Ghana Team Journal

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!