March 6, 2010
Today is Ghana’s Independence day. I think I will go with the kids to Asebu’s March in the Park or something like that. Last night was interesting. With Georgina, she is a very nice lady but also very interesting. The kids were ready for bed by 9:30 but Georgina kept walking around, doing this and that and finally went to bathe. By the time she was ready for bed it was almost 1 or so. I slept on the mattress with her. Cho-Joe was so cute last night I played with him and had him fall asleep on my mattress with me until I moved him to his own bed beside us. It is such a special experience to watch a child fall asleep.
We also handed out the sunglasses and bouncy balls that Kendra gave to them. They really enjoyed it. I will put up some pictures soon. But there were only 12 items so I grabbed 4 more spinner tops from the closet to give to the kids who didn’t get the glasses or bouncy balls. They really liked them, Kendra. Thanks so much!!!
By the time is was 5:45 a.m., Georgina was up, but I wanted to sleep some more so I slept until 6 until her yelling at the kids was too much. I knew that if she was yelling, that the kids needed me in some way. Ester and Georgina got in a yelling fight. Not too big, but obviously Georgina was pulling rank on Ester about not going a good job or something. Then Georgina had Grace grab a stick. Elvis had told me that no one but him was allowed to cane the kids. So while I desperately wanted to go home and bathe and wash clothes and get ready to come back by 9, I needed to stay to make sure they were not beaten. Georgina gave two quick swipes to Joshua. I was about to say something but she was done with it. I felt bad that I didn’t say something then, but in my mind I was thinking “That is all she will do.” So she continued to lecture and lecture and yell and yell at the kids. It seems like the kids wake up being yelled at and go to school being yelled, come home being yelled at, and then fall asleep being yelled at. But I couldn’t stop the yelling. But then she started beating the beds and then she turned to Elvis and gave him two quick swipes. After the two, Elvis turned around to take his punishment from Georgina. I will never understand how a human being in the first place would beat children so much, and second, beat a child when they either cower or turn their backs. It is like hitting anyone who cannot defend themselves. I think it is disgraceful to the one beating.
When Elvis turned around I yelled “Georgina!!!’
She stopped and said “yes?”
“Are you allowed to beat the children?”
“What?”
“Are you allowed to beat the children? Elvis told me that only he was allowed to beat the children.”
“Elvis said that , huh?”
“Yes.”
“Well, the children need to get beaten. I only beat them little so they don’t spoil. If there are not beaten they will spoil.”
“You don’t need to beat children. It is not needed. When you beat them, they spoil!”
At this point, She was not happy that I was standing up to her, a young foreigner. Ester was also being the peanut gallery, finally being able to add some of her own words to how I stopped her beating the kids. When I said, “When you beat them, they spoil!’ She got very angry. I have never stood up to an adult like this before. I could hear my heart starting to beat faster and harder. I know how rude it is in America to stand up to an adult, or the elderly, but here, you must always respect the elderly. She then told me of how a European mother came here and the child was doing something bad and how the mother beat the kid.
“That was the mother’s decision to beat the child. As for me and these kids, Elvis is the only one to beat the kids.”
She then continued to protest by showing examples of how the kids spoil things. She showed me their dirty shirt and other items. I think the kids were in shock from seeing me or at least someone else stand us to Georgina. I don’t know if I did the right thing, but I am going to talk to Elvis again and see if he keeps to his word. If he backs down and says that Georgina is allowed to beat the kids, I am not sure of all I will do yet. It will take a lot of time and thought. If I say I would never recommend Asebu to any volunteers, then the children suffer. And I will not leave now because then the children suffer. So I am praying the Elvis sticks to his word.
Georgina then left for the funeral. I stayed for a little bit longer to make sure the kids started brushing and bathing. I also played some Ghanian music that they like to make the mood a little lighter. When Georgina left, she was not angry at me. She said a very friendly good bye and that she will be back later. So I believe that we are okay for now. As for Ester, I am not sure if we will ever be friends for life.. hahaha…! ^_^ The kids also told me that Ester had told Georgina that when the kids were reading a book to me that Sammy and Joseph were pulling my ears. Which the kids were not. So now Ester has lied to Georgina or has gravely mistaken herself. So I will also address Elvis about it. I pray he finds someone soon besides only Ester. The kids need more.
For the rest of the day, I went to the 6th March Parade at the Asebu School. My original plan was to go out of Asebu and experience a larger celebration but the kids wanted me to stay. Then Elvis invited for me to go with him to Cape Coast. So I kept my phone by me and took a nap. Around 3:30 I noticed he had not called. Only David from the beach who I emailed. In Ghana people call so much and just want to check up on you. For me, I find it very tiring but nice of them. So I ignored about 10 calls from him. I just get so tired talking to locals on the phone. I then talked to Pastor and found out that Elvis had already left for Cape Coast, so my plans of seeing a big Ghanian celebration was spoiled. But that’s okay. I saw a little in Asebu and I had even the older boys use my video camcorder. They felt very cool being able to use it. Even though some of the times I didn’t let them know it wasn’t recording, just because they were moving too much to make a good video. It was very interesting to see everything. I then went outside for some fresh air. The clouds and the air were giving it away that it was about to rain. And I was so excited. It had been two weeks or so since it had rained and the rain makes the night much cooler. And it smells wonderful. The thunder is so cool too. The light was off also. It reminded me of the times at the cabin when we would all just sit and count the seconds between thunderbursts. I think that nature is one of the most wonderful things a human being can experience. For the rest of the day, I will just be at home because I believe that it will rain on and off the rest of the day. So I won’t be able to head back up to the House.
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