February 17, 2010
Today was such a wonderful day. I woke up throughout the night again, but that is just usual so I think so I am getting used to it. Woke up 3 minutes before my alarm at 6 and then got up. I then met Annika to walk to the house. At the House, I was just having so much fun with the kids this morning. We got there, and then I just acted like I had known the kids for months or years. It was nice. So we helped them bathe, I washed dishes from last night’s dinner, I served the food, I gave “toffee” or candy to the kids that we bought yesterday at Cape Coast (they like the yogurt strawberry kind like me… I’ll bring some back for you to try), and then I bid them all farewell. It was nice because some mornings if one of the kids aren’t happy, them a lot of them aren’t, but today was good.
I then started to wash clothes. It was the usual hour and a half. Ester has stopped helping us wash now because I think she figures that we will do it anyways even without her help so she sometimes sweeps and mops now and gets ready for the day, but so far that doesn’t really bother me. She still helps a ton when it is needed.
I then saw that 3 kids had not eaten breakfast. Every morning they always have ground nut soup. And it is very bland so I can understand some of them just deciding to skip out. But in the future I will not hand out toffee unless they have eaten.
After washing, we left around 8:45. I walked home and cooked some oats. I then waited for pastor to drive up with me to the school. The school was SO MUCH FUN!!! I spent about an hour with the older kids and like 15 minuteswith the younger… oops…^_^ But with the older kids we sang Twinkle, Twinkle, If you’re happy and You Know It, Hokie Pokie, London Bridge, Ring around the Rosies, Mary had a Little Lamb, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, The wise man Built his House Upon the Rock, Down by the Bank of the Hankie Pankie, and then I taught them Patty Cake. So thanks to everyone who made suggestions about the children’s songs. It really helps. I then started with music theory. We reviewed five lines (meaning that there are 5 lines when your read music) Treble Clef, what a note is and then I drew out Mary had a Little Lamb in music to try and show them that what they were seeing can be written down. Like English or any other language, music is also a written language and not just spoken. But what is amazing about music, is that it is universal. So I tried to explain that to them, and I think a few of the older ones are getting it. And then I pulled out the three tin whistles I brought. Thanks mom and dad for making me bring them. I had all the kids play it. Of course, I pulled out my hand sanitizer and did the best I could to wash the mouth piece before each kids played. They really liked it. Each of them would blow the melody of Mary Had A Little Lamb. Some would move their fingers to imitate what I did before. It was super cute and super high and loud!!! ^_^ It was great. I then played a little tune to show them that the penny whistle is beautiful and to maybe interest them if any of them want to learn. I am thinking of leaving one of them here for the school. Pastor wants to get all musical instruments to show the kids what is out there and to maybe strike an interest if any of them want to play.
I then went to play with the little kids. We sung almost all the same songs and then I left so that I could catch a ride with pastor. It took about and half and a half to get home for a half hours travel because he kept stopping and talking with people, which I thought was great. It is a good example of how to be a good friend and neighbor to everyone. He then talked to me more about what he does. I found out that the Incooms have no personal income. That they came here 7 years ago knowing that Pastor would preach for free and not except money from the congregation because everyone is so poor here. He just wanted to serve them. So they say they have been blessed by people giving them things like their one small red car and their one 4 by 4 that were given to them, also Pastor is a part of many programs that sponsor and other random things. I also learned that through his organization, one of his projects is to help young women to progress in their education instead of being fooled into either teenage pregnancy (which is a problem here also like at home, except I think maybe a little bit more prominent) or else dropping out of school and having no real future. So he has sponsored 8 girls so far. He says “adopt” them. So he pays for their education. One is in the University, two are in or near high school. So I think that is wonderful. He also has a project to start teaching the women who sell items along the streets to learn marketing logistics or something similar that they can expand their business. He also stopped in Abakrampa to show me where an ICT (the computer classes they teach here) are going to be held. They want to have an internet café there to bring in more income. So students from around and also the community will be able to advance their knowledge in ICT. I haven’t seen one computer in any school yet. All they do is learn that the thumb goes on the space bar and that the left pointer finger goes on the “F” key and so forth without ever seeing a computer. It is crazy, but that is how it is. So he is trying to get computers for the classes and for the school. He says that with his program, Interhomly Academy, that he has it certified in social welfare or something so that if someone sends a computer, that shipping and handling are free and that the person who donates will be able to say it was a charitable cause. That is so great!!! He then showed me his office in Abakrampa and in Asebu. He then mentioned that he was talking with his directors of his organization that they were thinking of making me an ambassador for their organization for the United States. I asked him what that all entailed. He said that while I might be the first ambassador they have had, they have all the documentation set up and everything. So that if I was doing a fundraiser in the States, I could legally represent them. And then they also want volunteers to come and teach in the school. Everything from math, English, music, sports, art. So that when a volunteer becomes interested in coming, I will be their coordinator in the states to advise the volunteer to be coming since I have already been there. They would be housed with the Incooms or if there is a lot with another host family, would pay like I did to come, but maybe cheaper. They actually have a website that I have not checked out yet but here is the link. So I am not sure if I want to do that yet, but I am really thinking about it. Today, I started thinking about what I can do when I get back. I thought that maybe doing a one time thing to fundraiser would be good enough, maybe 500 or a thousand if I am lucky. But I started thinking, “maybe I can set up something official?” I know that I am young and in school, but maybe I can set up an organization, legitimate and all, to fundraiser and get the word out about Ghana and volunteering. I know that it takes a lot of paperwork but seeing the American group come that was only started three years by Elizabeth when she was 21 or 23, I think I could do it. They started after 6 months of paperwork, got it official, then got a board of directors and so forth. They went to high school and spoke and advertised and got volunteers that way. Now, they have made enough money to build I think 2 or 3 school buildings. So I know that maybe it doesn’t seem a lot, but to build a simple building here costs tens of thousands, and with many making only 10 dollars a day, you can imagine how hard that would be... so I will continue to think about it. But here is the link again: http://www.internationalhopefamily.webs.com/
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