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.

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.

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 !!

What Ever Happened to .........

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 Year's gift of a live chicken from the Village Chief? It was delicious!

...the Ghana Black Stars in the African Cup? The Black Stars lost in the quarter finals to Zambia who was the winner of the Cup. Ghana was third, a huge disappointment to their many fans.

...the moto's, cars and trucks speeding through the village? A massive speed bump was built on the highway just in front of the house where I live. I am now adjusting to a whole new noise pattern as vehicles down shift, brake or skid into the bump and then hit the gas as they exit. It is safer in the village.

... the small garden I planted on the back porch? The goats somehow got up on the porch and trimmed the grass down, sampled the onions, and attempted to eat the pineapple plant. A little prickly. Did not think the herd could reach it, so I am considering more protection before the rainy season crop is planted.

...the building of a kitchen? I am now cooking for myself with more of a variety of foods. Trying to eat a little more American style to satisfy that immediate desire, but am anxious to begin cooking some Ghanaian foods. The caretaker of the house has promised to teach me the preparation of traditional foods.

...the computer skills classes with no textbooks or computers? I have located two computers which had been put away for over a year due to misuse. In the picture you see two of the total of ten teams of 5-6 students each from the 8th grade. There are another ten teams of 6-7 students for the 7th grade. Crowd control and time on task are challenges to making best use of the equipment. The machines are set up in a small building that belongs to the Catholic Church, has electricity, can be locked and is a five minute walk from the school. Amazing how quickly my great satisfaction of going from zero to two machines was replaced by, "wow, how can I do this with only two, I really need eight more." I really am grateful for the improvement and the chance for the students to see and get a little hands on time. The Parish Priest and the Head master have agreed that I may offer an hour at the end of the school day for students if they wish to come to the lab on a volunteer basis. Are two computers considered a lab??

A completed project or sustained progress has always been an encouragement to me and I find it even more so here. Needed materials are not always readily available, I may be one of only a few interested in working for a useful outcome, progress is often slow, so being persistent is a useful part of any plan. I have also been reminded that it takes more than a worthwhile mission statement to get me through a few days. While the Peace Corps has allowed me to do exactly what I volunteered for and in the great majority of situations I am aware of is doing something good for people who need assistance, I find I must sometimes rely on encouragement from family and friends, my faith, patriotic pride, or just a reflection on the agreement I made, to put some eagerness back into my day.

Hope this updates most of the events that have been going on during my six months in the village and thanks for your encouragement and interest in what I am doing.

From here I can go anywhere, almost!

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

Ghana has an interesting and comprehensive ground transportation system that once you get on can take you almost anywhere in the country. After walking, bicycles and motorcycles the most common way to move around Ghana is by ground transportation. Volunteers do a lot of walking, some bike riding always with a helmet, but no moto's unless it is an emergency. Even being a passenger on a motorbike is the beginning of a fast trip back to USA. I walk a lot as I am restricted from riding a bike in the village since the only paved street is the heavily used highway and the Peace Corps has decided that is too dangerous, even with a helmet.

This is a picture of the taxi stand in the village where I live. The blue kiosk is a lady's hair dresser and the palm cover spot is a place to buy fast food, mostly rice dishes, while you are waiting on the taxi or just need something to eat. It is also a place to get out of the sun. The small cabs, mostly Japanese or Korean made, wait until a full load is on board before departing, usually four adults plus the driver. I have never waited more than 20 minutes for the ride into the market city, takes 15 minutes for about 50 cents. Similar taxis go up and down the road about every 20 seconds looking for passengers by blowing their horns and slowing down. An array of hand signals allows you to indicate number of passengers and how far you are going. For me living at the far end of the village, it is easy to walk 30 feet to the road and signal a taxi, but I was told the Village Chief has established this taxi stand and villagers are to go there to take a taxi in order to support the continuation of the local service. So I walk to the stand.

Once in the market city, you are dropped off at a large, busy taxi stand, where you engage the longer distance transportation vehicles. Everything from large, luxury buses to the most common means of Volunteer travel, the "Tro-tro," In almost all cases the Tro's are increased seating, mini-vans or larger vans all re-fitted for max passengers. They leave in all directions from multiple locations in the city and like the taxis wait until they have every seat filled with a person and all the stuff you are bringing. Get in, get settled because that is how you are going to stay for the trip. I have seen some of the larger Tro's with goats riding up in the baggage racks. So by asking questions or knowledgeable trip planning you are able to go from taxi to bus, back to taxi or another bus, and throw in some walking until you reach your destination. Coverage to destinations in Ghana is pretty complete and the system amazingly works in moving people if you discount waiting time, transfer difficulties, break downs and sometimes having a stranger sleeping on your shoulder. However, this type of transportation has risks with frequent overloads, vehicle maintenance concerns, road conditions and many times very aggressive drivers. Peace Corps staff does not want Volunteers traveling at night because of the increase in those risks.

Personal automobiles are rare in the village, most being light trucks or used as taxis. I am told no railways are currently operating in Ghana. And as I was writing, I realized I have not seen an aircraft of any kind since leaving Accra almost eight months ago. Big difference from the sky around Virginia Beach and its military presence.

I have not done a lot of personal traveling in Ghana yet, but will look forward to seeing more of the country during my next term break in late April. I am certain it will add to the adventure.

Passion 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.

Saturday about 7:30 pm, on main street in the village where I live. These residents are not waiting to get into a club, but are watching football (soccer) at a small kiosk that sells small house hold items and has a TV. It is the Ghana National Team's second match in the first round of the African Cup. They defeated Botswana last weekend and are playing Mali this evening. The Ghana Black Stars are one of the favorites to win the Cup.

I have not seen or experienced anything else in Ghana that reaches even near the level of passion that football does. Any object that is even a little round quickly becomes the ball by the young children and the match is on. Work stops and a crowd gathers to watch the Primary and Junior High school teams compete.

The school where I teach has a team which is ranked in the upper quarter of the teams in the local Junior High School league. They practice and sometimes compete on a field that is uneven, half dirt and half grass, full of stones and goat droppings, the school porch sitting on one inbound line, and a old tree stump just to the left of one goal. The game is fast, straight ahead and physical. Players must strap everything on tight and bring their "black and blue" game in order to compete. They are "all in" and cannot wait to get the game going. Spectators are no less involved and disputed calls often result in a large number of fans on the pitch pointing fingers, yelling loudly, often not even involving the single referee attempting to control the match. I attended the soccer games my three children played, but they were not even close to this level of intensity.

I am rooting for the Black Stars and it would be a neat experience to celebrate winning the Cup with the Ghanians. The village just erupted in cheers as the Stars scored their second goal in the match.

I will also have the opportunity to be a witness to the election of a President of Ghana this coming December. Listening to the morning talk shows with the other teachers, it seems the campaign has begun and like the campaigns in the USA, will be competitive and full of passionate debate on the issues.

Interesting times in my village and in the country of Ghana.

A weather report from 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 is usually difficult for an amateur to capture the brilliance of a sunrise or sunset. This was my amateur shot taken this morning, just past 6:30 AM as I am walking to school for my 7 o'clock class. It is unexpectedly cool and you can see the two school girls in uniform ahead of me have added a jacket. The farming region of Brong Ahafo is almost two months into the dry season with no rain expected until late March, early April. Most vegetation is brown and very dry, except the large trees. Many wild fires springing up. The picture captures a little bit of the conditions of this season as a consequence of a phenomenon in this part of the world, the Harmattan winds off the Sahara far to the north east. Although it may look like smoke or fog, the reduced visibility and covering of the rising sun is the dust and grit in the air that has come with the dry season winds and will last until the rains begin again. Some spectacular sunsets, but also dust and grit settling everywhere, causing me respiratory coughing during the night and some serious "ring around the collar" during the day. One of the interesting aspects is that the mornings are now comparatively cool. Not sure why, but it may have to do with less daylight as a result of the overcast sky. I sleep under two sheets with socks on and many of the Ghanians are in long sleeves, sweaters, and coats early in the morning, but by mid morning it is what I expect of a day near the equator in Africa. I am told it will get much warmer and in the northern regions easily top 115 degrees F.

School has begun again and the days and weeks are full and pass quickly. The "book" says I should be experiencing "over zealousness, homesickness, uncertainties about adapting, and intolerance of the host culture." So far so good in coping with those circumstances. Much of that I credit to you and your continuing interest in my new job and what I am doing with my time. My health is excellent and I am grateful for a supportive family and group of friends.