Quote of the day: “The future belongs to those who live intensely in the present.” – Anon.

By: Daniel Chen & Jim Leslie

When I came to Africa on this service program, I had doubts on whether I wanted and had the ability to handle these jumpy, boisterous kids. But three weeks here have changed that perspective entirely. I started the day with a heavy stomach, knowing that I would have to say goodbye to all my new friends by the end of the day. I ended the day wishing that I could have stayed longer. - Daniel

The day began with Jim, Esther, and I organizing our donation boxes which were going to be presented to the school in the morning. When we arrived at the school, I was assigned to bring 2 kids back to Esther’s car to carry the boxes to the enormous mango tree. 9 kids came. 2 kids snatched the boxes from the trunk and lifted them up on their heads. 7 kids fought amongst each other to hold my hand and walk back to the classrooms.

Fifteen minutes later, the entire primary school had lined up outside the P1-3 classrooms. Esther, on behalf of the 10/29-11/19 Global Volunteers team, presented these boxes to the headmaster. When the three soccer balls were changing hands, you could see the excitement in the kids’ eyes. Global Volunteers also donated some books (courtesy of Jim), sidewalk chalk, math flashcards, coloring pens and pencils, and some clothes for the construction crew. The headmaster humbly thanked Esther and the team for their efforts in the program, and sent the kids back off to class, much to their dismay. They thought they were going to play with the soccer balls right away!

My P2 class was responding well to tighter time restraints on math and English exercises. In fact, every student handed their workbook in before time had expired. Progress! One step at a time. Recess was the usual disorganized chaos – kids fighting over soccer balls, Frisbees, and jump ropes. I took the opportunity to say goodbye to all of the primary school teachers and thanked them for accommodating the team so well over the three weeks.

Teaching English to the P2 class is always interesting. While Teacher Kennedy was educating them about the difference between present and past tense and the conversion between the two, I wrote exercises on the board. Everyone had gotten “Skip” wrong. “Sir, why isn’t skiped right?” I made them wait (im)patiently as I refused to put up the answer until everyone was done the exercise. When I wrote, S-K-I-P-P (e-d) the class went, “OHHHHHHHHHHHHH SIR! YOU TRICKED US!” Barely containing my laugh, I replied, “I told you it was special! Now remember this!”

Ten minutes before noon, I asked the entire class to line up outside to take a picture. Of course, chaos ensued. The cries of “Cut me! Cut me!” could not be drowned out. Kennedy eventually settled them down for a solid 30 seconds so Jim could take a proper picture. As I said my final goodbyes, it was sad yet heart-warming to see the teary faces on the faces of my little friends. They even tried to chase down the taxi as it drove away from the classrooms.

I (Jim) had a very rewarding last day at the junior high school and at the library. At the school, I observed a moral and religious education class, I donated several novels by West African novelists –Chinua Achebe and Helon Habila- and a world map to the school, I tutored my young Togolese student in English for the last time, and I said my goodbyes to the junior high school staff. I was touched that many staff members said that they would really miss me, and I told them that I hoped to return to Ghana because I appreciated the warmth of their welcome.

The library session had more pictures taken than books read. I (Dan) was trying my best to capture my reading partners in the act of reading, but another kid would always jump into the picture. It took a full hour to get good pictures with my kids. In the end, I gave up trying to keep the camera away from their fidgety hands. They had a blast taking pictures of each other and of anything they could think of. I think I have over 50 pictures of someone’s finger.

In the afternoon, Jim worked at the library with a beautiful Muslim girl who is a P5 student at Senchi Ferry Methodist School. She read a number of books with enthusiasm and skill, and Jim will remember her and other West African children who are eager to learn.

Our departure from the library was stalled by a sudden shower, much to the children’s glee. When the taxi came, Munaia and Salamatu had grabbed on to my shirt so tightly that I thought it would rip straight off. Even in the rain they wouldn’t let go! Finally, after much effort and skillful peeling, my shirt was free. We drove away from the library, though I wasn’t sure whether the West driver knew where he was going. His windshield was so foggy, and his wiper was completely ineffective!

Quote of the day: “You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with the best you have to give.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

By: Daniel Chen & Jim Leslie

Over our usual breakfast of omelets and buttered toast, Jim and I discussed certain issues that impair student learning at the New Akrade Presbyterian School. Jim, with his extensive teaching experience, had not only provided suggestions to the headmaster and his teachers but also prepared a report of critiques, evaluations, and observations of the junior secondary school. I, with my limited experience in teaching, had no such report. I simply presented Esther with concerns in the primary school.

As we walked to our respective classrooms, we were taken aback by the lack of teachers. I asked my P2 students, “Where’s the teacher?” They shrugged, happily, I might add, and pranced away. As I headed to the junior school to find Jim, I saw a gathering of teachers surrounding the headmaster. I found out later that the headmaster was pressing the teachers to engage and challenge the students more.

I had my first experience of solo teaching when my teacher walked out of the room to talk with his wife. Not only did the kids fidget excitedly during math exercises, they simply refused to sit still while I was writing corrections on the board. They sat really still when I threatened them with a soccer-ball-less break. By the time break was over, I was thankful that the teacher had returned to restore order in the classroom. As we were learning about measuring lengths and heights, it was amusing to watch each kid stand against the wall to record their height. The shortest kid had a fun time escaping the hustling.

Jim had another quiet day at the junior high school. He had hoped to observe and perhaps co-teach a social studies class, but the instructor for that class did not arrive at school until the class was over (8:00 – 9:10). Thus, Jim continued to work with the P6 student from Togo on his English, and he corrected a number of simple English class exercises. Jim ended his morning by having a long conversation with Godwin, the religion and moral education teacher, about life in the United States and life in Ghana. He will be observing Godwin’s ninth grade religion and moral education class tomorrow morning.

We walked back to St. James at noon for my favorite lunch of sautéed chicken and French fries. Jim and I were slightly disappointed that Esther could not strong-arm Samuel in allowing us to use the library for reading that afternoon. Samuel had planned to use the library for entertaining the Senchi Ferry Methodist School administrators.

Thus we were left with an open afternoon. Jim finished up his detailed report while I was invited by the kitchen staff to try out fufu. Fufu is basically a hardened dough mixture of mashed plantains and cassava. It was delicious, especially with the spicy chicken and beef soup. The shocker: you weren’t supposed to chew the dough. You just swallow it. Confused but determined, I thought: Challenge accepted! Ghanaian food is certainly interesting.

Quote of the day: “You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live.” – Joan Baez

By: Daniel Chen & Jim Leslie

Morning breakfast was educational as I learned the history of European control of the main slave castles in Ghana and the extent to which the British and Portuguese empire controlled in Africa. We departed promptly from St. James as there were no announcements or journals to be read (Jim was planning to read his at lunch).

As we walked down to the school, I prepared myself for a loud morning. It was Wednesday at the New Akrade Presbyterian school, meaning that there was a 30 minute worship service before class. When I reached the source of enthusiastic drumming, clapping, and singing, I saw the entire primary school of 150 kids packed into one classroom. I took one step into the room, planning to join in the festivities. Boy, was that a mistake. The overwhelming wave of sound literally blew me backwards. It was as if I was standing next to a large speaker.

As the weekly offering was being tallied on the board, I saw that my very own P2 class was losing by a small margin. Determined to help them win, I scrounged up a few coins from my backpack. An explosion of cheering ensued as the teachers announced P2 as “FIRST PLACE”. The cheering didn’t stop until well into the next hour.

Jim’s day began with a junior high school worship service that turned out to be much more than a worship service. At the start of the service, Harry, the young French and social studies teacher, gave a very heartfelt talk to the entire student body about the need for everyone –staff and students- to try much harder to make New Akrade Presbyterian Junior High a better school. This talk seemed to be well-received by the students. Harry’s talk was followed by an inspiring Christian worship service of enthusiastic hymn singing and beautiful prayers. The service ended with the announcement that, effective tomorrow, any student caught speaking a vernacular language at school would be severely punished. Students will be expected to speak only English or French at school.

Much of the rest of Jim’s morning was devoted to correcting B.E.C. English practice tests.

After the excitement of the morning, we were drained. But a big lunch of chicken curry and rice with fried vermicelli (SO DELICIOUS) refueled us for the afternoon reading session at the library. I got to teach some kids about world geography by showing where certain countries were on a globe and their corresponding flags. I also watched a Ghanaian version of “Duck, duck goose”, which sounded like “Goat, Cat, Mosquito”.

Sadly, however, Jim and I learned that we would not be reading at the library tomorrow as the librarian was entertaining guests and school administrators attending a classroom opening in Senchi Ferry that afternoon.

Jim, Amo, and I discussed our assessment of our service program over a dinner of shepherd’s pie and home-baked cake. It was really remarkable that people from many different areas of expertise and backgrounds mingled so well together during the program. Esther and Amo also do an incredible job of keeping the volunteers safe and satisfied.

We topped off the night with some much-needed CNN news. We were going crazy watching the Nigerian soap operas every night!

Quote of the day:” Living well and beautifully and justly are all one thing.” - Socrates

By: Jim Leslie

Dan had a busy day in P2 as he corrected composition books, science tests, math tests, and REM tests. He also helped P2 students with their numbers. For Jim, it was a quiet day as many junior high school students attended a government sponsored career seminar that included students from other junior high schools in the area. This event was held at the nearby Presbyterian church. Most of Jim’s morning was devoted to correcting English composition books and giving English lessons to the P6 student from Togo.

Quote of the day: “We are governed not by armies, but by ideas.” – Mona Caird

By: Jim Leslie

Today marked the beginning of the third and final week in New Akrade for Dan and Jim. Dan spent his morning in the primary school classrooms where he corrected math exercises, and corrected English reading tests.

For Jim, his responsibilities changed at the junior high school. Instead of spending a lot of time in English and social studies classes, he worked with small groups of students on their English reading skills. With these students, he modeled certain steps that should be taken before reading any material that is in English: Look at any pictures that may go with the reading, look at the recall questions that are at the end of the reading, and identify and define any of the reading’s words that you may not know before beginning the reading.

Jim continues to enjoy his one-to-one work with a Togolese student in P6 who speaks French but does not speak English.

Quote of the day: “Be like a postage stamp – stick to one thing until you get there.” – Josh Billings

Journal by: Daniel Chen

Today was very relaxing. Jim woke up early to watch the sunrise, while I stayed in bed until 6:40 A.M. As we reached the dining room, it was sad to see only 2 plates prepared at the table. It was a somberly quiet breakfast of eggs and toast.

I then watched 2-3 games of football while Jim enjoyed his novels on the adjacent patio in the blazing Ghanian sun. We rendezvoused for lunch of spicy fried chicken and crispy French fries. Feeling lazy and drowsy, I decided to take a long afternoon nap.

By dinner time we had grown accustomed to the quietness and emptiness of the room. We gulfed our plates of rice, cabbage salad, and curry beef before the weekly Sunday thunderstorms trapped us in the hotel for the night. I was going to make sure that I got ample rest for tomorrow, as Billie, Judy, Arla, and Gary left me all the soccer balls, jump ropes, and Frisbees to play with the kids. I knew they would overrun me like a tidal wave the moment recess started tomorrow!

Quote of the day:

Work, thank God, for the swing of it, for the clamoring, hammering ring of it.

By: Arla Lewis

Breakfast was fun with the addition of Esther’s boys. We discussed the final day and were eager to arrive at school. The students were in the classroom sweeping and getting ready for a Friday of games. They were not enthusiastic about finishing assignments but they did complete some work. The students thanked us for volunteering with the school program. After lunch we went to the library and had a huge crowd for reading. It was rewarding to have so many children eager to read. They also told us thanks for helping volunteer.

After library we walked to the Volta River and saw the fish farms, an old church, and the beautiful river. We met our teachers at 7 and enjoyed a dinner with them while giving gifts for teachers and educational programs. Photographs and addresses were exchanged and so we know we will not forget this memorable experience.