Quote of the day:

Every night before I turn out the lights to sleep, I ask myself this question: Have I done everything that I can……Have I done enough?

Journal by: Rick

After our breakfast with Amo, we walked to the school to drop off Janine for her matching game with the kids. After we left her at the school, I had my morning class at the library. I had to teach the students “Paint” on the PC’s. After working with them for over an hour, they were getting too noisy The library teacher came to the computer room to yell at them, it is a class and be quiet! After the teacher left the room, the kids got very quiet and left. I had to stay at the computer room for any kids who wanted to come in to play with the PC’s. There were 3 boys and 3 girls playing games until my lunchtime at noon.

Soon after our lunch break, Amo called for a cab to take us back to the library for the puzzle entertainment with the children. Since we arrived to the library, the teacher called the students to get together as a group of 4. Each group got a tray of Jigsaw puzzle (10 to 20 pieces). They were delighted to begin the puzzle and madly trying to put the puzzle together. It was fascinating to watch the kids trying to grab the puzzles from each other.

Our exciting tour started after the library to the beads factory. The cab greeted us at the library for the crazy & rough drive to the town of Somenye. While, the drive to the town, we caught sight of every blocks full with hundreds of shops. We never saw so many shops in the town. We made to the location to learn, discover and review the art of bead-making The owner, Mr. Cedi gave us the demo of making the bead. After he finished chatting the making of the bead, he took us to his gift shops for purchasing. The shop had a huge collection of beans for our review. There were too much items, we had trouble to pick them for gifts to our families and friends. After we selected the gifts, we were able to take pictures with Mr. Cedi. It was time for our voyage back to the hotel facing the unpleasant rough roads with lots of passionate drivers.

It was a peaceful Friday night staying at St James with no dancing and bar.

Quote of the day: We can accomplish almost anything within our ability if we but think we can! –George Mathew Addams

Journal by: Janine

Our day started as a typical one. Breakfast then heading out to our jobs. Today Janine was to teach a new lesson to the children. It was matching. After having Madame Harriett explain the lesson, Janine showed the children what to do. One at a time they would come up and make a line to the matching object. At first the students were confused, and started doing the previous days lesson. But soon on the children caught on. They liked today because they got to stand up in front of the class and show their work. After doing a lesson in their books. Janine helped them learn their colours. A parent teacher interview was to be held later on in the morning and Janine was to attend. A few teachers from the Catholic school walked with her to the meeting. During the meeting, Janine asked if she could put one of the babies on her back. The little girl did not like being on Janine’s back because she wasn’t her mother! Rick on the other hand was hard at work again today. Mixing more cement! It was a hard day for him shoveling and mixing. He was tired.

After lunch, the team had a fast walk to the library. It was starting to rain. The children, Janine and Rick all had a great afternoon reading to each other. A taxi came to pick up the team at the end of the day to go to the Akosombo Market. It was raining off and on while they were at the market. A few fabrics were bought then we headed back because everyone was leaving the market because of the weather. It was a busy day but lots of fun!

Quote of the day: Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get.

Journal by: Rick

Is today Wednesday? Oh gee! The day was running too fast since we arrived here. Janine and I met for breakfast at 7 AM. The meal for breakfast was oatmeal, egg and toast. This time, someone knew that I do not eat egg. My dish came without egg. Smile. It was getting closer toward 8 AM, we were getting concern because Amo and Esther didn’t show up to join us for breakfast. Janine and I left for our room to gather our things for our assignment for the morning. All the sudden Amo knocked my door to tell me hurry up to run to Esther’s car. They were all waiting for me. Esther took us to our jobs.

Today, it was my 2^nd day at the construction site. The nice part about the morning, it was perfect for me to do the job because it wasn’t too hot. Our main task was to pour cement to the foundation for the wall. There were 3 guys to join me to mix the sand & gravel with cement. There were a pile of smooth sand in one location, a pile of gravel at another spot, and a pile of rough sand at a 3^rd location. We had to use the wheelbarrow to cart the sand and gravel inside to the school’s room. After a few hours carting the sand and gravel to the school, the head master called her students to gather water to the room. It was cool to see over 30 students carry the buckets to the well to gather the water and brought back the buckets on top of their head back to us. We poured the water over the sand & gravel. It took 3 trips for the students to bring us the water. There were kids under 8 years can carry over 20 pounds of water on their head. Anyway, we had to mix the sand, gravel and cement back and forth before we can pour it to the foundation. One of the construction guys named Sey, he is very strong 18 years guy to mix the cement while we were watching him. Between breaks, Sey and I were talking lots about Colorado and USA. I had to tell him lots about Colorado so he can relay it to the other guys. They never seen snow and I had to explain to them about the word, “Skiing”. They love it when I told them. I also had a postcard from my backpack to show them a picture of Colorado. One of the guy ask me if Colorado is part of California and want my phone number if he travels to CA. I was laughing at him because it is 9,000 miles to travel there. Sey told me that I am his best friend. Isn’t that sweet for him to say that to me? Anyway, Amo came to pick me up and had to rush to walk to the other school to pick up Janine. We were late for lunch.

After lunch, we walked back to the library for our afternoon task. When we entered inside the library, the exciting kids were thrill to see us back for the 3^rd day. Many of the kids were hugging us. The kids for my group wanted for me to teach them Paint at the computer’ room. I got an OK from the teacher to use the computers. While working with the kids on the computer, I notice they learned how to use the games on the PC instead using Paint. One of the head master walked to the computer room and got very angry to see some of the kids playing games. He gave me a lecture. Oh well, I ordered the kids to use Paint, no games!

After the library, Amo, Janine and I took a walk to the Volta River. While we were walking toward to the river, we saw unfinished buildings, a church and a huge hotel. We also saw lots of banana trees.

After the walk, we had an hour before dinnertime. It looked Janine was worn out for teaching all the kids for the day and had to retire for the evening. Have a nice night.

Quote of the day: When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece. –

John Ruskin

Journal by: Janine

The morning started with the usual early breakfast at 7am. We read the journal entry and discussed plans of the day; Rick to the construction site and Janine back to the catholic kindergarten class. During breakfast Esther came by to check up on everything after a short hiatus. She made sure all is well for us. After we ate, we left the guesthouse in a car to pick up some supplies for the construction site. Then Janine was dropped off.

Her day was exciting after teaching a lesson, she played with the children at break. They held her hands and kissed her arms. She also threw a ball for the children. Back in call she helped the teachers hand out and mark the children’s work. They were always smiling and waving at her.

Rick on the other hand was put to some hard labour. He helped the other men dig out the foundation at the construction site. He drank an entire bottle of water! He let one of the workers use his work gloves. After a very long and hot morning, Amo picked up Rick and Janine. It was lunchtime!

After lunch and a quick rest, the team headed to the library to read and have fun with the children. Janine let some of the girls play with her hair. Ouch! While Rick took videos of them. All of the children went wild! Not too much reading went on today, but everyone had lots of fun. A taxi, later on, picked up Rick and Janine to go back to the Continental Hotel to use the internet. Around 6:45pm, the taxi returned to bring the team back for dinner.

Quote of the day: I don’t go by the rulebook—I lead from the heart, not the head.

Journal by: Rick

Good news, I was up on time to meet for breakfast with Janine and Amo. We all sat down before the cook brought the meal to the dinning room. The breakfast for the morning was oatmeal, egg omelet with toasts, and drinks (orange juice and hot water for coffee or tea).

After breakfast, we left hotel at 7:45 am for the tour of the schools and able to meet the rest headmasters of the schools. After meeting the headmasters, they intro to us to their teachers who will be working with us for the next few weeks. We only had a few minutes to chat with them before they head back to the classrooms. While we were touring around the schools, lots of the kids were waving at us while they were trying to learn something from the teachers. They were very exciting to see us with happy faces.

After the tour, it was time for us to get the work for the first day. My first schedule was to help the kids on the lab tops at the library. The first class arrived to the library at 10 AM; they were kids under 7 years old and very exciting to touch the lab tops for the first time. After arriving to the computer room, the teacher put 3 kids per computer. The 1^st thing the teacher asked the kids, the meaning of the “lab top”? The kids didn’t respond back to the teacher on the meaning of the computer. He had to explain them the meaning of “lap top”. After explaining the meaning, the kids began to learn “Paint” on the computer. They never touched a mouse and never learn how to click the mouse to draw a line on Paint. I had to help the children to draw a line, use color, shape of the “O” & “Star”, etc. I notice one of the boys was able to pull a game instead using “Paint”. I had to close the game and told him “No” on the game. Don’t ask me how he learned to open the game from the computer. After an hour working with them, they went back to the classroom and I stayed at the library waiting for Amo to pick me up. While I was waiting for Amo, I was able to watch a movie from one of the computer. (Shhh!!!) The name of the movie is “#24 hours”. It must be a TV show from Fox. Don’t ask me how the movie came with computer from USA.

Amo came to pick me up and walked to the classroom to pick up Janine. While we were walking to the classroom, we saw Janine sitting front of the classroom facing the kids. All the suddenly, the kids saw us and they ran toward to me trying to hold my hands. They all asked me for my name. The teacher had to pronoun my name to them.

After picking up Janine, we walked back to the hotel for lunch. Our lunch for the day was a bean salad, chicken and an exciting item. Guess what? French Fries! Oh boy…….

After we had our lunch, we walked back to the library for the afternoon story time. When we arrived to the library, the kids were waiting and exciting for us to read a book. It was real interesting trying to read them a book for a numerous of reason: lots of the kids do not sit at the whole time listening while I was trying to read them a book; they kept asking me for my name; they asked me “where I am from?”; they laugh at me trying to say the word, “Red” (I was reading a book, “The Book of Red”); they were rubbing my hairy legs; they love to listen to the sound of my hearing aids; etc. It was a real blast trying reading them a book.

After reading the kids the books, Janine and I decide to take a small trip to a hotel, which is located toward the river for a drink, and chat on line via my iphone and ipad. Janine was thrill for me to bring my Ipad from home.

The cab rider was supposed to pick us at 5:45 pm, but he came about a half hour late. We started to get worry and do not have the phone number for Amo. While we were discussing how we could get back to the hotel, the cab came. Thanks GOD.

After we arrived back to the hotel, we had our dinner, white streaming rice and chicken with vegetable.

Quote of the day:

It was only a sunny smile,

And little it cost in the giving.

But like the morning light, it scattered the night

And made the day worth living

-Anon

Journal by: Janine

Today was the day we were going into the community. I had awakened early as we were leaving by 9. Amo came to make sure I was up. He had told me that Rick was nowhere to be found! He wasn’t answering his door or phone and we had to wait for the manager to arrive at the hotel to open his room. We weren’t sure if he went for a walk or was still sleeping. I finished getting ready and had my breakfast. Rick was still nowhere to be found. It was past 8am and we were getting worried. Low and behold around 9am, Rick showed up. He had over slept! We quickly got ready for the taxi and then headed out. After a short rest we had our first team meeting. We brainstormed characteristics for an effective team to help us through out the program. We then had lunch followed by another rest. Then the real excitement of the day started.

After a small trek into the community we stopped at the Palace to greet the chiefs. We were invited to walk with them to a funeral that was going on down the road. Rick and I were very fortunate to have this opportunity. So we strolled down and we walked around the funeral shaking hand with the guests attending. Having learnt a few phrases only at lunchtime, Rick and I had trouble remembering them, especially now with all these people talking to us at the funeral. Slightly overwhelming but we tried our best.

We sat for a little and watched the local tradition of the funeral. We watch people dance to the music that was playing and the children fool around. Then we headed back to the palace. The chiefs so kindly and respectfully welcomed us into the community of Senchi Ferry. We followed the customs of the ceremony by telling: who were are and where we were from. Janine from Winnipeg, Canada and Rick from Colorado, USA. During the service, we conversed with some of the local teachers from the schools. We learnt more of the area and regular practices. A few pictures were taken at the end of the ceremony and we then headed back to the guesthouse.

Dinner was served shortly after and then we called it a day. Well Janine did. Rick was up all night again!

October team arrives in Ghana!

Quote of the day:

“How does one become a butterfly?” she asked pensively. “You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.” –Trina Paulus

Journal by: Janine

We began our experience in Ghana by meeting one another at the airport. I had arrived a day early so I met the team consisting of Amo and Sonia first. As we waited for the next teammate I chatted about her experience with Global Volunteers with a past traveler, Sonia, who was leaving that evening. A little while later Rick had come through the gates. He had a box, which was full of toy cars for the kids, and his bag that had ripped while traveling. We introduced ourselves and piled into the taxi. Both Rick and I have never traveled to Ghana so this was a brand new experience for the two of us and very eager to get started on our journey. A short ride later, the airport view hotel was in front of us. We retired to our rooms. Rick went for a walk and Janine emailed her family. We later met for dinner. Rick and I learnt more about the program. After dinner it was time for Sonia to catch her plane. So we said our goodbyes.

Later that evening Rick, Amo and I sat at the pool and chatted for a short while. Before bed we agreed breakfast for 8 am. We, then, headed off to bed. Rick could not sleep and was up all night.