Hello everyone! I seem to be very unlucky with blog writing - I always manage to delete what I have written and have to start again, meaning I normally give up, but today I am determined yo publish a blog as it has been a while since I last wrote.
Since I last wrote I have just been working, settling in and trying to define my role and plan what I hope to do out here. I seem to have developed relationships with the children in my school and in my after school classes - although its very limited due to the language barrier. I wish I could communicate with them better, but we manage. In fact, I have fallen in love with many of the kids, it's just so hard not to as they are so adorable! (But don't worry, I have been talked out of my plans to sneak some back home with me ;) ) I have been trying to assist the teachers in classes to raise the level of their learning, which is quite basic as they are only nursery school kids. It means I have been teaching a lot of nursery rhymes (and learning a lot of Ghanain equivalents!) and going over the alphabet and basic counting and addition. At times over the last week the depth of the poverty out here has hit me - for example when I remember how most of the children come to school with no shoes, with hand-me-down clothes that do not fit them, often the clothes dirty and torn. Or when I focus on the lack of basic furniture - such as tables and chairs. The school where I teach in the village every day only has benches, when the children write they must kneel on the floor and lean on the benches. And then there are the children who often miss school when they have to look after their father's sheep for the day.
But there are so many good things also. Today I watched the smile on some of the children's faces I helped them to write out the alphabet properly. Or their enjoyment the other day when I took them pictures to colour in with coloured pencils. The work out here is challenging and the effect is slow to come about, but I just try to give the children love and attention on a simple level.
I am enjoying every moment and experience out here. Even Tuesday when in rained crazy amounts until 1.30pm so none of us could go to work, which was so frustrating at the time, turned out to be not so bad. I managed to survive the four days over the weekend when I hardly left the house - althought just barely! And I am now officially sick of Perudo, the game we all constantly play in the house. Cludeo has been an exciting addition - although I did not enjoy being the murderer (yes Joel, I read your blog, why was it obvious I was the murderer?!?!?!)
I just got my hair braided today - so now I feel very African! Will try to put pictures up of it soon.
That's all for now, I hope I have given you a good update. But just to re-emphasise for those who might have misunderstood me in the past - I am having an amazing time out here!
And thanks to everyone for your birthday wishes!
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