Saturday, December 31, 2011

First Term School Break


The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

Today is the end of the first week of the school term break and New Year's eve. I have used most of this week to work on some projects in the house where I live. We Americans just seem to have this urge to improve things or at least make more convenient or comfortable. For me that has meant getting my kitchen up off the floor and fully functioning. That project was put on hold while I concentrated on the challenges of the school term, academic and administrative.

The house owners brother who lives in the village has given me permission to use a third room in the house as a storage and work room. As you see in the picture, I am repairing an interior door that appeared to have the lock set force ably yanked out and that part of the door broken. I have installed a new lock set on the exterior door and replaced the torn mosquito screens and once the interior door is rehung, the room will be a more secure place to store things, including my hand tools.

The pieces of furniture are from the school. On the first day of school, I discovered that the students must provide their own desk and chair. One of the expectations for classroom conduct that I shared that first day was, "Do not leave any of your things in the classroom at the end of the day" by which I meant no trash/notebooks/other personal items. At the end of the school day I noticed students carrying out desks and chairs and asked one of the teachers what was going on. Of course the answer was, "You told them not to leave their stuff!" Once I got that misunderstanding corrected, I found there were abandoned pieces of furniture in much disrepair left in the classrooms, some used by prior students unable to afford their own. When I suggested repair to the Headmaster, like a good leader he said, "fine you are welcome to give it a try." When he asked if I knew what I was doing, I could only reply "Well I don't think I can make them any worse." So, this will be my project in the new year. I hope to find a student that may like to learn furniture repair, but I'll try that after I learn. If you know of a book on Furniture Repair 101, let me know. Repaired furniture will be used by students without the finances to buy their own.

Best I could tell from my village and the much larger market city close by, the Christmas season in Ghana is not close to what we hear, see, and experience in America. No lights, Christmas trees, wreathes, decorations, music, and all the commercial part of the celebration. Their celebration was on Boxing Day, I believe originating in Britain and celebrated the day after Christmas day. Lots of food and all the young children dressed in their finest to pay a visit to the Village Chief and receive some gifts from him. There was a noticeable decline in the population of free range goats and chickens in the village. That evening everyone dressed up and strolled through the village, visiting and talking to each other. That included the only white person in the village. I was invited to the local "Jam", but I believe wisely declined.

Term break continues for another week. I look forward to another challenging term with great anticipation and with renewed care in how I give instructions to my students.

All the best to you and your families in 2012.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

End of Junior High School Term 1








The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

This week will be the completion of the 15 weeks of the first term at the Junior High School where I teach. Because the classrooms are crowded, the students gather under the large mango tree in front of the school for their end of term exams. The Form 1 class (7th grade) finished the term with 69 students and the Form 2 (8th grade) with 51 students. Fortunately the tree is large enough so everyone can be in the shade and the dry season has arrived, so little chance of rain. This weekend I will be grading, calculating and posting grades for maths and computer tech. I am as anxious as the students to see the outcome as it will give me a chance to measure my teaching success and see if I should make adjustments as Term 2 begins the second week in January. I am pleased that I am doing just what I volunteered to do and enjoying the daily challenge of working to inspire my students to get an education. They are still at the beginning of that process and my classroom includes the full range of student interests, from the "not interested" to the "Mr Ernest, help me with this problem." Most have more obstacles to overcome than I can imagine; no electricity in the home, no books, parents that need them to help with the farming or in the home, few role models to encourage getting an education, lack of opportunity in the workplace, and others.

I do not plan much travel for the holiday season as I still have a number of things to complete at my living area that have been put on hold during classes. I will get my kitchen up off the floor by completing the building of counters and setting up the place to cook. I will also start trying to rebuild some of the broken down furniture from the school. Students must provide their own desk and chair and over time a substantial number of unusable pieces have collected at the school. If I can repair, students with financial need can use them. Never done anything like that, but I have enjoyed working with my hands so looking forward to that opportunity.

I continue to be healthy although level of activity, exercise, temperature and diet have caused some weight lose. Thank you for your continued interest in my new job.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Farmers Day in Ghana


The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

Tomorrow, December 2, is a national holiday in Ghana, Farmers Day. The country honors its citizens who produce the food and honors one as the Farmer of the Year. I am told the presentation is on national television and the winner is recognized with a commendation from the Government and many gifts.

I live in a village made up almost entirely of farming families in one of the most productive farming region in Ghana. Farming is not heavily mechanized, but made up of many small farms tended with care, mostly by hand. A wide variety of crops are raised just in my area; cassavas, corn, plantains, cashews, mangoes, pineapples, yams, beans, okra, oranges, peanuts, tomatoes, green and red hot peppers, cocoa, carrots, and more. Many of the children in my classes, if not in school are helping their parents on the farm. Like most farmers I have met, they are industrious, hard working, and are grateful for the crops they tend. This is the end of a shorter, second growing season, as the rains have recently stopped and we are entering the dry season that I am told lasts until March. It has turned hot during the middle of the day and the wind from the northeast, called the Hamattan, bringing dust from the Sahara has begun.
A fifteen minute car ride from the village where I live is the largest outdoor food market in all of Ghana. Thursday is the main market day and it is filled with vendors of all types of foods, cloth, clothing, hardware, household items, and almost any item you can imagine. If you like to browse and bargain, this is the place for you. It can be hot and dusty, with no AC, wide aisles to push a cart, or check out stations. It is all I imagined of an African market.
The picture above is the beginning of my garden. Not in the running for the Farmer of the Year this year. The dead leaves you see, tucked into a large plastic bag full of dirt is Vetiver Grass. This grass has been used extensively in certain parts of the world to slow down soil erosion and the Peace Corps supplied me with the grass. The school where I teach has already experienced some damage to the foundation due to erosion and the Headmaster has allowed me to plant a test patch on my back porch to decide if he will approve some planting at the beginning of the rainy season, March. My crop is on the porch to hopefully keep the free range goats and sheep from eating it. I have to remember to water during the dry season, but I am told the grass is very hardy, will grow in almost any soil, and can withstand a dry season. My neighbors think I am a "crazy man" growing some thing you cannot eat. However, the caretaker of the house is interested in joining with me to grow some tomatoes, peppers, and pineapples in this manner. Farmer of the Year??


Saturday, November 19, 2011

Living in the Village


The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

I am beginning to feel more like a resident of the village and getting to know more about it. Many of the folks live in these type homes. I am told built 60-100 years ago from the same type earth it is standing on. That soil is a granular clay that is hard as rock when sun baked, but can turn to red talcum powder by wheeled and tracked vehicles, and into red soup of various thicknesses when wet. The walls are 8-10 inches thick and built up layer by layer with no type of reinforcing in the mud. The right consistency was provided by placing the soil in a shallow pit, adding the proper amount of water and working it with the feet until ready to be put in place. Originally these building had thatched roofs which made them much cooler than today's corrugated tin. However you can see the erosion at the bottom of the building and the cracking so many are in need of repair. Available material, cooler inside and reasonably durable accounts for the many I see as I walk through the village. I have seen none under construction. The house I live in is newer and built using concrete blocks made at the work site. The outside of the house looks a little like a Florida ranch style, but the inside is just partially finished. I could easily have sufficient material to build one of the earthen homes from the soil in the front yard. Fortunately farms up in the hills that surround the village have dark, fertile soil in most places.

The rainy season is over. The storms just stopped, and although the mornings and evenings are still cool, the mid day is hot, hot. Many Ghanians just get inside. I am told it gets hotter and the soon the Hamattan winds will start blowing off the Sahara to the north. The Sahara is a good distance away, so not sure what to expect. Rainy season begins in March-April.

I look forward to the days ahead.




Thursday, November 3, 2011

Main Street in the Village


The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

This is main street in the village where I live. I am on my way home from school at about 2:30 PM, walking north. A major highway runs right through the middle of the village, mostly homes and small kiosks on both sides selling fast foods (fried yams, oranges, rice, etc) and small items for the kitchen or household. The highway runs south to the capitol city, Accra, and north of here branches west to Cote D' Ivoire, and north to the Upper West Region and then into Burkina Faso. It is heavily traveled day and night and the picture shows one of the large trucks headed south, likely to the major Ghanian port of Tema, 8-10 hours away. All kinds of goods and people move over the road in a wide variety of vehicles, most heavily overloaded. This area is the center of farming and the largest open air food market in the country is just a few miles south. People from all over Ghana and even the neighboring countries come to buy for their own kitchens or for resale in their markets. My house is about a five minute walk up the road, there is a food kiosk on the porch and my bedroom is very close to the highway. I am adjusting to the almost continuous noise of the vehicles, but sometimes late at night it seems the vehicle went right through the house. I am enjoying getting to know the people of the village and walking along their main street is a good place to meet.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

In the farm land near my house


The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

On the weekend I took a long hike up into the hills surrounding the village. This is the location of the villagers' farms, many a small plot of land where they can get in a couple of crops a year if the rain is sufficient. Currently corn, tomatoes and cassavas and we are getting rain in abundance. Not certain how they tell the boundaries of their farm, but I am told all the land belongs to the Chief and he not only parcels it out, but records the area. Interesting that what is grown here is a mix of what you can find in Florida and Virginia: peanuts, oranges, papayas, corn, beans, okra, watermelon, pineapple, mangoes, onions, tomatoes , cucumbers, red hot peppers, green peppers and of course yams and cassavas. I am anxious to get my kitchen set up so that I may enjoy more of these wonderful vegetables and fruits. The road up to the farms and around the farms reminds me so much of some of the terrain in South Vietnam. The road is of red clay, laterite, and there is no bare land. All is covered with crops or tall grass. It is peaceful here and since it was Sunday saw mostly women and children bringing home fire wood and the occasional bunch of bananas and some yams. However, if you want to see cashews on the tree come to Ghana. I am standing in a grove of cashew trees that are very common in this part of Brong Ahafo and are a significant export along with cocoa for chocolate. I could use some of the finished product, but most leaves the country.

I experience new things each day and although I miss the familiar, I continue to be grateful for the opportunity.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

One Month as a Peace Corps Volunteer

The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

I have completed the first month of my 24 months of service in Ghana and completed two weeks in the classroom. I have been assigned to teach mathematics and computer technology to the Form 1 (7th grade) and Form 2 (8th grade) students. I am familiar with the mathematics, but it is a first time experience to be teaching basic computer technology. Unfortunately the school has no computers and my somewhat limited abilities will make it a challenging year for me and of course the students. Class sizes of over 60 will make classroom management interesting. But, I am pleased to have started the job that I came here to do and anticipate a school year full of new experiences and opportunities to contribute to the education of these active, curious students.

I have moved into my house, not yet my home as plenty is left to do. However, I am dry when it rains, well fed with local food, and in good health. The next few weeks will end the rainy season and I can already feel the heat build later in the afternoons. The last week we have had thunderous rain storms, with lightening all over the sky, and a drenching downpour. Not seen any storms like them since experiencing one in Florida a few years ago that rolled in off the Gulf into the Everglades. The noise off the tin roof of my house is deafening. The positive side is I have plenty of rainwater for my bucket bath, tea, laundry and other needs. Don't have to walk over to the water point with my plastic containers for a few days.

Like many experiences in my life just hanging on and accepting where events take you is a big part of the adventure. I am hanging on and looking forward to the days ahead for me.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Packing out to move to my new home


The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

The Junior High School where I Teach


The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

Saying Goodbye to my Home Stay Hostess


The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

The Village Barber Shop,. Barber's name is Ernest


The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

The New Volunteer at the President of Ghana's official residence


The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

A Volunteer

The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

On August 30, 2011, I was swore in as a Peace Corps Volunteer by the US Ambassador to Ghana. The completion of my three months of fast paced training was a relief and now the marathon of 24 months of work begins. I am looking forward to this period and am now located at my assigned site in Brong Ahafo Region. School will begin on September 13, but still not sure what subject I will be teaching. Maths is the most likely.

I am finding it much different than training as I am the only Volunteer in the area and that situation is the one thing that the training program has difficulty preparing you for. I believe it will take some time and effort on my part to make new relationships with the many Ghanians that show an interest in the new resident of my village.

August 30, 2011 was also the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps program. The very first PC Volunteers came to Ghana and arrived August 30, 1961. For that reason our group of volunteers were invited to meet the President of Ghana and make an identical picture of that first group being welcomed by the then President of Ghana. A nice opportunity to meet the President and see his official residence and work place. It is of interest to me as in 1962 when I graduated from U. of Florida I went to an interview to join the Peace Corps. I joined the US Navy instead.

I continued to be in good health and look forward to this assignment.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Ten Days to complete training

The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

In ten days I will complete the three months of training and be designated as a Peace Corps Volunteer. It has been a demanding time physically and other wise as I deal with a very different culture, different language and very different social structure. Attempting to reach some level of ability in the language has been a challenge. I will know in a few days if I have reached an acceptable level or will need some more training. I certainly will get more training opportunities as I get to my permanent site in a small village in the Brong Ahafo Region. I have a very good map and the village is not showing. However, I am ready to go, set up my two room home and get started with living and teaching there.

I am told this is the time trainees start the list of things they miss. Here are some of mine so far: My children, my family, my comfortable home, driving, the variety of foods available, something sweet, cooking for my self, controlling more of the days events, no roosters within a mile of my bedroom, a choice to sleep in, up to date news, the ocean, others to come.

Next week is likely to be a big event for the Peace Corps as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. Ghana was the first deployment site for volunteers, so the ceremony to officially recognize this group will be a little bigger than usual. I will attempt to get some pictures.

I am feeling fine and ready to get started with the next two years.


Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Week Eight

The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

I am well into the training program with about a month left until I am recognized as a Peace Corps volunteer and not a trainee. The most difficult portion is ahead for me, the continuation of language training and the final language proficiency examination. I will interviewed by a native speaker and respond at an intermediate level of proficiency. It is difficult comparing my progress to the young trainees that just seem to have the memory to make things stick. This is all part of the deal and I intend to do my best.

I am visiting my expected assignment location in the Region of Brong Ahafo, almost in the center of the country. I will be near a large market city and have come here to find an inter net cafe. Once I get permanently to my new home, I will be able to use this site more frequently to access the internet. No internet in my school or the small village where I will live for the next two years.

I am still comfortable with my decision and most grateful for my children who I love and trust to take care of themselves as well as each other even while I am gone.

I invite you to share this blogg site with others.

Thanks again for your interest in what I am doing in Ghana.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Starting Week four in Ghana

The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
It has been three weeks since I became a Peace Corps Volunteer. After departing Washington DC on June 8, I am now in the country of Ghana. After three days of adjustment in the city of Accra, we have moved to a training site some distance to the north, Kukurantumi. I am practice teaching maths and science in a local Junior High School, learning about methods and conditions for teaching in Ghana. They are different. The language of the education system is thankfully English, but in another week the intensive language training begins for six weeks. I feel the anxiety building. I have received my assigned teaching site for the two years. It is almost in the center of the country near a town called Thieman, in the region of Brong- Ahafo. I will teach maths and maybe science at a small Catholic Junior High. Living conditions sound spartan, but certainly adequate. You are invited for a visit. Not sure when I will get in front of a computer again as this one is at a cafe a 15 minute taxi ride away and time is taken up six days a week with Peace Corps training. I certainly feel completely in God's capable hands as I work all this out. To the small children we are known as Obroni, the man from over the horizon or just the white person. All the best from Ghana.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Departure Day

I am now a Peace Corps Trainee and will not be an official Volunteer until I successfully complete the three months of training in Ghana. I am scheduled to depart from Dulles International Airport outside of Washington DC this evening on a direct, 10 and 1/2 hours flight to Accra, Ghana. The experience of preparing for this new career has been full of wonderful times with my family and exhausting times preparing my home and life for 27 months in a much different location and environment. I am ready to go.