Friday, April 30th, 2010

Prepared by Patty

At 7:45am we were off to the work site with paintbrushes, rollers and trays in hand, eager to begin painting the primer coat on the concrete walls. We started in the adult library and the morning proved to be very hot with so little air circulating. We were happy to get the first room finished so we could move onto the corridor where there was a cross breeze from the open doors. By mid morning our efforts had attracted close to a dozen young boys who were keen to get involved. Whether we were painting or sanding, they were fast on our trail to help. With all that enthusiasm, I suggested we clean the grounds of refuse that had accumulated from the work project. It was a very productive morning and we all felt exhausted by the time we packed up our things to head back for lunch.

After lunch, we had a much needed rest before heading back into the community for the afternoon tutorials. Our computer lesson for the day was Excel and we had a special surprise for the kids; we put on a slide show of the pictures we had taken all week. I think the teachers enjoyed that as much, if not more than the kids. Following the lesson, we gave the kids more time to practice their typing skills and those who wanted to apply their artistic talents could try out Microsoft Paint to practice their mouse skills. On the way back from teaching, we stopped for a beverage at the roadside café.

We had fried chicken and french fries for dinner and then put our heads together to figure out how we could all watch one of the movies Robb brought. We hooked the laptop to the Patty’s projector and used the wall as our screen. The picture was crystal clear!

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Prepared by Kathleen

Up for 7 a. m. breakfast of egg with onion, toast and juice before heading of to the library. Robb will be helping the carpenters with the ceiling and Patty and I will continue with our sanding of the walls in preparation for painting. Half way through the morning Patty and I headed out with Reuben (the mason), to buy primer for the walls. They will need one of primer and then two coats of paint. It was exceptionally hot in the airless rooms, so occasional breaks were taken to bring down our body temperatures. Robb had a great morning as a carpenter’s assistant and was reluctant to leave for lunch. The ceiling work has really progressed rapidly. The carpenters work hard, long days.

On our way home from the library we were lucky to find that the local court was in progress. It is an open-aired courtroom where community disputes are resolved before a magistrate that comes once a week.

In the afternoon we headed back to school to continue with computer lessons… some new memory games and more typing tutor. We also played with the blow globes and some girls tried to teach me a foot jumping game called Ampe. I was quite pathetic much to their great amusement.

After school we went to the bead factory and had an interesting lesson on bead making from the owner – a member of the Int’l Bead Making Assoc. who has traveled the world to Association meetings. We each bought several pieces of bead jewelry. It was a fascinating journey to and from the factory through the busy streets of people selling their wares and doing their shopping after work.

Dinner was spaghetti and meatballs with our usual glass of wine and an early night to bed.

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Prepared by Robb

We began the day with the usual breakfast of eggs, toast and porridge. Patty read the journal from Tuesday and then it was off for our first day working on the library. On the way, we stopped to visit the Queen Mother at the palace who was having a meeting with Mayor Sam and the first Chief. We arrived at the library and the carpenters had already begun working on the ceiling in one of the rooms. The three of us spent the first hour trying to find the appropriate jobs for each of us. We tried hammering the ceiling strips. Kathleen was the best at it and I was the worst. We finally settled into Kathleen sweeping, Patty scrapping the walls and I helped hold the ceiling tiles while it was sawed, then handed to the carpenters as well as taking out the trash. It was very hot and the sweat was pouring heavy. It was a long but productive four hours.

Patty and I walked back for lunch and along the way stopped by the Methodist Junior High School. The teacher I worked with last year was holding special vacation classes and it was great to see him. I even recognized several of the students. We tried to get the students to come to computer class.

Lunch was fried chicken for the second day in a row!

The afternoon began with a nice thunderstorm and it did not rain until we got to the school for the computer class. The rain was heavy with hail and lasted for a short time. Made you really notice the lack of lights in the school as it was dark. Only about 15 students showed up, but they were all so excited to have hands on with the computers. After class we returned to the compound and it continued to rain. I finished a book (The Help) and Patty and Kathleen started a huge puzzle. It will likely take days to finish! Another good day in Senchi Ferry!

Nothing has happened today except kindness. Gertude Stein

A Message from Esther, Ghana Country Manager

Thank you very much for the good work you are doing for my country. I enjoy working with the Global volunteers because of the warm and sincere affection they have for the needy in society. They extend a hand of friendship to the community first by serving in our community. I appreciate the development work they offer the community as they serve in this hot weather as they have never experienced before. Yet, they go back to their country and come back again and again. By their mear presence in my community enrollment has increased in the schools we work in because very child wants to be taught by a native English speaker. Personally, I call it love, because such action is rare to find in this hard turbulent times. This compliments the saying by one Ghanaian scholar in the early 40s which state's that the black and white people in the world are like the black and white keys on the piano or organ, when you play only the white keys, it won't give you a nice melody; likewise for the black keys. However, if when you combine both keys and play them together it will give you a good melody. By this he meant that, when people from different cultures come together to work, it promote peace and uinty. That is what Global volunteers stands for to the people of Senchi Ferry and New Akrade communities.

Thank you once again.

Tuesday March 9, 2010

“ I expect to pass through this life but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do for any fellow being, let me do it now……as it shall not pass this way again.”

Today our remaining team members, Rose, Shirley and I, awoke refreshed from the Independence Day celebrations that subsequently gave us all a Monday off. At breakfast, Rose and Shirley shared with us their Cape Coast excursion experiences, and I shared my encounters with the local villagers. Some of my encounters lead me to meet children who were truly hungry, and I was blest to be able to share bread and oranges with them.

After our usual breakfast, we readied for work. We took a cab and dropped Shirley off first at the clinic, then Rose and I were dropped off at the school.

The children seemed genuinely happy to see my return. However, I was even happier to see them. They are loving, adorable, respectful, and eager to assist in any way they can; be it carrying books, purses, or our waters.

We all returned to the guesthouse for lunch around noon, so we had an hour to relax before our meal. The lunch was particularly tasty today: fried chicken quarters, coleslaw salad, fresh baked bread, and French fries. Bless was kind enough to leave out hot water, sugar and tea bags for my afternoon tea.

We then rested until after school tutoring. However, a storm came and was too severe to go to tutoring, so we relaxed on our own until dinner.

Dinner was delicious and consisted of salad, beef slices in tomato sauce, rice and bread. During the meal, Shirley shared with us her clinic experience that day. She said it was very busy and she was tired. I admire her strength in seeing needy sick people all day. I would not handle it as well as she.

After eating, I retired to my room to read, prepare for the next days school, and write this journal entry.

Thursday March 4, 2010

contributed by Laurel

Today, Shirley and I went to the Senchi Ferry Health Clinic, and our assignment was to administer polio vaccines to children under 5. The local community does this project on an annual basis, and consists of dropping two drops of the vaccine into the child’s mouth and then marking their pinky with a marker. However, the marker ink wouldn’t come out, so I got ink dots all over my skirt and arms. After the vaccine was administered, Emanuel, a local volunteer, wrote a VI on the house with chalk and then circled it so that health authorities would know that the people in that building had been administered that vaccine. After we returned, I helped Charity sort pills and watched her give a malaria test. The teachers enjoyed teaching their classes, and Lauren gave the soccer equipment to the Senchi Ferry school district. After lunch, the cab never came to take us to tutoring, and it started raining, so we all waited for the van to take us to Akosombo market. It was interesting to see all of the fruits and vegetables. I thought that the coiled fish were fascinating. We all did some light shopping, then returned to the guesthouse.

Wednesday March 3, 2010

contributed by Rose

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi, contributed by Laurel

Breakfast began without Laurel. Unfortunately, she was not feeling well. Upon completion of our unusual meal (hot dogs, toast and bananas), Rose read the quote for the day - written by John Adams.

Rod followed with a recital of his favorite poem, titled “White Butterflies,” a poignant metaphor of humans’ innate nature to fly despite life’s circumstances.

“Fly white butterflies out to sea
Frail pale wings for the wind to try
Small white wings we scarce can see
FLY!
Some fly light as a laugh of glee
Some fly soft as a long low sigh
All to the haven where each would be
FLY!”

Some discussion ensued regarding a more inclusive account of yesterday’s events. It was resolved when Shirley agreed to be the scribe.

While walking to school, I discovered a nail embedded in my sneaker. It was quite piercing. Fortunately for me, a nice man came along and removed it with his machete.

Upon arrival at school, Lauren found her classroom was mysteriously empty. Conversely, Rose found just the opposite. Both kindergarten classes had been combined into one.

We soon learned that the upper grades were at Senchi Ferry practicing their marching routine in preparation for Ghana’s Independence Celebration on Saturday.

As a result, there were (Vidda, Patty, Patricia and Dorothy) 4 teachers along with myself and Meg in the kindergarten class. There were approximately 60 students, and everyone sang a song together.

I shared poems by my favorite author, Maya Angelou. “Still I Rise” and “Phenomenal Woman.” Fun was had by all!

Lauren reported that she had escorted one of her students to the Senchi Ferry Health Clinic. The child was diagnosed with malaria. Due to Lauren’s generosity, she was administered necessary treatment.

Laurel joined us for lunch. The usual egg in tomato sauce, yams, cabbage salad, and mangoes (compliments of Shirley and Lauren) were served.

The afternoon tutoring session was rained out. So Lauren, Shirley and I retreated to an empty classroom with about 14 students.

We read books, practiced writing and blew bubbles. The hour concluded with pictures.

The day concluded with the usual spaghetti dinner, sweet bread and wine (compliments of Rose and Lauren.)