Thursday the 12th

This is my 20th journal entry during my time in Ghana. Which is fitting since it's almost my midway point. I will leave here on the 13th of February and today it is the 12th. So only 5 weeks left in Africa. Basically 4 weeks by now. And then 2 weeks in Israel!


So today, Thursday. What did i do and what am i yet to do. The truth is that not much happens here in the village though today was quite an emotional day. I went to school and taught form 3 social science about water pollution and land degradation. I then taught form one English, a story about the ills of alcoholism. Then there was a giant break and i as starving since i only had one muesli bar for breakfast and an orange. So at about 12 i went to town and got some beans and cassava and fried plantain. I also bought some Obama biscuits. I haven't eaten them but the packaging was kickass. Clearly Africans just love Obama. Except that he supports homosexual rights. And Africans are homophobes.


Anyways, after my lunch i returned to the school but i as not given any more classes to teach. However there were two form 2 girls who were in trouble and were called to the teachers to be chastised. Apparently they are smart girls but recently their grades have been suffering. The teachers suspect that they might have older boyfriends and will soon become pregnant and drop out of school. So after the teachers were done chastising them i took them for a walk with me to my house. Along the way e spoke about school and grades and boys and teachers. The whole lot. We got to my house and i gave them a book to share. It as the Peggy Oppong book called end of the tunnel. It's a teen novel about a very poor girls who studies very hard and eventually achieves her aim of being accepted to study medicine. Only then does she accept a boyfriend. Basically it's the perfect book to give female students. The protagonist is a very diligent student who delays having a romantic relationship in order to pursue her studies. I wrote the girls a message in the front and gave them my contact details. We then walked back to the school and had a chat about their dreams. One of them, Charity, wants to be a news reporter. The other, Alice, wants to be a nurse. I really hope that these girls remain in school. Since in form 3 there maybe 15 boys and only 3 girls. So it's really a struggle to keep girls in school in this village.


I also had a chat with one of the teachers (i wish i knew his name). The same one that i as chatting with yesterday, the one ho comes from kumasi. Anyway i told him that i think a lot of Ghana's problems could be solved by teaching to the needs of the community. So in rural areas there should be a whole subject dedicated to agricultural studies. 60% of Ghanaians work in agriculture yet Ghana doesn't produce enough to feed itself. They have archaic and inefficient farming methods, they don't do crop rotation, they don't plant in lines, they do subsistence farming, they don't irrigate. Basically i think it's silly teaching these students calculus if we are failing to teach them hat they need to know most. Ho to bring themselves out of serious poverty despite their working so hard. If they had more efficient farming and greater crop yields they would be wealthier and then their kids would be able to do calculus and become mathematicians. But so far most of the students come to school without any breakfast. There's simply no food to feed them. Not infrequently teachers are feeding the students or buying them uniforms or helping with the school fees (that are super cheap anyway). Basically, the way to get Ghana out of foreign debt and to improve their standard of living firstly is to improve teir farming.


I have got to get on to this.


If only i knew anything about farming i'd be all over it.


Hrm.


Anyway, at the end of the day there was an assembly to thank me, they gave me a bracelet and i had a photo with form 3. after that i said my good byes to the teachers and i returned home. There i discovered foster. And shortly after bill arrived. Foster is the co-fonder of plight of the child the NGO that organises students to come a teach in Bontodiase and that built the library. So i was chilling with bill and foster. Talking about their organisation and their plans for world dominations - by that i mean, they are expanding to also send volunteers to an orphanage in the central region. Bill is proceeding nicely with his plans to come and do his masters in Australia. He's honestly so impressive. He was the national president of aiesec, has written a math textbook, a novel and a business la textbook and has started this NGO. Plus being a la student. Basically, i'm sure he is going to change the world.


Anyways - after chilling with the boys i went to the well to get some more water and i carried it back to the house on my head. I think i'm getting heaps better at it now. I can even walk at a normal pace while carrying it. It's much easier carrying things on your head b/c your neck is so strong but your harms are weak. Good thinking africa. It's maybe one of the only things you got right.


As for tonight - there is electricity! And the headmaster has promised to take me to the neighbouring village to drink. I hope it's palm wine. I love that stuff.


A for tomorrow - i have to catch a 6am bus directly to kumasi. We'll see if i can make it. After that it's my last week in kumasi. So sad. Slash - i really don't want to leave this village - i really love it. I love working with young people and i hate working with companies which is basically all that i do in kumasi. Poopy. I'm super looking forward to going to sefwi wiawso the Jewish village in a week. I also super looking forward to my BFF joining me. Firstly because i love her but secondly because she's a Jew. I seriously miss Jews.


And i suppose that'll be all for tonight.


g'nite.