It has now been almost two months since I returned from my placement in Jirapa, Ghana. Yet each morning I walk down my street on my way to campus, hoping someone will greet me with a smile and a hearty “Angsoma!”

My friend Nancy greets me every day

These greetings are just one of the things I miss about Ghana. I also miss the food - banku, a starch base made out of fermented maize, and groundnut (peanut) soup is my favourite. I miss hanging out with my two young host brothers, Charles and Emmanuel, playing Owari or listening to music. I miss riding my bicycle around town and calling out to all of the people I know. I miss taking the time to enjoy every day, reveling in the relationships I have with the people around me. I miss traveling around the Upper West Region, visiting schools in some of the poorest places in Ghana and still being inspired by the dreams of the students there. And I miss my friends: Natalia, KK, Kobe, Nancy and many others.

My good friend Kobe

Now I am back in Canada, back at school, and back to my busy life. But Ghana hasn’t left me yet. It is still there, inside me, screaming to get out.

Ghana is one of the richer African nations, yet it still houses so much poverty. There are many people there who need our support as Canadians. And I, as someone who has been fortunate enough to travel to Ghana, am in a unique position. I have a choice. Will I keep my experiences bottled up inside me, enjoying the memories but convinced that “no one will understand”? Or will I share them with everyone I talk to, reminding Canadians that we have the power to make a difference all the way around the world?

A girl carries a basin of water from a nearby borehole to her home

I choose the latter.

So I am here to remind you that you have the power to affect change. There are many things we can do as Canadians, right here at home, to make the lives of those living in poverty overseas a little more bearable. Here are a few things you can do:

1) Buy Fair Trade products, such as coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar, bananas and other fruit, sports equipment, clothing, and lots more;

2) Donate to a charity that can SHOW you the impact it’s having overseas;

3) Write a letter to your MP to tell them you care about Foreign Aid;
(on a related note, the Canadian government recently rolled out a plan to UNTIE AID!!! This is super-exciting news for those of us who have been campaigning on this issue for years. Read more here: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=f08c2405-d12b-4e11-9516-bd7faa004aca and then send a letter to your MP congratulating them on the new plan!)

4) VOTE in the upcoming federal election, and keep international issues in mind. Challenge your candidates to answer tough questions about their foreign policies and make them stick to it;

5) Volunteer for a social justice organisation;

6) Learn about another culture - see a foreign film, try a new restaurant, or talk to someone from a different country;

7) Try living off a dollar a day, just to see what it’s like (and yes, that dollar a day has been adjusted for Purchasing Power Parity).

This girl's shirt was shipped from Canada to Ghana - a common fate for our used clothing

Most of all, affecting change overseas requires a change in ourselves. We as Canadians need to change our attitudes and behaviour to better reflect our values. Canada has lost its reputation as a peacekeeping nation, but that doesn’t mean Canadians have lost their compassion. It’s time to stop being complacent and start demanding that Canada once again becomes a global leader when it comes to eradicating world poverty. But it’s up to you!

Nana

VINGOE, PHYLLIS ISOBEL - Passed away peacefully on July 25, 2008. Phyllis was born to Lottie and Duncan McLachlan, a pair of hardworking Scots, in North Bay, ON, on April 24, 1923. Her sister Myrtle Carr and brother Morris McLachlan still live in North Bay.

Phyllis was an excellent student and she graduated from high school at the age of 15. Although she did not have the opportunity to continue her "formal" education, Phyllis believed that one should never stop learning. She continued to be a voracious reader all her life.

Phyllis worked for the CPR in North Bay as a stenographer. It was here that she met Ted McCurry whom she married in 1952. They moved to Rothsay, NB, then to Toronto and finally to Galt, ON. After Ted died in 1978, Phyllis met and married Jack Vingoe and moved to Etobicoke. Jack died in 1981.

Phyllis was a strong woman who believed in the power of positive thinking. She lived independently in Etobicoke for many years. People would meet Phyllis once and remember her as "that tall, elegant woman". Phyllis loved to share her passion for ballet, literature, symphony, theatre, travel, bridge and golf with her wide circle of friends. But she was most special to her grandchildren Erin and Blair of whom she was so proud, her daughter Margot McCurry and son-in-law Allan Antcliffe. We will miss her greatly.

---

Phyllis Vingoe was my Nana; I am her only granddaughter. Like many people, I will remember her for her style and elegance, her poise and grace. However, these are not qualities I have always associated with my Nana (though I'm sure she always possessed them). But as young children we often don't give much weight to elegance. Instead, the quality I have longest associated with my Nana is love.

From my earliest memories I remember receiving so much love. She was so proud of us, her grandchildren, for even the smallest of accomplishments. We walked, read, played music and performed well in school to her constant delight. She was thrilled when I took up ballet and came to every performance.

It was not until she passed away that I noticed how many photos of us there are in her apartment. I know she loved us with all her heart, and that gave us the confidence to be the best we could be. I will carry her love in my heart always. And it is not for her elegance, but for her love, that I will always remember my Nana.

Early Return

As some of you are already aware, I've had to cut my time in Ghana short by 5 weeks. I returned to Canada last week to meet my mother at the airport and headed straight to the Mississauga hospital where my grandmother is currently held. She has been in ill health for the past few months, but her condition has deteriorated drastically since I left for Ghana. I was in close contact with my family for the last few weeks in Ghana until we decided I should come home early. After reaching that conclusion it was only a matter of days until I was on a flight back home. As for my grandmother, she continues to get worse every day and I can only hope her suffering does not last too long.

It has been difficult for me to leave before the end of my placement, but I believe it was the right decision. I had to come back to see my grandmother before she passes away - she will not always be here, unlike Ghana, which will wait for my return. My mother is relieved to have my companionship and support while my brother and father work during the week, and my grandmother was very happy to see me home. It's a difficult time for all of us, but I'm glad I can be here with the ones I love during this time.

I still have a lot of reflecting to do on my time in Ghana, figuring out what I learned, how I changed and how it will affect my actions in the future. I'm not yet ready to answer questions like "so how was it?" or "what did you learn?" (though I don't think I'll ever be able to answer those ones). I have to sort my photos, write down my stories and think as much about what I didn't see as what I did. I'm sure it will take time for all of this to come together, but it is a process I look forward to.

If you've stuck it out through these marathon blog posts, congratulations! You have a lot of time on your hands :) I invite your questions and comments on both my blog and my experiences as a whole, but please be aware that it may be a few weeks before I get back to you. Thanks for reading!

Rural Education in Ghana

*Disclaimer: please remember that all of the following information has been gathered from my perspective, using all of the biases I carry with me as a rich, white, young female volunteer. These perspectives may change as I stay in Ghana longer and the perspectives of Ghanaians themselves would surely be different still. So as you read, keep in mind that things may not always be as they seem.*

When we pass the first group along the red dirt road, I look back. What are these boys running for? Then we pass another group, and some more. This goes on for about 2km on the road between Jirapa and Sabuli. Many wave as we zoom past on our motorbike, but some simply stare ahead in concentration. We pass maybe 70 or 80 kids in total, boys and girls of all sizes. With only a few exceptions, they all have one thing in common: they aren't wearing any shoes.

It is a school out for a cross-country practice. Many of the children come to school in flip-flops, the only footwear their families can afford. Some come to school with no shoes at all. But when it is time to run, only the few with stronger shoes keep them on their feet. The rest shed their footwear and start off on the rocky roads, smiling and showing no signs of pain as they run along.

This is just one example of "the way things are" at rural schools in the Upper West Region of Ghana.

A rural Junior High School in Ganaa

Many children wear uniforms to school, but those who can't afford them just wear their everyday clothes. There are no official rules about wearing a uniform to school, but those who can't afford one will be made fun of by their peers.

Children are also expected to have their own school supplies - small textbooks, notebooks, pencils, etc. These also cost money, which some families don't have.

Ghana no longer charges fees for children to go to school. The practice of introducing school fees was common in many African countries during the Structural Adjustment Programs of the 80s, but later reversed once enrollment rates dropped dramatically. However, there are associated fees that families must still provide if they want their children to get a good education. And these fees can act as barriers to the poorest children attending school.

Additionally, children will often be kept home from school, especially on market days and in the farming season, to help their parents with the work at home. Not only does it cost money to go to school (if one wants the proper supplies and attire), but the family is losing out on an income-generation opportunity. If a child stays home to help with the work, the family will earn more money from their farm, or perhaps from selling goods at the market or on the street. For the poorest families, the opportunity to earn just a bit more through the labour of their children is impossible to pass up. And children who work can't go to school.

On top of the monetary issues faced by rural families, there is also a problem with the school system itself. Many Ghanaians become teachers as a stepping stone on the path to another occupation. Teachers are under-paid, and can be posted almost anywhere, which is often not near their families and communities. Also, many teachers at rural schools don't live in the communities in which they work. They will choose to live in a larger town nearby and commute to school, cutting them off further from the realities of the students they teach.

Some of the teachers in the rural northern regions are on their National Service year, a mandatory year of volunteerism required of every Ghanaian university graduate. The state has the right to post the National Service Volunteers anywhere they wish, and though most of these new grads are not from the northern regions this is where the most volunteer service is needed. Many are shocked by life in the north and are less than pleased to be here. Some will even quit before their year is up.

Clearly there is a problem with teacher motivation at the schools in this area. That is not to say that there are no good teachers; I have met a few that are truly passionate about their classes and want to give the children the best educational experience they can offer. But the majority of teachers at rural schools are there because they have to be, not because they want to be.

What does the Ghana Education Service do?

The District Director is in charge of all of the schools in a particular district. He heads up the District Education Office (which is where I'm working in Jirapa/Lambussie District) and reports to the Regional Education Office (in this case, in charge of the whole Upper West Region). He is responsible for making sure his staff do their jobs, and have the means to do it properly. The office here is made up of several departments, including administration and finance, training and hiring, and school supervision (of which I am a part). Within this department there are people in charge of culture, phys.ed, science, technology and math, setting exams and a multitude of other things. The District Girls Education Officer (Natalia, who I am working with) is also in this group. She is in charge of visiting schools in the district to encourage girls to complete their education, as well as dealing with specific issues like teenage pregnancy and elopement. There is also a team of Circuit Supervisors who are responsible for the 218 schools within the District. These schools are divided into 12 circuits and one Supervisor is in charge of each circuit. They travel around the circuits and make sure things are being carried out properly. They verify the attendance of the Headmaster and teachers at all of their schools and monitor childrens' attendance as well. They check the content of the curriculum being taught, monitor school health and generally make sure the children are receiving a good education. The Circuit Supervisors can also fire teachers if they are not showing up to school or not carrying out their duties.

Sign outside the GES District Office

Hypothetically, that is how my office works. But in reality very little of this work is carried out properly.

I had a chat the other day with two of my co-workers: Louisa, who is in charge of receiving schools' proposals and handing out grants, and Simon, who manages all of the circuit Supervisors. (They are both over 40 years of age, like most of the people who work in this office. It takes time to be promoted to this level and as a result many people here are on the verge of retirement. This creates problems when the work requires constant travel and an abundance of energy to interact with the mostly-young teaching population.) I asked Louisa and Simon what the main barriers are for the Circuit Supervisors in their work. They identified three things: Means, Mobility and Motivation.

MEANS

Unfortunately, as with everything, it all comes down to money. It takes money to fuel a motorcycle, which is the primary mode of transportation for the Circuit Supervisors. But somehow none of the money that comes into the District Office every year gets allocated to these field workers for fuel, which makes it very difficult for them to get around. For example, Natalia is supposed to visit every community in the district once per term (there are three terms in a year). However, there are some schools that she has not visited in over two years because she does not have the money for fuel to get there.

MOBILITY

A moto is required to get to the majority of the schools in this district - the population density makes public transportation impossible except along a few select routes. And a moto is expensive (in Ghanaian terms), at least Ghc600 ($600). The GES District office bought several motos a few years ago for use by the Circuit Supervisors, but currently there are only 5 available for 12 people. Some personally own motos, which they can use for their jobs, but the majority don't have the money for this. As a result, many of the Circuit Supervisors are left without the means or the mobility to carry out their work.

MOTIVATION

I have noticed something very interesting when I use the word "motivation" in Ghana: it has a different meaning. In Canada, I use the word "motivation" often to describe passion for one's work. Motivation comes from within, a reaction to injustices we see or ambitions we want to pursue. But here in Ghana, the word has taken on a much narrower meaning. "Motivation" is used to describe not internal drive, but external incentive. When people here speak of "motivation", they are really talking about compensation, including recognition from peers or supervisors and/or monetary compensation.

This is a touchy subject, and one that I won't speculate on too much. I think the internal motivation is present in most GES employees to improve education in the district. However, many find that they will receive the same "motivation" (compensation) whether they do their jobs properly or not. So why work more than you have to when you will still receive the same pay?

As a result, the schools don't get regular visits from the District Office, and they start to slack off. I have visited several schools already where we arrive to find the Headmaster has gone to the bank, or the market, or even gone home. Or maybe he has not arrived at school yet that day, even though it's past 10am. The same can be said for the teachers, who can wander into school at whatever time they please when no one is there to punish them. One time we arrived at a school to find all of the students dressed in their uniforms and playing outside. When we asked where their teachers were, a student replied "they have not arrived yet". I was incredulous! But that's the reality of rural schools. The current focus is on enrollment - get all the kids into school. But along the way, the quality of education has been neglected.

The parents have some power to hold schools accountable for their childrens education, but only if they are actually interested in this education. Many parents are illiterate themselves, or don't see the value of education, and thus do not take an interest in the education of their children. And some parents are just too busy farming or working to put food on the table. Schools will often call PTA meetings to allow parents the opportunity to speak up, but few parents have the time or motivation to attend. In these cases, the teachers are not held accountable by anyone: parents, headmasters or Circuit Supervisors.

It is a dismal situation, and easy to lose hope. Keeping kids in school is a constant challenge. But one institution that is helping with the problem of retention is the Sara clubs. Here the students learn the importance of education for both girls and boys. They learn things that are useful to them outside of school, such as personal hygiene and respect for others. Their parents see this, and support them in their studies. Sara club members have become more assertive in class, asking questions, answering questions and demanding a good education. Teachers respond by improving their lessons and giving more time to answer students' questions. Overall, the academic performance of Sara club members has improved through changes in the students, parents and teachers.

Meeting with a Sara club in Ullo

But not everyone can be in a Sara club. In fact, there are more schools in the district that DON'T have Sara clubs than those that do have them. Many students believe, as their parents do, that school is a waste of time. They regularly miss school, fall asleep in class, show bad behaviour and don't study hard. Eventually they drop out, choosing instead to work or spend their time idly with their friends. They are not always to blame; they have no good role models and life is hard.

Still, even in those communities where life is most difficult, you will find students that show great dedication to their studies. Why do they do it, when their teachers, parents and communities generally don't support their efforts? Because somewhere along the way, someone has told them that education is the key to their future. They want to grow up to be doctors, lawyers, engineers. They want to go to a good school and earn lots of money for their children. They want to escape the trap of poverty, and they know education is the way out.

My Work

"It is said that if you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate the nation. From the Sara club our parents now know this to be true and now they send our sisters to school as well as our brothers."

These words are the result of a short group exercise we gave to the members of this club. Their challenge was to explain how the club had changed their parents' perspectives on the importance of girls' education. After 5 minutes huddled in small groups all around the school grounds, each group returned to the class and presented their findings in well-structured English sentences. I am impressed with their efforts, and motivated by the change they see taking place in the world around them.

Working with a group of Sara Club members

But let me take a step backward and explain how I got to this place.

Many people have been asking "so what are you doing in Ghana anyway?". I've been putting off answering that question because I was still sorting out the details of my work. But now I think things are relatively well planned out, so I will share my plans with you.

My first few weeks of work were spent soaking up information and getting a feel for the role of the Girls' Education program here at the Ghana Education Service (GES) District office. I am working closely with the District Girls' Education Officer (DGEO) - who just happens to be the same Natalia who is my host mother - and KK, a long-term WUSC volunteer who hails from the south of Ghana and is here on an 18-month placement.

One of the major initiatives in girls' education in the northern regions is the creation of Sara clubs. The initiative is a joint venture by UNICEF and many national governments throughout Africa in an effort to keep girls enrolled in secondary education. The clubs are based out of the Junior Secondary Schools (JSS), headed by a teacher and consisting of both male and female student members. The concept of the clubs is based on a fictional girl named Sara. Sara leads an exemplary life - she shows respect for her friends, parents and community, she is helpful, she studies hard in school, she abstains from sex and is a role model to her peers. In short, she's perfect. Through reading comic books and watching movies about Sara's exploits, the members of the Sara club learn moral lessons about the behaviour they should exhibit as young adults. They have discussions on personal hygiene, HIV/AIDS and other STIs, teenage pregnancy and relationships between boys and girls. They sing songs, act out plays and try to educate their communities about the "new" role of girls in society, not just as wives and mothers, but as educated professionals. The underlying sentiment is "anything a boy can do, a girl can also do", a phrase which I have heard repeated several times.

Students at a Sara Club meeting

In this district, Jirapa/Lambussie, there are 36 active Sara clubs. Many were just recently revived since KK started working here. Some clubs are more active than others - indeed, it seems to depend a lot on the motivation level of the club leaders. There are some champion teachers who are really doing a lot for their schools, and some deadbeats who just got roped into it and often don't even show up for meetings.

One of the major projects I'm taking on while I'm here is a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) "tour" of these 36 Sara clubs. In these 3 weeks, we are traveling to all of the clubs and spending about 1 hour with each group. First we spend some time with the teachers, finding out the logistics of the meetings - when do they happen, how frequently, who plans them, etc. We also ask the teachers if they have seen any change in the behaviour of the students who are members of the Sara club. Often they note improved academic performance and behaviour in the classroom, as well as a more respectful relationship between the boys and the girls.

Next, we meet with the members of the Sara club in one of the school classrooms. This can range from only about 20 students up to 80 or 90. They stand and greet us and we introduce ourselves and the purpose of our meeting. Then come the questions: "What do you enjoy about the Sara club? How are you benefiting from being a member of the club?", then "What are the challenges that you face?" and "How can you improve your club?". At first the responses are slow to come - some students aren't comfortable answering in English, and some just need time to think. But once the first few ideas are spoken, more and more hands are raised to add to the discussion. (It helps that we offer a prize for participation - a postcard, coin or "Make Poverty History" bracelet from Canada!) For the final activity, we divide up into the groups that I mentioned at the start of this post to answer the question "how has the Sara club changed the way people think about girls' education?". Each group considers a different set of stakeholders - parents, teachers, classmates, brothers and sisters, chiefs and elders. It is a heavy question, but an important one, and these students are in the best position to answer it.

"Before we were not respectful. Now that we are Sara club members we are respectful of our parents and elders in the community. They see this and they know it is important to send us to school."

"Our teachers used to be in love with some students at school, but from the Sara club we know how to say 'no'. Now the teachers know that we are strong and we are here for our education."

"Often the children who are not in school will copy the behaviour of those of us who go to school. Now that we are in Sara club, we live the life of Sara - we are respectful and obedient, we do our chores and study hard. We don't chase boys/girls and we don't have sex. Our friends see this and they have stopped their bad behaviour too."

It all sounds too good to be true. Often these students are describing the best-case scenario, the ultimate goal of the Sara clubs. They know this goal, and so they tell us what they think we want to hear. On one hand, maybe some of these Sara clubs really have had a dramatic effect on girls' education in a community. On the other hand, maybe some have had absolutely no effect. But how do we know?

This is a common problem with M&E: how do you gather qualitative information in a way that is both reliable and efficient? The real effect of the Sara clubs probably lies somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. An in-depth study of the community, interviews with several different stakeholder groups and sustained observation would give us a better idea. But who has time to talk to every person in a village? So we must compromise. We use a variety of techniques - one-on-one interviews, small group work, group discussions and brainstorming - but spend a limited amount of time in each location. This approximates an approach known to development professionals as Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) - more on this technique later.

Another group is presenting as I look around the classroom at the assembled students. They look proud when they speak of their new respect for themselves. There are small giggles and hand-covered smiles every time they hear the word "sex". One after the other, they tell heart-warming stories of parents sending girls to school, elders approving of their behaviour and brothers and sisters copying their reformed role models.

While I would like to believe the Sara club is greatly improving the availability of education for girls in this community, I must sift through the layers separating us - language, religion, power, race - to find the truth. And armed with the truth, I will find a way to support these students in their quest for a better life.

A Day in My Life

I have started to settle into a routine here in Jirapa. To give you an idea of what my life is like, here is a taste of a regular day for me.

6:00am - wake up, go to the washroom, do my Pilates exercises. I bought a small prayer mat at a local store and I have enough space on my bedroom floor that I can do Pilates inside. I find this is a great way to start the morning - calming and energizing to prepare me for the day ahead.

6:45am - sweep the yard. Ghanaians take great pride in all matters of appearance, including the upkeep of their houses. There is a huge nim tree in our front yard that is constantly dropping fruit and leaves, but i sweep the dirt clean.

The yard that I sweep

7:00am - bathe. The water usually runs for about an hour every morning, but the time is unpredictable and sometimes it doesn't come on at all. If it is running, I will take my shampoo, towel and cloth into the washroom for a shower. If the water is not running, I will also take a small bucket of water and bathe with this. Bathing has become one of my favourite parts of the day because it is the only time I am cool!

7:10am - dress, take my malaria pill and multivitamin, and eat breakfast. Breakfast usually consists of white bread and tea. Sometimes I will add a mango (which I've only recently discovered I LOVE here), an orange or some groundnut paste (peanut butter) for an extra treat.

7:40am - pack my things for work - laptop, water bottle, notebook, pens and books. If I am going out in the field I will also bring my raincoat (just in case), some biscuits and a motorcycle helmet.

7:50am - go to work. I get on the moto with Natalia (my host mother and the District Girl-Child Education Officer) and we head off down the dirt path to the main road, then along the road to work. It is not very far, about a 25-minute walk, but it is only 5 minutes on the moto (and much less sweaty).

8:00am - work. This can consist of many things. If I am working at the office it can include designing Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) forms and activities, processing information that has been received, learning about and planning Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) activities, writing emails and reading about development. If I am traveling out of the office, it is usually to visit one of the Sara clubs in the district (more about these girls clubs later). We will meet with the girls and talk with them, both giving and receiving information.

Hard at work

12:00pm - lunchtime. Sometimes I will go back home with Natalia and we will prepare something for lunch, such as jolaf rice or banku with light soup. Other times I will take lunch somewhere in town, finding a place to sit and read my book while I take some kenkey or rice with chicken. It is also a good time to do small errands, such as going to the small local market, buying water or going to the post office.

2:00pm - return to work. After a long lunch and rest, I will return to the office to finish up work for the day. This part of the day is usually a lot more laid-back and you may even find people sleeping at their desks. If I don't have too much work to do, I will use this time to write blog posts or work on my learning plan.

4:00 or 5:00pm - finish work and go home. Depending on whether there is a lot to do, we will leave work earlier or later. After getting home, I will rest for a while (it's still usually very hot at this time). I like to read a book or write in my journal. If Charles and Emmanuel are home, I will play cards with them or talk with them for a while.

7:00pm - cook dinner. We will start cooking as it gets cooler outside - but it's still hot in the kitchen! We will cook TZ, fufu, banku, or rice along with light soup with goat, groundnut soup with fish, or okru soup. There are also several soups with various greens in them but I have yet to figure out all the names. And when I say "we" cook, it usually means that Natalia is in charge and I help with cutting up vegetables and pounding pepe (hot peppers) or tomatoes. I'm starting to learn how to cook though, so hopefully by the time I return I will be able to prepare some Ghanaian dishes!

Stirring the banku (fermented maize that is ground into flour then cooked with water)

8:00pm - eat dinner. Most families eat dinner around 6pm, but for some reason my family eats late. Also, it doesn't seem important that the family eats together - whoever is around gets a bowl when it's ready, and everyone else will help themselves later. The only important thing is to serve my host father with his own dishes on a tray along with a cup of water. Usually we will eat outside, where it is nice and cool (though this means I have to load up on bugspray first). Generally I like the food, though I'm not crazy about the snotty consistency of okru!

8:30pm - bathe again. Ghanaians usually bathe twice a day. It is easy to get sweaty and dirty, so this is a pretty good idea. The water is never running at this time of night, so it is always a bucket shower. I usually just wash my body and don't get my hair wet before bed.

8:40pm - brush my teeth, put my sleeping clothes on and head to bed. I will make sure I write in my journal before going to sleep, and sometimes if I'm not too tired I will read my book. Then I will turn off my light (if the power is on - otherwise I use a flashlight), tuck my mosquito net under my mattress all the way around and go to sleep!

The weekends are a bit different. Sometimes I allow myself the luxury of sleeping in until 7am, at which point Natalia will start banging on my door to see if I'm up yet. This is understandable - the morning is the coolest part of the day and the only time you can really do work. Saturday mornings consist of doing laundry. We will all take turns to wash our clothes in a big basin, rinse them and hang them to dry on the clothesline. Doing laundry by hand has become one of my favourite things - I find it so calming, sitting and scrubbing the week's dirt out of my clothes. The rest of Saturday I will find various things to do, including hanging out with friends, going for walks or other adventures. On Sunday my whole family goes to church. I went with them on my first week (to see what it was like), but I don't go anymore. Instead I stay behind and enjoy the peace and quiet. In the afternoon I will walk to the bustling weekly market, when people from all over the surrounding area come to Jirapa to sell their goods. There are things I can buy there that I can't find during the rest of the week, including pineapple and other such luxuries. I've never tasted pineapple so good as the ones in Ghana! On the way home I will relax, chat with people on the street and maybe stop for a cup of pito. Sundays are very relaxed, a perfect way to prepare for the week ahead.

The Rains Have Come

For those of you who were worried about the rain... it's here!

Before - a dry riverbed

Now - rain running through the street outside my office