Thornhills in Ghana - Letter 4
Hi All,
We finished our third week of teaching this morning and headed for the internet cafe. We tried in Mampong on Wednesday and it was just too slow--we waited a half hour and did not even get on line. Please do not send any pictures or things like that as we will be sitting in front of the computer for a week waiting for it to come up. Keep the e-mails coming, however. We need contact with the outside world. On Sunday we visited the Karkum National Park. It is about 35 miles north of Cape Coast. We took a tro-tro and got there when it opened at 8am--only they didn't open until 8:30. We had a guide with four other people--a young couple from Denmark who are volunteering in a Special Education School in Accra. The other two were young women who turned out to be part of our organization--The Help a School Project through Global Volunteer Network. They live together and teach in Accra.
The park is known for its Canopy Walk. It is a series of seven suspension bridges that are from 15 to forty metres high. Only one person is allowed on the bridge at a time but they have wood platforms around the trees where others can stand while someone is on the bridge. It gives a birds-eye view of the tropical rainforest. It reminded us of the flying scene from "Crouching Tigers, Hidden Dragons". We saw some birds and butterflies but no big animals because they are usually out late in the evening or early morning. The guide took us on a nature hike and he explained the medicinal value of the trees and plants. We did see a green momba--a very small one curled up near a tree on the path--we wondered where momma way. The guide poked it with a stick and it reared its little head up. It was a beautiful green. This is a very poisonous snake!
On the way back to Cape Coast we had lunch with the Danish couple at Hans Cottage Botel--It is a restraurant that caters to Westerners and sits on a pond that is supposed to have crocodiles--the crocks were gone for lunch as we did not see any. It was very interesting talking to the Danish couple about their experience in the Special Ed School. They teach autistic children with their having no background--and they are in charge of the whole program. They are onlly 21. Joan gave them alot of advice but they do not have any real support system or resources. The Africans deal with these kids--and all children in school--by beating them with a cane (a piece of sugar cane--narrow stick--that stings).
We came home on Monday--the holiday--with Dixon and made it in about 4 hours as there was much less traffic. We were very, very, lucky to have a ride from door to door in a car. We were delighted that electricity was back on. However, this week we have run out of water in town--and our house. That means that we have no running water and need to get pails of water to bathe or flush the toilet--which is not done all the time because water is scarce. We keep buying bottled water to drink and we won't use it for anything but drinking. Given the choice of no electricity or no running water, we would take no electricity!!! We have a new appreciation for the basic needs.
We both taught this week. Many people have asked about the school day. School starts at about 7:45 with children sweeping the classrooms, grounds, and cleaning the latrine. They line up and sing a few hymns and say a few prayers. They pledge the flag (no flag available) and sing the National Anthem. Classes are about 45 minutes long. They have three classes and then about a half hour break at 10:20. The kids will buy snack--peanuts, bananas, oranges, or small bags of water. They buy these from women from the village who have tables set up on the compound. The students then have three more classes until 1:10. They then have an hour lunch period when they can buy some rice chop or other items. The school appears to supply this but the students pay for it. They bring their little bowls to school. Lunch is prepared down the hill behind the school in the "kitchen"--a shack where they use three stones and a wood fire to cook the rice and chop.
We see the women getting prepared when we get to school in the morning--they are headloading huge pots and pans that hold the rice. At lunch they bring them into the classroom and dish it out. They might come in while you are teaching if things are ready. At 2:05 it is back for three more classes until 4:30. At 4:30 they line up again outside the building for afternoon prayer, hymns, and announcements. It is a very long day. The elementary students have the same time schedule. We teach some of our classes for one period and some for two periods in a row. Sometimes we have three periods in a row. Tuesday is the only day that we are scheduled to teach until 4:30--unless we volunteer to help cover classes for teachers who have not shown up--Yesterday, Joan did French--notice that I did not say that I taught a language. We were in together as we usually are. When Joan is teaching I usually go in and she does the same for me. Our Form 1 class has 42 students and Form 2 has 31 so it helps to have another adult in the room. The kids are really very good and well behaved but they are also teenagers. They love to know about America and American schools. They like to touch Harry's hairy arms. Some are beginning to ask us about pen-pals. Is anyone interested? I am not sure how often you would hear as they may not have money for the stamps but while we are here we could get them started. We had a little stomach problem earlier in the week but we are fine now.
Mampong is constructing a new internet cafe--we hope that it gets working soon but they do not think it will be done until March. Where we are now is about 45 minutes away by tro-tro. Mampong is only about 15 minutes. Our headmaster was sick this week and not in on Tuesday. He came the rest of the week but we can tell he is not well. He either has ulcers or worms. Keep us in your prayers. Do the rain dance.
Love, Prayers, and Namaste,
Joan and Harry