Dear Friends and Family,
The
students are in full practice mode for the Independence Day (March 6)
Competition. The Junior Secondary is practicing in the afternoon after
our classes are over. As a result, we have not missed any teaching
time. The pre-schoolers (3 and 4 year olds) come down the hill to our
compound to practice. They are so CUTE!!! They take it very seriously
and raise their legs and swing their arms to the beat of the drum - like
little soldiers. They are out in the hot sun for a very long period of
time and appear to love it. We would never get American children to
stand around and practice the way that Ghanaian children do without
some of them whining and crying.
The Primary students look very
good. They won first prize four years ago and may have a shot at it
again. The Junior High (our students) also look good to us but we are
poor judges of what they are suppose to look like. All levels seem to
enjoy the whole process. Some of the teachers play the drums (broken
on one side) for the beat that will be used. A band will be playing
next Thursday for the "real" event. Everyone takes this all very
seriously.
Yesterday we turned over $500 to the school to help pay
for the field trip to Cape Coast Castle and Kakum National Park next
Friday. This is the furthest that the school has ever traveled with
the kids. It will take about four hours one way - if the Accra traffic
cooperates. The plan is to leave very early (about 6 am - we think).
Some students who live in other villages will be staying in our home
with Vera as they would not be able to get to Akropong early enough for
the trip. We expect a big slumber party of girls to be sleeping in our
dining area. Vera will also be cooking for the whole group - which we
think will be over 80. The girls staying over night will help her - and
Joan will be moral support. We don't think there will be any sleep
that night. The girls may be back the next night because we will
return late.
This morning we visited the School for the Blind here
in Akropong. It is quite large, clean, and impressive. We visited the
school four years ago and they have several new buildings. Picture a
blind person head loading water! They have an area where they have
some kind of pump - near the major road. Students were pumping away and
helping each other to lift the buckets to their heads. There were
several students doing this. They were freely walking around the
campus without walking sticks - some had sighted students or visually
impaired students leading them around. One little girl about 10 was
walking by herself singing a song. The water shortage takes on a
different meaning when we see this. Many were doing their own
laundry. Some were sweeping the compound. We saw some boys playing
football on a concrete slab - amazing!!
We made a final trip to
Abruri - location of the wood carvers and the Gardens. We stopped at a
"bar" and had a Fanta. Our chairs were very interesting - broken
aluminum strips for the seat. We were very careful when we sat on the
edge. Their were several funerals in all the towns we passed - traffic
was backed up, and our driver found a back way - a very bumpy gutted
road that we would NEVER drive a car on - it's a good thing we have all
our teeth!
We are trying to finish up our classes - Monday and
Tuesday will be our last teaching days. Harry is going to give a
preview of Cape Coast Castle and Kakum for the kids, since they've
never been there - Joan really hopes there will be enough aspirin.
Our time is running out - we even lost power - but they have a generator here!!
Love and Prayers,
Harry and Joan
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