Photos: Meet Yenongya and Yenintombi

I have placed four final separate posts online today. They cover a variety of things; they introduce our team who I think you would like to meet; they provide pictures of the Enskinment ceremony, and they show you a bit about Vida's life as a lecturer at the University of Developmental Studies in Tamale. . Yes, Vida does have a life outside UBC Okanagan and I wanted to share a bit of that. We fly out this evening and I wanted to have all posts completed so that I could leave this modem with Cynthia. I know when Vida returns to Ghana, she will need to stay in contact with UBC so will be handing the modem off to her. Meanwhile, Cynthia and Josbert can make good use of it. The fourth blog also offers a final story of our journey back to the coast...yet another bus ride with its challenges although no flat tires I am happy to say. We have been told that it is finally raining in the villages which is good; the rains were late and we worried for the farmers.

A personal thank you to everyone who followed the blog. Knowing you were with us and reading of our journey made a big difference and allowed us to feel connected. We look forward to sharing stories with you when we get home, but having you all with us for the journey was wonderful; it was great to share and being a bit of an insomniac here, it gave me something to do during sleepless hours.

Thanks for joining us on our journey and enjoy the blogs below.

Enskinment ceremony; Here the Chief is inducting me into the community. It was a very moving and unforgettable moment.








Once the chief has placed the robe over me, he then kneels and places shoes on my feet. For the chief to kneel in front of me, a woman and a stranger was a very powerful gesture. Needless to say, that gesture was not lost on me.










Jan's turn; the man who is performing the ceremony is second chief, and chief of the Nangodi people nearby. He is also an adult education supervisor so I though his induction of Jan was fitting since it was adult education that inspired Jan to come with me in the first place.










Traditional gifts are presented in the form of eggs, live guinea hens and a case of coca cola. We both wondered what customs officials might have thought if we brought the guinea hens on as carry on baggage.









Once the ceremony was completed, we were danced back to our chairs. The Chief's normally very stoic expression was a delighted smile all the way back and he is very happy to have this project in his village. I am encouraged by this young man; his daughters are in school, he is very progressive and welcoming and he wants the very best for his community. He is young, not even 30, but has a presence and dignity far beyond his years. The Enskinment ceremony was indeed the highlight of this whole trip and I knew in that moment, that I would come back. Connection is everything.

Vida's Other Life

Most of us at UBC Okanagan know Vida as a student, first as a master's candidate and now completing her Phd. However, Vida has another life in Ghana and I wanted to share a little about that with all of you. We know that she is far more than a student, and that she has contributed to her wider community in many ways, not the least of which is Project GROW.

When we were in Tamale, Jan and I visited the campus where Vida holds a position as a Lecturer with the School of Medicine and Health Sciences in the Faculty of Nursing. So, she teaches nursing, but she does more too. She also runs the University Health services, much like our own Health Services here at UBC Okanagan, and is the Nurse Manager. It was exciting to wander around her campus and picture her in one of the offices or teaching. She will return, armed and dangerous to those who do not promote women's health I might add, and resume her teaching role at UDS once her Phd is completed. So, next time you come across Vida on our campus, you might want to think beyond her studies in Canada, and picture her in place at UDS, continuing to influence and inspire, and to change lives in her own community.

I have popped a couple of pictures in below so you get an idea as to what the campus looks like. It is south of Tamale, and has a lot of land because they are, like UBC Okanagan, in a building and expanding phase. UDS has 4 campuses and according to Cynthia, the plan is to bring the campuses together at one location, or at least to centralize much of the learning there.

Meet our team in Ghana

Today is Friday, June 3rd, and as we work our way back to Accra we leave many new friends behind to carry on with the activities of Project GROW. Most of the work is follow-up, however; the most intensive efforts are over and all of those who made this such a successful two weeks are breathing a big sigh of relief. Getting the money to Ghana, and then getting that money distributed to the various suppliers was particularly tight this year and the pressure was on to get everything in place for the two presentations.
It is fitting then, to use one of the final blogs to introduce the team to all of you who have been following our travels. They are all wonderful, dedicated people and I’ll do my best to introduce them and fill you in on their backgrounds.

Cynthia 
Cynthia is a Health Services Administrator and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Administration and is Vida's niece. It would take an entire, separate blog to really do justice to Cynthia's contributions, both to GROW and as our travelling companion. She met us at the airport, arranged all of our transportation, devised great places to see, showed us a side to Ghana that we would never have experienced on our own. She listened attentively to every single observation and often acted on something as a result of a comment or having overheard something Jan and I might have said. In the villages, Cynthia, like Vida, is an inspiration to the girls, and a fine example of why Girl Child Education is so important. She is also a fierce negotiator who either won the match, or in the rare moment when she didn't, gave a dismissive wave of the hand and found an alternative. Every single Ghanian man who dealt with us seemed to prefer to talk to her and Jan and I got very used to seeing this happen on a daily basis. Using her great charm and dignity, she could smooth the way and get us out of whatever predicament we found ourselves in. By the way, the Ghanian men were also dismissed, but in the nicest possible manner. As you can see by the photo, she has a great smile and that, I think, is a big part of her success. Many thanks to Cynthia; you have been a great friend and fellow traveller and we will miss you very much.

Josbert 

Josbert holds a diploma in Community Nursing and works northeast of Bolga as a Community Nurse, working primarily with family planning. Josbert took a leave from work and has spent much of that time doing the pre-organizational work to get the delivery items in place, the celebrations organized and overseeing just about any other task that needed doing. As our man on the ground, his work began long before we got there. Josbert is key to virtually every step of the process from start to finish: MC's each event, and divided the shopping list, following each purchase as it happened. His phone never, ever, stopped ringing the whole time he was with us. He also contributed to the adult education sessions because of his desire to see his people achieve their goal of literacy. He is passionate about the community centre and his presentation to the local Rotary inspired them to the point where they attended the second presentation of gifts at Sakote. Josbert also provided me with my first ever ride on a motorbike, just one of many memories I will cherish from this trip.

Jonas Jonas has a diploma in Accounting and works for the National Service as an accountant, although watching him working with our adult learners, he was equally comfortable with education. Jonas organized much of the entertainment for the two events, the children’s programming and performances, volunteered during our adult education sessions, and organized much of the financial activity (distributing money for the various items, keeping track of who was buying what, and providing receipts at the end of it all). Jonas also did much of the translating for the English versions of both my speech and Vida’s. He is wearing a UBC Okanagan T-shirt in this photo ~ a subtle welcome to us both perhaps.

Langumori 

Langumori, Vida's younger brother, is the local GROW coordinator for the villages and manages much of our work throughout the year. He lives in the village so his connection was crucial for having the village participation for the celebration. He also did much of the buying and stored most of the purchases until the big day. Langumori is married with 3 daughters.

Pogbil 

Vida’s sister is one of the women leaders, originally from the village and now lives in Bolgatanga. Pogbil, along with two of the other women leaders, organized the buying of the food for the school lunch program, and was also responsible for getting participants involved in both presentations. Over the coming months, she will be one of the mentors for the Sakote group as they learn the ropes of being part of this NGO. While all of the women of Nyobok-Nkunzesi will be there to support the group, it is women like Pogbil, involved from the beginning, who can contribute advice and guidance. The donations look like a simple thing that will benefit the women, but there are many challenges as they manage their livestock, drive the donkey carts or rent them out, use the ploughs, and hold regular meetings. Pogbil’s experience with the first group will be invaluable in mentoring the new one.

Kennedy 

Kennedy is currently studying for a degree in Community Development at the University of Developmental Studies (UDS). Kennedy’s role was getting the logistics such as canopies (which Jan and I would have melted without), chair rentals, sound systems, video recording He also organized the letters of invitation to the dignitaries . He also worked closely with Josbert to organize the transport of all of the goods and livestock to the village which was no small task as I mentioned in an earlier blog.





Clifford   Clifford has just graduated from high school and is now attending the University for Development Studies in Tamale. He picked up the slack on many of the small, tedious tasks such as printing off programs and other administrative tasks. And of course, once we were able to get going on the buying, Clifford, like everyone else, was involved in that process.

Samuel 

A close friend of Josbert’s, Samuel has been to every Project GROW delivery and has been involved in transport, distribution and just the general grunt work of the project(last time round, he worked with the protocol team) Samuel is also a teacher and very interested in the Laptop program.

Hannah 

Hannah is currently enrolled in a vocational program to become a seamstress and lives in the twin villages of Nyobok-Nkunzesi. She is the mother of 2 daughters, and serves as the secretary for Project GROW. Because Hannah has secondary education, she will also work as one of our two adult education facilitators to carry on the program. The adult education program was perhaps the most exciting moment for the first villages involved in the program, and having Hannah as a facilitator will ensure that the opportunity to learn continues. Hannah was everywhere during the two presentations to make sure all of the women got to the events and assisting in the details. Hannah’s husband also puts in a great deal of time with the project, especially this year when there were two major events and lots of livestock to manage.
Sampson  Sampson is the other adult educator for the program and has taught primary school so is comfortable in his role. He lives in Sakote but since the two locations are close together, facilitating the program not only be possible, but he is also ideally placed to encourage participants from the new village as well. During the presentations, and leading up to the big days Sampson made countless trips between the villages to set up the canopies, assist with transporting animals and keep the two main presentation events running smoothly. He was also involved with handing out the goats and other goods

Philomena YakongAlthough she was not here for the deliveries this year, Vida’s sister Philomena must be mentioned as well. She is currently in Canada with Vida, enjoying the arrival of her new niece, Claire, and will travel back with them both as soon as Claire’s paperwork (passport and visa) is all in order. Philomena is a Public Health Nurse , but currently is employed as a Health Care Administrator and lives in the western region of Ghana; she has a long way to travel home for Project GROW events. She is a signing officer for our NGO, and has, in the past, been involved in every GROW delivery which means taking a few buses (always a challenge here in Ghana) in order to get to the villages. Philomena has always delivered the speeches on our behalf as well as for Vida in her absence. I know both she and Vida have followed our travels every step of the way and were wishing that they could have been on location to celebrate with us. There are a lot of people waiting for their arrival, and I have no doubt that when all three get here, there will a second celebration in each village and the fun will begin again.

Naya 
Naya is one of Vida's brothers who lives in the village and was involved with organization from that end. Naya took care of the livestock as it arrived, caring, feeding and then on the big day, was part of the distribution. At the moment, I have no picture of Naya, but will post that as soon as possible.

And that, my friends, is an introduction to the people who make things happen and without them, all the donations in the world would not matter. Having the opportunity to see them in action made me aware that many of our team suspend their own income to make Vida’s dream a reality. In future years, we will need to consider this aspect because GROW is getting bigger and we will need to support and place some kind of value on the time they spend getting everything together.

Reflections in Ghana

Jan's Final Thoughts
My farewells to Ghana. As I sit on a breezy veranda seaside in Accra, I want to thank the people of Ghana for their sincere welcome. I met with outstanding courtesy everywhere I went. I want to celebrate their vibrant culture that is is full of music and colour. I think back on the red soil of the countryside that gives Prince Edward Island a run for its money. It supports the agriculture that is the backbone of the country. I marvel at the entrepeneurial spirit of the traders. There is no WalMart in this country. Goods are sold in small stalls that are open early and stay open late into the dark night. I am impressed with the emphasis on education that is widespread in the country. I am very grateful for the companionship of Vida's entended family, and I thank them for their hard work on behalf of Project Grow. I feel I have made many new friends in this hospitable country. And lastly, I thank our beloved Cynthia who was beside us every step of they way on this amazing journey. Ghana, I salute you.

Cindy's Final Thoughts
This morning (early morning I might add; I seem to be awake at 5:30 every morning) I am back in the Afia African Resort in Accra, back to a place where we began our trip 3 short weeks ago. I can hear the ocean and am in a comfortable room and knowing that a good resturant is just steps away.

We are finished with long gruelling bus rides and after yesterday's journey from Tamale, the positive attitude to bus travel in Ghana dried up. The bus itself was a good one; air conditioned and roomy seats. All luggage was underneath the bus which means no yams or suitcases in the aisles. As well, no flat tires, no breakdowns, no torrential rains, so those were all bonuses. Yet bus travel is always a challenge and no matter what the estimate, add at LEAST 2 hours.

We were told to be at the Tamale depot at 5:30 and so we were. First clue that this was not the time was the fact that we were the only people there. Bus stations are always busy here, and when it was so quiet, we began to wonder. An hour later people started to trickle in and finally, at 7:40, our bus left the depot. We knew the trip would be about 12 hours and although daunting, prepared ourselves for a long ride. Cynthia is used to this and has done it twice in the last 3 weeks, but Jan and I are another story. I envy Jan, she can sleep on the bus whereas I can be exhausted and yet won't fall asleep for fear of missing something.

The better buses in Ghana have TVs on them, so for the entire daylight journey, we are forced to watch soap operas that all have a moral message under every plot line. This in itself is perhaps doable, and you might think, just tune it out. Unlike an airline, this TV service does not come equipped with headphones and instead the speakers are on full blast because noise is part of the culture. So, for 8 hours we watched these soap operas, trying to tune them out was impossible. Finally, when they ran out, a live soccer match came on, again at full blast but Ghanian commentators. By this time I had my fingers in my ears which helped a bit. Ghana is soccer (or football) crazy by the way. There are games on every field, even games being played on the beach in front of our hotel, with teams in their full uniforms and the surf as a backdrop...pretty cool atually.

We had a smooth, if noisy ride to Kumasi, the big city that really seems to divide north and south. When we stopped in Kumasi on the way up we were impressed with how busy it was, coming back, that busyness translated into gridlock traffic and of course all bus depots are in the centre of the city. We arrived at 1:25 and we finally got back on the road and moving at a reasonable clip at 3:45. Since there is only one main highway and it is single lane traffic through this, the second largest city in Ghana, I did not envy the driver at all. Even on the highway, we tend to average 50 km per hour because of big trucks, single lane traffic, and speed bumps at every small town the road passes through (and there are zillions of small towns) The delay in Kumasi, plus the need to pick our way through a very long stretch of road construction as we neared Accra, and further gridlock in Accra with yet more construction, meant that our bus trip was now over 15 hours. We had hoped to arrive at 8 pm, did not get here until 10:30. We knew the dining room closed at 11 and began to worry that we would go to bed hungry so phoned ahead to see if they would have dinner prepared for us. Bless their hearts, they had a wonderful meal for us, we checked in to our clean suites and all was well.

So, that is the last bus ride and although we have lots of airline travel in front of us, it will seem a luxury to know that the person next to me who is watching a movie can do so without my hearing it. I also know that there will be food, a washroom, and perhaps a glass of wine or two on my KLM flights, bliss indeed.

I will miss many things when I leave. Bolgatanga, for all of its challenges, is a place full of fond memories. I enjoyed the markets, watching the people conduct small businesses out of ramshackle kiosks. I will miss hearing the Muslim call to prayer in the quiet of the early mornings because I always seemed to wake up about that time. As Jan pointed out, one of the benefits of the air conditioning failing was how clearly we heard it without the whirr of the fans. Watching the goats meander through everyday life was also kind of peaceful, they were everywhere, nibbling on any grass and leaves they could reach. Cattle also wandered through our hotel grounds, although it was a bit of a shock to open my curtain one morning and see a bull looking right into my window!

Most of all I will miss the people; their warmth, their openness, and desire to talk and share stories was wonderful. I think in our heads-down, busy culture, we have lost that special link that can only be made through sharing stories with strangers. I especially loved how everyone would get to know you, ask questions, and then, this would translate into asking you for your cell phone number so they could put it into their cell phone. Ghanians must have a huge contact list built into their phones because it was always the final question of any conversation. I know I will be back because of Project GROW, and I will look forward to reconnecting with many people.

I will appreciate the predictable plumbing, smooth roads, good food (bring on a salad) and my comfortable life in Canada. Decent rest areas and public washroom facilities are something we take for granted, but on a bus, on a long journey in northern Ghana, such things don't exist and it was always necessary to strike a balance between enough water to avoid dehydration, but not so much that we would need a bathroom.

However, challenges aside, Ghana offered connections and simplicity on a grand scale...things slow down here and you soon give up your demand for punctuality and organization; it simply doesn't matter and in Bolgatanga it is just too darn hot to make an issue of such things. So, a fond farewell to a place that, for all of its challenges, taught us much about ourselves and about the world we share. And farewell to the very special friends we made along the way.

As the speakers in our presentations liked to say in closing...Long Live Ghana!

Tamale

Lots of posts and pictures below as well; we were so busy for the last couple of days that it was impossible to get to all of the information and recognitions. so I have spent some time catching up.


After celebrating with Vida's family over a final dinner, we returned to the hotel and the power went out. This made the final packing rather exciting and I am still wondering if I have left anything important behind. Without air conditioning, the room was steaming hot, and of course, now that I know how much spiders prefer the warm temperatures, I couldn't help but wonder if there were any lurking nearby. We were planning to leave early this morning, 5:30, to catch another one of what I choose to call a 'yam' bus much like the one we took from Kumasi. Resigned to sweating all night, and again for a minimum of 2 and a half hours on a crowded bus, it was a wonderful surprise when Josbert and Cynthia pulled up with a man who was heading to Tamale in his very new, airconditioned security truck. For a fee of 30 cedi, we rode in style, had a chance to see the landscape up close and listen to local music on the radio. The driver was a bit fast, and a bit ruthless and one dead dog later we arrived in Tamale. (Jan, our dog lover, was asleep at the time, and I was glad she missed it as it was a pretty callous moment and she had a hard time watching the goats get vaccinated, the dog's demise would have been much worse!)

We arrived in Tamale at 8, and are currently in a pretty basic hotel, not nearly as comfortable as the Comme si Comme sa., but it is for 1 night, and then we are up early and at the bus again at 5:30. This will be a higher end bus, air conditioned so should be at least a little easier than the trip up. It will be long though, minimum 10 hours and I am learning that Ghanians like to tell you what you want to hear so if you ask how long the bus ride is, you will hear a positive response; they want you to be happy after all. It has taken me all this time to learn, don't ask:)

So, sadly, our Ghana experience is winding down. We'll be in Accra tomorrow night, spend Saturday getting ready for the flight home and then on the plane on Sunday evening. However, we do have Tamale to explore this afternoon. Apparently the food is much better here with more variety and the town is definitely attractive, lots of trees and quite green as more rain falls here than in Bolga. We will be going to visit the University of Developmental Studies and looking at some of their adult education programming as well as community development programs. Then dinner, bed, and a long journey tomorrow.

Off to explore the Tamale market too as once UDS is done, we are finished the obligatory visits. It is great to have all the speeches and presentations behind me and I will get to be a tourist for these last few days. I have led more discussions and made more presentations and speeches on this trip than I have in my entire life, so time to do a bit of travel and shopping...always a great way to come down from an intensive stretch of work.

Bye for now

Partnerships with GROW; it is not just UBC

I can't let this blog go by without recognizing some of the people who have supported this project and are not part of the UBC community. St. Charles Catholic church heard Vida speak, and over $6,000 was donated to GROW. Most of those donations are part of the Sakote village event, although some went to Nyobok too. There was a special donation from one of the families connected to St. Charles in the form of a donkey named Turbo II. Turbo II was donated in memory of Larry Chisholm who recently passed away. His family decided to donate a donkey in his name. Since Larry had a donkey named Turbo, who is still alive, they decided to contribute funds and purchase Turbo II in his memory. Turbo was delivered in Sakote today, and Cynthia told the story.

As well, long before we got involved with Vida's village, the Salmon Arm First United Church has been busy supporting education in the villages. Through the support of the First United Church of Salmon Arm in Canada, we have also been able to provide numerous items; Furniture for the Nkunzesi Primary school, a water tank for the school, school supplies and the sponsorship of 64 girls and 4 boys with special needs. There are many initiatives in Ghana that are sponsored by churches from overseas; it is great to see Okanagan churches part of this involvement and having seen their impact first hand, this is a good opportunity to salute the contributions of both churches. Your generosity is making a big difference.

Local Dancers; could have watched them all day

Local landscape. The day was ending here but the villagers showed no signs of slowing down!

Goats, there were 31 of them.

Being escorted into the village in a sea of people. Always touching always a bit overwhelming.

Okay, yes, this does look slightly biblical!






This was a wonderful sight. They had the Canadian flag up, and as we walked into the village, there was something moving about seeing the maple leaf against the African landscape. I felt a certain pride that this project was associated with that flag, but as a country with our incredible wealth, we could do much more.




The dancers are presenting to us and are dancing to tin clackers, and a big lug nut around their thumb that is tapping the metal. I am astounded at the rythym of these people. I have seen children drumming on an empty cardboard box, and it sounds great. And when the drummers get going, it gets even better.




People are jammed in, watching the presentation...needless to say it got very very hot standing in the crowd.

Delivery day at Sakote - meet Yenongya and Yenintombi

Well, and we thought yesterday was special~

Today we took the first delivery to Sakote, the new village involved in Project GROW. It was a wonderful and moving day. We arrived at the village and the women's group came out to meet us, singing and clapping their welcome. No matter how many times I have been greeted this way, it is still a little bit overwhelming to be surrounded by 100 singing women who will pull you into a dance at the drop of a hat. This singing continued on for quite some time, under a shady tree. It was a warm welcome, but eventually even the shade could not compensate for the press of people and we started to gently move everyone toward the village. We had speeches, though not as many as yesterday which was good, because the presentation was a major one.

It is quite overwhelming to see everything that has been donated all in one place. This project is Asset Based Community Development at its best. The women decide on the assets that would best move them forward. The list is pretty familiar, although we do not yet have a school lunch program because we are just beginning the project here. However, 31 goats, 4 donkeys 4 carts, 250 mosquito nets, 8 water drums and 3 ploughs is a pretty impressive sight when it is all placed together. The people were very excited and although we began the ceremony with plenty of space, by the time the delivery was made, the crowd was much tighter so they could all see the gifts and take part in the excitedment. I was a bit overwhelmed by the assembled gifts myself actually.

The women formed a circle and danced around the items, and it was just about the happiest thing I have ever witnessed. The village of Nyobok has had this program in place now for 4 years, and they are moving into a new dimension with an education focus because there has been so much progress. This is not to say they were blase by any means, but they have been moving forward and were in this same excited place 4 years ago; the excitement in Nyobok was for different things and focused more on long term planning.

However in Sakote, where we can see the poverty up close, today was pretty wonderful. To see all of the villagers gathered to celebrate and share in the moment was amazing and for them, it was entertainment that will be talked about for decades. Each family got a net, the goats went to the first 31 recipients and all watched and celebratedas if they had received one themselves. They know that their name is on the list and as long as Project GROW continues, the goats will too. The 4 donkeys and carts will make a major difference to everyone in the village as the donkeys are just so important. Finally, handing over 3 ploughs during planting season was a timely and much valued donation that all can benefit from. It was a good moment.

But the fun wasn't over. The space cleared again, and two chairs were set in the middle of the gathering area. I looked at those chairs with suspicion since Jan and I were the two guests of honor. Sure enough, we were beckoned by Josbert to come and sit in the chairs and with all of the community watching, we were inducted into the village through a ceremony called Enskinment and we became 'kin'. Friends, this was so moving. The chief had a ceremonial robe in his hand, asked me to stand and tapped me on the forehead with the robe 3 times. They he put the robe over my head, put shoes on my feet and handed me a leather purse. I ws given the village name of Yenongya, 'God Loves" and was made Queen Mother. Jan went through the same ceremony with one of the elders, and her name is now Yenintombi, 'God has done it' and then the chief took me by the arm, and the elder took Jan, and they danced us back to our seat, smiling all the way. It was such an amazing and touching moment. I can't wait to post the pictures and tell you more tomorrow. We are now part of the village community and have the most incredible robes to mark our belonging.

Difficult as it was to come back to earth, we did so and watched the rest of the presentation. I am very proud to represent Project GROW here, and this was an incredible honor.

However, as always, just when things are going great, Ghana makes you humble. We came back to a celebratory dinner with Vida's family, said our sad goodbyes as we leave in the morning for Tamale. Back at the hotel, the power is now out, the room is hot, and my battery is dying on the computer. (I forgot to plug it in, so have 22 minutes!) I will do a much longer more detailed blog tomorrow because there are many great moments to share.

On the bus to Tamale at 5:30, a m...should be another interesting experience. Till then

A present from Vida to Jan

Yesterday we attended the Project Grow presentation of resources at Nyobok. Cindy and I were given the royal treatment, and were introduced to all the dignitaries as well as the chief and the group of elder men when we arrived. We were seated as guests of honour under a canopy. We sat opposite the men, the women sat to our right, and school children massed under a tree to our left. The enclosed area in front of us was the forum for drumming and dancing, and school girls presented a play and recited poetry. At one point, a handsome donkey slipped into the ring. It wore a sign on its neck – “Darcy welcomes Jan to Ghana.” As you can imagine, I rushed out to greet him, and I gave him a big kiss on his long forehead. I wept with joy. Later I spoke to the young man who was his handler, and I thanked him for taking such good care of our Darcy. And thank you, Vida, for providing such a personal moment for me in the midst of the celebrations. From the minute I arrived, I have felt very welcomed in Ghana.

Photos from Nyobok delivery and story in the next blog

Jan is handing off the Adult Education supplies to Hannah, the Project GROW secretary and, with her high school education, one of our program facilitators.

Sewing supplies. My mom sent a donation, and I thought, since she was a sewer, this would make her happy. As well, just two days before I left I sent an email to UBC staff who might have buttons or other supplies. We made up a number of sewing kits that included scissors, thread, needles and other sewing supplies. Easy to bring on the plane, and very useful. Hannah, who is receiving the box, is currently attending a semstress program in nearby Kongo. Hannah will distribute the sewing kits to appropriate people.

Today was somewhat formal, and since Jan bought some fabric, she and Cynthia decked her out Ghanian style.

The boys with the goats and a number in their pocket. Some are baby goats being passed to the next recipient.

We are making the formal presentation here. It was an honor to do this on behalf of all our donors, many thanks to everyone. This is the first time that Project GROW has been there for the actual, physical delivery and it was great!

Delivery items

All of these families will be sleeping under a mosquito net now. Since Project GROW, many community members have returned home because things are getting better and we want them covered by a net too. Rotary here has also established a net program. A simple, but important contribution to health in Ghana.

Sorry, I can't seem to get the pictures to align, but at lest they are up. The story is in the next blog.

Delivery day at Nyobok

Hello everyone! Today was the first of two deliveries for Project GROW. We met with the original members of Project GROW and their entire community to make a delivery of goats, school lunch program supplies, diesel for the mill, and numerous other items. This delivery was small in comparison to tomorrow’s and that is largely because this village has been part of the program now for 4 years so we are moving to other things such as adult education, and beefing up the lunch program (I only wish it were with beef though). That said, there is still much to be done. People must travel a long way to seek medical help; they have no place to conduct adult learning programs, and of course, no electricity or sanitation. So today in Nyobok was as much about next steps as it was about delivering donations.
It is encouraging that the school lunch program was much of our focus. When the nursing students were here, they were told that personal bowls would be very helpful to ensure that everyone ate at lunch time. We went further and provided bowls, cups, and spoons, as well as providing a better and bigger cooking pot, and other lunch supplies. The lunch program is one of our Christmas card items and the money is well invested. Studies show that in the developing world, a lunch program is a major incentive for attendance and this is true in Nyobok. Although there is a government feeding program, it does not reach this school and even where it does, it is underfunded. If Project GROW is about education, then we want to remove as many barriers as possible and so we provide lunch. Beans, rice and grain were also supplied to supplement the program and we can leave knowing that lunch will be served for the balance of this school year and well into the next one.
When we were visiting the school for the deaf, the teacher who took us on the tour showed us their new poultry house. Cynthia, Josbert, and I immediately looked at one another and came up with the same idea; why not do this for Project GROW. A mud hut with walls half way up and wire mesh for the other half, a concrete floor, a decent roof of tin or straw and we are in business. Those of you who have been involved with Project GROW from the beginning might remember we tried to sell chicken cards. We had to give it up because there was no place to keep the chickens and they would simply fly or run away into the brush. This poultry house was an inspiration and would solve a lot of problems. Lack of protein in the diet affects the ability of children to learn, and while the lunch program is helpful, even an egg a week would make a big difference in everyone’s diet. The school could sell the chickens at the market, and sell the eggs to other villagers, and that way they would be able to sustain the lunch program and at the same time, vastly increase the diet of the whole village. So, we are now seriously considering that chicken card again, but this time with the intention to fund a poultry house that would serve many needs.
The other highlight of today’s celebration was the cutting of sod for the proposed community centre. I was honoured to be asked to participate in the ceremony and we hope that this part of the project will come together sooner, rather than later. A community centre would serve both the new village and the old one, as they are located quite close together. I shared a spade with the chief, and the District Chief Executive (a decision maker when it comes to infrastructure). The sod cutting is symbolic in that it represents the intention, but I have seen where intention can take us and hope that one day in the near future, we will go back to find a vibrant community centre in that spot.
The speeches and formalities were punctuated with entertainment; a drumming group who danced and drummed in the intense heat, sweat pouring, and incredible dancing. As well, a number of the girls who are sponsored through the Girl Child Education program staged a play around the theme of the challenges that face girls even when they are enrolled; parental expectations for helping with other children and chores that result in missed classes or no classes at all, and the impact of boys and marriage on education as well as many other pointed messages that push educating girls. In fact, using Vida as an example, the Girl Child education theme was predominant.
However, boys were not left out, and when it came time to hand out the goat, boys were in the limelight. Jonas made two sets of slips with the numbers 1 -15 and handed 15 boys a number. The other set of numbers went into a container (since we neglected to bring one, we used my camera case). The women drew a number and the boy with the corresponding number handed her her goat. It was a great idea, because there is always a chance that one or more of the goats are pregnant and this makes certain everyone has an equal chance for this bonus. Since every goat recipient will have to give the first female goat to the next woman in line, the pregnant ones speed up that process. The goats are the highlight of the day, actually, although Jan shuddered and couldn’t watch when the veterinarian began to do the immunizations. We want healthy goats and the immunization is an important factor. While we donated some goats today, many of those handed out were baby goats from a previous recipient. Capacity building again!
Speaking of Jan, she has a wonderful story to share, and will do so tomorrow. She is, as she so eloquently puts it, knackered after a long hot day, whereas I am the nighthawk. I won’t give the story away, but stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog. Another big day, and our last one in the region. Hard to believe that we leave for Tamale on Thursday and start working our way home. We will be sad to leave many new friends behind.
There is a gecko in my room and we have been having a standoff tonight. He doesn’t seem to anxious to leave, and I have decided I like geck’s over spiders, so I will allow him to stay. Even nighthawks must give in and tomorrow is another busy day

…til later!

A Donkey called Ginny.

As we were nearing the village of Nyobok, Josbert suddenly called out, “There’s a Project Grow donkey.” Along the side of the road, a young man was walking beside a cart piled with grain that was pulled by a sleek honey-coloured donkey with a dark brown mane. The card slowed to a stop, and I jumped out with my camera. I knew this donkey wasn’t Darcy, our first donkey in the village, who was a caramel coloured. This donkey, I decided, was Ginny, the second donkey that Jan C, Robert J, and I donated. The young man, Akuka, was happy to get his photo taken, and Ginny obliged too. The donkey and cart combo was originally placed in the village to serve as an ambulance to transport to the clinic those too ill to walk. In between times, the carts are used to carry firewood, sand, water barrels, millet and other harvest products. The donkeys also pull ploughs. There is a third donkey, Telkwa, at home in the twin villages. And a fourth donkey, Tyler, will be brought to his new home in Sakote village during the presentation on Wed. These four donkeys have been named after our dogs, and are among the total of 8 donkeys that donations to Project Grow have purchased. From Jan G

*Note, Jan went to bed before she left the camera; the picture is great and I'll post it tomorrow.

a few pictures, (story below:)

Oranges; a first for most of these kids and they loved them!










So I always wondered how livestock was shipped. ...this is not for GROW but I couldn't resist sharing it:)









This, however, is part of our shopping trip. The drums you see on the top will have the tops taken off, be scrubbed out well and used to carry water for washing, etc. Drinking water is carried in different containers. There are 2 drums of deisel in the back of the van, and 20 goats will be along for a ride. Shipping in this region is a creative process and our crew made countless trips to the villages yesterday to have everything in order for presentation day.

A Most Unusual Shopping Trip and a Visit to Rotary

Market Day in Bolga.

Sunday we finished up most of the buying. Much of the really hard work has been going on behind the scenes and Jan and I only saw the slim surface while we were in the market. We went looking for grinding mill teeth, which have gone up in price so limited how many we could get; we hope that when all the spending is done we can get two more sets because these are crucial to the operation of the mill and it really cuts into profits when GROW has to purchase them. One of the things we like to do is to provide operational support for the mill using GROW money now and then because it gives our NGO (GROW is, by the way, a formal NGO) a chance to get ahead and make some real profits. We also purchased 2 drums of deisel for the mills. Again, we hoped to get at least 3 drums, but oil prices are another area where costs have risen; up almost 30% . If you think the rising price of oil hurts our luxurious lifestyle in North America, imagine what happens here for something so basic as running a grinding mill. This cost is also transferred to anything shipped north, so oil prices have big impact in the developing world. Again, we hope to watch the spending and if there is anything left over at the end of the day, another drum of deisel will be purchased.

Market day is unbelievable; pandemonium, and the most action I have seen in Bolga and Bolga is a very active town! I went back to my cell phone guy from whom I purchase my minutes. He had invited me back on market day to see how many phones he charges; it was breathtaking! People come into town from surrounding villages that don't have power and they drop phones off with him, and with numerous others who provide the service. I have no doubt there are lots of them too...given the number of cell phones. He has powerbars everywhere, phones lined up all along the walls and shelves and on every surface. The next question, or course, is how the heck does he keep track?

So I watched; a farmer came in, dropped his phone off, was given a little square of wood with a number on it. Then my cell phone friend, Abubakari, puts the corresponding number on a little sticky tag and voila, we have a simple system that works for everyone. Good thing because the flow of people was steady and had been so all day. Abubakari was a barber until 2009; he says this is much better. Makes sense, Ghanian men need less hair cuts than they need phone charging!

After the market, we took some time out in the afternoon to relax and read, and then it was off to a meeting with the local Rotary. This is a new club that has been established for about a year. What an inspiring and passionate group they were. One woman had just won the 'teacher of the year' award, The Rotary here has some partnerships with other Rotaries, one in New York and one in Virginia. Through these partnerships, they have established 24 pump wells in the last year, distibuted countless mosquito nets, and provided school furniture for a couple of schools.

Thanks to Elaine Crebo, a UBC staff member and a Rotarian with Ogopogo Rotary, we have had Rotary interest in Project GROW and last year, this local Rotary provided the concrete floor for the grinding mill, along with a donkey cart. This year they are interested in perhaps becoming involved with the development of the community centre which will begin with an adult education centre and built in phases to include a medical clinic vocational school and, close to Jan's heart, a LIBRARY! The first phase will be a room that can provide meeting space, and more importantly, adult education. We met with the local Rotary because it is important to create links with other Rotaries on the ground. Cynthia is a Rotarian in her own region so she was able to connect with the group. The local Rotary was very receptive, wanted to know what to do to help and is very happy to establish links and provide any contacts or follow-up as this moves forward. Rotary International prefers to work with other Rotary clubs where possible so this was an important step. I also told them about the One Laptop Per Child and they got VERY excited; they'd heard of it and felt it was just so necessary. So, lots of interest around the laptop. And thanks to Elaine...your support has been wonderful.

Speaking of Laptops, I have heard also from the One Laptop Per Child company and we'll try and arrange a phone conference while I am in Ghana. (That cell phone piece again folks!). More about that after the phone call, but I am feeling encouraged...

It is hard to believe I am on the last 3 days in Bolgatanga and I know both of us are feeling sad about leaving. It has been such a great trip, although I can't think of a time (except perhaps that first week of classes in September) where I have ever been this busy!

Best to everyone and we'll have a post tomorrow after the first presentation. Please note, modem works well most of the time, but occasionally it fails, and that is frustrating on this end. However, for the most part, can't complain...a decade ago this kind of communication would not have been possible!

Stay tuned...

Adult Education ... day 2

Well, once again I have to post another entry; the second session was held today and the plan was to introduce 12 more people to the skills of writing their name. We didn't bargain on the fact that the first group decided to come back for more. So, we adapted and divided them into two groups. The university students from UDS joined us and this time, they understood the program objectives much better and they can make a real contribution in their 7 weeks at the village. The people who returned are making amazing progress, some are starting to move onto learning key vocabulary and are ready for some numbers. Next Saturday there will be another class so I think we have a successful program. Actually, after the intial welcome and informal discussion about their learning needs, Jan and I stood back and let the facilitators take over. They are Sampson and Hannah, and both have enough education and more than enough dedication to handle the task. We stepped in only when necessary, and Cynthia and Josbert will provide guidance until Vida gets there. Since the interviews informed the program, the facilitators know the objectives now and they did a great job. They are confident, and they have lots of support with the UDS students. I am sure there will be moments that challenge them, but I am also sure they are up to the task.

We finished with the usual celebratory songs and dancing, and the hugs and smiles and gestures of appreciation make the whole experience so much fun. It is such an honor to witness these changes and watch confidence bloom so quickly.

There was a sobering moment today though, and it has stuck with me. The carpenters who are building the new addition to the school have been watching the activities all week. They came over to see me as a group and asked for a bit of my time. They are from the Upper West Region ( we are located in the Upper East) and they asked me if I could please come to their villages which are equally deprived and need Project GROW. They would be honored if I would consider it. When I told them that I could not, and that this project began because a woman in the village went away, got an education and is using it to help her people, and we are working with her, they understood. It was a sobering moment and something like it that comes up at least once a day in some form or another. The need is great throughout Northern Ghana which is isolated, deprived and pretty much a different country than the south. If you are not careful, this can break you. The model of Project GROW is a good one; we are seeing its impact and are happy with it. It needs to be replicated over and over again and hopefully that will happen some day.

So, we celebrate the victories, and we do what we can. In the end, that has to be enough. It was a happy day, full of learning and laughter and neither Jan nor I will ever forget this experience. Tomorrow is market day, the purchasing of the last few items for the project and then we get ready for delivering the goods. I look forward to sharing with all of you, the excitement on Tuesday and Wednesday... Both days promise to be a big celebration and I have to go write some speeches to deliver. Busy busy, the pace has been incredible, but the results so worthwhile.

Bye for now...

On presentation day we will hand over all of the learning supplies them,

Educating Girls:
Over the past few days we have visited schools in and around district. In our meeting with the Education Director, he told us that when he started a number of years ago, there were 30 plus primary schools (our version of elementary) and now there are 64. Junior and senior high schools have increased in a similar manner, although the number is smaller given that many students cannot afford to continue past primary. With enrolment no longer the driving force, the schools are now trying to improve the quality of education itself, increase teacher commitment and improve programming. However, girls are still underrepresented in the school system and he praises Vida’s efforts with the Girl Child Education program as a way to improve this. We have met a number of the schoolgirls and in between self conscious giggling and shyness, they have confided hopes and plans and are ambitious; journalism, nursing, law. I wish them well; the challenges are enormous but those who have plans are currently in high school and that is a place where those dreams can become a reality.
Many of you who are following the blog (and it makes us feel so connected to know that you are) may be unaware that in this region, especially in the rural areas it is not uncommon for a man to have more than one wife; girls are often sent into marriage early, and often for reasons of poverty. Project GROW is about empowering women first and foremost (although as we move to phase two with education and community building, the men are becoming much more involved and are anxious to be a part of the program).

It is not our place to judge the traditions around marriage and polygamy and we don’t; but we know that change will happen with education. This is especially true if we ensure that girls are getting the chance to go to school. Educating girls is one of the single, most important things we can do to bring about change. The facts speak for themselves; when girls go to school they get married later, become mothers later, have fewer children and the children they do have live healthier lives. And of course, they have more choice with regards to marriage

Ghana is a very Christian country and this will also impact the lives of girls. Morality messages are everywhere and reflected from business signs to soap operas and movies; people are very open about their faith. Although strongly Catholic, many other faiths also enjoy a strong presence and religious organizations do much of the work on the ground, providing many of the resources. Religion is also a major part of the public school curriculum. When the children sang for us on the day we visited their school, one of the songs was a hymn. This religious base can have an important impact when it comes to changing perceptions of marriage. When young people want to marry, they want the blessing of their priest or pastor, and that will not happen if it is a polygamous marriage. Cynthia explained to us that one of the great things about education is that this blessing of a pastor or priest is important enough to make a difference in the social view of marriage.

When a family has limited funds, the boys will be the ones who go to school, so the Girl Child Education fund addresses this inequality. However there is some flexibility in the Girl Child fund; one of our school visits included the regional school for the deaf because Project GROW has sponsored a young orphan boy who is deaf. His parents died when he was a baby, he was taken in by a family but of course his challenges were many. Project GROW sponsors his tuition, and he is now thriving. He is lovely young boy with a beautiful smile, who is living in a community that can support and encourage him. The school itself was wonderful; the staff were inspired, dedicated and cared deeply about the success of the students. They have established many great programs and initiatives, the children board there, and are part of a strong and connected community. When they finish their public education they go on to a training school nearby where they can continue their education in post secondary or develop a skilled trade.

So, Project GROW has many strands, many initiatives and lots of good things happening. The Girl Child Education fund is one of the long term and significant strands that will impact this society and bring about better lives for women and families; it can also change how marriage is viewed . Tuition averages $150 per year, less for primary and more for secondary, and it is money well spent because it gives girls a fighting chance.

Jan's blog

One woman and her name. Our first learning activity with the first class of adult education students was helping them to print their first name. I worked closely with one woman who had a particularly long name. I printed the letters at the top of her slate, and she copied them. By her third try, she had executed a recognizable version of her name. We then moved to pencil and notebook. She copied her name from her slate and continued to refine her technique. She was missing the tip of her right pointer finger, so using a special wings pencil I brought worked well for her (thanks, Bren). At the end of the session, she and the other students took home a pencil and their notebook. When I met up with her the next day in the village, I asked her if she had practiced her name, and I mimed the action. She gave me a big smile and opened up a plastic bag she was carrying. Inside was her notebook. I was delighted that we both felt something special had happened the day before.

Knackered by Night time. It is one thing to read about the temperature and humidity level in Ghana while still in Kelowna, and another to be outside in it. Most village activities take place under a large spreading tree – both for shade and breeze. For this Canadian visitor, after a day out around town or driving to the villages, I’m knackered by night time. By the way, as I sit typing this in my air conditioned room, I can hear drums and singing in the distance. There is another big funeral being held in Bolga this weekend, and the wake is being held tonight.

The Cell Phone; A Revolution

The Cell Phone in Africa; A revolution!
Some day, when historians are looking back at our time, I believe that the cell phone will be right up there with the printing press as a way in which every day lives, even the poorest and most remote lives lived, were impacted. We bump along the most remote roads, for virtually hours, arrive in the most rustic locations, with no electricity or running water, and someone from a mud home with a thatched roof and one that could have been built in any century will walk over to his goats while talking on his cell phone. That man will have learned to read numbers in order to do this, and with his cell phone, he can offer his price, arrange a meeting, and close a deal. He is not on a golf course, or in an office tower, but he is doing the same thing that business people do everywhere, he is closing a deal by phone. I have seen women in town, with a baby strapped on the back and carrying wares perched on their heads, talking on a cell.
In Ghana, the cell phone is huge, and I know this is true for other places. It is one way where city and rural meet, and the change is profound. Cell phones are cheap here, really cheap. You can buy 10 minutes for 2 cedi,(about 1.20 cdn) enough to have a phone in an emergency. You can go to the nearest place that has electricity, or send your phone with a friend who is going, and send a few coins (maybe 25 cents) to get it charged. Somebody in a ramshackle kiosk with a Vodaphone, or Airtel, or MTN sign, who has access to electricity and 5 or 6 power bars will charge it for you and can sell you time on your phone. I have only charged my phone once here, and it really didn’t need it but I wasn’t sure how long I would have the charge. I have phoned home countless times, to Canada, and talked for over an hour at a time, and my $12 cdn only ran out yesterday. Introducing a cheap cell phone to millions of people has indeed made a big difference here. It is a small business and since in the towns, virtually everyone has a cell phone, that business is booming.
Being able to read a cell phone was one of the other expressed desires from our adult education participants and will be one of our upcoming learning programs. Even though many people can’t afford their own cell phone, one or two people in the village will use a micro loan in order to buy the phone, some minutes and access to a donkey and cart (someone else’s business). They become the ‘cell phone person’. There are towns with electricity that can be reached by donkey and cart from almost any village. The cell phone person becomes a business person and an emergency contact and the phone, something that the rural developing world has been without, is now available.
I will never again, curse my cell phone! It is a huge agent of change, especially if it is cheap and in Ghana there are many cheap, basic models .

my room, C3 - spacious, modern, all round

good accomodations at the Commci Commca guest house.

Power can go out but that is common all over this area. All

in all, very comfortable here.

Our class, it was a hit!

We went back today to visit the kids,

took them oranges. They are welcomng

us and sang us 3 songs. So cute.

They scarfed the oranges; Cynthia

and Josbert's idea and a good one. Most of

them have never had an orange before.

oops, out of order; we asked for 12 people

to come for adult education, we got almost 40

plus a lot of curious kids watching from the

window.

Build it and they will come! (warning, this one is long because it covers two busy days...sorry)
In an earlier blog I wrote about the excitement the community felt around the possibility for adult education. Yesterday (Wednesday) we witnessed just how enthusiastic they were about getting on with it. The original intention was to spend the next few days in formal interviews with small groups to identify adult learning needs, but they were so eager to get started that we decided to dispense with the formalities and instead offer a couple of sessions to allow all of those interested a chance to participate in an adult learning opportunity. During those sessions we would incorporate the interview questions that were planned so that we still had our answers, but so that they also had a learning experience. I have begun to wish, in spite of few discomforts and frustrations (heat, humidity, lack of sleep, air conditioning issues, internet problems, giant spiders to get my heart rate up, missing Jim to name just a few) I could stay another month to really get this off the ground.

Armed with slates and chalk that Josbert picked up in the market, and some writing supplies that Jan had brought over from Canada, we headed out to the village to get started. The plan was to teach the adults to write their name, something that is empowering, and that was mentioned during our first meeting by virtually all the participants. Also, learning to recognize, spell and print one’s name is a powerful thing that can be accomplished in a very short time. We decided to begin with capital letters because the motor skills of many of our participants were not at the level to hold a pencil, and the lack of quality of both slate and chalk would have made it difficult to manage the small case letters. Older adults often begin writing their name in capitals because the letters are easier to form.

We were met by a large crowd, although the first group would only include 12 (we only had 12 slates). They understood we could not accommodate them all but they wanted to hear how the program would work, and then they would agree amongst themselves who would go first. That took some time since they ALL wanted to go first, but in typical Ghanaian fashion they sorted it out patiently! Our 12 participants selected, we got on with the discussion and learning activity. Through the informal interview discussion they gave us many reasons why they wanted to learn; to read a personal letter addressed to themselves, to recognize a date or an appointment, such as the date their public health service would run out. They wanted to read signs, to understand money in written, rather than only in its physical form. It was a long, and moving list.

We began the lesson, going over each name, writing it on the top of the slate, and let them go at it. It was amazing, touching, inspiring. The room was buzzing, children were peeking through every window, and those who were not participating found every excuse to pass by the school at least a dozen times on some kind of errand. In the end people just started to come in to watch. I planned an hour and a half because it is farming season and I know that the women especially, have many obligations and responsibilities so we did not want to keep them from what needed doing. I didn’t bargain on the level of enthusiasm though and it was over 4 hours before they finally let us go.

Once we had the name written in capitals, so that they could see quick progress we went on to teach them the full alphabet. We asked them to come up to the alphabet and spell their name. Most accomplished this in the first try!. Eventually some of their offspring came in to watch their parents write their names, making suggestions. As I also mentioned in a previous blog, there is a group of university students here in the village doing their 7 week research project and they were quite eager to join in and help so we invited them to meet with us prior to the lesson to give them an overview on adult education from a transformative learning perspective. They arrived late which was unfortunate, and which I will explain later in this blog.

A bit about functional adult education: it should not represent children’s learning and should appear different in as many ways as possible. In these types of literacy programs, one of the main reasons adults give up is because they despair being able to catch up to their children. That is why most adult literacy and community development programs are often conducted in different formats than a traditional school classroom. This session is based on the Reflect Action Aid,model and presents learning programs based on the learners’ individual realities; they are farmers, goat herds, petty traders, etc. so we build a vocabulary around those roles. Most have never held a pen before, so we begin with chalk and slate to get them used to forming letters. Motor skills take time to learn, especially among the older participants, so capitals are easier for the first printed project.

We used the school, because it was a national holiday, and because it has a blackboard and is the only place where people can gather that has a place to write,; not ideal but we made it work. The proposed community centre that is the next ong term step for project GROW will address this issue will be built between both the first village involved and the new one so that both communities can access it.

The university students arrived late, as I mentioned, and joined in to help. Their enthusiasm was wonderful, and because they have made themselves part of village life, they will be able to carry the learning on much further than we can. That said…there were issues. They missed the meeting with me to outline the whole premise of adult education and questioned our use of slates, and capital letters. We offered them a chance to step up and the program immediately retracted to an elementary school lesson and rote learning. We didn't say much because the learners were unstoppable and very happy to stay as long and learn as much as possible. Four hours after we began, people were still going strong and we had to break it up. We had moved them from slate and chalk to their own notebook and pencil to take home and it was great to see each one of them write their name on the notebook. Talk about a fast, and wonderful, breakthrough! When I introduced the program to the village, I told them that we would have them writing their name before we left Ghana,and would introduce them to a vocabulary that would use words that they needed to know for everyday life. When I also told them that two of the words would be Welcome Vida, the room exploded into joy and clapping and one of the villagers who was not in the twelve first students stayed because she only wanted to see the words welcome Vida. She could wait for her own signature. Vida, they are going to be so happy to see you and proud to be able to welcome you in writing. I intended that to be a surprise for Vida, but speaking with her on the phone tonight, I found out that she will not be able to join us in Ghana because the passport will not be ready until June 16th. Heartbreaking, sad, disappointing as it is for me, I can only imagine her frustration so I shared today’s success with her in a phone call and let her know this important goal of the learners!

We go back on Saturday for lesson 2 but we will be meeting with the university students ahead of time. This adult learning program is something that Vida and I have planned for a long time, it is her vision and her desire to see it on the ground and so I think a short overview of project GROW, adult education philosophy, transformative learning and other adult learning theory is essential. The University students are very excited to be part of the project so we want to be sure that they understand that we are working with adults with specific needs. We had a short meeting after the class and they got a better sense of what we are doing; we’ll discuss it further on Saturday.

Since the theme of the whole lesson was around names, our final moments with the participants were centered on them naming their learning program. At the beginning of the day, I asked them to think of a name that reflected how they felt about their program. They gave it some thought and came up with ‘Happiness’ because that is how they feel about the chance to learn, and ‘it is not too late’ which I think expresses beautifully the confidence and optimism they feel about this opportunity. It was a wonderful day.

Exhausted and satisfied, we packed up and headed back. Victorious as we felt, Ghana has a way of offering challenge after challenge and putting you firmly back to square one! We got back to town, went to a fast food outlet where it took an hour and a half for Jan’s pizza to be made, Josbert and I were long finished by the time it got there so she brought it home (I would hate to see slow food!). We came in and my air conditioner wasn’t working, and my room was 35 degrees and humid. I jumped in the shower, lukewarm because it is hard to get cold water here, and then went to get a change of clothes. The cupboard where my clothes are kept was locked, but in the heat and humidity the woodhad swollen so I couldn’t get it open to find clean ones. I then thought at least I can go online and blog our wonderful adult education experience but the modem decided not to work. My phone was out of minutes so couldn’t call home (super cheap actually) . Finally I just decided to go to sleep. Just as I was dropping off a giant spider, and I do mean giant!) scampered across my ceiling. I chased it with shoes for 10 minutes, then gave up, had another quick shower to cool back down. After sternly telling the spider to stay in its corner, I went to sleep. So, for every success there is ALWAYS something to bring you back to earth here. Still, all it takes is one of those warm smiles and it is all worth while. They are beautiful, friendly people who can teach us much about patience and who laugh and sing and celebrate life on any excuse.

Today it was back to the village again, this time to visit school children. We took oranges for them, many have never had a fresh orange. They scarfed them down and we shared the leftovers with some of the women who were nearby, as well as with the men who were working on the next school building. Yes, they need to double the school because enrolment is way up.

That, my friends, is the real impact of Project GROWl There is now more opportunity for education and it is happening.

Friday is the final buying day so we will be running around the markets doing all kinds of purchases; can’t wait. Jan and I are also going to out to see James and get some baskets to sell as a fundraiser for the community centre… Saturday is lesson 2, Sunday is a Rotary meeting; Cynthia is a Rotarian and we are going to share the community centre plans with them. Tuesday and Wednesday are presentation days so all your goats, donkeys, nets and other items will be delivered. Then by Friday we leave for Tamale (since Vida is not coming Tamale will be part of our homeward journey) and then we fly back to Accra. The end is in sight, but there is much to do. Stay tuned.

missing everyone
Cindy