Kayayo

Kayayo are women and men who travel from the impoverish to big cities in the south like Kumasi and Accra to work as porters carrying loads. They are are one of the highest at risk populations for HIV and AIDS in Ghana. I attended a Gender Challenge Fund training this week with other volunteers to see how we work within our communities on the issue. I wanted to share this story written by a third year volunteer about what makes girls decide leave their homes and migrate south before I share more about the training. For more images, view TIMEPhotos Traveling with Ghana's Kayayo Girls and BBC News In pictures- Ghana's market girls- the Kayayo.

Ghana AIDS Project Committee

Last Saturday in Kumasi we had a meeting for the Ghana AIDS Project Committee (or GhAP-C) which was the first one new members like me attended. Each region has a regional representative who serves as a point of contact for HIV/AIDS related projects for other Volunteers in their region. We discussed a lot including the history of the committee, basics are what we do, grants, and activities for the year including World AIDS Day and a new HIV Community Service Day. We also reviewed some games and activities we learned in training to use to educate people on HIV/AIDS. It was a very productive meeting and I'm exciting to be working with this great group of Volunteers (see photo of our smiling faces). I am also going to be serving as the Gender and Youth Coordinator for the committee and hope to be very active in that role. Besides just working, I also had the chance to go to an Italian circus(acrobats, tigers, and a moto cage- o my) that was in town which was a lot of fun. Here's the mission statement for the committee and if you want to find out more check out the website too: To increase awareness and understanding of HIV and AIDS in the Ghanaian communities we serve by providing targeted training and outreach interventions, and to empower grassroots level participants to adopt positive behavioral practices so as to contribute to the prevention of the spread and mitigation of the impact of HIV and AIDS in Ghana.

The Local Way

Here's a short post since I still have some preparation to do before I leave for Tamale in the morning but I wanted to share a couple of photos. Back in April, a community member Vitus was in a moto accident that broke his leg. Strangely enough, he was actually parked sitting on the machine when someone hit him. His leg was broken in three places and bone was showing. He was in a different village at the time and opted to seek treatment with a local healer rather than go to the hospital for a variety of reasons. He didn't want to cause trouble for the man who hit him (Vitus is very forgiving) and also was afraid if he went to the hospital they would end up amputating his leg. He's known of other people that's happened to from broken legs perhaps because of the lack of advancement in medicine here. He stayed in the village to be treated for more than a month and a cast was fashioned out of sticks and clothe. Now he's back in Gbedema and is doing much better; he can even get around on crutches now. Soon his cast will be taken off so he let me snap a few photos today before that happens. I try to go visit him often since he spends all day sitting/laying on a bench under a tree outside his house and I know he gets bored. Plus his English is very good and he works with an NGO so understands us foreigners and is easy to talk to. He knew that people in America would find the traditional medicine interesting like I do and was happy for me to share these photos with you. I'm going to Tamale then Kumasi for a meeting Saturday for the Ghana AIDS Project (or GhAP). Then next week I'm attending a training in Tamale on Youth Empowerment for the Gender Challenge Project. Hopefully I'll have a chance to post more photos and perhaps a video when I have access to high speed update. I'll write more about my travel later!

Cyclops

 Last week I found out I was to attend a meeting for health teachers in the district capital Thursday. I knew the time and place so showed up a little late since I knew on Ghana time I'd still be early. But I didn't really know what to expect for the meeting. I was pleasantly surprised to find out it a workshop about students with special needs being put on by an NGO called CBR. A couple of weeks earlier I'd met two of their Canadian summer interns who also were at the workshop so it was nice to be reacquainted with them. Sandema is currently a hotbed for felisa (white people)- there are probably over 20 foreigners (many of whom are students) working there this summer.

To start with one of the Canadians gave a short talk on how to best help students with intellectual disabilities. CBR also works in villages in the area to sensitize people to use the term intellectual disability rather than mental retardation. His points were very good and there's definitely a need to discuss how these students should be identified and treated since special education doesn't really exist (outside of schools for the deaf and blind) and therefore all students are integrated into one class. I could tell he hadn't been in Ghana very long because his Canadian accent was still going strong and his vocabulary was rather difficult. But overall I think the teachers 'got' him pretty well. Then two Ghanaians led sessions on how to identify and help students with vision impairment. After I answered a question about how to notice students in the class having eye problems, the Canadian who'd just presented complimented me on my Ghanaian English. He was really impressed with my cadence especially. It was really funny to me because now it's so automatic I don't even notice I'm using it and can easily turn it on and off depending on who I'm talking to. I told him I've been in Ghana a long time now and have had a ton of practice in the classroom so it just takes time to learn. I guess I can write 'fluent in Ghanaian English' on my resume now....

After our lunch in the afternoon, we had a practical session on how to conduct vision screenings using the charts. Once we'd learned about how to do the screening, we had a chance to practice ourselves using each other. Next month I'm planning to borrow the charts from the special needs coordinator at the district education office and organize vision screenings for my students. I'm pretty sure some of them are having problems but haven't told anyone or done anything about it. I'm hoping that during the long school vacation students who are referred to the eye clinic will find time to go there. I think their visit to the clinic at the hospital is covered by insurance but I've heard that if they need spectacles it is not. I need to get my facts straight so I can know how best to help them. 

My food adventure this week was making what I call a somehow burrito. I used corn flour to make the tortilla then using taco seasoning with rice and beans. Then I added fresh chopped tomatoes and onions. The only thing missing was the avocado (or pear as it's called here) which is difficult to find in the Upper East but abundant in the southern part of Ghana.

It's been hotter here recently than I'd like because the rain isn't coming like it should be. The last time we had a real rain was 2-3 weeks ago so everyone is starting to become concerned because of farming. The sky continues to look threatening almost on a daily basis but then nothing happens. At church we've been praying for rain as I'm sure most people are. The farmers (pretty much everyone here) are being delayed in the sowing of their seeds but at some point they have to go ahead even if the rain doesn't come. Last year it was the same story when I came to the Upper East for the first time in July they were also experiencing a small drought. Hopefully it doesn't repeat itself this year.

 

A lot of times when kids come to my house they want me to snap their photo. Edith and Safiano live just across the road from my house so they drop in all the time. I took this photo of Safiano and me but when I when to do some retouching I turned myself into a cyclops. I thought it was funny so hope you enjoy me ending on a silly note....

Busy Bee

It's been a couple of weeks since I've written a proper update since I've been rather busy. This phenomenon of busyness is quite an anomaly for me here. Part of the reason for being busy has been the computer lessons I've been giving my fellow teacher and friend Zak(aria) since last week. Since I now have one of the donated desktops setup in my house, he wants to learn the computer. It's good practice for me too since I've never taught someone how to use a computer from scratch before. Though training people is right up my ally from my former professional life. The headmaster and I have been discussing writing a grant for a computer lab since we got the computer donated. As of last week we decided to renovate an existing building (the former JHS which has one semi-decent classroom standing) instead of building a new one from the ground up. I think this will help a lot with budget and timeline of a project like this. Right now we're working on getting cost estimates for everything- getting a new roof, replacing doors and windows, and additional computer equipment. Additionally I've been bringing my form 1 babies (they're the youngest kids in the school) to my house in groups for them to see the computer. I have this program called Mouse Trainer that I let them play games on at once I finish with the lesson to practice clicking and double clicking. It's a fun way for them to learn and they really seem to like it.

Last Friday we held a Swearing In Program for our new prefects. There are 13 of them total and their posts include Senior (Boys and Girls), Discipline, Health, Library, Sports and Entertainment. I served as the photographer for the program which I was happy to do since it enabled me to avoid any speech making. Ceremonies here follow a very specific format and this one was no different but it was rather short in length thankfully. After the program itself, the teachers enjoyed Malta (malt beverage that tastes like cereal in a bottle to me) while the prefects took Sprite, Coke, or Fanta. We also took some group photos and I also snapped some individual ones too. In Ghana it costs the equivalent of around 75 cents for one print so I plan to print them in the US when I come home in August to save the students some money. My two library prefects wanted to wait and snap their photo with me in my house. Then they decided to wait until Monday so they could make sure they had their nice socks and shoes on. The same day we learned that the assistant library prefect Janet will be moving to Tamale to stay with her mother's sister (who is probably a cousin rather than an actual sister since she hasn't even met the women) who is a teacher there. She is one of my sweet girls who loves reading; we bonded over her coming to borrow books from the library. I am really sad to see her go but I hope the move will be good for her. I know she has a bright future ahead of her.

Besides one of my favorite girl students leaving (pictured here on the left), two of my madam friends are traveling to Kumasi to do some coursework there for the next two months. Madam Rose is the one who gave me the donut maker and has already left for school. Madam Diana and her son Nathan (the one who wore a three-piece suit on his first birthday) will be leaving Thursday. I am also sad to seem them go especially since I will now be the only madam at our school. I just realized recently how the babies/toddlers in my community are a good marker of my time here. Like when I first came Nathan was just a 5 month old baby but now he's got a full set of teeth and is a walker/runner. Also some of the babies who go to my church are getting big. One girl Martha in particular was terrified of me when I first came but now that's she's older she'll let me pick her up and will tell me 'bye.' I have no shortage of cute stories about my children here. Recently I've been trying to exercise my body more and so go for a short run 2-3 times a week. I always go the same route to the dam and so the kids who live on the path come out to greet me and give me high gives. Some also join me while I'm running, laughing all the way having a grand old time. Last week I had 3 kids who started with me at my house and by the time I reached the end of my loop there were around 20 kids running with me. I really wish someone could've taken a photo of the spectacle that we were. I honestly enjoy the company immensely because it keeps me going. If I stop then they'll go home telling their parents 'O madam had to stop running because she got tired' and so on.

Last week I had to go to Navrongo to pick up the funds for the school latrine project. While I was there this small little guy (he could walk but couldn't talk) just came right up to me. That doesn't happen very often since most kids are scared of me. He was super friendly and gave me his 20 pesawa coin. When I motioned if I could keep it he nodded his head yes but of course I gave it back to him. Later when I was at the counter picking up the money he came up and grabbed my legs. Then we started playing a game of peekaboo with his handkerchief. I would put it over his face and then every time I pulled it away he let out a loud laugh. We repeated this about 15 times with the same result. His dad and some other people waiting (the bank was absolutely packed) were laughing too. I have a story from volunteering with Operation Smile a few weeks ago but I'll save it for another time.

On the food front, I find myself with a lot of time to fill on weekends and I usually use some of it to try to cook new dishes. This past Saturday I made my own cheese per demonstration and instructions from a volunteer during our All Vol conference. I wasn't sure it would turn out but it did and I even added added Italian Seasoning to make fancy cheese. I then used it to make myself misshapen pizza again. It was definitely better the second time and with the homemade cheese. Zak was over working on the computer and I let him try it but he said he was sure he'd like it better if he had it again. But this was Chris' second time eating pizza and he agreed this one was better. This week I plan on making stove top brownies in celebration of my upcoming one year anniversary in Ghana.

School Latrine Project Approved!

Read all the Gbedema Junior High School Latrine Project and donate if you feel so inclined.

Butterfly

 

I had a couple of social encounters this week in my village that I want to share. First last week Chris and I went to a drinking bar to greet one of his relatives who had come from Accra and we stayed there for a while enjoying Malta (malt drink that tastes like cereal in a bottle). A couple of funny things happened. First one of the village men asked me if I knew what my Buli name 'Awenle' means. Of course I did and replied 'God's daughter.' To which he got really excited and told me that now he liked me. I acted as though I was offended and asked him if that meant he didn't like me before then. All the guys in the group thought that was hilarious. Later a different man told me he would build me a swimming pool in Gbedema because of the heat. I told him I loved that idea and would ask him every day where my swimming pool was. He didn't like that so much...

On Sunday evening I went to the second day of a funeral part of which was for Chris' father. Who died in 1998- he wasn't kidding me during dry season when he told me all about funerals and said sometimes it takes years. I had the chance to snap more photos of a local funeral and also witness some new rituals. Since Chris was part of the family who had a loved one who died, he had to stand in line to have local clay put on his arms and forehead. Next we listened to some songs by the men and women; I really enjoyed the song by the women since it was quieter and used these cool bell type instruments (though they were soft). I didn't as much enjoy seeing the slaughtered cow, goats, sheep, and chickens especially since they already started smelling even though they'd just been laid out that morning. Apparently people cook and eat the meat once the ritual is finished for the day. I learned that each person who died has a person representing them who is supposed to act like them. For example, there was this one woman dressing and acting like her father. She greeted us by calling children and then made a comment about having a white person among us which her father would've done. Finally after loquacious announcements, they started the processionals. First the war dance. Then women carrying the belongings on their heads. And then bringing out the mats one by one to the place where they were burned. Two shirtless men would carry each mat and since the spirit is in the mat they didn't always move in a straight or safe fashion. I almost got hit by a war dance weapon (I think it was a bow) and then a mat; funerals are dangerous. After seeing the burning of the mats where the spirits are released to start making their way to the ancestors we went home. I was exhausted since we greeted so many people at the funeral and I'd gone to Fumbisi market earlier in the day. But it was definitely interesting and educational so I'm glad I went.

While we were standing around waiting for the next ritual to start, I heard some pretty funny stories about when cell phones first came to Gbedema. The only thing one woman knew about cell phones was that you were supposed to say hello. So when someone called her daughter for her and gave her the phone, she kept repeatedly saying 'hello' despite the fact that her daughters was trying to talk to her. Another story was about a guy using a Nokia phone for the first time. Good ole Nokia- yes we're really behind but I kinda love my little Nokia phone here- when you 'on' it a graphic comes up showing two people shaking hands. Well this guy thought that meant it was time to talk so started speaking into the phone. The last one is my favorite. If you don't have sufficient credit here to make a call, a British voice will tell you such. Well one man thought it was an operator instead of a recorded message so tried to tell the person he wanted to talk to his son and could he please call his son. When they failed to do so, he told someone the white man refused to allow him to speak to his son.

Now onto my favorite topic...food. I am now the proud keeper of a donut machine. Madam Rose from the primary school loves cooking and even studied 'catering' in school. One day we were discussing my weakness for baking and sweets and she mentioned that she had the machine in Sandema. We concocted a plan for her to bring it and for me to buy the healthy ingredients (flour, margarine, sugar, eggs, and baking soda) so she could teach me. It finally happened last week and she's letting me keep the machine here since she never uses it. So yes I don't have a fridge but I do have a donut maker. My other culinary victories this week were an oriental cabbage salad of sorts (complete with crunched up ramen on top) and pizza! I made bacon pizza and it was delicious plus much easier than I thought it'd be. Now I just need to keep practicing so I can perfect the crust and make my own cheese to use. Apparently despite my best efforts to 'cook American' for myself, I miss certain foods. I had a dream about the grocery store this week and standing in the produce aisle oohing and aahing over all the fruits and veggies. Thankfully in August I can go grocery shopping every day if I so desire!