Church seats and insect fighting talk

I'm not a religious person by a long shot, however I went to church on Sunday morning to show my face and as Jackson put it 'so that they know you are in their midst'.  I've haven't been to a church back in the UK recently, these days it's just for weddings and funerals,  but it is nothing like over here where the energy, dancing and enthusiasm is incredible.  No dull and mundane singing here, all lively and upbeat.  I didn't understand what they were preaching about as it was all in Ewe (the local language in this area), and day dreamed through most of the 2 hours, but I could dance and listen to the fab music and singing.  I was glad to get out mind, even just to be able to sit in a more comfy seat.  Why do churches have  the most uncomfortable wooden benches/pews?  Is it to stop people falling asleep?  Some sort of penance?

Apart from the school, I've found a little drinking spot I used to go to that has a good signal for mobile broadband.  As well as the benefit of being able to have a beer, it's quiet.  It may well turn into a regular haunt every few days to check emails and update this blog.

I popped to the school on Monday to see the teachers and final year students.  Only John and Emil are around at the moment until term officially starts in September.  They're covering a few classes each day to get a head start on the new academic year. 

I found out there are 59 pupils in the 3rd year class, around 59 in the 2nd year and about 40 in the 1st year!  
How they fit all these kids into the 3 classrooms I've yet to see, there was barely enough room when each class had only around 30 pupils.  Added to this there are not enough text books to go around (at least they now receive some books from the government), and how the hell can they teach ICT when they only have one computer?  It's the first year they'll be teaching it.  I can see it now, just imagine...trying to teach them how to go online, set up an email account, surf the internet etc. using the blackboard...I can show them the internet with this netbook but with nearly 60 kids in a class that's gonna be a long lesson.  I wonder how much a secondhand/cheap projector is over here?

A few of the kids that come to the house.

I've been going through the Brothers Grimm fairy tales with the younger kids in the evenings.  The internet really is a fabulous invention as I can't remember all the stories properly.  I think some are a bit long for them so starting to do abridged versions.  The kids tend to switch off after about 3 mins.  'Guess Who' is still keeping their interest however and some little ones seem happy enough to just stare at me.

From listening to the BBC World Service I've learned about some bloke renovating old radios and thinks the best made equipment was in the 1930's; another bloke has a pea plant growing in his lung; someone else had an x-ray only to find a toothbrush in his oesophagus (? you tell me!) and someone is trying to farm cod, apparently salmon has been the only successfully farmed fish.  Useful stuff then.

There must be a truce between the chicken and goat as there have been no further conflicts, either that or one/both have passed from this world as somebody's dinner.  There is however a coughing sheep that sounds like it's smoked 60 a day all it's life. Very disturbing late at night.

Nothing on the insect front apart from a wasps nest in the bathroom.  I'm going to be a coward and ask someone else to get rid of it, I'm keeping well away, especially with the size of them over here.  I do sometimes wonder why I enjoy travelling out of Europe where the insects are as big as your fist and look as if they're just waiting for you to be off your guard or saying in their insecty fighting talk..'come on then if you think you're 'ard enough!'. 

ttfn

Sam x 

1st week back in Ghana

Hi All,

Just getting used to this blogging malarkey..Been back in Ghana a week already! Time has flown by even though I've done bugger all apart from entertain a load of kids, read both the  books I brought and visit Ho (the nearest town) to sort out phone and mobile broadband, and discovered that none of the banks accept travellers cheques.  I'll have to head to Accra at some point to sort them out but in the meantime have a bit of cash and trusty debit card.

The journey here ended up being about 36 hours :-(.  Flights were ok and I was upgraded to business class on my connecting flight from Dubai to Accra.  No idea why and wasn't going  to query it, just said 'Oh thank you'.  Free glass of champagne will do very nicely thank you.  Great reclining seats although and at one point I ended up in some sort of upright foetal position.  Must admit the in-flight entertainment with Emirates if fab and would definitely fly with them again.

Arrived in Accra around noon n the 14th Aug, Badu eventually met me at the airport after being delayed.  African time has started...Decided to head straight to the village instead of staying in Accra, which I find far too hectic.  Prob because I've no idea of my way around and  get lost in about 30 seconds. 
Ended up waiting about an hour and a half for a tro-tro (small mini-bus) only to have everyone exit on mass after about 5 mins because the driver lied about there being working air-con.  A large air-con bus was parked behind so it was decided to get on this.  About an hour later we departed...after much discussion and arguing around where to load things and how much one woman should pay for her large quantity of plastic bins which were taking up about 3 seats.  Fun and games...They didn't seemed to get the gist of how air-con works and that having all the windows of the bus open would not help.

Finally arrived in Akrofu Xeviwofe around 8pm, shattered.  Good to see everyone again, only the kids seem to have changed and have grown so much.  Didn't recognise Ruby who had been only 2 the last time I was here.  Sat around with D'Ama, Jackson and Badu catching up and had some banku and chilli sauce for supper.  There is now a toilet and shower in the house, which helps.  I didn't mind bathing from a bucket in a small concrete enclosure with my head poking out over the top or using the neighbours toilet but this is a lot easier and convenient. 

Most start getting ready for bed around 8:30-9ish (it gets dark around 6)and are up as soon as the sun starts to rise, about 5am.  The church bell rings 5am on the dot every morning so no chance of sleeping late.
In the morning Badu took me round the village for the usual greetings, the Chief and Elders in particular.  Not much has changed here.  The only noticeable thing really is the abundance of mobile phones. 

I found out that the kids no longer have to pay school fees, which is great news, however they have to pay end of term exam fees to be able to sit the exam and move onto the next term or year.  Unfortunately some families are unable to pay this fee and their kids do not progress through school. 

Money I've raised from some very generous donations from work colleagues and friends (thank you very much) was to help pay for yearly school fees.  In the absence of these and if those that have donated are happy to, the money could help with the exam fees and possibly towards a 2nd hand pc and printer so the school can print the papers themselves.  I doubt there is enough money to buy a photocopier; but that could come later.  Text books are also another cost that many of the families are unable to cover and one of the rooms in the school needs windows and doors.  I'll be looking into costs and meet with the Headmaster and PTA to weigh up which would most benefit the children going forward and determine the best use of the money. 

Badu was really happy to learn I was trying to set up some sort of school twinning.  My mate Karen's sister Rachel has mentioned previously that the school she is a governor of in Sheffield is interested in linking with the primary school here in the village.  Now that I am here it is a lot easier to sort things out and get the schools corresponding.  I need to email a few of the schools I went to in Bridgend to see if there is any interest there.  It would be fab  if all the schools in the area could link with ones back home and have a great relationship in the future.  Possibly with some sort of teacher/student exchange programme.  Big dreams I know but what's the harm in trying, nothing will happen otherwise....I wish I could do this type of thing all the time. Lol.

After all the greetings, Badu left to head back to Accra.  In the afternoon it was nice to chill out with Jackson his wife and kid, Prince at a local drinking spot where I had a Star beer.
Most days so far have been spent entertaining the kids, catching up with people and sweating.  Not sure I'll ever get used to the heat. 

From left to right: Abba, Kate and Favour.

The kids are great, wanting to hear stories and telling me ones they've learned in school.  They seem to have a 6th sense of when I'm up and about or in the house and word gets around fast.  Soon there's a horde of kids in the sitting room.  I brought a little travel 'Guess Who' which keeps them occupied and not so quiet when I'm tired. Lol.

I've finished the two books I brought!  No TV, oh no what am I going to do?  Lol.  There are a few school resource shops in Ho I'll have to have a browse through and see what they've got.  I noticed Hamlet the other day, but not matter how bored I may get at times I still don't fancy reading that again at the mo.

After no rainfall for months, it's tipped down a couple of times this week.  Thunder, lightening, everything associated with an African storm.   I was stuck in the house one day so could only do what seemed to come naturally, which was to drink tea, read and listen to the BBC World Service.

I've found a better signal at the school for using the mobile broadband.  No way as fast as back home but usable.  Happy days.

This is turning into a very long post so will finish up soon.

There are a few very large flying insect things I've not noticed before.  Think one that got stuck in my room was some kind of huge black wasp.  Managed to get it out only due to the fact it seemed to be on it's last legs.  Sitting reading one night I heard some fluttering at the window...loads of flying insects with wing spans the size of my palm! Arrggghh.  I did what I thought I could only do to get them to go away and not try and get in through the tiny hole in the mozzy mesh...turn off the light.  Seemed to do the trick and even when one returned it was quickly captured by a relative of the gecko. 

Trying to sleep in this heat is just about bearable and I'm getting used to the cacophony of frogs, cricket type things, bats, goats and chickens.  The other night I heard a heated discussion between a goat and a chicken outside my room which quickly turned into warfare.  My money was on the goat.  In the morning I half expected to see a trampled chicken or one stuck against the wall following a headbutt but luckily it seemed there were no fatalities.  Both survived to fight another day or at least be used in some kind of stew.

Hope you're all ok.  Until the next post,

Sam xxx