All My Lovin' and All My Children

I have found love in Africa, and I proclaim it proudly. 35 children who call me Madam have won my heart. Everytime they see me approaching the school, they race towards me and attack me with one massive group hug. (I invite you to make an image of this in your head: tall obruni in the middle of this circle of 4-10 year old Ghanaian children haha). When I enter the class, ie. walk into the courtyard of the housing compound, I am greeted formally with, "Good morning Madam Annabelle. You are welcome Madam."
And I reply, "Good Morning. How are you this morning?"
"I am fine. Thank you Madam. How are you?"
"I am also fine. Thank you." And class begins.

I have 9 students between the ages of 5-8. With a school of only 4 classes, and childen ranging from 4-14 years, each class has children of all levels of understanding. This makes teaching difficult. Some kids can answer the math set all correct in under 5 mins, whereas other children in the same class take 10 mins to just copy the problems. I taught for 4 weeks, and it was only until the third week that I started understanding what each kid needed and I figured out how to be a somewhat effective teacher with the time and resources that I had. It is unfortunate that only a week after I had figured all this out, it was time for me to leave!

I definitely saw improvement and learning in the time that I was there, but I also hit a couple frustrating dead-ends. Maybe the students felt more comfortable asking questions because I wouldn't lash them (although after being in the village over a month, I can sort of understand the lashing, although I'm no advocate of the practice). I wanted them to learn and not memorize their maths and English. They memorize their multiplication tables and they memorize 3 letter words for example. But if you ask them something outside of their memorized curriculum, they are just baffled. They know their multiples of 2, but when I ask, "If 2x6 is 12, what is 6x2?" They look at me utterly perplexed and say, "Madam, that number is too big! We don't know the multiples of 6 yet!" And I say, "It is the same as 2x6! You are not thinking!" (Yes, I am surprisingly stern with these children). And we go over it on the board and they pretend to understand, because the next day they definitely don't remember the lesson from before. Frustrating I tell you!

Other days there are breakthroughs. One of my students after 3 weeks of doing addition problems, FINALLY realized that any number plus 0 equals the same number-- 7+0= 7, 3+0= 3, etc. What a happy day for me (and him of course)! Or when one of my students was able to draw out 3x3 all on his own to get the answer 9. The question is now, will they remember this for next semester? I cannot be sure.

My class proved very challenging because I was attempting to teach them basic maths and basic English; however, English is not their first language, adding another obstacle to teaching. The older classes are easier to teach because they already understand the basics. Their new knowledge builds on this understanding that they acquired earlier. I'm teaching my kids what addition is, what subtraction is, what English is-- the letters, the sounds, essentially phonics. I am far from complaining. In fact, I'm bragging. I love these kids and although they frustrated the hell out of me sometimes (most times? lol), at the end of each day they got something out of coming to school as did I. The hope is that they learn something everyday, although I cannot promise that happens with each day. It is important each day that we have offered these kids an alternative to their daily lives. These kids would not be going to school if Kwame (pronounced Kwah-may) had not started this NGO. These kids would be begging in the streets, selling goods in the marketplace, or selling water atop their heads on the road. In fact, some children still go to work in the market after school. The families don't have money to send their children to school, so they put them to work at a young age. Or maybe if they are too young to work, the mother can go to the market while the 4 year old babysits the 1 year old.

These kids have responsibilities beyond their years. Not only do they take it and accept it, they manage it. It's no big deal to them. It's just the way things are. This school is an attempt to break the cycle of this village-- Women having too many children, men leaving them, and women raising their children ready to work towards the family income. Without education, these children are raised with no higher expectation than to work in the markets, or sell food on the street, which is what their mothers do. One mother sells hot corn on the side of the road. 25 cents a cob. She has 6 children and no husband. How does she feed them? These are the types of families that we are bringing education to. We hope to give these children options when they are older. They do not need to be condemned because they do not have the money for education.

The school is expanding. Right now they are building a school outside of the village so the students can have their own campus. Ultimately, the plan is to have 12 classrooms, and to make it a boarding school. Quite honestly, I think they will have a better time boarding than at home. I've visited the students in their homes and there is very little joy. The kids who are the first to hug me in the morning, treat me like a stranger in their home. They don't speak and they don't even smile. It breaks my heart.

What is also important about them coming to school, is that they get attention. They get love and people care about them outside of their families. Like all families, some are more proactive than others in their childrens lives. I feel most of the parents work so hard to get the little money they earn that they do not have the time or energy to engage their children other than feed them. So when the kids come to school, people listen, people care, and they have fun with the other children. This school attempts to change the lives of children in the village, but they expand with hopes of reaching children outside their village as well. I'm so privileged to be a part of it!

Ghana. It's one big dance. I came here thinking I already knew the choreography, the rhythm, and the beat, but I proved too confident. When I left Ghana last year, I knew all the moves-- walk the walk and talk the talk. When I returned, I realized I had lost my "rhythm" and would have to gain it back. I was a dancer who had taken a year off and was now returning. I KNEW all the moves, but it would take some time to FEEL the music and move naturally once again. When everyone else is dancing around you, you must re-learn quickly or else you are a hindrance to the other dancers.

It took me 4 weeks to get back into the "swing" of Ghana. Like I said, I needed to re-feel the rhythm. I thought I knew how to avoid getting sick (hand sanitizer in my purse!), knew how to avoid getting robbed (zip your bag, keep it close), and knew how to survive Ghana (keep a kerchief as a sweat rag, bring toilet paper everywhere, always carry cash, pleasantries will get you far, etc.) but even this time round, I had lessons to learn. I needed to get sick, and get over it. Needed to get scammed, then get over it. I came knowing the culture, but now I leave understanding the culture.

I feel that now that I am once again fully comfortable and confident, people on the street don't harass me as much. Maybe I'm imagining it, but the people who sell on the street want to target new obrunis who they can rip off because they don't know any better. Vendors barely even approach me anymore and maybe that's because I have this aura about me that suggests, "I know what's up. I live here. Don't even try to mess with me." Hahah I don't know, but maybe.

So it takes 4 weeks to get resettled. And I leave week 5. Time is too short! Well I guess I should mention here that I missed my flight on Monday, and gained another week. Totally NOT my intention! And actually completely screwed up the rest of my summer plans. I finally was mentally prepared to leave, but now I have another week! Blessing or curse? What to do, what to do!

So next time I return I'll be really REALLY ready for Ghana! I got this! Haha

See you back in the States,
Annabelle