So.. I started by second week in the schools today. I wasn't very busy in the morning. I mostly watched the two teachers teach. I spent the last half of the day (2 hours) helping individual students with math. I can be so challenging because I am not sure what aspects of the math concept isn't clicking for them. They are typically taught by copying information from the board, so their thinking skills aren't as developed. Before I can help with math, I have to help them learn how to think. Some just want the answer or guess, which doesn't mean they're learning. Feeling exhausted and overwhelmed with teaching right now.. just can't get a break through!
We had an amazing thunderstorm today. It was like buckets of water were being dumped on us. The thunder was loud and the whole atmosphere was great for sleeping. Thank goodness, I got our clothes off the line this morning before school. It took Maren and I 2 1/2 hours to do our laundry yesterday and the thought of them being soaked because of the rain makes my heart hurt.
I am a picky eater for those that do not know. When I say picky, I don't even eat peanut butter. Yesterday, I had a great food day. I loved everything that touched my lips. I had a Bofu for breakfast.. this amazing little bread ball that tastes a like a donut, tuna for lunch with a COKE, and rice and omelets for dinner. I don't like eggs, but this omelet was to die for. It was something about how it was seasoned. Today, however, was a different story. This was a bad food day. Plain bread again for breakfast, which unfortunately, doesn't last long in your system and whole fish fried for dinner. I couldn't even sit in the same room with everyone eating fish with the eyes still in. I just couldn't do it...so I had granola and an orange for dinner. Tomorrow is a new day..hopefully it is a good food day!!!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Thank God for Outhouses
So today our group went to Boti Falls. It is an area that has two waterfalls and hikes to various beautiful views. We took 1 taxi, and 2 Trotros (small buses) to get there. The weather was not looking great, but we decided to press on. As some of you may know, I am not a person who is overly excited about rain or getting my hair wet, so I brought a shower cap. Yes, I got a lot of stares and of course I looked ridiculous, but my hair was dry. I put my cap on and started down the 250 steps to see the two waterfalls. This is the best time of year to see them because in June, July and August the waterfalls flood the beach area and you can not get close to the falls. They are beautiful and the tropical trees and leaves are large, green and majestic. After taking a few pictures I headed back up the 250 stairs with our guide Mary. She pointed out the different types of trees and what they were used for. After getting to the top of the hill, I asked for a bathroom. I knew it would probably be an outhouse and I was prepared for the worse. I brought my toilet paper and I took my book bag off. I went in to examine the situation. After closing the door, it got too dark and I started imagining little animals crawling on me, so I decided a better idea was to have a friend stand in the door way so I could have light. My mission was accomplished, and overall, I thought it was a pretty clean outhouse. I have seen worse in Ecuador. It had a tin roof with cement walls. The toilet was brown and black and had little ants crawling on it, but I was still impressed. I quickly switched places with my friend and as soon as she was done the strongest rainstorm we had in Ghana started. The rain almost hurt you hand to touch. We were both stuck in the tin roof, dirty and smelly bathroom. I was holding my breath, and telling myself "I can wait out the storm no problem"... then 5 minutes went by and then 10 minutes. The rain would not let up. By this time, another volunteer was standing outside under a tree and she rain to the outhouse too. There were then 3 of us in a smelly, but spacious outhouse trying to wait out the rain. We talked about strategies to get to another shelter, but nothing seemed possible until I realized I had an umbrella in my bag!!! I am so crazy. I just spent 15 minutes in a dirty outhouse, when I could have left at any point.. good grief..
Friday, May 27, 2011
Overcast day in Ghana!!
Okay.. let me try this again. We have been trying to figure out where we are located on the Ghana map for a week. We are in the Eastern Region in a small town named Mampong. We are an hour north east of Accra. I think that is right now.. I let you know if I have more changes!
Let's see what has been happening....I have been in the schools three days now, and I have gone back to play with them two nights this week. The team goes back after dinner which is around 5:30pm. The first night they taught me a few of their traditional Ghanaian dances. Many hearing people don't realize how much Deaf people dance specifically the Black Deaf people I have met here in Ghana and Jamaica. I would compare the dance to a mixture of line dancing, partner dancing, and individual free flowing. I quickly caught on, and joined in their circle. After, I taught them the electric slide, which they were excited to learn. I wasn't able to teach them the full thing, but I hope to finish that at some point. They each asked me a lot of questions. They couldn't believe that I was from America because I looked like them. Some of the children didn't realize that Black people existed in different places specifically the U.S. They ask several clarifying questions such as "Were you born in Ghana and then moved to the U.S?, Were your parents born here and then moved to the U.S. where you were born?, Is most of your family here and you just live in the U.S.?" and I always answer them the same as their eyes look a bit puzzled. I share with them that there are Deaf and hearing Black people in the U.S. and I am only one of many. They eventually believe me, but soon bring another friend over who must ask me the same questions for themselves just in case their friend got it wrong.
They are also quite interested in my hair. Most of the girls at the school and around Ghana have very short hair (this is not all women as I have seen all types of hairstyles). Having short hair is easier and cheaper to take care of, so that is very common at the school. I have had a handful of woman around town and teachers ask me how I do my hair, and when I went to the beauty salon to see if they could twist my hair they had no idea what I wanted. Regardless, I am grateful because the salon women are going to let me use their hair dryers, so when Maren and I do my hair, I have some place to dry it.
Today in school, I showed the kids how to play with corn starch and water. In their science class, they are learning about how liquids, gases, and solids can coexist in the same place and time. For those that don't know when you add water to corn starch it becomes both a solid and a liquid. I added food coloring and they loved it. There are not a lot of resources around the school such as science equipment and educational learning tools outside of the teacher, so having an opportunity to touch and feel the play dough like substance was something they enjoyed. I also took my show on the road and visited some of the younger children on the first floor and allowed them to play with it. We also worked on multiplication tables today. I think that is some of the problems we are having with their division skills. They are taught how to copy information from the board, which doesn't mean they are always understanding the lessons given, so practicing multiplication tables was good today.
I have to share the fun festive internet cafe I am in. It is managed by a young guy who is always blasting loud Ghana/Americanish gangster rap. His name is Emmanuel and he works here from 7:30am-9:30pm. He is the only person that I have ever seen work here. His friends are often around, so it is always a lively space. Today, I walked into them playing a football game on the computer. It is always a fun place to hang out and I appreciate that.
Let's see what has been happening....I have been in the schools three days now, and I have gone back to play with them two nights this week. The team goes back after dinner which is around 5:30pm. The first night they taught me a few of their traditional Ghanaian dances. Many hearing people don't realize how much Deaf people dance specifically the Black Deaf people I have met here in Ghana and Jamaica. I would compare the dance to a mixture of line dancing, partner dancing, and individual free flowing. I quickly caught on, and joined in their circle. After, I taught them the electric slide, which they were excited to learn. I wasn't able to teach them the full thing, but I hope to finish that at some point. They each asked me a lot of questions. They couldn't believe that I was from America because I looked like them. Some of the children didn't realize that Black people existed in different places specifically the U.S. They ask several clarifying questions such as "Were you born in Ghana and then moved to the U.S?, Were your parents born here and then moved to the U.S. where you were born?, Is most of your family here and you just live in the U.S.?" and I always answer them the same as their eyes look a bit puzzled. I share with them that there are Deaf and hearing Black people in the U.S. and I am only one of many. They eventually believe me, but soon bring another friend over who must ask me the same questions for themselves just in case their friend got it wrong.
They are also quite interested in my hair. Most of the girls at the school and around Ghana have very short hair (this is not all women as I have seen all types of hairstyles). Having short hair is easier and cheaper to take care of, so that is very common at the school. I have had a handful of woman around town and teachers ask me how I do my hair, and when I went to the beauty salon to see if they could twist my hair they had no idea what I wanted. Regardless, I am grateful because the salon women are going to let me use their hair dryers, so when Maren and I do my hair, I have some place to dry it.
Today in school, I showed the kids how to play with corn starch and water. In their science class, they are learning about how liquids, gases, and solids can coexist in the same place and time. For those that don't know when you add water to corn starch it becomes both a solid and a liquid. I added food coloring and they loved it. There are not a lot of resources around the school such as science equipment and educational learning tools outside of the teacher, so having an opportunity to touch and feel the play dough like substance was something they enjoyed. I also took my show on the road and visited some of the younger children on the first floor and allowed them to play with it. We also worked on multiplication tables today. I think that is some of the problems we are having with their division skills. They are taught how to copy information from the board, which doesn't mean they are always understanding the lessons given, so practicing multiplication tables was good today.
I have to share the fun festive internet cafe I am in. It is managed by a young guy who is always blasting loud Ghana/Americanish gangster rap. His name is Emmanuel and he works here from 7:30am-9:30pm. He is the only person that I have ever seen work here. His friends are often around, so it is always a lively space. Today, I walked into them playing a football game on the computer. It is always a fun place to hang out and I appreciate that.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Catching Everyone UP- May 25th
Hi Everyone
Yes, I made it to the internet cafe two days in a row. Today is African Day, so there is no school, but yesterday was the first day that we went to the school. The school is about a 15-20 minute walk from my hotel. It is a good leg workout. When you first get to the school you can see the dorms. There are about 200 plus kids at the primary and middle school which is behind the dorm area. The buildings are mostly cement and two levels. We have had some challenges getting things set up the with the school administrators, but I am in the primary school now. They do not necessary have grades. Many Deaf children have a delay in their education because their parents do not realize they are Deaf and they stay in the hearing schools missing a lot of information. The different levels here are based on their individual competency level and not a 1st, 2nd, 3rd grade type of system. My class is called A3 and B3. There are 30 kids and their ages range from 11-16. There are two teachers in this class, but I have only had the opportunity to meet one so far...Ms. Ester. She has been teaching at the school for about 2 years and doesn't know much sign, but she tries. School goes from 7:30am (starting with group worship) until about 2pm. They cover 3 major areas a day (math, creative arts, language literature, sign language, etc.) and stop about 9am to have breakfast. They do not have a formal lunch break because school is over early and they eat as soon at they are done with their last lesson. For example, school was over around 1:15pm yesterday, so they ate early. I will head back to school on Thursday morning.
The children are wonderful.. full of smiles and questions. I must have answered a million questions about my tatoos, my camel water pack bookbag and how the water comes out, my nose piercing, and how to spell my name. They have wonderful memories and they quickly learn how to fingerspell your name and sign your sign name. They also think that it is interesting that white people change colors when you press into their skin, and they wanted me to know that I was not like that and I looked like them. They are very sweet, and I am quickly picking up Ghanaian signs from them. I taught my class division of two digit numbers... good grief... I have always respected teachers for the hard work they do, but I have a whole new appreciation and admiration for their profession. I know how to divide, but trying to explain the concept of division in a second language while trying to learn a third is more challenging than I ever could have imaged. Oh..yes..I told you there were 30 of them..right...I was trying to keep everyone's attention, stop them from hitting each other, wake one person up, acknowledge those that had questions, check in to make sure everyone understood, etc.. WOW!!! I was exhausted by the end of the day. I am hoping the two teachers give me one subject that I can focus on all summer and better plan for each class.
I think the highlight of my school day was meeting a woman the children call African Momma. She is a Deaf women who lives in the dorms with them. She is a wonderfully cheerful woman with a big smile and heart for people. When we first arrived at the school she saw me and signed "wow you look like me." She stood up and quickly walked over to me and hugged me. She said you are the first, the first black person and she signed "same" while rubbing her skin. She couldn't stop hugging me. This very warm greeting was unexpected, but I deeply appreciated and received her loving welcome. I think most people around the community, Deaf and hearing, are surprised to see me. Most don't know what to make of me...it creates interesting moments each day.
Oh.. I can't leave this blog without telling everyone about my laundry adventure. Everyone here washes their laundry in buckets outdoor and hangs their clothes to dry. It is a great way to conserve water, but I still had no clue on the proper techniques until last Monday. Our hotel manager Joyce graciously helped us fill out buckets and set up the three step process. One large black bowl to actually wash the clothes, a smaller clear bucket to complete the first rinse and a three to really get the soap out before hanging them. I sat on a small stool with Joyce coping her technique. She sweetly looked over at me as I was washing my bath towel and said you take this one and handed me a sock. Apparently, my laundry washing skill is lacking and I am only at a sock level. She washed most of my clothes in about thirty minutes and I was still struggling to finish small items such as socks and underwear. I have much to learn!!
What's coming up....
I have a half a day African drum lesson this weekend
I'll go back to school on Thursday
We have a Saturday weekend trip to Boti Waterfalls with the group from Kibi
Hope to talk to everyone soon!!
Yes, I made it to the internet cafe two days in a row. Today is African Day, so there is no school, but yesterday was the first day that we went to the school. The school is about a 15-20 minute walk from my hotel. It is a good leg workout. When you first get to the school you can see the dorms. There are about 200 plus kids at the primary and middle school which is behind the dorm area. The buildings are mostly cement and two levels. We have had some challenges getting things set up the with the school administrators, but I am in the primary school now. They do not necessary have grades. Many Deaf children have a delay in their education because their parents do not realize they are Deaf and they stay in the hearing schools missing a lot of information. The different levels here are based on their individual competency level and not a 1st, 2nd, 3rd grade type of system. My class is called A3 and B3. There are 30 kids and their ages range from 11-16. There are two teachers in this class, but I have only had the opportunity to meet one so far...Ms. Ester. She has been teaching at the school for about 2 years and doesn't know much sign, but she tries. School goes from 7:30am (starting with group worship) until about 2pm. They cover 3 major areas a day (math, creative arts, language literature, sign language, etc.) and stop about 9am to have breakfast. They do not have a formal lunch break because school is over early and they eat as soon at they are done with their last lesson. For example, school was over around 1:15pm yesterday, so they ate early. I will head back to school on Thursday morning.
The children are wonderful.. full of smiles and questions. I must have answered a million questions about my tatoos, my camel water pack bookbag and how the water comes out, my nose piercing, and how to spell my name. They have wonderful memories and they quickly learn how to fingerspell your name and sign your sign name. They also think that it is interesting that white people change colors when you press into their skin, and they wanted me to know that I was not like that and I looked like them. They are very sweet, and I am quickly picking up Ghanaian signs from them. I taught my class division of two digit numbers... good grief... I have always respected teachers for the hard work they do, but I have a whole new appreciation and admiration for their profession. I know how to divide, but trying to explain the concept of division in a second language while trying to learn a third is more challenging than I ever could have imaged. Oh..yes..I told you there were 30 of them..right...I was trying to keep everyone's attention, stop them from hitting each other, wake one person up, acknowledge those that had questions, check in to make sure everyone understood, etc.. WOW!!! I was exhausted by the end of the day. I am hoping the two teachers give me one subject that I can focus on all summer and better plan for each class.
I think the highlight of my school day was meeting a woman the children call African Momma. She is a Deaf women who lives in the dorms with them. She is a wonderfully cheerful woman with a big smile and heart for people. When we first arrived at the school she saw me and signed "wow you look like me." She stood up and quickly walked over to me and hugged me. She said you are the first, the first black person and she signed "same" while rubbing her skin. She couldn't stop hugging me. This very warm greeting was unexpected, but I deeply appreciated and received her loving welcome. I think most people around the community, Deaf and hearing, are surprised to see me. Most don't know what to make of me...it creates interesting moments each day.
Oh.. I can't leave this blog without telling everyone about my laundry adventure. Everyone here washes their laundry in buckets outdoor and hangs their clothes to dry. It is a great way to conserve water, but I still had no clue on the proper techniques until last Monday. Our hotel manager Joyce graciously helped us fill out buckets and set up the three step process. One large black bowl to actually wash the clothes, a smaller clear bucket to complete the first rinse and a three to really get the soap out before hanging them. I sat on a small stool with Joyce coping her technique. She sweetly looked over at me as I was washing my bath towel and said you take this one and handed me a sock. Apparently, my laundry washing skill is lacking and I am only at a sock level. She washed most of my clothes in about thirty minutes and I was still struggling to finish small items such as socks and underwear. I have much to learn!!
What's coming up....
I have a half a day African drum lesson this weekend
I'll go back to school on Thursday
We have a Saturday weekend trip to Boti Waterfalls with the group from Kibi
Hope to talk to everyone soon!!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Taking it all in- May 22nd
So today I am going through email withdraw. I never thought about how much I use it and how challenging it would be to get access to here. There are a few things I want to clear up.- First, I am in Mampong, and there are several cities named Mampong in Ghana. I am in the Eastern side Asanti Region near Accur. I am about one hour from Accur. When you look on a map you will see a Mampong city north of Kumasi...that is the wrong place. I am a little north east of Accur.
Today, I am not doing anything.. yes.. I have no plans. Sunday is truly a day of rest for people here, so most stores are not open. I woke up and did a run with Maren (my friend from California..I'm not sure I have introduced her before now). I then came back and took a shower and had lunch on the veranda. Our hotel, the Courtyard, it is in Tutu and not Mampong (it is only a short walking distance from me). Courtyard sits on a hill and has great views. It is a 3 story building and each room varies. Maren and I are grateful to have a real nice room. It is spacious, we have our own bathroom and ref. The cement building is full of character with bright colored walls (pink, blue, green,etc) and various family and friend pictures put up by the owner. There is a lot of African artwork- masks, painting, standing pieces and plants. It is a fairly big place- 2 kitchens, formal dining room, and large living room. Not a bad place to spend 2 months!
Today, I am not doing anything.. yes.. I have no plans. Sunday is truly a day of rest for people here, so most stores are not open. I woke up and did a run with Maren (my friend from California..I'm not sure I have introduced her before now). I then came back and took a shower and had lunch on the veranda. Our hotel, the Courtyard, it is in Tutu and not Mampong (it is only a short walking distance from me). Courtyard sits on a hill and has great views. It is a 3 story building and each room varies. Maren and I are grateful to have a real nice room. It is spacious, we have our own bathroom and ref. The cement building is full of character with bright colored walls (pink, blue, green,etc) and various family and friend pictures put up by the owner. There is a lot of African artwork- masks, painting, standing pieces and plants. It is a fairly big place- 2 kitchens, formal dining room, and large living room. Not a bad place to spend 2 months!
A Colonized Mind- May 21st
The most challenging moments to sit with today is the issue of whiteness and the colonized spirit that is here. Ghana was colonized by many different countries, but the last before achieving their independence was Britain. Ghana has been independent for awhile now, but there is still residue from colonization meaning whiteness is better than blackness. I want to be clear that there is a tremendous amount of pride among the Ghanaian people, but twice in one day I have heard comments such as "if we had white teachers parents would send their children to this school" and An African man working at our hotel said, " I would never marry an African woman only a white woman." When I questioned him he said, he could not give me a reason, but he shared more openly with the other white female volunteers. I am left with a heavy heart regarding this. I am not white, but American and Black but not African... I am somewhere in between all of this confusion. Any thoughts from those following the blog?
A Love Affair with Electric- May 21st
Electric...have you thought about how much you use it..mircrowaves, cell phone chargers, ref, stove, tv, hair dryers, curling irons, computer, printers...etc., etc. It is almost crazy when you think about it not being available or consistent day to day or night to night. My electric in Ghana has departed me every night I've been here without even a good bye. One minute we have it and the next we don't. When we don't have electric the lights and shower water are very limited. The moments of frustration are real and privileged ones. People here live and do what they want to do within the limits of their resources and that is humbling to see and experience first hand. Thus far, i have received a Ghanaian name Amaasonta which means the day of the week i was born Saturday and the region I am currently living in Asanti. This is a common name for Ghanaians. Everyone has this type of name and then many go by nicknames. I have learned the basic skill of carrying water on my head and it is more than a challenge. It is a skill and talent my western neck is unable to master at this point. My new friends Albert, Julianna, and Alberta were gracious enough to teach me. Julianna owns a restaurant and club in the center of Aburi and Maren, Cara (another volunteer) hung out with them one day. They taught us local Ghanaian dances and Twi (local Ghanaian language) and we taught them a few signs. It was a good exchange of cultures and laughter, and I desire to find more ways to connect with local people. It has been hard to read people's body language and interactions that come across as natural with other Blacks in the US are misunderstood and ineffective here. The general head nod as a greeting is not reciprocated, but smiles and right hand only hand waves seem to be better (I just accidentally waved with my left walking to the cafe today.. big cultural mistake.. really working hard on that). I'm also having a hard time reading and understanding cultural behaviors between men and women. What is appropriate is unclear. I'm very conscious of both my color and dress. Physically I look like them, but I don't understand the elders or initial greetings. I have been trying to push myself to simply talk to strangers and spend time even if I'm incredibly unsure of how it will turn out. I am asking many questions.. and I'm up to 8 new Twi words and it is only day number 2.
Wow this is hard!!!
Hello Everyone
So the internet situation is much harder than I anticipated. I just wanted about 4 miles to get this this internet cafe and the other day the internet was so slow that it couldn't pull up my blog. Unfortunately, I have many pics to share, but the internet system here is too slow to upload them, so I will try to be descriptive.
First, hello.. I have been in Ghana for 5 days now, and there has been a lot going on. I have been journaling everyday, so I'm going to try and give a quick glimpse of each day. The next few entry will cover the past couple of days!!
So the internet situation is much harder than I anticipated. I just wanted about 4 miles to get this this internet cafe and the other day the internet was so slow that it couldn't pull up my blog. Unfortunately, I have many pics to share, but the internet system here is too slow to upload them, so I will try to be descriptive.
First, hello.. I have been in Ghana for 5 days now, and there has been a lot going on. I have been journaling everyday, so I'm going to try and give a quick glimpse of each day. The next few entry will cover the past couple of days!!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Ghana is Beautiful!
hello all
i have safely arrived in Ghana Wednesday.. sorry for all the lower case letters, the keyboard is different here, so i'm happy getting this much out. anyways.. our plane was three hours late because there were mechnical issues, but we arrived on wednesday at 9:45am to Accur. we then drove about 1 hour to our hotel which sits on the side of a hill in mampong. the country is quite simple but lovely. it is very colorful and the people are friendly. our drive to mampong was bumpy as there are potholes everywhere and the roads are slender. as we were driving you could see small shack shops along the road. people were selling clothes, food (pineapples, meat, bread and water bags), fixing cars, hanging out and more. There were women all around carrying various items for sell on their heads. That is a skill i hope to gain before i leave here.
Maren, my friend from California, and I were able to get a phone yesterday. We met a man named Ben who took us all around the town trying to negotiate a good price. After 2 hours, we found a good deal at the post office. I learned a lot about the 5 different Ghanaian languages, the Mampong area, his family, and negotiating prices. We successfully got a phone, but were unable to charge it as our electric went out last night, so without a phone or a shower we simply eat dinner by candlelight. You really have to go with the follow.. it was a good day.
Today (Friday), we went to the wood district. It is about a mile of small outdoor stores with various wood carvings. I am hoping to get a drum made and start drumming classes next week we'll see. Our goal is to start our work in the schools next week. We have to ask special permission to start work, so things are done differently here. They need official volunteer letters so we are working on that now. I have had a chance to meet some of the high school students and they are wonderful. I met a small group of girls that ran up to me with huge smiles. It was good to be able to communicate with them. They kept say "you look like us." I have not met the children i will be working with yet, so i'm looking forward to that hopefully starting on Tuesday. Well, my 15 minutes are up...so good bye for now
i have safely arrived in Ghana Wednesday.. sorry for all the lower case letters, the keyboard is different here, so i'm happy getting this much out. anyways.. our plane was three hours late because there were mechnical issues, but we arrived on wednesday at 9:45am to Accur. we then drove about 1 hour to our hotel which sits on the side of a hill in mampong. the country is quite simple but lovely. it is very colorful and the people are friendly. our drive to mampong was bumpy as there are potholes everywhere and the roads are slender. as we were driving you could see small shack shops along the road. people were selling clothes, food (pineapples, meat, bread and water bags), fixing cars, hanging out and more. There were women all around carrying various items for sell on their heads. That is a skill i hope to gain before i leave here.
Maren, my friend from California, and I were able to get a phone yesterday. We met a man named Ben who took us all around the town trying to negotiate a good price. After 2 hours, we found a good deal at the post office. I learned a lot about the 5 different Ghanaian languages, the Mampong area, his family, and negotiating prices. We successfully got a phone, but were unable to charge it as our electric went out last night, so without a phone or a shower we simply eat dinner by candlelight. You really have to go with the follow.. it was a good day.
Today (Friday), we went to the wood district. It is about a mile of small outdoor stores with various wood carvings. I am hoping to get a drum made and start drumming classes next week we'll see. Our goal is to start our work in the schools next week. We have to ask special permission to start work, so things are done differently here. They need official volunteer letters so we are working on that now. I have had a chance to meet some of the high school students and they are wonderful. I met a small group of girls that ran up to me with huge smiles. It was good to be able to communicate with them. They kept say "you look like us." I have not met the children i will be working with yet, so i'm looking forward to that hopefully starting on Tuesday. Well, my 15 minutes are up...so good bye for now
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
I'm headed to Mampong, Ghana
So I am leaving for Ghana tomorrow morning at 7am and will arrive in Ghana on Thursday at 7:20am. It is about a 10 hour ride. I am hoping I can fall asleep for most of it. I started my malaria pills on Monday and made the mistake of taking it with yogurt. The pharmacist told me at least four times do not take the medicine with dairy products. I thought she was crazy because I had no intention of taking my pill with a glass of milk, but leave it to me to find the only other dairy I eat on a regular basis to take with my pill. Rough start, but my stomach can't afford for me to make that mistake again!!!!
So for those that don't know why I'm going to Ghana...let me catch you up. I am traveling with a group called Signs of Hope International which is housed in Utah. It is a nonprofit that was started about 6 years ago to support 5 Deaf residential schools in Mampong and Kibi Ghana. They take volunteers for two months each year to work in 2 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and 1 high school. We will be working as teachers' aids, teachers, and doing anything they need to support the kids. I will be working in grades k-6th probably focusing on reading and science. I am excited to work with them. Before getting into my current career, Higher Education, I always said that college students would be my career, but young people would be my vocation and a space I would always connected with through service. It feels good to spend time in this space.
To get a since of how big the Deaf community is in Ghana, Signs of Hope International compares it to the state of Oregon because Ghana is about the same size. Oregon has 1 State Deaf school and Ghana has 13. Oregon school for the Deaf has about 110 students and Ghana has more than 2,700. The Deaf Ghana population uses a sign language that hopefully I will understand. It is a mixture of American Sign Lanugage, Ghanaian Sign Language and Signed Exact English. I have four pages of new signs I need to learn before arriving Thursday... good thing I have plenty of plane time.
Well, I think that is it for now...it is gettting late and I need to be up for a early flight. Thanks for following my blog, and thank you to everyone who has financially and spiritually supported this journey. Your contributions have been a huge blessing and I look forward to share each moment in Ghana with you. My goal is to blog weekly as long as I can get to an internet cafe.. until we chat again.. peace and love!
So for those that don't know why I'm going to Ghana...let me catch you up. I am traveling with a group called Signs of Hope International which is housed in Utah. It is a nonprofit that was started about 6 years ago to support 5 Deaf residential schools in Mampong and Kibi Ghana. They take volunteers for two months each year to work in 2 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and 1 high school. We will be working as teachers' aids, teachers, and doing anything they need to support the kids. I will be working in grades k-6th probably focusing on reading and science. I am excited to work with them. Before getting into my current career, Higher Education, I always said that college students would be my career, but young people would be my vocation and a space I would always connected with through service. It feels good to spend time in this space.
To get a since of how big the Deaf community is in Ghana, Signs of Hope International compares it to the state of Oregon because Ghana is about the same size. Oregon has 1 State Deaf school and Ghana has 13. Oregon school for the Deaf has about 110 students and Ghana has more than 2,700. The Deaf Ghana population uses a sign language that hopefully I will understand. It is a mixture of American Sign Lanugage, Ghanaian Sign Language and Signed Exact English. I have four pages of new signs I need to learn before arriving Thursday... good thing I have plenty of plane time.
Well, I think that is it for now...it is gettting late and I need to be up for a early flight. Thanks for following my blog, and thank you to everyone who has financially and spiritually supported this journey. Your contributions have been a huge blessing and I look forward to share each moment in Ghana with you. My goal is to blog weekly as long as I can get to an internet cafe.. until we chat again.. peace and love!
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