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