The Animal’s Kingdom-a Ghanaian Story

Once upon a time there lived all the animals.  All the animals sin against Nana Nyankopon,  so Nana Nyankopon decide to punish them. Nana Nyankopon decide not to let the rain fall. So there wasn’t rain for so many years that all the trees in the forest started dying.  The animals did not get water or food to eat so most of the animals die.  So they pray to Nana Nyankopon and Nana Nyankopon told them he would forgive them. But in order to let the rain fall, there is a big tree on the big mountain. They should go and climb the mountain and ask the mountain the name of the tree.  If the mountain tell them the name of the tree they should climb down the mountain and shout the name of the tree and then there would be rain for them.

So the animals were glad.  They decided to send the fast and brave animal to go and find the name of the tree. So the king of the animals asked them to gather under the big tree in the kingdom. The king of the animals announced to them whoever would go the mountain and get the name of the tree would be king and he would be dethroned.

So Lion told them he was brave and strong and he would go and bring the name of the tree.  Lion run up the mountain and he ask the mountain the name of the tree and the mountain told him. He run down the mountain but unfortunately he forget the name of the tree.  The other animals were unhappy. Hare was fast and smart so hare decide to go to the mountain and get the name of the tree.  He run up the mountain. The mountain told him the name of the tree and he run down the mountain, but unfortunately he also forget the name of the tree.

High Five

Then Tortoise and Snail say they are small and slow but they would go and bring the name of the tree.  All the animals laugh at them because they know that Tortoise and Snail can’t even climb the mountain. Tortoise and Snail walk so slowly it take many years to reach the mountain.  They ask the mountain the name of the tree and the mountain told them then they walk slowly down the mountain.  It took them so many years all the animals forget about them; they think they are dead. So one day the animals were thinking about themselves and all of a sudden Tortoise and Snail appear and they shout the name of the tree: “The Wishing Tree”. All the animals were surprised and happy.  It then rain so there was enough food and water for everyone to eat and drink. They make Tortoise and Snail king of the animals.

Moral: Two heads are better than one.  Lion was strong and brave but couldn’t make it.  Hare was fast and smart but couldn’t make it.  Tortoise and Snail were able to make it even though they were small and slow.  Nana Nyankopon is God.

Story by Ama Ago, Illustrated by Melissa Rudge

Meet my Peace Corps Homestay sister Ama, the author of the Ghanaian Stories in my Blog.

My name is Cecilia Ago Asantewaa.  I will begin Form 2 (Grade 8) in Anyanisin Presby JHS in September.  I like school and church, and I like to play ampe and volleyball.  I want to study to become a journalist.  I am a member of the 4H club at my school. The crops I grow in the school garden are carrots, cabbage and lettuce. I love my friends and my family.

(by the way, Ama was the #1 student in her Form 1 class.  I have 5 of her stories which I hope to use for part of my training here.  Most of them are about the famous spider, Kwaku Anansi, but not all.)

ghanaian folk stories

Why Hippo-po-ta-mus Sleep in the Water

Long, long ago, all the animals were living together in one place.  Every year Hippopotamus organize a feast for all the animals. During one of the feasts Hippopotamus ask all the animals his name. But none of the animals was able to tell Hippopotamus his real name.  So nobody knows Hippopotamuses name except his six wives.  So Hippopotamus told all animals to leave without eating their food.  They were very sad.  But when they were about to leave, the ant asked Hippopotamus what he would do to them if he mention his name.  Hippopotamus promise to leave the land and go live in the sea with his six wives.  So when all the animals leave, the ant climb on Hippopotamus’s wife and bite her on her ear. The moment the ant bit her she shouted “Hippo-po-ta-mus, I am bit!” So the ant was very happy and run quietly to his house.

At the next feast, Hippopotamus ask the same question, and ant shout “Hippo-po-ta-mus!” with joy.  So Hippopotamus went together with all of his six wives to live in the bottom of the sea.

That is why Hippopotamuses all live in the water up to this time.  (Ama)

Back to PST

Spencer has a house-Two Bedrooms,
Two Baths.   Oh my Gosh!

This week was spent with Spencer Campbell a PCV teacher in Wonoo, near Kumasi. Although it was the week for District tests to be administered, the tests came in a day late so Spencer “gave” me the opportunity to teach them a lesson on percentages. No lesson plan or much time for even an outline.  Fortunately, I had prepared for that lesson during Practicum teaching and didn’t get to it because of a school holiday.  So I was able to teach the material and the students seemed to understand it better than they did during my first week of practice teaching.  Also it was nice not having a Trainer in the back of the room checking boxes while I taught.  Spencer is just finishing his first year teaching and it was great to watch him.   In the evening of the first day,  Jessica came down from the upper west region to join us.  And two other nearby volunteers came over and we fixed American style hamburgers, with guacamole and tomatoes in olive oil.  I ate two of them.  The first large amount of beef since I came to Ghana 7 weeks ago.  I got the runs!  The first time since coming here.  It lasted only a day and a half but I was reminded of a saying we had in DaNang: “Happiness is a dry fart!” I will try to stick to Ghanaian food except in small-small amounts.  Jessica and I returned late Friday and my lovely homestay mom, fixed me banku with pepe sauce.  My all time favorite!

Kente Weavers-The Legend.

A Kente Loom in Wonoo

When the world was new the spider, Kwaku Ananse, was wise, cunning and clever.  Whenever you needed an animal to be clever you choose Kwaku Ananse.  One day a hunter in Bonwire saw Kwaku Ananse making his web. He decide to study the pattern which Kwaku Ananse was making in the web.  So when he came home, he describe to his friends how Kwaku Ananse makes his web.  So after the discussion, they decide to try to see how Kwaku Ananse goes about it and do likewise.  That is how kente cloth weavers began.

You have to be clever to be cunning.  (by Peter, a teacher at Wonoo, a weaving town in the Ashante region.)

Peter arranged for me to have two sashes made
in less than a day.  They are fast.

Site visit

I have been assigned to work at the municipal JHS in Sanfo Aduam, about 30 km from Kumasi – to small for any map that i've seen.  But it's a great place and the people are excited to have a Peace Corps teacher in town.  Everyone in town seems to know my name already.  Tomorrow I return to training, but I will begin teaching here in August after I am official.

My Headmaster, Mr Kofi Asante Bruce and my Counterpart, Mr Tim in front of my flat.

My Neighbors,  James, Esther, Kashia & Evander

I'm helping Esther make fufu.

James and Esther attend the Sanfo Aduam Church of Christ which meets in one of the elementary school classrooms.

one month almost

We have finished our two weeks of practice teaching called "Practicum". I was assigned to work with one other volunteer to teach at Presbyterian Jr High School in Kukurantumi.  During the first week I taught 7^th and 8^th grade mathematics while Jessica, my co-instructor, taught science.  The second week I taught 7^th and 8^th grade science.  During the second week, I had to prepare 10, mostly 70 minute lessons on ecosystems and force, both subject that I had some prior experience, but that only tended to get me in trouble.  There were too many examples that the students were not ready to understand.  I struggled to limit my discussions to the material in the lesson book. But on Friday the 29^th of June we finished our “practicum” teaching and we spent the last period of each class tell the students about America and ourselves and our favorite food in Ghana. They had a photographer take pictures of us with the students and the faculty and the headmistress.  It was all fun.  Even the lesson (I still presented one period) went well.  I was not expecting to actually teach today, but I had some leftover material from Thursday that worked well.  I’m so glad that this week is over, but it exposed so many of my class-room management challenges that I almost wish I had a little more time to perfect my teaching abilities.

Jessica is giving her students in Form 1 a test.  note that the only thing on the board is "NO CHEATING"

 

On Friday (6/28) afternoon we all gathered at the shell of the Presbyterian Church in Anyinasin and waited anxiously to find out what language we will be taught during the final 7 weeks of pre-service training.  I now know that the local language of my area will be Twi , but I do not yet know exactly where I will be stationed.  They say that will come near the end of next week and then we will be sent to our station to shadow an established volunteer for two or three weeks. After that we will spend our final two weeks preparing to pass an oral language examination before we are sworn in. The rest of the story are pictures from the past two weeks.

Last Sunday they took us to a park with two beautiful waterfalls and a nice hike in the country.  It was a great break from practice teaching:

Beku Falls (first Cascade)

From the back side everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

Second Cascade about 2 miles away. 

Cocoa is great if you like low hanging fruit.

 Then we all took a trip to the Cocoa Research Institute in New Tafo.  It is a prestigious place to work and interestingly they make many by-products of Cocoa Beans, including Gin. I've heard that it tastes a little like rubbing alcohol, but I wouldn't know.

Martin is one of our teaching and language instructors.  He is sucking the juice from raw cocoa beans.  It's pretty good, but you don't want to bite the raw beans.

The Beans must be fermented then dried.  this is one of the drying racks.  These start to taste like real cocoa. My homestay Father, Mr Akato explained all this last week, but I didn't understand until I saw it.  He worked at the CR|IG for 20 years.

I am beginning to like Fufu. I had it three times this week.

My homestay mom, Sese Ago, and my sister, Ama, are making fufu.

week 1: preservice training in Anyinasin, Ghana

I have just completed the end of my first two weeks in Ghana.  With no internet and a very particular phone that the peace corps sold me, or rather brought some vendor. We are required to own one so that they can contact us and visa versa.  Our first week was at a dormitory at Valley View University.  Where they tried to prepare us for homestay pre-service training.  We practice Ghanaian Twe, Visited with the US Ambassador and our Peace Corps Country Director; got to know each other (there are twenty five education volunteers in our group); and shopped in Accra.  While there we also learned how to take bucket baths and do our laundry.

Angel, me and Bob, Trainees near construction at Valley View University, Accra, Ghana

On Monday (6/10) they bussed us to our homestay families where I stay in a nice room with a family.  Each volunteer has his or her own family and we are one of their children while we are here.  The kids look out for us and the mama feeds us and makes sure we are cared for.  We greet everyone we meet on the way to our classes which are held either in a large Presbyterian church or a large Methodist church.  Each day is full with instruction and we have each presented two short lessons one to  other Peace Corps volunteers and one two an actual Ghanaian Junior high school class.  Next week we will begin Practicum teaching where for one week I will teach some regular 70 minute math classes while my partner teaches science.  Then for a week I will teach science.  All under the direction of working Ghanaian teachers and four working volunteers who have come in from their assignments to instruct us.

My homestay sister, Amma, in front of the house
where i will stay for the next few weeks of training

So far I have taken a bucket bath every night, but my sister has kindly offered to do my laundry (yea!)  Last night my homestay father, Atoko asked me if I liked warm or cold bucket baths.  I said cold was okay, but I would prefer it to be a little warmer, so he sent my sister (Amma) to put some hot water into my bucket.  Oh!  If I had only known!   It was wonderful.   I miss everyone a lot, especially since I have not had the chance to e-mail anyone.  But I am very busy with language and teaching practice and trying hard to do a good job for this part of my training. 

week: 0

Tonight I'm in Leonardtown, Maryland, enjoying a weekend with Matthew, his son Chris, and daughters: Addie and Frankie.  Michelle and Alexis went to the beach to celebrate Lexi's 16th birthday. A severe thunderstorm last night gave way to to a lovely day for a l-o-n-g baseball game and a graduation party for one of their friends.

The past week was full, beginning with a Memorial day with Dan's family.  It rained us out so we fried the chicken while Dan played with the National Guard Band in Tacoma.  Last minute packing and visits with friends packed the remainder of the week, but left me enough time to see a great preview performance of "As You Like It" in Seattle and see Dan lead 4 middle school choirs and 4 bands in a great performance.  Monday I check in for Staging and Tuesday night, 25 of us fly to Accra.  I will update this again when I get a combination of a little spare time and access to some kind of computer–which may take a while.

Goodbye to my late blooming dogwoods & rhodies;  Chris did get two good hit in this game, but not this one.

Matt, Addie and Frankie show off at the Leonardtown Ballfield--June 2, 2012