georgina: My host mother (mama) and Columbus' wife (is 7 months pregnant).
Naomi: My host sister, age 19. She and I have grown quite close and will only grow closer.
Patrick: My younger host brother, not yet two but I am not sure of his birthday.
There are a number of orphans living at Columbus too but I promise to always give a background when writing about them.
Alright...where to start? Last week was my first full 5 day week at the school. Before that there was Independence day and the week before that I was taking care of other odds and ends during the week due to my absence at orientation (and I am happy to report that I am hardly coughing any longer). I am taking charge and writing my own schedule, trying to incorporate time between classes 3, 4 and 5. Each day I am taking 4 to 5 kids out of the classroom (for 3 different periods daily) and am working on Math and English. I can hardly believe that I am capable of teaching Math because I have always had such a hard time but I am actually enjoying it. Everyday I have to learn new ways of explaining how to check times tables (without looking at their cheat sheets), convert fractions into decimals, do long division, find the volume and area of shapes etc. I remember each of thes topics and equally remember HATING them but realize now that I do in fact understand how to do it, and that there are many easy tricks to learn to help you. Dad-memories or you drilling me on my times tables and various math equations have some flooding back to me and I want to tell you that I now know I am quite fortuant to have parents who nagged and yes, greatly helped me get through "the impossible." So, thank you.
Each day I am writing down in my own notebook the names of children that understand, both right away and after some work with me, and those that are simply copying and have no idea what I am talking about. In the next few weeks I am trying to start taking one or two of these children out of the classroom to do basic, basic math and reading. This is hard because there are so many kids that could really benefit from one on one time but for now I am going to stick to the kids that are really behind. One girl in class four suffers from dyslexia (I am pretty sure), at least with numbers. She is always mixing up the order of numbers and writing her 3's backwards. She also struggles with writing and reading so she is going to spending a lot of time with me.
New topic: I have bought some dvd's in Kumasi, on the street for 3 Ghana cedi's each. Each disc has anywhere between 10 and 30 movies on it! Obviously the quality is not great but totally watchable. One of the disc's is full of disney movies so I have enjoyed watching Shrek 1 and 2 as well as Peter Pan (so far) with some of the kids that live at Columbus. They get a kick out of the animation. There is a tv for my room but it is being repaired (a part of me is really looking forward to being able to watch a movie (I bought Titanic) before bed some nights.
Another quick statement...I found a big supermarket (because no one knows what I am talking about when I ask for a grocery store) and bought Jiffy peanut butter and jelly. I am in heaven with pb & j sandwiches (when I decide that I just can not eat much of the meal given to me). I also discovered where to find twix chocolate bars (I have to have some american, processed junk food!).
Sorry if my toics seem somewhat random but I am constantly writing down things I encouter and then want to share with you all at home. Breastfeeding: for all the Americans who get super umcomfortable when a woman is publicly breast feeding her baby-Do not come to Ghana! Personally I think it is perfectly natural and really a mother is simply feeding her child but due to the number of "sicko's" in the US, I would try to conceal breasts to a point. My story: the other day I was taking a tro tro alone to Kumasi. There were two young children that I did not recognize but they did (they go to Columbus) who were shouting "madam" and Obruni to me. I smiled and waved as them behind me and as I turned there was a woman (their mother I believe) feeding her child, both breasts out for the world to see. when the child pulled away the woman made no effort to cover herself but simply waited for the child to finish eating when she was ready. This whole time she too was smiling and trying to talk to me. It was all I could do to not laugh was I thought of a number of friends in the US who would have no clue as to what to do in this senario.
Water: Mom, I am sorry but I have not yet used my somewhat pricey water purification device. Filtered water is quite easy to find here and you can buy a .5 peswa square, plastic pouch full of water (not sure of the exact amount but around 16 ounces). Although I could save some money by putting my UV ray h2o purification system to use, it may be awhile before I do so.
Alright...last topic for today: disciplining the children while in school. While I am sure there are still children being beat both and home and in the school somewhere in the US, I (thankfully) have never encountered this type of discipline. In Ghana however, the teachers hold small "canes" (sticks made of wood) that they use to scare and hit the kids that are "being stubborn" or that did not do their homework. Of course the other volunteers and myself absolutely hate seeing these children wince (and the younger ones cry) after being "beat." The younger ones are simply hit if they are not paying attention or are out of their seat-mostly I think it is just a power trip for the teachers because they were beat as children too). But the older kids are "beat" for things like not doing their homework or like today for not bringing 1 Ghana cedi in for printing fees. The students must pay for their second term examinations to be printed. Apparently they teachers say they have informed the children to ask their parents or guardians for the money on Friday and when many claimed they forgot Mr. Bochie (class 5 teacher, who overall I like and respect very much-BUT hate seeing what happened today) made each child stand and hold out their hand as he slapped the wooden stick, HARD, on the palm of their hand. I watch as the child winces in pain and is then forced to hold it out for a second beating. Almost every child flintches. I was teaching class 4 about number placement (10 thousand, thousand, hundred, tens, ones) because Bismark (the class 4 teacher had not yet arrived) and I could see over the wall into the next classroom. Mr. Bochie saw me and just told me I do not understand. Later I ask him why he was caning the kids and he tells me about the fees. I says this way they will not forget tomorrow or they will be beat again. For this I am very happy to have grown up in the US. The teachers get a kick out of out uncomfortable the volunteers get when we see canning taking place and they have asked what teachers do when students are stubborn and forget to do things. I say they teacher raises his or her voice and if need be, send the student to the principal. Obviously this does not always solve the problem but I informed the teachers here that if they beat a child in the US they would be sent to jail and would most likely never work as a teacher again. I am also told that many parents use wire or canes to beat their children at home. Again when asked if my parents ever beat me when I was bad and I say no. (For the most part), when my parents yelled at me, that was enough. This makes the teachers laugh because the kids hardly listen to yelling (this is something I can confirm because even though I won't ever beat the children, I have had to seriously raise my voice many times and usually it accomplishes nothing. The worst part is seeing the children "beating" each other in both play and in actual fighting. I have had to break up numerous fights. And when I am trying to take back order in the classroom and one student is really acting out, the other will say, "Madam, beat him." I respond "I will not be beating anyone but SIT DOWN!" Today I told Mr. Bochie to hit my hand, Iwanted to see what it felt like. He did (although he said he didn't do it as hard has he does to the kids) and it of course hurt really bad. My open palm had a welt for a long time. Poor kids.
alright, I am done for now. Hope you have a great week and I will write more soon.
-Erin
I am planning on spending quite a bit of time on the computer today so forgive me if this blog takes you longer to read that the first few. I have been told (by my parents) that I am writing about people without reminding my readers who they are so here is a quite review:
Catherine: My first volunteer friend in Ghana. From England, was working at Columbus school since early January-returned home one week ago.
Isabella: Another volunteer teacher at Columbus, from Norway, spent 5 weeks working as a teacher, is now in South Africa about to start a 45 day camping safari all over Southern and Eastern Africa (also the one with the terribly romantic boyfriend).
Douglas and Nana: my organziation's coordinators who work closely with all ICYE (International Cultural Youth Exchange) volunteers. They are also students in Ghana, both are 24 I think. They are quickly becoming friends as well as coordinators and are the ones we go to with any questions or concerns.
Martina and Klara: From Switzerland and Denmark respectively and are my fellow teachers at Columbus (both are also part of ICYE).
Emily: My wonderful American friend (who I FINALLY met Saturday night)...she and I have been communicating over the phone since October and were both scheduled to go to Kenya, then choose to go to Ghana together, were told we would be roommates but are now working at different projects about an hour and a half away. She is also 22, from Arkansas and is leaving in two months because she plans on attending law school in August and must move to D.C. and find an apartment.
Columbus Opea: My host father and the owner of the prep school/orphanage. He has quite an interesting story and is someone I am always trying to figure out. He is the pastor is single-handedly named himself bishop and most recently prohet, although the man seems quite un-holy to me.
Georgina: My host mother (mama) and Columbus' wife (is 7 months pregnant).
Naomi: My host sister, age 19. She and I have grown quite close and will only grow closer.
Patrick: My younger host brother, not yet two but I am not sure of his birthday.
There are a number of orphans living at Columbus too but I promise to always give a background when writing about them.
Alright...where to start? Last week was my first full 5 day week at the school. Before that there was Independence day and the week before that I was taking care of other odds and ends during the week due to my absence at orientation (and I am happy to report that I am hardly coughing any longer). I am taking charge and writing my own schedule, trying to incorporate time between classes 3, 4 and 5. Each day I am taking 4 to 5 kids out of the classroom (for 3 different periods daily) and am working on Math and English. I can hardly believe that I am capable of teaching Math because I have always had such a hard time but I am actually enjoying it. Everyday I have to learn new ways of explaining how to check times tables (without looking at their cheat sheets), convert fractions into decimals, do long division, find the volume and area of shapes etc. I remember each of thes topics and equally remember HATING them but realize now that I do in fact understand how to do it, and that there are many easy tricks to learn to help you. Dad-memories or you drilling me on my times tables and various math equations have some flooding back to me and I want to tell you that I now know I am quite fortuant to have parents who nagged and yes, greatly helped me get through "the impossible." So, thank you.
Each day I am writing down in my own notebook the names of children that understand, both right away and after some work with me, and those that are simply copying and have no idea what I am talking about. In the next few weeks I am trying to start taking one or two of these children out of the classroom to do basic, basic math and reading. This is hard because there are so many kids that could really benefit from one on one time but for now I am going to stick to the kids that are really behind. One girl in class four suffers from dyslexia (I am pretty sure), at least with numbers. She is always mixing up the order of numbers and writing her 3's backwards. She also struggles with writing and reading so she is going to spending a lot of time with me.
New topic: I have bought some dvd's in Kumasi, on the street for 3 Ghana cedi's each. Each disc has anywhere between 10 and 30 movies on it! Obviously the quality is not great but totally watchable. One of the disc's is full of disney movies so I have enjoyed watching Shrek 1 and 2 as well as Peter Pan (so far) with some of the kids that live at Columbus. They get a kick out of the animation. There is a tv for my room but it is being repaired (a part of me is really looking forward to being able to watch a movie (I bought Titanic) before bed some nights.
Another quick statement...I found a big supermarket (because no one knows what I am talking about when I ask for a grocery store) and bought Jiffy peanut butter and jelly. I am in heaven with pb & j sandwiches (when I decide that I just can not eat much of the meal given to me). I also discovered where to find twix chocolate bars (I have to have some american, processed junk food!).
Sorry if my toics seem somewhat random but I am constantly writing down things I encouter and then want to share with you all at home. Breastfeeding: for all the Americans who get super umcomfortable when a woman is publicly breast feeding her baby-Do not come to Ghana! Personally I think it is perfectly natural and really a mother is simply feeding her child but due to the number of "sicko's" in the US, I would try to conceal breasts to a point. My story: the other day I was taking a tro tro alone to Kumasi. There were two young children that I did not recognize but they did (they go to Columbus) who were shouting "madam" and Obruni to me. I smiled and waved as them behind me and as I turned there was a woman (their mother I believe) feeding her child, both breasts out for the world to see. when the child pulled away the woman made no effort to cover herself but simply waited for the child to finish eating when she was ready. This whole time she too was smiling and trying to talk to me. It was all I could do to not laugh was I thought of a number of friends in the US who would have no clue as to what to do in this senario.
Water: Mom, I am sorry but I have not yet used my somewhat pricey water purification device. Filtered water is quite easy to find here and you can buy a .5 peswa square, plastic pouch full of water (not sure of the exact amount but around 16 ounces). Although I could save some money by putting my UV ray h2o purification system to use, it may be awhile before I do so.
Alright...last topic for today: disciplining the children while in school. While I am sure there are still children being beat both and home and in the school somewhere in the US, I (thankfully) have never encountered this type of discipline. In Ghana however, the teachers hold small "canes" (sticks made of wood) that they use to scare and hit the kids that are "being stubborn" or that did not do their homework. Of course the other volunteers and myself absolutely hate seeing these children wince (and the younger ones cry) after being "beat." The younger ones are simply hit if they are not paying attention or are out of their seat-mostly I think it is just a power trip for the teachers because they were beat as children too). But the older kids are "beat" for things like not doing their homework or like today for not bringing 1 Ghana cedi in for printing fees. The students must pay for their second term examinations to be printed. Apparently they teachers say they have informed the children to ask their parents or guardians for the money on Friday and when many claimed they forgot Mr. Bochie (class 5 teacher, who overall I like and respect very much-BUT hate seeing what happened today) made each child stand and hold out their hand as he slapped the wooden stick, HARD, on the palm of their hand. I watch as the child winces in pain and is then forced to hold it out for a second beating. Almost every child flintches. I was teaching class 4 about number placement (10 thousand, thousand, hundred, tens, ones) because Bismark (the class 4 teacher had not yet arrived) and I could see over the wall into the next classroom. Mr. Bochie saw me and just told me I do not understand. Later I ask him why he was caning the kids and he tells me about the fees. I says this way they will not forget tomorrow or they will be beat again. For this I am very happy to have grown up in the US. The teachers get a kick out of out uncomfortable the volunteers get when we see canning taking place and they have asked what teachers do when students are stubborn and forget to do things. I say they teacher raises his or her voice and if need be, send the student to the principal. Obviously this does not always solve the problem but I informed the teachers here that if they beat a child in the US they would be sent to jail and would most likely never work as a teacher again. I am also told that many parents use wire or canes to beat their children at home. Again when asked if my parents ever beat me when I was bad and I say no. (For the most part), when my parents yelled at me, that was enough. This makes the teachers laugh because the kids hardly listen to yelling (this is something I can confirm because even though I won't ever beat the children, I have had to seriously raise my voice many times and usually it accomplishes nothing. The worst part is seeing the children "beating" each other in both play and in actual fighting. I have had to break up numerous fights. And when I am trying to take back order in the classroom and one student is really acting out, the other will say, "Madam, beat him." I respond "I will not be beating anyone but SIT DOWN!" Today I told Mr. Bochie to hit my hand, Iwanted to see what it felt like. He did (although he said he didn't do it as hard has he does to the kids) and it of course hurt really bad. My open palm had a welt for a long time. Poor kids.
alright, I am done for now. Hope you have a great week and I will write more soon.
-Erin
Friday, March 14, 2008
title here
Well...where has the week gone? Suddenly everything is going by so quickly. It will be eleven pm and I am lying in my room wondering what I did the whole day. Here I am though, with another check list of topics to include in this week's blog. First off...Happy Birthday Mom (yesterday)! The time difference is taking a tole on available talk time to the U.S. but I am glad I was able to wish you a happy birthday this morning.
Now...starting last weekend: on Saturday I attended a wedding. I was invited by Isabella and Issac (or Kofi is his Ghanaian name). Issac is Isabella's organization coordinator and also this person she was living with. The person getting married was Issac's stepmother's sister, Akia (I know I am spelling her name wrong). Because Issac and the rest of his family are fairly well-off I was told this wedding was a bit more extravagant than most Ghana weddings. We arrived and were immediately given seats in direct view of the bride and groom (who that this point were saying prayers about their engagement (they were not even in proper wedding attire yet). A man sat down next to me and tried to explain what was going on (because of course everything was in Twi). Overall I just looked around at all the beautiful traditional African clothing and enjoyed the sunny day. One thing to mention, Issac had yet to show his face, Isabella and I had gotten a ride from his stepmother. After the engagement "party" the couple changed clothes and everyone walked to the church. Akia looked stunning! After a half hour of having no idea what was said the ceremony was over and everyone walked up in a line to congratulate the couple. Then we walked back to the place we were originally and it was time to party (mind you it was just 12:30 pm). Isabella and I were wondering where Issac was since he had missed the entire wedding but he suddenly appeared and asked us to come outside. Here is where I witnessed the most romantic thing I could imagine...Isabella's boyfriend (who I have heard SO much about) pops out of a taxi at the wedding. He had arranged with Issac to surprise her and he had gone to get Ali (the b/f). I thought Isabella was going to faint when she saw Ali! (I know this doesn't have a whole lot to do with Ghana but I am simply sharing last week's events). Anyhow the rest of the wedding was equally shared by the bride/groom and Isabella and Ali. Everyone wanted to see these two love birds dance and enjoy themselves. We arrived home around 3pm and I left the reunited couple to themselves.
The rest of the weekend I mostly relaxed, talked to my parents and went through all the supplies Catherine had left me to use with the children. On Tuesday morning I joined Martina and Klara on the Columbus school bus (which leaves at 6:30 am and returns after 8am). This school bus should be referred to as a deathtrap on wheels and the last thing any child should be allowed in. While I know see how vital it is (by picking up 40 plus children from many surrounding villages), it is literally falling apart and the amount of exhaust that comes into the bus practically forces you to stick your head out of the window so you won't suffocate. The hardest part is passing many other school buses on the way and realizing that Columbus needs help! Not all the school buses look like this...but Columbus is a work in progress (and is only 4 years old I believe). We were greeted by smiling faces of all the children, and quite a few girls from the classes I teach cram onto the same seat as me. This is a good sage way into explaining more about the school building itself. I think I mentioned something about it before but just to clarify: there are no windows in this "building." It is pretty much a cement structure with a roof but no solid floor (just dust) and no proper rooms (just cement blocks to break apart the "rooms"). Therefore, you can hear the what is going on in each classroom and often the young ones are so loud it is hard to teach. Tuesday was a good day however, it was Isabella's last day but she had raised money from home to purchase materials for the school before she left. She and Ali brought $400 dollars worth (or whatever the Norwegian currency is) of workbooks, English/math books and pencils. She pretty much left everything in my care and said farewell but she knows I will make sure they are put to good use. And I have, everyday this week I have been using the textbooks and the children enjoy having anything new.
My tutor program is coming together. Each day I have taken children out of classes 3, 4 and 5 and worked with them on a more individual bases (while still covering what the teacher is covering with the rest of the class). I see improvement in some children but in others I see they are so far behind, I need to really work with them one on one. When this happens I simply write their name down for future reference. Hopefully in the next two weeks I can get my own schedule started and find the time to work with these kids individually. I am having trouble finding enough time while in school however. I am mainly working with classes 3, 4 and 5 but within each class is anywhere between 6-15 students that could benefit from one on one time. I am also being called by the teachers of the younger grades to help them as well. I will get myself on a solid schedule and will figure it out. I will say that I have even MORE respect for anyone in (or preparing to get into) the teaching field. Teaching is difficult!
In addition to school time, I have been working with the ten or so children that live at Columbus. We have been doing homework together or simply writing and practicing reading. The kids really want to learn! They would rather spend their "free time" getting help to read or trace letters than play. I think I will be able to see improvement in these children the most. I am making time to play with the kids as well. The other night I was teaching some of the girls "slide," this is a hand clapping game that all American girls learned on the playground in grade school. They all had fun and kept lining up to play with me. Then the girls taught me a hand clap game that they play in Ghana.
I see that I have just 4 minutes left for my Internet time (and still so much to write!)...I am pretty sure I will make time to write more this weekend. Until then...thank you so much for all your comments! I am having problems with the pictures but will work in it. check back soon for more!
-Afia
Now...starting last weekend: on Saturday I attended a wedding. I was invited by Isabella and Issac (or Kofi is his Ghanaian name). Issac is Isabella's organization coordinator and also this person she was living with. The person getting married was Issac's stepmother's sister, Akia (I know I am spelling her name wrong). Because Issac and the rest of his family are fairly well-off I was told this wedding was a bit more extravagant than most Ghana weddings. We arrived and were immediately given seats in direct view of the bride and groom (who that this point were saying prayers about their engagement (they were not even in proper wedding attire yet). A man sat down next to me and tried to explain what was going on (because of course everything was in Twi). Overall I just looked around at all the beautiful traditional African clothing and enjoyed the sunny day. One thing to mention, Issac had yet to show his face, Isabella and I had gotten a ride from his stepmother. After the engagement "party" the couple changed clothes and everyone walked to the church. Akia looked stunning! After a half hour of having no idea what was said the ceremony was over and everyone walked up in a line to congratulate the couple. Then we walked back to the place we were originally and it was time to party (mind you it was just 12:30 pm). Isabella and I were wondering where Issac was since he had missed the entire wedding but he suddenly appeared and asked us to come outside. Here is where I witnessed the most romantic thing I could imagine...Isabella's boyfriend (who I have heard SO much about) pops out of a taxi at the wedding. He had arranged with Issac to surprise her and he had gone to get Ali (the b/f). I thought Isabella was going to faint when she saw Ali! (I know this doesn't have a whole lot to do with Ghana but I am simply sharing last week's events). Anyhow the rest of the wedding was equally shared by the bride/groom and Isabella and Ali. Everyone wanted to see these two love birds dance and enjoy themselves. We arrived home around 3pm and I left the reunited couple to themselves.
The rest of the weekend I mostly relaxed, talked to my parents and went through all the supplies Catherine had left me to use with the children. On Tuesday morning I joined Martina and Klara on the Columbus school bus (which leaves at 6:30 am and returns after 8am). This school bus should be referred to as a deathtrap on wheels and the last thing any child should be allowed in. While I know see how vital it is (by picking up 40 plus children from many surrounding villages), it is literally falling apart and the amount of exhaust that comes into the bus practically forces you to stick your head out of the window so you won't suffocate. The hardest part is passing many other school buses on the way and realizing that Columbus needs help! Not all the school buses look like this...but Columbus is a work in progress (and is only 4 years old I believe). We were greeted by smiling faces of all the children, and quite a few girls from the classes I teach cram onto the same seat as me. This is a good sage way into explaining more about the school building itself. I think I mentioned something about it before but just to clarify: there are no windows in this "building." It is pretty much a cement structure with a roof but no solid floor (just dust) and no proper rooms (just cement blocks to break apart the "rooms"). Therefore, you can hear the what is going on in each classroom and often the young ones are so loud it is hard to teach. Tuesday was a good day however, it was Isabella's last day but she had raised money from home to purchase materials for the school before she left. She and Ali brought $400 dollars worth (or whatever the Norwegian currency is) of workbooks, English/math books and pencils. She pretty much left everything in my care and said farewell but she knows I will make sure they are put to good use. And I have, everyday this week I have been using the textbooks and the children enjoy having anything new.
My tutor program is coming together. Each day I have taken children out of classes 3, 4 and 5 and worked with them on a more individual bases (while still covering what the teacher is covering with the rest of the class). I see improvement in some children but in others I see they are so far behind, I need to really work with them one on one. When this happens I simply write their name down for future reference. Hopefully in the next two weeks I can get my own schedule started and find the time to work with these kids individually. I am having trouble finding enough time while in school however. I am mainly working with classes 3, 4 and 5 but within each class is anywhere between 6-15 students that could benefit from one on one time. I am also being called by the teachers of the younger grades to help them as well. I will get myself on a solid schedule and will figure it out. I will say that I have even MORE respect for anyone in (or preparing to get into) the teaching field. Teaching is difficult!
In addition to school time, I have been working with the ten or so children that live at Columbus. We have been doing homework together or simply writing and practicing reading. The kids really want to learn! They would rather spend their "free time" getting help to read or trace letters than play. I think I will be able to see improvement in these children the most. I am making time to play with the kids as well. The other night I was teaching some of the girls "slide," this is a hand clapping game that all American girls learned on the playground in grade school. They all had fun and kept lining up to play with me. Then the girls taught me a hand clap game that they play in Ghana.
I see that I have just 4 minutes left for my Internet time (and still so much to write!)...I am pretty sure I will make time to write more this weekend. Until then...thank you so much for all your comments! I am having problems with the pictures but will work in it. check back soon for more!
-Afia
Sunday, March 9, 2008
the basics
Greetings...
It is Sunday and I have had a long weekend! Since school pretty much ended by Wednesday of last week, I am ready for the week to start. I come to the Internet cafe with an actual list of topics to write in this blog. I realized I have left out some vital basics to my everyday life that I want to share with you all. First off...Ghana (or most of western Africa) does not have a vast population of wild animals to see roaming the grasslands. We do have one national park (Mole) that I hear is quite nice and plan to visit at some point in the new few months but not nearly as many animals as I came across while in South Africa. However, Ghana does have an abundance of goats, chickens and lizards running every which way on the sides of the roads and in the villages. I have yet to eat goat although I hear it is quite good. There is a chicken that has been sitting my the kitchen for over a week now but I am almost positive it will be dinner soon. I have been holding my breath as I walk by the kitchen however, always kind of hoping my little chicken friend is still there. The lizards are everywhere! They are small and never get very close but I still find them fascinating, mostly because I like to picture what would happen if lizards were running about on Queen Anne Hill and still find myself laughing. There are also many dogs and cats that the kids like to tell me are their pets but really these animals fend for themselves.
My host family: Even though I am living within the orphanage, I do have a host mother, father and siblings. My host father is the pastor, Columbus Opea. I have only spoken to him a handful of times and honestly I am still figuring him out. He claims he is in his late 40's but he doesn't look a day over 30. I also hear he used to be a "bad man" who used drugs and sold them to others but has since found god and was reborn. Now he is pastor and continues to one up himself by adding bishop and most recently "prophet." I personally think this is quite entertaining but I struggle to decide if I think he is sincere. His wife (who looks like she may be able to be his mother) is Georgina. She is quite sweet although her English is slim. She is 7 months pregnant however and I am very excited to see the new infant. Georgina and Columbus have a 1 1/2 year old son Patrick. He is very cute and he knows it! This makes him quite spoiled and stubborn (it will be interesting to see how he reacts to the new baby). I do love to make faces at him although he likes to pick which days he likes me and which days be begins to cry as soon as he sees me. Then there is Naomi. Although most people say she is Georgina's daughter, she is actually Columbus' daughter from a previous relationship. She is 19 and is the one I am closet to within my new family. She makes all of the volunteers meals and she is the one I tell if I will be out late or decide to go into town for lunch instead. She helps in the school a lot but does not teach herself. I am hoping to help her learn how to type because she has asked on numerous occasions. She is also extremely involved in the church (which is located right where I live). There are also a number of associate pastors that live in this "village" (for use of a better word) and a about 10 orphans. In Ghana, a child is called an orphan is just one parent has died so there is a family of 6 siblings who have a living mother but no father. Because they come from a single parent household, they have moved into the orphanage. There are 4 girls and 2 boys in this family, all of which I am growing more and more fond of. Mamaya (or just ya) is 14 and is in class 5 but is one of the many who is very behind in her reading. Catherine has been trying to work with her individually and I am going to try to take over. Edith and TK (8, 6) are two other orphans (although they may have one parent alive) that I see everyday. They are always there to greet me with a "Madame Erin" and a big hug. Of course they also ask for books and markers everyday as well. I am still learning the names of the 10 plus kids that actually live at Columbus but give me one more week and I will have it down.
Every Ghanaian has an African name and another name either made up or given to them. The second name is usually western sounding. This Ghanaian name is based on the day of the week you were born. I finally figured out what day of the week I was born and was then given my Ghanaian name (by my coordinators, just one more thing I missed at orientation): Afia Henewaa. This means I was born on Friday and the last name means princess or queen. For the most part, when people we do not know ask us for our names, we are to use our Ghanaian name. I do like the reaction I (and all the volunteers) get after telling them my name is Afia Henewaa (usually a smile and a little chuckle).
What else is on my list? Oh the march last Thursday...I do believe it took longer to just get the ceremony started then the ceremony itself. We did not get to go to the stadium but instead were at a large field to watch all 52 schools march. I was told there would be shade for the teachers and therefore forgot to put on sunscreen. I now have my first real sunburn. It is starting to get better but I have a brutal tan line of a "v" on my back (something Africans find hilarious because I am turning red instead of black, and of course they don't burn ever). We were also told we had to march behind our school to show our support. Out of all 52 schools, I did not see one other "obruni" so Columbus prep school was very popular when all 5 western female teachers followed the students, attempting to march just like them. I think we looked ridiculous but it was still fun.
I have not completed two loads of washing and I am here to say that I will NEVER complain about doing laundry at home ever again! I am too lazy to hand wash clothing while in the states so this was a wake up call. First you take a bucket full of water, add washing powder and soak your clothes. Then one by one scrub each article with a soap bar until you are tired and then you must soak the clothes in clean water/rinse in the shower (I am so spoiled here) until you think most of the soap is out. Then hang to dry. I believe my first load had more soap than water left when I hung them up but I will get the hang of it! :-)
There is much more to say about the church I am a part of (Pentecostal) and I am not sure how often I will be attending but I think I will have to save that for a later date. My time on the Internet is running out. Just one more thing before I go...I don't believe I have mentioned anything about the Ghanaian language. Majority of the country speaks Twi (although it is pronounced more like "ch-ie"). So far I know "Welcome", thank you, how are you, I'm fine and I think that is about it. Although I am told by someone new everyday that they want to teach me Twi. I hope I can pick up quite a bit before my return to the states.
Alright, I am off. This will be a full week at school, and this time Martina, Klara and I will be alone. I plan on continuing tutoring the kids that need help the most while planning some fun art projects as well. I'll keep you posted.
In addition...I haven't been writing many personal emails but I would always love to hear what is going on with everyone back home. Please send me updates on your life as well! erinknutsonwilliams@yahoo.com
until next time:
Afia Henewaa
It is Sunday and I have had a long weekend! Since school pretty much ended by Wednesday of last week, I am ready for the week to start. I come to the Internet cafe with an actual list of topics to write in this blog. I realized I have left out some vital basics to my everyday life that I want to share with you all. First off...Ghana (or most of western Africa) does not have a vast population of wild animals to see roaming the grasslands. We do have one national park (Mole) that I hear is quite nice and plan to visit at some point in the new few months but not nearly as many animals as I came across while in South Africa. However, Ghana does have an abundance of goats, chickens and lizards running every which way on the sides of the roads and in the villages. I have yet to eat goat although I hear it is quite good. There is a chicken that has been sitting my the kitchen for over a week now but I am almost positive it will be dinner soon. I have been holding my breath as I walk by the kitchen however, always kind of hoping my little chicken friend is still there. The lizards are everywhere! They are small and never get very close but I still find them fascinating, mostly because I like to picture what would happen if lizards were running about on Queen Anne Hill and still find myself laughing. There are also many dogs and cats that the kids like to tell me are their pets but really these animals fend for themselves.
My host family: Even though I am living within the orphanage, I do have a host mother, father and siblings. My host father is the pastor, Columbus Opea. I have only spoken to him a handful of times and honestly I am still figuring him out. He claims he is in his late 40's but he doesn't look a day over 30. I also hear he used to be a "bad man" who used drugs and sold them to others but has since found god and was reborn. Now he is pastor and continues to one up himself by adding bishop and most recently "prophet." I personally think this is quite entertaining but I struggle to decide if I think he is sincere. His wife (who looks like she may be able to be his mother) is Georgina. She is quite sweet although her English is slim. She is 7 months pregnant however and I am very excited to see the new infant. Georgina and Columbus have a 1 1/2 year old son Patrick. He is very cute and he knows it! This makes him quite spoiled and stubborn (it will be interesting to see how he reacts to the new baby). I do love to make faces at him although he likes to pick which days he likes me and which days be begins to cry as soon as he sees me. Then there is Naomi. Although most people say she is Georgina's daughter, she is actually Columbus' daughter from a previous relationship. She is 19 and is the one I am closet to within my new family. She makes all of the volunteers meals and she is the one I tell if I will be out late or decide to go into town for lunch instead. She helps in the school a lot but does not teach herself. I am hoping to help her learn how to type because she has asked on numerous occasions. She is also extremely involved in the church (which is located right where I live). There are also a number of associate pastors that live in this "village" (for use of a better word) and a about 10 orphans. In Ghana, a child is called an orphan is just one parent has died so there is a family of 6 siblings who have a living mother but no father. Because they come from a single parent household, they have moved into the orphanage. There are 4 girls and 2 boys in this family, all of which I am growing more and more fond of. Mamaya (or just ya) is 14 and is in class 5 but is one of the many who is very behind in her reading. Catherine has been trying to work with her individually and I am going to try to take over. Edith and TK (8, 6) are two other orphans (although they may have one parent alive) that I see everyday. They are always there to greet me with a "Madame Erin" and a big hug. Of course they also ask for books and markers everyday as well. I am still learning the names of the 10 plus kids that actually live at Columbus but give me one more week and I will have it down.
Every Ghanaian has an African name and another name either made up or given to them. The second name is usually western sounding. This Ghanaian name is based on the day of the week you were born. I finally figured out what day of the week I was born and was then given my Ghanaian name (by my coordinators, just one more thing I missed at orientation): Afia Henewaa. This means I was born on Friday and the last name means princess or queen. For the most part, when people we do not know ask us for our names, we are to use our Ghanaian name. I do like the reaction I (and all the volunteers) get after telling them my name is Afia Henewaa (usually a smile and a little chuckle).
What else is on my list? Oh the march last Thursday...I do believe it took longer to just get the ceremony started then the ceremony itself. We did not get to go to the stadium but instead were at a large field to watch all 52 schools march. I was told there would be shade for the teachers and therefore forgot to put on sunscreen. I now have my first real sunburn. It is starting to get better but I have a brutal tan line of a "v" on my back (something Africans find hilarious because I am turning red instead of black, and of course they don't burn ever). We were also told we had to march behind our school to show our support. Out of all 52 schools, I did not see one other "obruni" so Columbus prep school was very popular when all 5 western female teachers followed the students, attempting to march just like them. I think we looked ridiculous but it was still fun.
I have not completed two loads of washing and I am here to say that I will NEVER complain about doing laundry at home ever again! I am too lazy to hand wash clothing while in the states so this was a wake up call. First you take a bucket full of water, add washing powder and soak your clothes. Then one by one scrub each article with a soap bar until you are tired and then you must soak the clothes in clean water/rinse in the shower (I am so spoiled here) until you think most of the soap is out. Then hang to dry. I believe my first load had more soap than water left when I hung them up but I will get the hang of it! :-)
There is much more to say about the church I am a part of (Pentecostal) and I am not sure how often I will be attending but I think I will have to save that for a later date. My time on the Internet is running out. Just one more thing before I go...I don't believe I have mentioned anything about the Ghanaian language. Majority of the country speaks Twi (although it is pronounced more like "ch-ie"). So far I know "Welcome", thank you, how are you, I'm fine and I think that is about it. Although I am told by someone new everyday that they want to teach me Twi. I hope I can pick up quite a bit before my return to the states.
Alright, I am off. This will be a full week at school, and this time Martina, Klara and I will be alone. I plan on continuing tutoring the kids that need help the most while planning some fun art projects as well. I'll keep you posted.
In addition...I haven't been writing many personal emails but I would always love to hear what is going on with everyone back home. Please send me updates on your life as well! erinknutsonwilliams@yahoo.com
until next time:
Afia Henewaa
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
It's March!
Hello Everyone,
Let's see...there is much to tell. I am in the middle of my second week here in Ghana although the school week ended today. Tomorrow is the Ghanaian Independence Day and (from what I hear) most of the city will be watching hundreds of schools march in a parade and then we go to the stadium as a school for a big ceremony. You will just have to wait for the next blog to know how that goes. Then friday is also a national holiday (because the children will be too tired from marching to go to school...this is what the teachers tell me, haha). Some volunteers are venturing off again to see other parts of Ghana but I will stick close to "home." Catherine is leaving this friday and I will be quite sad to see her go. I know I just met her a little over a week ago but we have been sharing a room, stories and struggles since then. I hope to visit her in England sometime soon. Isabella is also leaving but not until Monday. She and I are planning on spending more time in the cultural centre and there is also a swimming pool located at a hotel in Kumasi that you can pay to swim in if you are not a guest, so that sounds like a good possibility.
I hope I am sounding more upbeat...from what I have heard I sound timid and somewhat negative. This is not at all how I want my experience here to be perceived although I will be honest...I am just not feeling more at ease. Everything has always been fine but I came to the conclusion that I was so ready to just get out of the states, I just assumed that there was nothing that would get in my way once I arrived and that I could take on any obstacle without much effort. Basically I was overly optimistic. Then I became too pessimistic (something I rarely am) but now I think I have really found my balance.
Last weekend Isabella, Catherine and I made our way to Lake Bswanthi. The total journey took about three hours I think. We took too tro-tros (the mini buses that cost .25 pesewas -Ghanaian coins), the second taking almost an hour, hoping aboard a shared taxi and then walking 2 kilometers (I hate that the US is the only country that does not use the metric system) in 100 % humidity! I do feel as though I am sweating off pounds here, and that I am getting exercise. We arrived at the Lake Point guesthouse and were so happy to be there. This is a beautiful guesthouse run by a Ghanaian and Austrian couple and the menu looked delicious! We settled into the dorm (we were the only ones however, in a dorm with 6 bunk beds) and headed to the lake. This is the largest artificial lake in Ghana and I believe is over 30 kilometers around (and it felt wonderful!). I put on SPF 50 and laid out to attempt to turn my white skin a less white shade but couldn't lay out for very long before being drenched in sweat again! Later that night we settle into the main bar/kitchen/lounge area (all outdoors) and had chicken and rice stew with beer (and later, wine). What a beautiful way to spend my first weekend. Although the next day I did wake up sick-I had felt it coming on for a while though-and I assume anyone who had traveled knows the kind of sick I am referring to. Oh well. I stayed away from the lake and under a fan with constant water and coke near me and a book or two. Still...I was quite relaxed. I was able to go swimming the next day to cool off before our journey home. There were quite a few other travelers using this facility too (you can rent cabins for much more than it costs to rent the dorm) from Germany and Hungry and Sweden. I love how I will be learning about numerous cultures while I am here in Ghana (including many European cultures).
Starting on Monday, Martina and Klara (Switzerland and Denmark) moved into Columbus (the prep school/orphanage I am working in), but into their own room, and we began to discuss exactly what we want to accomplish while we are here at the school. They decided that they want to stick to working with the younger children in grades 1 and 2 in addition to the two kindergarten classes (KG1 and KG 2). Normally I would love to work with the little ones but I think I could be of more use in the upper classes, class 3, 4 and 5. It is easiest to explain the classes as basic 3rd grade, 4th grade and 5th grade but it is much more complicated that that. Technically, most of the grades are being taught similar topics to my 3rd, 4th and 5th grade years but the levels of the children range drastically. There are many students that are in the upper classes due to their age but should actually be in class 1 or 2 based on their ability. Both Monday, Tuesday and today I worked mostly with class 4 since Catherine and Isabella have been working with the other two classes. On Monday I took 5 students out of class 4 and worked on Math with them. They were working on division problems. After quickly reminding myself how to do this correctly (it is a shame how dependent I am on my calculator), I work out problems with the students. Maybe 3 of them know how to answer the questions correctly but they are using their times table charts and do not know how to just try to count in their heads. Other other two simply copied and tried to look like they knew what they were doing. I made them stop and I wrote out a problem on a piece of paper that they could all see then made them work through the problem with me. Overall they do get it but struggled when I wouldn't let them look at their charts. I then tried to teach them the 9 times table "cheat rule" that all American students know (using all ten fingers). Basically I am trying to figure out where each student lies in math (and then English) levels. Then I plan to take the students that need the most help out of class often to help them catch up. There is one boy who can hardly write and another girl (age 10 I think) who can hardly read at all. Isabella and Catherin are going to write down names of kids they know that need extra help too. In addition to my tutor program I still plan to conduct some art projects (to give each classroom more color) and help stimulate their minds.
Lastly, in April or May I plan to take all the girls out of class 5 and the 6 girls in the vocational school to an isolated classroom for the period after lunch to discuss sexual health and puberty. I think this is very important, especially because women still have little power here and they need to be able to take control of situations they are bound to encounter in the upcoming years. I am very excited about this. Overall I had not wanted to teach but I am glad to be in the situation. The class 4 teacher and I have become close and he tells me that once the other girls leave I will find my calling and will be able to see that I am making a difference.
To finish...I am feeling just about all better (physically) and am discovering new foods to eat. I put some pictures up in my room and attempted to make it a bit more homey. There have been many thunder/lighting storms at night (some are quite scary) but I am told they get worse towards the middle of the rainy season (starting later this month) so I must get used to them. Tonight a few of us girls and one or two of our coordinators are going into town for dinner and then to try out a bar that plays music. This is Catherine's last night since she leaves so early on Friday. We are planning to actually put on some make up! haha. This weekend I am also going to get an address and also postcards and stamps. Hopefully I can send some mail soon (I am curious how long it takes to get to the US). As always I hope this finds each and every one of you well. Keep sending comments, emails and US updates (I have no idea if Clinton or Obama is winning) and I will write more soon.
Sending virtual hugs,
Erin
p.s. I am working on getting some pictures up soon!
Let's see...there is much to tell. I am in the middle of my second week here in Ghana although the school week ended today. Tomorrow is the Ghanaian Independence Day and (from what I hear) most of the city will be watching hundreds of schools march in a parade and then we go to the stadium as a school for a big ceremony. You will just have to wait for the next blog to know how that goes. Then friday is also a national holiday (because the children will be too tired from marching to go to school...this is what the teachers tell me, haha). Some volunteers are venturing off again to see other parts of Ghana but I will stick close to "home." Catherine is leaving this friday and I will be quite sad to see her go. I know I just met her a little over a week ago but we have been sharing a room, stories and struggles since then. I hope to visit her in England sometime soon. Isabella is also leaving but not until Monday. She and I are planning on spending more time in the cultural centre and there is also a swimming pool located at a hotel in Kumasi that you can pay to swim in if you are not a guest, so that sounds like a good possibility.
I hope I am sounding more upbeat...from what I have heard I sound timid and somewhat negative. This is not at all how I want my experience here to be perceived although I will be honest...I am just not feeling more at ease. Everything has always been fine but I came to the conclusion that I was so ready to just get out of the states, I just assumed that there was nothing that would get in my way once I arrived and that I could take on any obstacle without much effort. Basically I was overly optimistic. Then I became too pessimistic (something I rarely am) but now I think I have really found my balance.
Last weekend Isabella, Catherine and I made our way to Lake Bswanthi. The total journey took about three hours I think. We took too tro-tros (the mini buses that cost .25 pesewas -Ghanaian coins), the second taking almost an hour, hoping aboard a shared taxi and then walking 2 kilometers (I hate that the US is the only country that does not use the metric system) in 100 % humidity! I do feel as though I am sweating off pounds here, and that I am getting exercise. We arrived at the Lake Point guesthouse and were so happy to be there. This is a beautiful guesthouse run by a Ghanaian and Austrian couple and the menu looked delicious! We settled into the dorm (we were the only ones however, in a dorm with 6 bunk beds) and headed to the lake. This is the largest artificial lake in Ghana and I believe is over 30 kilometers around (and it felt wonderful!). I put on SPF 50 and laid out to attempt to turn my white skin a less white shade but couldn't lay out for very long before being drenched in sweat again! Later that night we settle into the main bar/kitchen/lounge area (all outdoors) and had chicken and rice stew with beer (and later, wine). What a beautiful way to spend my first weekend. Although the next day I did wake up sick-I had felt it coming on for a while though-and I assume anyone who had traveled knows the kind of sick I am referring to. Oh well. I stayed away from the lake and under a fan with constant water and coke near me and a book or two. Still...I was quite relaxed. I was able to go swimming the next day to cool off before our journey home. There were quite a few other travelers using this facility too (you can rent cabins for much more than it costs to rent the dorm) from Germany and Hungry and Sweden. I love how I will be learning about numerous cultures while I am here in Ghana (including many European cultures).
Starting on Monday, Martina and Klara (Switzerland and Denmark) moved into Columbus (the prep school/orphanage I am working in), but into their own room, and we began to discuss exactly what we want to accomplish while we are here at the school. They decided that they want to stick to working with the younger children in grades 1 and 2 in addition to the two kindergarten classes (KG1 and KG 2). Normally I would love to work with the little ones but I think I could be of more use in the upper classes, class 3, 4 and 5. It is easiest to explain the classes as basic 3rd grade, 4th grade and 5th grade but it is much more complicated that that. Technically, most of the grades are being taught similar topics to my 3rd, 4th and 5th grade years but the levels of the children range drastically. There are many students that are in the upper classes due to their age but should actually be in class 1 or 2 based on their ability. Both Monday, Tuesday and today I worked mostly with class 4 since Catherine and Isabella have been working with the other two classes. On Monday I took 5 students out of class 4 and worked on Math with them. They were working on division problems. After quickly reminding myself how to do this correctly (it is a shame how dependent I am on my calculator), I work out problems with the students. Maybe 3 of them know how to answer the questions correctly but they are using their times table charts and do not know how to just try to count in their heads. Other other two simply copied and tried to look like they knew what they were doing. I made them stop and I wrote out a problem on a piece of paper that they could all see then made them work through the problem with me. Overall they do get it but struggled when I wouldn't let them look at their charts. I then tried to teach them the 9 times table "cheat rule" that all American students know (using all ten fingers). Basically I am trying to figure out where each student lies in math (and then English) levels. Then I plan to take the students that need the most help out of class often to help them catch up. There is one boy who can hardly write and another girl (age 10 I think) who can hardly read at all. Isabella and Catherin are going to write down names of kids they know that need extra help too. In addition to my tutor program I still plan to conduct some art projects (to give each classroom more color) and help stimulate their minds.
Lastly, in April or May I plan to take all the girls out of class 5 and the 6 girls in the vocational school to an isolated classroom for the period after lunch to discuss sexual health and puberty. I think this is very important, especially because women still have little power here and they need to be able to take control of situations they are bound to encounter in the upcoming years. I am very excited about this. Overall I had not wanted to teach but I am glad to be in the situation. The class 4 teacher and I have become close and he tells me that once the other girls leave I will find my calling and will be able to see that I am making a difference.
To finish...I am feeling just about all better (physically) and am discovering new foods to eat. I put some pictures up in my room and attempted to make it a bit more homey. There have been many thunder/lighting storms at night (some are quite scary) but I am told they get worse towards the middle of the rainy season (starting later this month) so I must get used to them. Tonight a few of us girls and one or two of our coordinators are going into town for dinner and then to try out a bar that plays music. This is Catherine's last night since she leaves so early on Friday. We are planning to actually put on some make up! haha. This weekend I am also going to get an address and also postcards and stamps. Hopefully I can send some mail soon (I am curious how long it takes to get to the US). As always I hope this finds each and every one of you well. Keep sending comments, emails and US updates (I have no idea if Clinton or Obama is winning) and I will write more soon.
Sending virtual hugs,
Erin
p.s. I am working on getting some pictures up soon!
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