Thanks to your donations, we were able to return to the village near Boti Falls armed with books, notepads, crayons, and other supplies for the teachers and children. When we arrived at the classroom constructed from mud and palm tree branches, the children eagerly greeted us with the few lines of English they had memorized for our visit. The kids at this school carry their handmade stools with them to and from class, some walk for for miles just to attend. Although the children ranged in age from 3 to 10, they all learn the same material since this is their first exposure to schooling. The teachers are volunteers from the villages who have attended only a few years of school themselves. The leader of a Ghanian nonprofit named “Big Mama” spends her time once a week teaching the teachers the lessons before they teach the children.
One of the ways the children are learning English is through music. The adorable smiles on their faces as they sang the songs to us was captivating enough to forget for a moment the reality of their future. With no source for clean water, access to health care, or proper education, the truth is that these children are more likely to master the concept of hardship than of opportunity. And, even among those vacant of basic opportunity, one child in this village will most certainly have none at all. I would tell you his name, but it is common for the villagers not to name the mentally challenged or physically deformed babies. It is believed that these children are in a state between life and death and will go home to God soon. They are typically given names of objects if they are given names at all. According to the locals, the boy in our pictures was not able to speak or hear, but a fellow volunteer was able to teach him how to high-five and play peak-a-boo within a few minutes of working with him. We wondered what else he could learn if given the chance.
After visiting the school, we also walked to see the living conditions and water source for the villagers. The water collects in a small pool at the bottom of a steep hill that is over a mile away for most villagers. It is typical for only the women and children, not the men, take this journey to fetch the water later used for bathing, drinking, and food preparation. Although the water appeared fairly clear, it is not healthy and they are at risk for many waterborne diseases.
Although the Akaa school wasn’t one of our projects we came to Ghana to work on, we couldn’t resist wanting to help these children and villagers. The basic school supplies purchased with your donation money will not only help the children learn, but also provides a glimpse of opportunity for change.
In addition to our work through Women in Progress, we’re look forward to funding additional projects with the donation money. Thanks to you for all the love and support!
Here is a video of the children learning to speak English through songs. We try to teach them "The itsy bitsy spider" at the end of the video. If the video won't play, you can try this link.
One of the ways the children are learning English is through music. The adorable smiles on their faces as they sang the songs to us was captivating enough to forget for a moment the reality of their future. With no source for clean water, access to health care, or proper education, the truth is that these children are more likely to master the concept of hardship than of opportunity. And, even among those vacant of basic opportunity, one child in this village will most certainly have none at all. I would tell you his name, but it is common for the villagers not to name the mentally challenged or physically deformed babies. It is believed that these children are in a state between life and death and will go home to God soon. They are typically given names of objects if they are given names at all. According to the locals, the boy in our pictures was not able to speak or hear, but a fellow volunteer was able to teach him how to high-five and play peak-a-boo within a few minutes of working with him. We wondered what else he could learn if given the chance.
After visiting the school, we also walked to see the living conditions and water source for the villagers. The water collects in a small pool at the bottom of a steep hill that is over a mile away for most villagers. It is typical for only the women and children, not the men, take this journey to fetch the water later used for bathing, drinking, and food preparation. Although the water appeared fairly clear, it is not healthy and they are at risk for many waterborne diseases.
Although the Akaa school wasn’t one of our projects we came to Ghana to work on, we couldn’t resist wanting to help these children and villagers. The basic school supplies purchased with your donation money will not only help the children learn, but also provides a glimpse of opportunity for change.
In addition to our work through Women in Progress, we’re look forward to funding additional projects with the donation money. Thanks to you for all the love and support!
Here is a video of the children learning to speak English through songs. We try to teach them "The itsy bitsy spider" at the end of the video. If the video won't play, you can try this link.
Here's a link to more pictures from the school
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15177460@N07/sets/72157605789225277/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15177460@N07/sets/72157605789225277/show/
