I am home now, enjoying the cool weather, such a change from Senchi Ferry, Ghana. My three weeks in Ghana were wonderful and I would like to go back again someday. Now that I am home, I find myself thinking about my time there.
So here is some of my reflections:
1. Water- everyday I had bottled water, as much as I needed. I couldn't drink their water as it would have made me sick. I even used water to brush my teeth. If I carried my water in my hand when I was walking, sometimes someone would ask for it. Or at the school, during break, maybe a student would ask me for it. I did give it away one day as I was leaving the school, but it didn't seem fair to all the others. In my walks through the village, I would see some common water source, like a pipe or pump. The pipe would be where nearby neighbors would come to carry water back to their house for cooking, or drinking or cleaning.
2. Food- These people eat a lot of cassava or taro root, beans, and rice. Not much meat, only occasionally. The goats that roam the village-and there were lots of them- are not milked but eaten after a certain age. I heard they had pigs but only saw a few. One day, on my walk to school, which I did every morning, I saw a man who had just butchered a pig. The only thing that was left was the head of the pig as he sold it all to his neighbors. He offered me the head! I said "no thanks". Later on my walk back from school, one woman offered me some pork that she had cooked that day which was nice but I couldn't take a chance on that either. Other food that seemed to be plentiful there are yams and mangos. Mango trees grow everywhere and I was there during that season. To pick the mangos, you generally use a long stick to know it off the stem, then try to catch it as it falls to the ground. I love mango and could eat it everyday so that was always like dessert for me and the other volunteers.
3. Weather- Everyday was hot, probably over 90 degrees. Luckily, we had A/C in the hotel that kept us cool at night for sleeping but during the day, there was no relief. My shirt and pants would be soaking wet after a few hours. Students would often ask me if I was cold sometimes. When I answered "no" , they didn't know whether to believe me or not because if the temperature dropped a few degrees below 90, they would wear long sleeve shirts and sweaters. haha! I was still hot and I was always looking for a breeze.. I will not be complaining about Oregon weather for a long time.
4. School - I was fortunate to work in three different schools while I was there. All were different yet the same in many ways. The first school, a private school, was the most crowded. Students there sat desk to desk with only one narrow aisle. This school rooms with thatched roofs but no walls. The teacher I worked with there was Daniel, who had been teaching for 7 years. I thought he was a very good math teacher who came to school on Saturday to teach those that need review or who ever showed up. He did this for free. His salary is only about $35 USD per month. The other school had less students per class and more room structure, but very little lighting. So when it rained, the room was very dark, and the tin roof made it impossible to hear. The students in all three schools had to copy from the board the textbook, which the teacher had written during class. Generally, students had few textbooks. For the most part, they wrote everything in pen. If the teacher was not in the room, students monitored themselves with no apparent problems. There were break or recess times, and then the students would be free to leave the class. Many didn't eat breakfast and so they would buy food about 10:30 am from mothers who had set up food stalls outside under the trees. Some students might walk a great distance to find some favorite food. One thing that is still used in the schools is "caning". Teachers can but not all do use a cane or switch to punish students for things like tardiness, or misbehavior in the class. I never saw it actually being done but others did see it. One teacher told me he didn't do it to his students. Students do seem to have great respect for their teachers and behavior didn't seem to be a problem.
5. Machete- everyone had one or used one. Students often brought their machetes to school because another common school punishment was cutting the grass in the field with a machete. The lawn mower had broken at one school so entire classes were in the field hacking away on tall grass with their machetes. I never saw an accident or anyone use it in a threatening way. I saw some older students use it to chop wood. Another man used his for butchering the pig.
6. Walking or using the "tro-tro" is the most common way to get around. Tro-tro is a minivan that drives up and down the highway stopping for people standing on the side of the road. These vans are well used, beat up looking heaps for the most part but still running. Drivers are interested in getting as many people in them as possible and driving as fast as possible. In the small towns, you could see vendors and tro-tro's everywhere. I saw lots of broken down cars, vans and trucks and some very serious accidents.
7. Everyone carries everything on their head. I saw propane tanks, sewing machines, and big water buckets, all being transported on their heads. Most of the time they use a small rag or cloth that sits on their head in a form of a circle. Then, the food or article is placed on top of the head and off they walk. I thought this must improve their posture as they all walk so straight. And they look very relaxed and comfortable doing it.
8. I don't know if all Ghana is the same but this was a very religious area. Every business sign was religious in some way. Like for sewing, a sign would say "God's working Hands". Or if you asked someone how they were , they would say "fine , by the grace of God". In the school, there was worship for all every Wednesday for one hour and they often prayed in class, either with the teacher leading or a student.
I hope this gives you some idea of my appreciation and experience there. I met very few people who were not friendly and social. All the students were eager and friendly, almost thrilled to talk to me. I did feel somewhat cut off from the world because of no news or computer access. And at night, there was really nothing to do except read a book- one TV station with local Ghanian shows. But there is something about helping in this village that gives pleasure and satisfaction.
I may write more if I think of something else to tell you. I hope you can understand my thoughts. :)
So here is some of my reflections:
2. Food- These people eat a lot of cassava or taro root, beans, and rice. Not much meat, only occasionally. The goats that roam the village-and there were lots of them- are not milked but eaten after a certain age. I heard they had pigs but only saw a few. One day, on my walk to school, which I did every morning, I saw a man who had just butchered a pig. The only thing that was left was the head of the pig as he sold it all to his neighbors. He offered me the head! I said "no thanks". Later on my walk back from school, one woman offered me some pork that she had cooked that day which was nice but I couldn't take a chance on that either. Other food that seemed to be plentiful there are yams and mangos. Mango trees grow everywhere and I was there during that season. To pick the mangos, you generally use a long stick to know it off the stem, then try to catch it as it falls to the ground. I love mango and could eat it everyday so that was always like dessert for me and the other volunteers.
3. Weather- Everyday was hot, probably over 90 degrees. Luckily, we had A/C in the hotel that kept us cool at night for sleeping but during the day, there was no relief. My shirt and pants would be soaking wet after a few hours. Students would often ask me if I was cold sometimes. When I answered "no" , they didn't know whether to believe me or not because if the temperature dropped a few degrees below 90, they would wear long sleeve shirts and sweaters. haha! I was still hot and I was always looking for a breeze.. I will not be complaining about Oregon weather for a long time.
4. School - I was fortunate to work in three different schools while I was there. All were different yet the same in many ways. The first school, a private school, was the most crowded. Students there sat desk to desk with only one narrow aisle. This school rooms with thatched roofs but no walls. The teacher I worked with there was Daniel, who had been teaching for 7 years. I thought he was a very good math teacher who came to school on Saturday to teach those that need review or who ever showed up. He did this for free. His salary is only about $35 USD per month. The other school had less students per class and more room structure, but very little lighting. So when it rained, the room was very dark, and the tin roof made it impossible to hear. The students in all three schools had to copy from the board the textbook, which the teacher had written during class. Generally, students had few textbooks. For the most part, they wrote everything in pen. If the teacher was not in the room, students monitored themselves with no apparent problems. There were break or recess times, and then the students would be free to leave the class. Many didn't eat breakfast and so they would buy food about 10:30 am from mothers who had set up food stalls outside under the trees. Some students might walk a great distance to find some favorite food. One thing that is still used in the schools is "caning". Teachers can but not all do use a cane or switch to punish students for things like tardiness, or misbehavior in the class. I never saw it actually being done but others did see it. One teacher told me he didn't do it to his students. Students do seem to have great respect for their teachers and behavior didn't seem to be a problem.
5. Machete- everyone had one or used one. Students often brought their machetes to school because another common school punishment was cutting the grass in the field with a machete. The lawn mower had broken at one school so entire classes were in the field hacking away on tall grass with their machetes. I never saw an accident or anyone use it in a threatening way. I saw some older students use it to chop wood. Another man used his for butchering the pig.
6. Walking or using the "tro-tro" is the most common way to get around. Tro-tro is a minivan that drives up and down the highway stopping for people standing on the side of the road. These vans are well used, beat up looking heaps for the most part but still running. Drivers are interested in getting as many people in them as possible and driving as fast as possible. In the small towns, you could see vendors and tro-tro's everywhere. I saw lots of broken down cars, vans and trucks and some very serious accidents.
7. Everyone carries everything on their head. I saw propane tanks, sewing machines, and big water buckets, all being transported on their heads. Most of the time they use a small rag or cloth that sits on their head in a form of a circle. Then, the food or article is placed on top of the head and off they walk. I thought this must improve their posture as they all walk so straight. And they look very relaxed and comfortable doing it.
8. I don't know if all Ghana is the same but this was a very religious area. Every business sign was religious in some way. Like for sewing, a sign would say "God's working Hands". Or if you asked someone how they were , they would say "fine , by the grace of God". In the school, there was worship for all every Wednesday for one hour and they often prayed in class, either with the teacher leading or a student.
I hope this gives you some idea of my appreciation and experience there. I met very few people who were not friendly and social. All the students were eager and friendly, almost thrilled to talk to me. I did feel somewhat cut off from the world because of no news or computer access. And at night, there was really nothing to do except read a book- one TV station with local Ghanian shows. But there is something about helping in this village that gives pleasure and satisfaction.
I may write more if I think of something else to tell you. I hope you can understand my thoughts. :)
