Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Stayn' Alive


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 very grateful that my health has continued to be excellent since coming to Ghana.  From the detailed selection process, through the demanding training and now well into my two years of service, the Peace Corps has been attentive to my health and well being.   Peace Corps, Ghana has two Medical Doctors on staff, both have visited my site while traveling through the Region.  Most of the circumstances at the school where I teach are mandated by the Ministry of Education, but showing up ready to teach each day is one that I have some degree of control over. For the first two school terms (30 weeks) I have been healthy and  missed only 6 days of teaching and those were to meet Peace Corps' responsibilities.   Many of my fellow teachers are not so fortunate and have absences due to sickness. 

For the first seven months of my service, I ate Ghanaian food, prepared by Ghanians almost exclusively.  A few bouts of stomach distress, a few "no thanks" on seconds, and the loss of over 30 pounds are the outcomes of that period of my stay.  I am told the loss of weight is common for male Volunteers in Ghana.  Common for females to gain.  Not sure of the reasons, but for me,  I walk much more frequently, have had almost no sweets, drink a lot of  water, do some exercise each day and it has been blazing hot.   

The Ghanian diet in the areas where we trained and  now I live, is made up mostly of starch-based staples (cassava, yams, rice, coco yams, plantains) cooked in various ways and served with a soup that often contains fish or chicken and vegetables that are in season.  It is filling, can be very spicy, and frequently tasty.  Most often eaten using your fingers.   Fruits and vegetables are seasonally fresh, not often served as a separate dish, but usually cooked in the soup or eaten as a snack during the day.   Mangoes, avocados, pineapples, and papayas are currently sold all over the market and along the streets.    However, I believe most Volunteers miss the variety and types of foods common in their region of the States.  I know I do.  My list varies from time to time, but today it would include: a cheese burger from Five Guys; roasted peppers from a restaurant near Pittsburgh called Ricco's; and crab cakes from almost any place along Chesapeake Bay.  

 During my first school break in January, I completed the kitchen in the house where I live.   From the picture you can see it is not elaborate, but sufficient.  I started from a bare room,  built the counters and shelves, and purchased an electric kettle, a small gas stove, a toaster oven and variety of plastic food containers.   The stove pipe looking item at the far left is a water filter to allow safe drinking water from the well and rain water off the roof.  First meal from the kitchen was packaged noodles and have expanded from there.  I am holding a fresh pear (avocado) and poo-poo (papaya) that I will eat this afternoon.  My attempts at guacamole have not been endorsed by the Ghanians, but I find it acceptable with some chips I found in the market.  Add tacos to my list of food I miss.

Cooking is a time consuming deal for the Ghanian caretaker and her family as it is mostly done outside, over a wood or charcoal fire in a pot.   Most things growing out of the ground are reasonable fresh or dried, but fish is dried and has not seen water for some time.  At my house, the evening meal is started well before sunset and is eaten in the dark.  Lots of pots and pans to clean up at the end of the day.  Adjustments are made for the more frequent rains as we head into the wet season.  Cooking for myself has also required some adjustment in scheduling my time as going to the market, preparing the food, and cleaning up takes a lot more time than in my kitchen in Virgina.  I continue to be grateful for the pleasure of preparing my meals.


I have two place settings in case you stop in for a home cooked meal.  You are always welcome.

Monday, April 9, 2012

I go farm!


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

My village is in one of the most productive food growing regions in Ghana. The country's largest outdoor produce market is in a nearby city and serves buyers from all over Ghana as well as neighboring countries. Most of the villagers where I live are farmers. On arriving and hearing the phrase, "I go farm", in my mind I imagined the person heading to their residence, but it means exactly, "I am going to work my land."

Today is the Monday after Easter and is a part of a four day holiday that starts on Good Friday. School is out. This morning the caretaker and her family announced, "I go farm!" Since it had rained through much of the night, the morning was cool, with moisture still in the air and an overcast sky, it was the perfect day to "go farm" with them. It didn't take long for me to know that did not sound like a good idea to them: we must walk far; it is going to rain; it is hot; it will be very late when we return; maybe next time. Not wanting to push the issue, I put down my cutlass and wished them a productive day. After grading some school papers, cleaning my room, and just puttering around, I decided to head out on my own and see who was farming.

There are two dirt roads heading up the hills into the local farm land, one I had hiked before. So with my backpack, camera and plenty of water, I took the other road out of town headed to "farm." About twenty minutes into the journey, I joined the group you see in the picture. They are not on a holiday, walk about, but headed out "to farm", carrying containers of water on their heads, babies on their backs and the basic all around farming tool, the cutlass. I certainly amused them, first of all by just being there and most of all by my bad "Twi", the local language. When they headed off on a small side trail, I continued on the main trail for another two hours.

Most of the farms are small plots of land, worked entirely by hand with mostly a cutlass and a sturdy tool that looks like a cross between an axe and a large hoe. A sharp cutlass is needed to farm as the "bush" is a ready invader and can quickly take over cleared area. During my four hours I did not see a large number of farmers, but each time I stopped, I could hear the slash of a working cutlass.

Some farmers were harvesting cashews, a difficult task as they must wait till the cashew drops from the tree, pick it up, pinch off the nut pod that is just below the fruit and place in a bucket. From there the nut pod is dried in the sun, sold to a local buyer, and either exported or processed in Ghana. About 6 more steps are necessary, some by hand, before they are ready for consumption. Thus the price, even in Ghana.

Other farmers were planting peppers (red hot), maze and cassavas. The trees along the trail were full of mangoes, avocados, papayas, and some other fruit I did not recognize, many marked with a red piece of cloth indicating not for sharing.

Fours hours later, the time and water had gone quickly, met more residents of the village, saw and learned some new things, but did not use my cutlass or "go farm." Maybe next time.



Sunday, April 1, 2012

A University of Florida Man Needs no Introduction


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

There are at least five graduates of the University of Florida in the current group of Volunteers assigned to Ghana. This person is not one of them, he is the Headmaster of the Junior High School where I teach. Normally more professionally dressed, this day he came to work wearing a Florida Gator shirt not knowing I am a graduate of that University. Could not resist a picture of U of F's world wide fans. In the background you can see our school building and the chairs and table that are part of the faculty office and lounge situated under the mango tree.

I enjoy working for this Headmaster as his primary interest for the school is providing an opportunity for the students to successfully complete an education and move on to Senior High and perhaps after to Technical School or University. He expects us to support him in that objective and demands discipline from the students and performance from his teachers. Although this assignment is a real challenge for me and at the end of most days am ready to sit in a soft chair and take on some refreshments, I am grateful for my fellow teachers and his leadership.

We are just a few weeks away from the completion of the second of three 15 weeks terms making up the academic year. I continue to teach mathematics and computer skills. Except for the concepts and principals of mathematics, everything else is a new experience. The government school system is administered throughout Ghana by the Ministry of Education and even though the school where I teach is called the Roman Catholic, Junior High School, curriculum, term dates, teacher assignment, teaching syllabus and most other systems are decided by the Ministry. The village also has a Seventh Day Adventist school, an Islamic School and a Government School, all controlled by the Ministry. There are also private primary and secondary schools throughout Ghana.

I am looking forward to the school break and perhaps some sightseeing. Let me know if you need a University or Team shirt or shorts as the market has a wide assortment. Go Gators !!