Friday, December 03, 2010 AM
I have had such a difficult time getting caught up on my journaling/blogging. The past 2 evenings when I have planned a bit of time to sit down and write, the power has gone off! When I ask about this, people simply blame “the government”, saying they are trying to save money. So, I am up this morning to do it before Fei picks me up to take me, Elizabeth, the school’s Rasta art teacher, Appiah and I to the butterfly garden (wildlife refuge/park- I have had a need for clean, dustless air and pristine nature!) and maybe the Ashanti Museum if there is time.
This morning I was awakened by a young student (at my bedroom window, which is somewhat disconcerting), Linda, seeking consolation as her mother has been taken to the hospital this morning; I gather from the symptoms she described, for malaria, which seems to be accompanied by a chill, headache and nausea. I now know 4 people(Appiah, Charles (past rotary president), Nana and now Linda’s mother) who have contracted it in the past 2 weeks, so I am, consequently, being extra cautious, sleeping with a bed net even in the sweltering heat and taking my malaria pills.
Monday, I gave two tests- my JS 3 (grade 9) French and primary 6 science. I have no idea how the teachers here deal with this workload. I never see any of them going home with the piles of books I left with that afternoon (120 or so), but, yet, they share miniscule offices with only one desk, between the classrooms, and somehow get all their marking done throughout the busy work day?
Tuesday evening I was invited by Fei to a dinner at a very posh hotel, called the Golden Tulip, with their Rotary District Governor, whose district covers West Africa’s 14 countries!! I have no idea how the previous governors would be able to visit all the clubs with the transportation systems the way that they are here, but he has managed nicely, being a pilot and owning his own plane. I found out that his business is in wood export (in Cote D’ivoire), mostly African wood to Europe, but recently has gone to Quebec to exploit our lumber resources (I bit my tongue about old growth forest issues and asking about his reforestation program, but was glad to overhear a couple of rotarians, namely a thoughtful professor and one moving from Oshawa Ontario to retire, speaking about reforesting their own properties and asking for advice from Marwan). He was very kind and spoke about creating close bonds between clubs, so that their families knew each other, such that their projects were shared passions. He also spoke to me about how he often supplies his own money to communities that are really struggling. He came from one recently, in Nigeria, I think, where there were some 500 students sitting on the dirt floor of a one room schoolhouse and he donated his own money for desks and chairs and the beginning the building of a school, to be completed as a rotary project (rotary can’t build but it can renovate or complete unfinished work).
Speaking of money, (not on this scale, mind you), I gave Samuel (Appiah), 50 Ghana Cedis to pay the remainder of his school fees for this term. He was absolutely delighted. Now he can keep the money he was saving up for food and day to day essentials. He came by Wednesday evening and we had a computer tutorial (along with Martha and a friend/sister Belinda). Appiah is so keen. I showed him skype (I video called an ex-student in Mexico) and he, the girls, and Ben, through the window from outside, watched in amazement and took turns introducing themselves. Appiah stayed up late writing a letter on a word document. It must have taken him close to 3 hours to get a paragraph down and was so proud of his accomplishment. It was a reminder of what we so easily take for granted.
Unfortunately he had to go to the hospital again yesterday (he hasn’t been well) and was given medication for malaria although he hasn’t had blood test. Julianna was telling me that he has struggles with headaches from having been physically abused by his stepmother as a child (I know, the stories are never ending of challenges overcome), often hitting the children across the head.
On that note, Elizabeth, a 15 year old JS1 student, has a similar story to Appiah, with having to drop out of school due to lack of money (her mother died when she was 6 and her father fell into a depression before the past government implemented free primary-junior education). She has since moved in with her grandmother and resumed her studies but is behind as a result. She is the one who played my hostess during the athletics day, escorting me around, taking my hand to cross the road etc.. and told me her dreams to become a doctor (because of her father’s struggles). She is living in the next town over called “Brofoyeduru” (means English- Brofoye- is heavy (difficult)- duru; as many there do not speak English).
This week, before school one day, I was visited by 3 very powerful women: Julianna, and her two friends she calls sisters. The purpose of the visit was to give me the gift of 2 dozen eggs and to give me a Ghanaian name (one of their names- Ama Ampose- we were both born on Saturday, hence, Ama), an obvious and unexpected honour!
This is only one of a few honours I received this week: another was a traditional dress made by Agnes (VERY roomy, comfortable, to wear about the house), with what time, I’ll never know, as on Tuesday she was off on an all-night bus to Togo for more fabric and I only met her Sunday! Another gift was from Linda, a cut-as-a-button grade 6 student (who stopped by this morning) and avid student (her English is extraordinary), who came by yesterday with a lollipop for me and another 6th grader made me a pencil case from Mickey Mouse tape and paper. This may not seem like much but consider the situation, the lack of money and luxuries…
I will have to go to point form not to get in the little details I have taken note of lately (Fei will be here soon and I am still in my PJs):
- Mark, Ron, Fei and I figured out how to wire money with Western Union to buy the printer. The money is in and I will pick it up Monday with Fei and buy the 3-in-one printer. Fei wants to do a formal presentation for it to put in the local media (exposure for the Adumasa Link projects and for the charity) as well as on the website.
- It is Farmer’s Day today- government holiday- where the government awards “the best” (?) farmers for their hard work. Many students are busy studying for their first set of exams next week. Unfortunately I don’t think most know what they are studying for as the schedule has not yet been give to either staff or students!
- Abaa continues to take the seeds from the fruit I eat to plant as well as the tops of the pineapple (stick right into the ground) for here and his own small farm. I love this full circle…. Many people here have their own plots of land and animals to be relatively self sufficient, kind of like North America’s grassroots movement to return to the land.
- Akwaaba here means welcome. In English we say “you are welcome” in response to thank you as well as “welcome” to someone to come in etc.. they find that very confusing here. There is no response here for “you’re welcome” to “thank you”.
- Ben and Julianna were teaching me how to be discerning when buying from street vendors. They will only buy uncooked consumables (i.e. ice cream/slush, water etc..) from those who look well kempt and clean. Why? Concern of cholera which is rampant here.
- I am finding I am careful with my speech here. The English spoken here is so proper, even with those who only speak a spattering. I realize how “lazy” an English speaker is with jargon, expressions etc.. For example, they will use the word “attire” for clothing, “Indeed”, instead of “for sure”, “rather” instead of “instead”.
- No one knocks here, I assume because of the mud or concrete structures and it not being heard clearly, or no doors in some cases (curtains are used for air flow). They SAY “I am knocking”… This is the case for the low concrete, open structures (picture a small maze) which are their latrines- to see if there is someone in there, they say” I am knocking” as there are no doors for privacy. Those public latrines absolutely “weird me out” (speaking of last English).
- I had an interesting discussion with Appiah recently. He told me more than Fei about witches, shamanic/fetish priests etc.. He said that they are still popular (is Fei in denial?) and that even the Christian priests will seek their counsel. He says that they use animals in ritual and he thinks, like most here, that they have special powers and can perform miracles, can make you rich (at the exchange of your soul however), make you healthy etc.. and that witches exist, are evil and cause sickness and misfortune to people. He does agree that most people use them as “scape goats” however, for their own selfishness or poor choices (i.e. drunk driving causing an accident- they say the witches were out!)
- I went with Julianna to her seamstress to have my measurements taken for a dress (I brought material I had bought from a woman who stopped by the hairdresser in Bebu).
- It's strange, people here think nothing of cleaning their noses with their fingers. It is a tad gross from the foreigner perspective, but, I gather, because of the nature of the dryness and dust here, it is not seen as rude. Fei even cleared his nostril (to clear out dust or something- no mucous or anything) in the living room the other day, the way I do when I am x-country skiing or running. I was taken aback, the same way when he or Julianna, in all other ways acting "proper" will spit out a piece of bone etc.. onto the floor while eating.
The power just went off again and I must get dressed to go anyway!
The links to the recent pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kpedicelli/Ghana20101201?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/kpedicelli/20101202?feat=directlink
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