After another hearty breakfast, we began our 10 minute stroll to the Senchi Ferry village. We are now familiar with the route and sights as we weave our way along a dirt path and past the small mud homes. The chicken and goats pay us no mind and we are getting used to the drenching heat. Villagers greet us with “Wo ho te sen” and we are getting better at remembering the response. The team also brought four soccer balls to be used at recess….these kids love soccer.
Today, I began teaching in one of the kindergarten classes under the eye of Madame Joyce. There are 19 boisterous children sitting two to a desk. There is a chalkboard and letters of the alphabet adorning the front wall. Along with a few posters, there is little else in the way of visual aids. The heat is oppressive and materials are rudimentary. Despite this, the children are eager to learn and learn they do.
Class begins with singing “We Shall Overcome” followed by recitation of “The Lords Prayer”. Madame Joyce has me work on the alphabet with the flashcards I brought. A, Apple, the A sound….you get the picture. The children raise their hands to sound out the cards and we go through all 26 letters. There were a couple of stumpers as S was for Skunk and P was for Pizza…..both items never seen by the children.
After a group song about how our hands, shoulders, knees and toes all belong to Jesus, we launched into mathematics. The children go into the yard to collect 10 pebbles apiece. Once back, they learn how to add by counting out the rocks. Each student has a notebook where they write in their answers. The pencils are in various states of use with some less than two inches left. Erasers are a hot commodity. Those without erasers simply wet their fingers and smudge out the mistake.
For recess we go out in the sun we and danced the Hokey Pokey, Ring Around the Rosie and played Duck, Duck, Goose. We read Chica Chica Boom Boom and they loved the rhyming way of applying the alphabet. Back in we went and I taught uppercase and lower case letters, followed with another exercise to write out on paper.
The children are at various levels of learning. The class was taught in English and the kids had a good grasp of basic vocabulary. Some children pick up new concepts quickly and others struggle just to write their name on the top of the page. The latter welcome individual attention. The more advanced students help those less so and this concern was touching to observe. Whether fast or less fast, each child lights up when told that they did a “Good Job”. The teacher and students make the most out of very little and the importance that Senchi Ferry places on education bodes well for the future of these little ones. The spirit is there!! I look forward to getting to know these children and Madame Joyce over the next 8 days.
Back at lunch, team mates discussed their morning. Those working on the library moved the heavy concrete bags and prepared the mortar mix. This was used by Reuben and his crew to plaster the interior walls. Additionally, wood was sawed for use in framing the doors and windows. Our nurses went on home visits to listen in on briefings on family planning.
Our Ghanaian adventure of the day was riding in a tro-tro. Our country manager, Esther, led the way and the destination was a small Kente fabric weaver close by. Standing on the side of the road, we hailed a tro-tro with enough seats to house the ten of us. I wonder what the two men who were already on board were thinking as ten Obrunis crammed themselves in. It was hot, it was basic, it was cheap but best of all it was travel the way the Ghanaians experience it and there will be more tro-tro rides to come. Unfortunately, the weavers business was closed but we will try again.
We returned to the village for our first tutoring session. As we waited for the key, Jane had the children moving and laughing to Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes and Ed engaged them in a spelling bee. Then we went inside, the children selected books, we carried chairs outside and broke into small groups. My student, Killip, read his book in flawless English. My husband, Ed and I merged our groups and we showed photos of family and travels we brought from home. They were intrigued by photos of snow, camels, pyramids, buffalo, the beach, winter clothes and Ed’s birthday party. We explained birthday traditions in the
Pamela Ward
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