Wade in the Water

It has been while since I’ve updated my blog and a lot has happened.  First today I am at the Peace Corps Sub Office in Kumasi (KSO) because the septic system has been overflowing into the yard creating an awful smell and making the toilets in our compound unusable.  We have had heavy rains almost every night for a week and the place is designed so that each time it rains the runoff leaks into the septic access ports and when the whole system is full it all leaks into the yard. Not only that i am having a stomach problem so a long hike to a public toilet could be disastrous. So the Peace Corps director for education volunteer directed me to go to the KSO while they try to fix the place.

I am disappointed to leave site at this time because we are making good progress in both science and math classes, while the children will do fine in my absence I will miss out on the action.  Three weeks ago the district sent us 6 student teachers who will be with us all year.  There are only 8 regular teachers at my school anyway so that means that we all have student teachers to “supervise”.  One has taken my science class.  I’m still responsible. But he is an incredibly flexible and creative teacher and I have learned from him already.  When he found out I had to leave he quickly volunteered to take my math classes as well.  So I don’t feel like I have abandoned the educational enterprise, but I do feel like I have abandoned my kids and hope to get back to them real soon.

Our regular classes are 70 minutes long and sometimes I give them a short song or game to break up the time.  I even taught my Form 1 Class an old spiritual that I personally love.  It’s called “Wade in de Water”

Wade in de water,

Wade in de water, children,

Wade in de water,

God is gonna trouble de water.

Who’s those children dressed in red?

God is gonna trouble de water.

Mus’ be the children that Moses led,

God is gonna trouble de water.

Sanfo-Aduam JHS Form 1 (7th Grade) Jubilee Singers debut on
October 19, 2012

They really like the song and I tell them slaves, for whom Moses was a symbol of their hope for freedom, sang it to a tune they probably brought with them from Africa.  The Fisk University Jubilee Singers first published it in 1901. But my kids sang it for the school morning assembly last Friday.  They sang very well, especially if you equate loud with well. I am very proud of them. 

To me it is a symbol of stepping out on any enterprise with uncertainty–like joining Peace Corps or starting Junior High School.  Speaking of that, I think some of them progressing on the “boring basics” like multiplication tables, 3 digit multiplication and l o n g division. I think I have a scheme to recognize those who take the trouble to master these skills; I hope I can get back and see if it will work.  I was told I might even be able to return today, so I packed for the possibility, but Mary APCD for Education called later and said the place was not ready so I should stay put for another day or two.