Life: Through the Lens

November 16 was a Muslim holiday so there was no school. Students headed off to do more shopping, enjoying Knaeshie Market in Accra, and time in a rather quaint area of the capital named Osu. For us, it was the day to find Kpong Airfield. Wherever we travel we must find an airport. It’s challenging here, however, when there are only 8 general aviation airfields in the entire country. Fortunately a pilot friend back home, Gary, had located one only one hour north of where we are staying, so that’s where we headed. Another challenge was finding a driver who knew where to take us. Uncle Tee is our driver of choice. We called him and worked out a charge for the journey, as we explained where we wanted to go. I do believe this involved some laughter on both our parts as we bridged the communication gap. We left the city behind and headed north on our mission, arriving just one hour later at Kpong Airfield, south of the town of Kpong. We were shown around by Jonathan Porter, the owner and...

We are here to teach. And that is exactly what we are doing. It’s very different than in the United States, of course, and the comparison will help build the world experience these young people will bring to their own classrooms. The country has national teaching standards, and all schools in Ghana follow them. The tests are the same, no matter where you go, and the level of expectation is high. In private schools. Public schools are trying, but don’t seem to have the same level of support, both emotionally and financially. We are teaching in private schools, both the village schools and the International high schools. The testing procedure is British, with the International schools subscribing to the Cambridge testing system. This experience is coming up for a couple of the student teachers, so we’ll see what they think of the process and product. The youngest of our students are preschool and kindergarten. Learning through play, there are a lot of games, singing, exercise/movemen...

Fishing boat coming in along the shore of the Gulf of Guinea On our way to Accra for an outing we were fortunate enough to drive the beach road - allowing us time to stop and watch this fishing boat come in with its catch. Once the boat was ashore, all efforts turned to pulling in the net, which would take over two hours. The students were invited to help, which they did with enthusiasm. Of course, we didn't have two hours to wait, but most of us decided we'd like to come back when we have the time and watch the entire process. The boats look to carry between 10 or 12 people, while they set the net. While a group of men stayed to pull on the line, others repaired nets on the beach, and still others set out again with a new net. Watching the effort it takes to move the boat out across the waves we had a deeper appreciation for the hard working lives of the Ghanian people. Our experiences are diverse, here, and each weekend we look forward to another adventure.

Leave it to a group of teachers to find a trade fair. Welcome to the International Book Fair, in Accra, Ghana. This blog post deviates from my typical travel posts in order to accommodate my book club back home. We meet once a month at member’s homes and discuss the book-of-the-month – each book chosen by members of the club. This month the book was Never Let Me Go , by Kazuo Shiguro. It was a little difficult to get into and I will admit to putting it down more than once, convinced I’d never be able to read it with all my trip preparations. I even thought I’d read it on the flight over to Ghana, but once again couldn’t concentrate. Then one hot African afternoon, while all my teachers were busy in the classroom, I picked it up and found myself pulled into the story. Four days later I am finished, and wish I could be sitting in Barb’s living room discussing the intricacies of plot and character and theme. I have been reminded of Lois Lowry’s books, The Giver and Gathering Blue . For ...

Every day is market day. Whether it’s an organized day of the week, or a permanent part of the environment, Ghana thrives on the market atmosphere. This is a "hidden picture" story. Do you see anything out of the ordinary here? Driving through the numerous towns and villages on our ride to Mole we were able to watch the events as they unfolded. Early in the day groups of people, or singles, walking….walking. At first it was unclear where everyone was going. Then we reached a village and the riot of noise, color and odor assailed us. Baskets and containers of all kind were balanced on heads; people ran beside cars hoping to make a sale; cars and trucks were loaded down so heavily that we saw as many broken down vehicles as we did moving ones. Sheep balanced precariously on top of loaded trucks, or being driven by a shepherd were displayed for purchase. Cows, the same. Running in the streets, trying to catch cars as they slowed in traffic, peddling their wares. This describes ...

Mole National Park, Ghana’s largest wildlife sanctuary, is a gorgeous spot in the northwestern area of Ghana. There are more than 90 mammal species and at least 344 bird species within this protected area. Because of very poor road conditions the bus trip from Tema took us 15 hours. The students say their teachers laughed at them when they told them we were going to Mole (because of the driving conditions), but once there the drive was well worth the reward. Notice the goats in the road. Very common, all over Ghana. Surprisingly there is little, or no, "road-kill!" . The students rose early the next morning, headed to the waterhole overlook. What a gorgeous time of day, as the sun slowly rose and bathed the water and gorgeous tree limbs with warm light. This immediately became a favorite place for Paul, who could be found here whenever there was a free moment. One of the first adventures we had was a guided, 2 hour hike through the forested area and alongside water reservoi...

If I don't post twice today I'm not sure if I'll keep up with all the excitement and adventure! (As well as access to the internet!) The view from our front gate is straight out of a folk tale. The flowers are in full bloom, everything is green and lush, and these school buildings blend right into the environment. The buildings in these photos are for the youngest children in the school - Creche (toddlers) to kindergarten (age 5). Children's voices are everywhere, as they begin their school learning experiences. I have 3 student teachers placed here, so it makes it very convenient for me! Each building is painted a different theme, which only adds to the storytelling ambiance. On our first day we took our own mini-tour, as we waited for the director who would show us around. Excitement overcame fatigue, and the group had a grand time with their first introduction to where they would be teaching and learning for almost 8 weeks. (In case you were wondering, the ne...

We arrived in Ghana over a week ago, but technology did not arrive with us. Today is a good day, and time is on our side (which is usually the case in Ghana). Our journey was very long, but uneventful. My 9 students met us at Detroit Metro airport, where the journey began. Detroit to Atlanta was a quiet leg, and one which built our excitement. When we landed and made our way to the gate which would take us directly to Accra, the capital, we knew we were going to a strange and distant land. This leg of the journey would be extremely multi-cultural, for which we were ready (almost). One really unique thing to us was the ability to track our flight on a screen mounted on the seat in front of us. We watched the journey, changed screens to check our altitude, flight speed, etc., and even had the chance to watch a movie or two. I finally got a look at Prince of Persia, but couldn't concentrate enough to watch the entire thing:). From Atlanta to Accra was approximately 11 hours, a...