Pra! Pra!

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 a very common sight in this part of Ghana.  "Pra" is the word in the local language meaning, to sweep.  In the town where I live, only the home of the Village Chief has a yard that has grass sufficient to keep trimmed.  Most yards look like this piece of ground and are frequently swept.

During the first week of the new school term, the students begin by cleaning up the area around the school building and inside the classrooms.  These students are sweeping the yard in front of the school building, collecting the leaves fallen from the mango tree during the break.    The short brooms are stiff strips taken from a palm tree, tied together and do the job very well.  I use a similar broom to "pra" my bedroom, kitchen and work room.  The caretaker sweeps the yard at least three times per week.  Any grass, weeds, or branches that needed trimming is done using the cutlass (machete).  Students are good at using both tools although extended use by an "old guy" can quickly put a strain on the back and arms. 

The 2012-13 academic year began on September 4th and the first term will go until the middle of December.  I am again teaching mathematics and computer skills.  So far it looks as if the number  of students in each class will be at least the same as last year, about 70 in the
Form 1 (7th grade) and 60 students in the Form 2 (8th grade).  Even starting week three, not all students have come back as the second, but shorter wet season has begun and farmers are planting.  Classroom management requires continuous attention and getting to know all their names is an extra effort for me.  These two tasks plus staying healthy to allow me to come to school  and teach: on time, every day, all day are my priorities for the academic year.  If I am successful they will give me the opportunity to inspire.  

I look forward to the new academic year and sharing some more of my experiences in Ghana.

 

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The Apprentices' Apprentice

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

September 1, 2012 begins the second year of my Peace Corps service in Ghana.  Teaching mathematics and computer skills at a rural Junior High School has been a work which has required a full commitment.  The 2012-13 academic year begins September 4th and I am anticipating my return to the class room to use  what skills God has provided to inspire my students to continue their education.  

During my first academic year in Ghana, the Headmaster  approved my request to take broken student furniture out of the classrooms, attempt to repair and return the pieces back to be used by students.  In this school district the students must provide their desk and chair.  When the Headmaster asked if I knew what I was doing, my response was, "no, but I don't think I could make them any worse."  So after almost one year, you see in the picture the desk that is the first product of my efforts.   I started with no tools except a handy "multi-tool" given to me as a going away gift.  I quickly discovered that every piece of furniture had many attempts to repair by adding nails and then more, bigger nails.   With limited tools to take the pieces apart, repair any broken parts, clue back, and use screws to strengthen, the process was a difficult and slow task without doing more damage.  In time I located some hand tools in the local market as there is no electricity in my work room.  Glue was easy, but almost gave up on finding some material to fill in the many nails holes and other assorted gouges and holes.  

The young boy in the picture lives in the same house as I do, goes to the primary school adjacent to the Junior High where I teach, and spends some of his time watching my struggles.  He loves to use the hammer and wants to constantly practice as I work to remove the many nails in the furniture.   He goes by the name Yao, not his real name but the name given to males born on Thursday.  The group of people known as the Akan are numerically the largest group in Ghana  and regard a person's soul being linked to the day of the week they were born.  Most Ghanians I have met know the day they were born and many use that designation: Sunday-Kawasi, Monday-Kojo, Tuesday-Kwabena, Wednesday- Kwaku, Thursday-Yao, Friday-Kofi and Saturday Kwame.   There is also a set of names for the females.   I have been frequently asked my day of birth.

I am pleased to have the company of Mr. Yao (Thursday born)while I work to get the furniture back in useable condition.  He is curious, sees most of the tools as toys, but is eager to watch my slow progress.  I am sure the Headmaster is still wondering if I know what I am doing and if he will ever see a finished piece.  But the project is improving, I now have an Apprentice.

 

A Cultural Experience

Dancers from the Islamic Junior High School

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

New sights, different sounds and intense smells, culture shock, cross culture experiences, challenges of language, cultural sensitivity, integration into the community, all part of the Volunteers' unique experience as we  do our best to  live  and work in Ghana and make a contribution to its social and economic capacity. 

During Term 2 of the school year the Junior High students began practicing football (soccer) for three weeks in the afternoon followed by a "sports gala" that took them out of the classroom and into three days of intense competition to determine the Champion Team in the school district.    I was told Term 3 would include the "cultural gala" and more afternoon classes would be missed as the students practiced singing, dancing, drumming, drama and story telling.   The preparation started with a lot snickering, jostling and verbal exchanges as the students sorted out with the teachers insistence, who would represent the school in which event.  Somehow it got done, and the practices began with less than a huge amount of enthusiasm except for the boys who all wanted to play the drums as loud as possible, even with no sense of the timing and rhythm required.  For a few weeks it all seemed headed for a disaster with the teachers avoiding the practices if at all possible.   But, led by the girls dance group, the students began getting serious about the performance and practice got more intense, even for the drummers who received stern looks of dissatisfaction from the female dancers.

On the day of the gala which was scheduled to begin at 8 AM,  I had already forgotten one of the first cultural lessons we Volunteers were taught, "do not expect that events will start as scheduled.  Relax."  Between 10:30 and 11 AM the judges arrived.  I had no idea what to expect, but had my choice of seats at 8 AM so was in a good location to experience the gala.  It was wonderful, over 20 Primary and Junior High schools participating, with beautiful traditional costumes and serious students ready to present a vivid experience of traditional singing, dancing, drama and story telling.  

Dancers/math students from my school

The Story Tellers

Ghana has a rich and diverse culture and I have only experienced a small portion, but look forward to discovering more in the months ahead.  

I don't expect my experience to start on time, but am learning how to relax and be prepared to enjoy what I see and hear.  

Proud to be an American

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

July 1st is a holiday celebrating the date in 1960 when Ghana declared itself  a Republic. Since the 1st fell on Sunday this year, Monday was the  holiday, so no school was held.  Today was a normal school day, except in the middle of my mathematics class on probability, we took a break,  I unfurled my American flag and we  had a short U.S. History lesson.  The students clapped and cheered and we took a moment to record the occasion with this picture.   That was my celebration of our Independence Day; no parade, no cook out and no fireworks.  But it was excellent and one I will remember.   Hope your celebration of our treasured Independence was just as meaningful 

Places and things of interest.

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

I believe I am like many engineers and others who have an interest in things that have a unique size or shape, unusual dimensions, are one of a kind, or extremely useful or constructed in a clever way.   

I would like to share some interesting things I have found in Ghana:  Lake Volta in the eastern part of Ghana, is the world's largest artificial body of water formed during  the 1960's by the clay and rock Akosombo Dam on the Volta river.  The electricity generated has been a real contributor to growth; another, Ghana is the country nearest to the spot some geographers call the center of the earth's surface, the place where the equator and the prime or zero meridian intersect.  The location with longitude 0" and latitude 0" is about 380 miles directly south of the coast of Ghana in the Gulf of Guinea/Atlantic.  Not useful or a tourist destination, just unique.   I hope to visit Lake Volta and the dam, but will fore go a boat ride to find the unmarked spot on the ocean.

Another, is shown  in the picture.  Called by almost everyone in Ghana "pure water" it is one half liter of safe drinking water in a thick, plastic bag or sachet.  Easy to transport and stock, durable, adequate shelf life, sold in kiosks, stores, or from a basket carried on the head of a vendor in the market or at a bus stop, this is clever design and marketing genius.  No bottle cap, just bite off one corner and enjoy refreshment almost any where.  Sold individually for about 6 cents each or by a lot of 30 sachets in a strong plastic bag for about 3 cents each, they are affordable to most folks.  No cartons and the bags of water conform to most available storage space. 

Down side, sometimes the water has an after taste and just like the plastic bottle, the disposal of the empty plastic sachet is an environmental nightmare.  The empty sachets are small, just dropped or tossed out the window, clog up most drainage systems and are very unsightly.   However, did not take long for the entrepreneurs to see that liquor could also be marketed in the same way, so vodka in a bag.

I had not seen anything like this "pure water" until I arrived in Ghana.  I am told by the teachers at the school the water sachets started appearing about ten years ago, are used in other African countries, but they did not know who had the original idea.  Told me the machines to produce are from China.

I would not be surprised if the Social Scientists and folks who study human behavior have plenty of cases to study as the people of Ghana adjust to new, interesting, unique and rapid changes in their country.  Many adults have cell phones and have a great interest in the features.  Almost every teacher at my school has up dated his/her cell instrument at least twice since my arrival one year ago.  I have seen no "sit on the desk" type telephone.  I am now noticing a few young people with cell phones, the first one appeared in my 8th grade class this term.  At least half the houses in my village have a bamboo pole with a TV antenna attached, and I am told up to date video games are becoming available.  The other half may not have electricity yet.   Change will happen but the difference from my experience is the accelerated pace here.  I saw my first cell phone almost twenty five years ago and it would have been a tight fit in a shoe box.  First cell phone some students in Ghana see could have the features of a "black berry" or more.

I believe my job is to help my teacher colleagues advance the quality of  education in the village where I live and not let the wonder and thrill of gadgets and stuff over whelm the more important building of the capacity for a stronger society.  

By the way, I am told the largest tree in West Africa is in Ghana.  Wonder where it is?

Year One done !

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

 One year ago today I arrived in Ghana with 72 other brand new Peace Corps trainees.  My experience in every way has been even more than anticipated.  With no regrets I am preparing for the remaining  fifteen months of service.   This is a photograph of my maths class raising their hand and indicating the one year.   Thanks again for sharing my adventure with me. 

Yes, we got the whole load !!

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

This road is less than 50 feet from my bedroom and goes north to the Ghana border with Burkina Faso and on to Mali and its famous city of Timbuktu.  Except for the early morning hours between 1 and 4 A.M. when I am told there are armed bandits on the road, it is full of vehicles headed north and south with all kinds of loads; people, food, fuel, cashews, construction materials, animals, and an assortment of items the Ghanians call "pretty, pretty things."  Like the bus in the picture, many vehicles are heavily overloaded and moving rapidly, a dangerous combination.  The blue items on the roof are hard plastic water barrels and the yellow are what I call "jerry cans." Plastic, but identical to what the military used for hauling extra fuel or water.  As this is the wet season, I am sure they are headed to a market.

I have a blue water barrel near the kitchen and bath room areas in the house.   When I arrived I went to the bore hole (well) to fetch water almost daily, using the yellow jerry cans.  More than a couple of trips to fill the barrel.  The caretaker of the house was appalled that others would see me hauling water and so insisted that she and her teenage daughter take care of that chore.  She can fill the barrel with three trips to the bore hole, balancing a large container on her head with wonderful posture and grace.  It is amazing.  I am pleased that they will help me as I am the biggest user of water in the house.  I always want the full bucket bath each evening, water to drink, cook and clean, wash my clothes, and use for the toilet.  Now that the wet season has begun, when the rain starts it is all hands with available containers outside to catch the water from the roof.  A few nights ago I was up early in the morning to quietly use the bathroom, and stumbled over an assortment of pots and pans  full of water in the hall way.  Woke the household.

According to the farmers, the full wet season is late this year.  Maze should be well over four feet high, but is around 18 inches.  We are now getting three to four very heavy rains in a week, mostly in the afternoons and at night.  Some of the rain storms have lasted for hours accompanied by a real display of lightning and thunder.  I am told there should be more to come.  

Sure cuts back on the chore of fetching water.  

On departure day from Washington DC, June 7, 2011, I posted my first blog about my new job.  Time has been full and gone quickly.  Thanks for your interest along the way.