Not to be Forgotten !

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

Twenty one of the twenty seven months of my Peace Corps service in Ghana, West Africa have been completed and some thoughts of returning home are beginning to slip into my day.  I do not want to get too far out front,  as plenty of work remains;  half of my second academic year at the Junior High School, marking and posting final grades and turning over my site to a replacement Volunteer or shutting it down.   Many memories of these special times will go back with me, but some of them will likely fade as time goes by. Here are a few of the memories I would not want to forget:     

I will not forget the day of reporting to Peace Corps, Washington D.C. and the anxiety of waiting with 71 other Trainees, most a third of my age, for our 10 hours, non stop flight to Accra, Ghana.    
I will not forget the scope (this is how you will take your bucket bath) and intensity (you will be tested on your language skills) of the 12 weeks of training and the relief of being sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer by the US Ambassador to Ghana.   

Lunch at the Castle with fellow Volunteers

I will not forget our  piece of history by becoming Volunteers on the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps' very first deployment of Volunteers arriving at its first county site,  Ghana.   To commemorate the event we enjoyed an invitation to have lunch with the President of Ghana, His Excellency John Atta Mills at the Presidential Office and Residence, The Castle.  


I will not forget the place where I taught Mathematics and computer skills  for two yeas.

The Junior High School Building

I will not forget my students; curious, chaotic, energetic, loud, and full of promise for the future.
 

A short US History lesson, July 4th.

My host family coming home from Church

  I will not forget the caretaker of the home where I lived and the children she took care of so generously.  

In the teachers' office and lounge

                                                                       







I will not forget my fellow teachers and the excellent leadership of the school's Headmaster.  

The real Champions

Visiting the Village Chief on Boxing Day

Schools over, let's go home

I will not forget the school's girls soccer Team.  Although they lost in the tournament, they played with more determination and passion for the game than any of the other teams.   They are winners!

I will not forget the children

I will not forget the love and support from my three children which allows me the opportunity to have this unique experience.