Monday, 26 January 2009
Getting ready for school
23rd Jan
Its Friday today and many of our local shops are closed, including the wonderfully named ‘Allah is my shelter’ beauty salon, however the ‘Jesus is Lord’ café is open. Ghana is a very religious country and this is shown in many ways including the ways in which the shops and businesses are named. Friday is the day for going to the mosque and wearing smart clothes. Many volunteers wear Ghanaian clothes so I am wearing my new vibrant green kaftan which I bought it from a woman’s cooperative last week. It’s very cool and comfortable.
I visited two local primary schools yesterday by moto, which down dirt tracks was very exciting as I hadn’t been on the back of a motor bike for years- especially down dirt roads filled with chickens and goats.
. The head introduced me to each class and the children gave me a lovely welcome clap. The headteacher told them that they must all come to school on Monday or they will miss speaking to me and finding out about Britain. Despite being an independent country for over 50 years, Britain is still held in high regard and affection by many people.
The teachers and the children must find learning very difficult as there are sometimes between 70 and 100 in each class. Each class has a school captain who keeps order if the teacher is out of class and gives out books. I shall be in each school for 2 weeks.
I have had my borrowed bike thoroughly serviced by Mohammed ( he even took the pedals off) so I am all ready for Monday and the teachers and 480 children of Kanvilli Presbyteterian Primary School.
This weekend I think I shall go into Tamale centre and buy some of the beautiful batik made here in Ghana and I’ll get Zara, the seamstress opposite, to make me a long skirt and blouse. I‘m also going to test drive my bike and see if I can find a short cut that doesn’t involve going on the very busy main road that is full of heavy lorries on the only route from the port for landlocked Burkina Farso.
Sunday 25th January 2009
Kim (my VSO house mate) and I got up very early (5.46am) and went to the Holy Family Church with our new friend Jim. The singing and drumming were fantastic and everybody was very friendly. The service was ‘short’ one and only lasted for 2 hours; it was in both English and then repeated in the local language spoken by the Dagomba. Of course many people do not have television or radio so going to church, as well as being a really important occasion, is also a time they can meet with family and friends and hear the local news which is given out at the end of the service.
We all came home to a late breakfast of porridge, boiled eggs and toast made in a hot dry frying pan (our cooking is done on two gas rings; we have no toaster or oven)
Monday 26th January
I was very excited as this was going to be my first morning in a school in Ghana. I filled my water bottle, took my notebook and camera and cycled along the flat, dusty road to Kanvilli Presbererian Primary School with its 470 children.
School started at 7.45 with whole school assembly of prayers and songs to the accompaniment of drums played by the children. The children are very proud of their wonderful country and songs are sung for it. The children were reminded to keep their shoes on (this prevents hookworm) and to keep their uniform clean and tidy. Each class then marched from the playground while singing:
‘Why are you marching?
Why are you marching so?
6th March 1957
6th March 1957
Ghana’s Independence Day’
I spent the day in class KG1 and in speaking with the headteacher. The children in KG! are four and five years- (just like Reception) and enjoy singing and action songs. They sing about what to do when the big lorries thunder past them and enjoy doing the actions for ‘I’m a little tea pot’
They were very keen to write on the blackboard and to have their photos taken. Some were so tired at the end of the morning that they fell asleep at their desks- but they are very young and had worked hard.
This school is lucky that it has a large water tank that collects rain water in the rainy season and children bring their own plastic cups so that they can have a drink. The money for this was raised by a church in Germany.
The children have a long break at 10.00 when they eat their breakfast. Some bring it with them in a tin, others buy it from the ladies who set up cooking stalls just outside the school. After break the guinea fowl or goats arrive to eat up the remains!
I hope you like all the pictures
.
I will be in class P1 tomorrow
Its Friday today and many of our local shops are closed, including the wonderfully named ‘Allah is my shelter’ beauty salon, however the ‘Jesus is Lord’ café is open. Ghana is a very religious country and this is shown in many ways including the ways in which the shops and businesses are named. Friday is the day for going to the mosque and wearing smart clothes. Many volunteers wear Ghanaian clothes so I am wearing my new vibrant green kaftan which I bought it from a woman’s cooperative last week. It’s very cool and comfortable.
I visited two local primary schools yesterday by moto, which down dirt tracks was very exciting as I hadn’t been on the back of a motor bike for years- especially down dirt roads filled with chickens and goats.
. The head introduced me to each class and the children gave me a lovely welcome clap. The headteacher told them that they must all come to school on Monday or they will miss speaking to me and finding out about Britain. Despite being an independent country for over 50 years, Britain is still held in high regard and affection by many people.
The teachers and the children must find learning very difficult as there are sometimes between 70 and 100 in each class. Each class has a school captain who keeps order if the teacher is out of class and gives out books. I shall be in each school for 2 weeks.
I have had my borrowed bike thoroughly serviced by Mohammed ( he even took the pedals off) so I am all ready for Monday and the teachers and 480 children of Kanvilli Presbyteterian Primary School.
This weekend I think I shall go into Tamale centre and buy some of the beautiful batik made here in Ghana and I’ll get Zara, the seamstress opposite, to make me a long skirt and blouse. I‘m also going to test drive my bike and see if I can find a short cut that doesn’t involve going on the very busy main road that is full of heavy lorries on the only route from the port for landlocked Burkina Farso.
Sunday 25th January 2009
Kim (my VSO house mate) and I got up very early (5.46am) and went to the Holy Family Church with our new friend Jim. The singing and drumming were fantastic and everybody was very friendly. The service was ‘short’ one and only lasted for 2 hours; it was in both English and then repeated in the local language spoken by the Dagomba. Of course many people do not have television or radio so going to church, as well as being a really important occasion, is also a time they can meet with family and friends and hear the local news which is given out at the end of the service.
We all came home to a late breakfast of porridge, boiled eggs and toast made in a hot dry frying pan (our cooking is done on two gas rings; we have no toaster or oven)
Monday 26th January
I was very excited as this was going to be my first morning in a school in Ghana. I filled my water bottle, took my notebook and camera and cycled along the flat, dusty road to Kanvilli Presbererian Primary School with its 470 children.
School started at 7.45 with whole school assembly of prayers and songs to the accompaniment of drums played by the children. The children are very proud of their wonderful country and songs are sung for it. The children were reminded to keep their shoes on (this prevents hookworm) and to keep their uniform clean and tidy. Each class then marched from the playground while singing:
‘Why are you marching?
Why are you marching so?
6th March 1957
6th March 1957
Ghana’s Independence Day’
I spent the day in class KG1 and in speaking with the headteacher. The children in KG! are four and five years- (just like Reception) and enjoy singing and action songs. They sing about what to do when the big lorries thunder past them and enjoy doing the actions for ‘I’m a little tea pot’
They were very keen to write on the blackboard and to have their photos taken. Some were so tired at the end of the morning that they fell asleep at their desks- but they are very young and had worked hard.
This school is lucky that it has a large water tank that collects rain water in the rainy season and children bring their own plastic cups so that they can have a drink. The money for this was raised by a church in Germany.
The children have a long break at 10.00 when they eat their breakfast. Some bring it with them in a tin, others buy it from the ladies who set up cooking stalls just outside the school. After break the guinea fowl or goats arrive to eat up the remains!
I hope you like all the pictures
.
I will be in class P1 tomorrow
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Frank, Liz and Vicky enroute
Nearly at Tamale- only 4 more hours to go. Frank is a fab driver and avoided most potholes and got us there in daylight.Pineapple for supper!
Meeting my boss
21st Jan
I met Madame Director on Monday at the prayers and devotions that always start the week for the education office. She has retired but staying in post until a successor is found. She was very friendly and I was introduced to the whole department.
We said Goodbye to Rik and Dinie, two VSO volunteers who have been here for two years Dinie had worked in schools and introduced the teaching of phonics which has really helped with improving reading and Rik helped with IT.
I also met many other new colleagues including the chief inspector and circuit supervisors. There are over 250 primary schools in Tamale and although my new job is Headteacher support officer I think to have an impact I will need to be assigned a smaller group preferably near my house as transport is difficult.
I am forward to visiting my first school tomorrow on the back of the chief inspectors moto!
It feels very hot today and is probably 36 degress. The Harmattan wind blows from the Sahara andand makes it cool at night which makes it easier to sleep; it also brings lots of red dust so everything feels very gritty.
It is winter here and the Ghanaians find it cold- apparently March is VERY hot!
I will have another try at loading some photos. Fingers crossed!
I met Madame Director on Monday at the prayers and devotions that always start the week for the education office. She has retired but staying in post until a successor is found. She was very friendly and I was introduced to the whole department.
We said Goodbye to Rik and Dinie, two VSO volunteers who have been here for two years Dinie had worked in schools and introduced the teaching of phonics which has really helped with improving reading and Rik helped with IT.
I also met many other new colleagues including the chief inspector and circuit supervisors. There are over 250 primary schools in Tamale and although my new job is Headteacher support officer I think to have an impact I will need to be assigned a smaller group preferably near my house as transport is difficult.
I am forward to visiting my first school tomorrow on the back of the chief inspectors moto!
It feels very hot today and is probably 36 degress. The Harmattan wind blows from the Sahara andand makes it cool at night which makes it easier to sleep; it also brings lots of red dust so everything feels very gritty.
It is winter here and the Ghanaians find it cold- apparently March is VERY hot!
I will have another try at loading some photos. Fingers crossed!
Sunday, 18 January 2009
18th Jan
Jan18th
We travelled up the 620 miles from Accra to Tamale on Friday and finally
arrived eleven hours later at dusk.
I was really excited to finally meet my new house mates, Tim and Kim and to see where I would be living for the next 12 weeks I was given a warm welcome and a cold drink. The next day Kim and I bought curtains and rugs for our rooms at the market in Tamale. Our house is 8 km outside the town and we travel everywhere by a ‘shared taxi’ as these act as buses. The taxi driver just keeps picking up passengers until he can’t fit anymore in!
We have a large house with 4 bedrooms and a garden. The garden is always full of the local goats and chickens- this is actually very useful for us as they eat all the left over food and some of the rubbish. There is no rubbish collection at all- everything has to be burnt, buried or eaten by the goats!
The local children also come in to say Hello and pick up the almonds that have dropped. They are also happy to take away some of the plastic bottles which they sell to the ladies in the market for their palm oil.
Tomorrow is Monday and I am. going to the Ghana Education Service office (GES) to meet my new boss, the metropolitan .director
I am writing this from an internet café 15 minutes walk from our house and now that I have reduced the size of the photos I hope that I can publish them- but it’s a very slow connection. Hope you are all very well.
We travelled up the 620 miles from Accra to Tamale on Friday and finally
arrived eleven hours later at dusk.
I was really excited to finally meet my new house mates, Tim and Kim and to see where I would be living for the next 12 weeks I was given a warm welcome and a cold drink. The next day Kim and I bought curtains and rugs for our rooms at the market in Tamale. Our house is 8 km outside the town and we travel everywhere by a ‘shared taxi’ as these act as buses. The taxi driver just keeps picking up passengers until he can’t fit anymore in!
We have a large house with 4 bedrooms and a garden. The garden is always full of the local goats and chickens- this is actually very useful for us as they eat all the left over food and some of the rubbish. There is no rubbish collection at all- everything has to be burnt, buried or eaten by the goats!
The local children also come in to say Hello and pick up the almonds that have dropped. They are also happy to take away some of the plastic bottles which they sell to the ladies in the market for their palm oil.
Tomorrow is Monday and I am. going to the Ghana Education Service office (GES) to meet my new boss, the metropolitan .director
I am writing this from an internet café 15 minutes walk from our house and now that I have reduced the size of the photos I hope that I can publish them- but it’s a very slow connection. Hope you are all very well.
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
13th Jan
Hi this is our first dayin the capital city Accra. We arrived last night after a flight lasting 7 hours and flying over the Sahara desert. The sunset from the plane was spectacular.
We spent today at the HQof VSO learning about Ghana.They have just had elections and now have new president called Professor John Attamills.
We had lunch outside under the shade of an enormous mango tree. It is very hot here but there is acooling breeze. There are brilliant colours of the flowers,and the fruits and we see many women and some children with their heads piled high asthey carry pinapples,avocadoes and bananas. I wish I could dothat. Everybody is very friendly and helpful and we have met other volunteers who have shown us around. We have two more days of training before we travel to the North on Fridayready to start work in our placement on Monday.
We spent today at the HQof VSO learning about Ghana.They have just had elections and now have new president called Professor John Attamills.
We had lunch outside under the shade of an enormous mango tree. It is very hot here but there is acooling breeze. There are brilliant colours of the flowers,and the fruits and we see many women and some children with their heads piled high asthey carry pinapples,avocadoes and bananas. I wish I could dothat. Everybody is very friendly and helpful and we have met other volunteers who have shown us around. We have two more days of training before we travel to the North on Fridayready to start work in our placement on Monday.
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