Equinox, Spring 2013

Well,  I didn't exactly make the date.  Actually I have allowed too much time to pass since I updated my blog, and  I temporarily forgot how to do it. And way too much has happened for one entry, but I will try to outline the last month or two.  

Storm

On Wednesday night (March 20–Equinox, 2013) a terrific storm blew in while we were watching the last half of “Star Wars” at my “granddaughter’s” home. We moved inside and the roof rattled in the wind and for a while we couldn’t hear the movie for the din.  It didn’t last long and we were able to hear the crew briefings watch the death star explode.  All lights were out, but with the torch on my phone and the guidance of one of my “granddaughters” who sees well in the dark, I arrive at my flat with almost no mud on my sandals.  In the morning after my bike ride to Bogyawe (pronounced bojari), I was met by one of my students who said “the roof of the school blew away!”.  I rode over to it and sure enough, the roof was gone over the Form 3 Class room and the Teacher’s room and most of the Headmaster’s room too.  The student teachers and I had been teaching during a national teacher’s strike, but that will be suspended until Monday at the earliest when we will move to an abandoned school a short way from Sanfo.

Thursday Morning, March 21. We are so close to the end of the term and i was
banking on scabbing the absent teacher's periods to catch up on math lessons.

Mr Bruce, the Headmaster, lost the roof of his office too so they moved all the  papers and
supplies from his office and the teachers work room into the Form 1 (Grade 7) classroom.
Our room was the only one entirely intact. 

A Sad Event

Anaaba at the District Football/Volley ball match, on the day before he
died.

On Friday, March 15, a funeral was held for Anaaba, one of our two boy’s prefects, who was struck by a taxi after a football game in Bogyawe in February.  His family is Muslim so he was buried soon after he died, but the school held a more formal ceremony for him a month later, last week.

Anaaba's empty chair as his Form 3 classmates file by.

Independence Day, Ghana

JHS girls about to salute the Chiefs. Both schools and the Adventist's Brass Band
marched through the main streets of Aduam and Sanfo and then groups from
every school marched passed the reviewing stand.

Masula is not quite sure what
 to make of it all.

Independence Day, March 6^th, celebrates the day in 1957 that Ghana became the first African country to achieve independence from the United Kingdom.  In 1961, Ghana, also became the first country in the world to invite US Peace Corps Volunteers to serve.  We have been there continuously since that time.  I am fortunate to be serving in the Junior High School between the  towns of Sanfo and Aduam in the Ashanti region of Ghana.  Practices for the band and the marching took a lot of the school time earlier in the week. Then the children from the JHS, the Primary school and a Pre-school in town marched in groups past the two town chiefs.  The whole thing took more than three hours and my junior “granddaughter” played the snare continuously while my senior "granddaughter" lead the way.

Attaa Kakra played the snare drum.

Attaa Penni leading the way