Second term. Week one. Second day of school.
The first day ways yesterday: Students aren’t learning yet –
there isn’t much teaching going on. The headmaster’s corn was ready to harvest,
so he used his pupils productively and sent them to harvest and carry the corn
back to his front yard (which is also the school yard). Then, a communal “husking”
occurred in the evening – simply another way for the children to show respect
for their elders and serve the ones who are sharing knowledge with them. This
concept (unpaid labor) may seem extreme to you and me, but it’s a way of life
here. Students often help their teachers by working in their home gardens,
helping on their farms, or cleaning for them. It’s an expectation in a culture where
adults and educators are valued – thus children are taught to serve them.
Other than re-learning these cultural norms, I’m generally
readjusting to life in Ghana. I left Osiem about 4 weeks ago to take my
vacation and travel to Europe to meet my parents. We passed Christmas in
Barcelona, New Year’s in southern France, and ate a LOT of pastries. It was
almost too good to be true, mainly because I was allowing myself to be spoiled
by my loving parents who (mildly) pitied me and my volunteer “salary.” We toured
the cities, saw a bunch of churches (typical Europe), drove through the countryside,
ate delicious food (paella, tapas, grilled duck, McDonald’s), drank red wine
and coffee, walked on the beaches of two bodies of water (Mediterranean and Atlantic),
and enjoyed sleeping in. I tasted the oranges of Valencia, devoured the tapas
of Madrid, toured the Gaudà structures of Barcelona, entered the Arena de Toros
(bull fighting ring) of Pamplona, got a pair of Spanish leather boots, spoke a
LOT of Spanish (which was awesome), savored French macaroons, and saw the
vineyards of the Bordeaux region. I also, of course, captured lots of photos. There
are some selected ones on my Facebook page and a few (camera photos) here –
more to come on my photography website soon!
 |
| A view of Barcelona from the tower of an enormous church near our apartment |
 |
| One of the several gorgeous churches - this one, in Cordoba, was at one point made into a mosque (it was built around the chapel), then back into a church |
 |
| Merry Christmas! We had an apartment in Barcelona and were able to cook a legit dinner: pork loin, mashed potatoes, fresh salad :) It was lovely. |
 |
| Why yes, I did enjoy that Nutella latte and chocolate cake #firstworldluxury #spoiled |
Overall, it was a wonderful experience. Of course I was
happy to see my parents again and share my African life experiences with them. I
quickly slipped back into a lifestyle of material comfort in a place where
tasks are generally easy to complete. I left behind the struggles and
frustrations of my life in Ghana and didn’t want to have to face them until the
New Year...
But then I came back to my Ghanaian home and was forced to
confront those things I had set aside for 3 weeks – unachieved goals, poorly
executed projects, stressed relationships and other effects of my pride. Upon reflection
of my goals, I felt discouraged by the number not met yet motivated to re-invigorate
them. Hopefully this term will be filled with 4-H members taking the lead, new club
and home projects, increased profits of the farm, life skills development, and
better networking in the school and community.
I am excited to be back in the classroom as this is one
place that my (lesson) plans almost always follow through as intended. I am
definitely growing as a teacher and learning that I enjoy taking knowledge and
presenting it in creative and interesting ways to the students. I still have a
long way to go to help them increase critical thinking skills and academic
confidence, but I can see progress. I still have not had to use a cane to
discipline students and I never intend to – they discipline themselves when
they don’t engage in learning activities.
In other news, its dry season here in Ghana! What does that
mean? Well, the “Harmattan” has come (Sahara trade-wind) so the air is dusty
and dry and there is a thin layer of dirt covering everything. It hasn’t rained
in over a month and my garden looks dreadful... but there is a positive side to
the dry season (at least to obronis like me): it’s much cooler! Nighttime temps
can get down into the mid-50s and daytime max temps only reach the mid-80s (but
it feels cool due to the dry air and the fact that the sun is slightly shaded
by the dust). I actually enjoy this weather to the humid rainy season, but the
locals hate it – they don’t function well in anything below 70 degrees (so
school is quite lethargic in the morning) and they complain about dry skin
(even though there is still some humidity in the air) and coughing (which I experience
as well). I have resolved to be happy about the weather, as it means I can
snuggle under a blanket at night and wear long sleeves to school! Plus, I am
not sweating all the time, so that’s awesome!
What else is there to say on this warm (but not sweltering) African
January afternoon? I will proudly share that I was able to bring home a nice
little stash of chocolate and real coffee (not nescafe) along with a French
press – so my mornings are a little more encouraging with an extra burst of caffeine.
As for the chocolate, it still surprises me that the #2 cocoa producing country
doesn’t make its own (tasty) chocolate – just one more reason why it’s
developing! So in the meantime, I will enjoy a bit of Hershey’s every now and
then to keep me going strong.
Happy New Year! Or in the local language, Afeyshia Pa!
May the Lord bless you with encouragement in your struggles,
friendships in your ventures, and opportunities to love others!
*An addendum to the above blog post, added just hours after I
finished the main text*
Wow – talk about God’s timely blessings. I had been praying
for encouragement in this time of adjustment and just as I was finishing my
original blog post, one of my 9th grade students/4-H officers came
in to talk to me. We have had a few semi-serious conversations in the last few
weeks of school, but I never paid much attention to them. However, today he
straight up told me that he enjoys talking to me and wants to learn as much
from me as he can while I am here so that he can be more like me! I have never
had anyone so directly tell me I am their role model, and by the way he openly
and sincerely sought advice from me during our conversation (on everything from
being a businessman to dealing with school peer pressure), I truly felt valued and
significant. He even ended the conversation saying that he wanted to learn to
be a better public speaker (and to improve his English) – which is amazing
since I was planning to introduce a public speaking workshop for the 4-H club
within the next month! I almost cried as we were talking and he told me that he
looks up to me – let’s just say this was exactly what I needed. Praise God! He
is faithful to answer prayers!
Okay, this really is the end of the blog post.
