Letter 2 Continuted 24 hours later: Not so continued as we just learned that what
we wrote yesterday has been lost after they lost the power. Thus, you may start reading near the end if
you with to follow day by day as Tuesday is at the end.
It is now Saturday afternoon at about four o’clock. We lost power while we were writing yesterday
afternoon because there was a huge thunder and lightning storm. The power has just come back on. We will send what we wrote yesterday and this
and consider it one letter. Right now we
do not have access to the computer on which we started the letter.
Anyway, we will move on to Wednesday.
We walked to school this morning down and up the ravine and
then up the road and through the back yards of people down the hill to the
school. As we have said before it takes
us about a half hour. Along the way we
stopped at the Akuffo Tom School Pre-K building which is near the top of the
hill so that the very little children do not have to walk down the steep hill. We saw some of the new tables and chairs which
we have paid to have built through “Friends”.
The new round tables and chairs replace the old chairs and desks.
When we arrived at school they brought down the 26 boxes of
books which we had mailed last fall. The
students came in a parade carrying them on their heads. We felt as if we were going on a safari will
all our bearers. The faculty and staff
helped us to open the boxes and we started sorting what we sent. We appear to have quite a few math, science,
and primary books. We also have some
library books and some resource books for the teachers. The French teacher was happy to receive a
couple tour books in French. The
teachers appear to be quite intersted in what resources are available and they
want us to help them learn how to use them.
One of the “Headmasters” has requested that we do a teacher in-service
on using the resources and teaching methods.
This will not happen right away.
Veronica, our Canadian friend, twisted her ankle while
dancing with some of the students. She
walked home but it was quite swollen.
Veronica just graduated from McGill in Computer Engineering. There is hope that she will be able to help
us a great deal with sending pictures and other computer related matters. (Ross and Mark—you must be very happy!!—someone
here to enable us.) She is doing much
better now.
We have had very good meals.
Vera, our host teacher, is an excellent cook. Even on the two days a week that she goes to
Accra to take classes she leaves our dinner prepared for us. We have had rice with a meat sauce, plaintain
and cassava and a boney fish. There is
usually a sauce to go with the starch.
We are drinking water like crazy. We have the large bottles which we fill with
the sandwich size sachets of water regularly.
We are going through at least a gallon a day. Of course, they are on the metric system so
we don’t really know. Sweat just pours
out of us all day. Joan is saying that
she does not have to use the latrine at school despite the consumption of
water. It is well over 100 degrees
during the day!
We planned to come to the internet Wednesday evening but we
lost power and could not do so.
Thursday is our big teaching day. We teach a total of eight classes out of the
ten in the day. We both have Form 1 and
Form 2 for double periods—that is at the Junior Secondary level—about grade 7
and 8. The Government has changed some
of the curriculum and requirements for passing and what the teachers have to
teach. That also means that the
textbooks are outdated and they do not have enough new ones—not really printed
yet—for the class.
Since Thursday was our longest day, we were worried about
our exhaustion level at the end of the day.
The breeze was kind to us when we were in the classrooms and the kids
were super. We had enough adrenalin to
keep us going. Joan introduced the unit on poetry and hoped the kids would
bring some poetry for homework on Friday.
Harry had to teach about weather instruments—he used some of the science
textbooks that we sent. It is amazing
how these kids learn without the resources.
One of the headmasters said that they teach the theory. No hands on—it can be frustrating for us because
we want to know who is getting the material and who is not. The Ghanaian teachers just give out the
material and hope for the best. No
remedial here! We’ve already picked out
the ones who really need extra help and will be working with them as best we
can. After school we trudged up the hill
and collapsed on the bed until dinner and wer too tired for the internet!
Friday was an easy day.
We both had one class and they were great. The kids are starting to practice for the big
marching event for Independencee Day on March 6th. After announcements and singing the national
anthem in the compound, they march around a few times—some of the older girls
don’t like it because it makes them hot and sweaty. The little ones really love it and they look
so cute. Something new this time is the
division of the students into houses or teams for outdoor event or special
activities on Friday afternoons after lunch.
The houses have names—Harry Thornhills, Joan Thornhills, McKenna and
something beginning with a J –we think a Jane somebody—we’ll find out
more. We thought it was hysterical
because they have these uniforms with our names on their backs. They were supposed to start with volleyball yesterday,
but it rained—we went home but the kids stayed at school. We had a faculty meeting yesterday—not unlike
one in the states. They discussed the
new dress code—ties,slacks—you know, the pro look. It is unbearably hot even
for them to be wearing neckties during the dry season. Harry helped it along because he did not
bring a tie and said that in America teachers
don’t wear ties in the summer months.
They decided to have “free style” dress during the dry season. They agreed to have an excursion to Cape
Coast Castle in March before we leave—supported by “Friends”.
Whew! We’re finally
on Saturday!—today! We had a tuna
sandwich for breakfast!!! We didn’t know
they knew it existed. It was on very thick
slices of white bread (locally made) –plain, no mayo. Most mornings we have oatmeal, egg omelette or
corn flakes with powdered milk . We also
have fresh squeezed orange juice—delicious and hot chocolate or instant
coffee. When dunkin donuts isn’t around
the instant is amazingly good!!! We went
to Korforidua today. It is the capital
of our region—a good size city, but not as big as Accra. We went by trotro with Veronica—an adventure
for her. The trotro was very nice—the best
we’ve ever been in—not super crowded. We
walked around the open market and purchased some school supplies –another African
poetry book and some remedial stull and some resources for the preK. We took Veronica to a restaurant for some
African food. We ordered “Grass Cutter”
meat with a rice ball and groundnut soup.
It is a wild bush animal that is supposed to be a delicacy—not so much
for Veronica, but Joan liked it. The
problem with Veronica’s order was that she had a piece of the meat that still
had some of the hair of the animal on it.
Vera later told us that they didn’t burn it off properly—poor Veronica
was grossed and wasn’t hungry anymore.
Harry took the safe route and ordered fried chicken and jollof rice. He shared with Veronica. We went to our favorite bookstore after, and
the owner was pleased to see us . While
in the store we met a business man who offered aus a ride back to Akropong in
his Dodge air conditioned truck!!! He owns a business that supplies cement
companies with limestone—the only Ghanaian in the country who does! His wife is from Akropong and was with
us. When we arrived home the power was
off so we had to wait to come here.
We just found out that what we wrote yesterday was lost—yes Ross
and Mark, we did save it!!
Tuesday—this will be an abrevuated edition—
This was our first day of teaching. There are fewer students than before. We only have about twelve in form 2 and
twenty one in Form 1. The students are
all very nice and respectful. They enjoy
having the “obronis”—white folk—as teachers.
Joan is teaching English and Harry Social Studies.
We walked to school.
The ravine is more treacherous than before as the mud steps have been
washed away and the crevice is deeper from the rain. We are very careful when we walk down and up
the hill. On Tuesday we took a taxi to
the school junction and then walked down the hill to school.
On the way home we walked Veronica around town and met many
of our old friends along the way. Many
greeted us and appeared happy that we had returned.
Vera goes to Accra for classes on Tuesday and Thursday
nights so she had left our dinner for us so we warmed it up on the gas
stove. It was a rice and sauce dinner.
If we think of whatever we said yesterday we will include it
in the future as we are getting pretty tired—it is time for dinner.
Love and Prayers,
Joan and Harry
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