Moments in Ghana

Written by Nicole Donaldson - Ghana 2008 Year Out Volunteer

Wow have had a really great week this week. Lovely to hear about everything at home. It all sounds soo nice and its great to hear that everyone is in jumpers!!!! Rose and i sat outside for dinner the other night because it was storming (probalby not the smartest move with malaria and what not) and it was soooo nice and cold!!! It's getting to the rainy season here atm which is good as it rains almost every day or night so we have a chance to just cool down. I do think we are getting use to it - I dont feel nearly as hot during the day now.

Well, we started teaching properly on Monday. I have a class of 20 (its seems to go up by two everyday) but apparently half are still away, which is a little worrying as all the desks are full. I dont quite know what i will do with them if more come. Its good teaching though. I really just teach to the syllabus and teach full days a lot of the time. On Monday and Thursday, I am rostered to teach full days, but today I had to as well as the teacher just didnt come back. She is our sister and as our school is at our house, her bed always seems more exciting than the classroom (actually veranda!)

The kids are great though, little kindy kids with big bags (incidentely empty as they have nothing to bring in them) and white frilly socks! Very cute, only the cry from about 7 in the morn when they get to school to about 9 when lessons actually start. My kids are great and starting to totally get the concept of putting their hand up. Its is odd though, that they can cannot answer freelance questions. When I ask a question, like 'What is three plus two?" They just repeat it. Memory learning is a big thing here, but educational reform last year meant its now switched.

We went away this w/e just gone to the bead markets near Kpong (inland from Accra) which was great!!! Bought some stuff and saw the 300 year old art of making the beads from crushed glass. In ghana everyone is very into recycling, assumably because it is cheaper, but its reallys good. Cedi, the owner of the factory (that exports to Aust and has a contract with Marcy's in the US) crushed up fanta and beer bottles and made beads! Its was great.

We stayed in a room that was 'self contained, with tv, fridge and air con' but when we got to it, it was a bed in the centre of a room, no tv, no air con, no fridge and a stingy little bathroom. I argued the price from 22Gc to 10 a night. Moments like that just sum up ghana!!!