My Dream Team

Ok, so I openly admit: my speech giving contest was a flop :( Mainly because my students are not used to working in groups, brainstorming for ideas, and thinking for themselves. They haven’t been exposed to different teaching styles, they haven’t worked on projects, they haven’t been exposed to books and inspirational material, they don’t know how to use the computer, let alone the internet, etc. I felt so sad to witness 260 students truly struggle with my brief (which I wrote about here). However, a few special students did emerge as truly promising. Three of them I was already very familiar with, since they all actively participate in my classes. However, I was most pleasantly surprised by one of my extremely silent students.

All this (and great inspiration from Joe, thanks!) gave me an idea: What if I put these 4 promising students in a group of their own? Oooo! What if I create a secret society/afterschool club for them? What if I give them small assignments to teach them valuable life skills they can’t learn in a typical classroom setting? What if I encourage them to work together, yet also manage to create a little friendly competition to bring out their best?

Since I was already planning on contacting different companies and organizations in the country to see who could help the school in whatever way possible, I thought it would be nice to involve these students in the process.

My hope is that my inspired and inspirational students can make this school more inspirational for all. When teachers cannot distribute hand outs and supplementary material because paper and ink is so expensive, when students do not have functioning computers or internet, when there isn’t enough classroom space that students have to study in a dining hall or wall-less structure, when their minds need better nourishment with bigger food portions but money is scarce, when boarders need to sleep on actual beds in a dormitory and not on a classroom floor, well, let’s just say I see big room for improvement. In the school, and ultimately, its students.

So, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to my special team of Change Agents that is going to help me change a coupla things around school…

SAMUEL SABBAH

aka. The Underdog

Age: 19
Area of Fundraising: Stationary & Supplies

He’s the one I know the least, but have had the greatest pleasure in getting to know. Admittedly, he may have passed under my radar at first, but whether he is vocal about it or not, he is always right. And surprisingly, he’s not really shy in person once you open a discussion with him. He’s just so understatedly cool that he doesn’t feel the need to speak up. He just knows it, and that’s that. And from what I’m now beginning to realize, everyone else also silently knows that he’s silently got “it”.

MABEL KWAO

aka. (not so little or silent) Ms. Know-it-all

Age: 18

Area of Fundraising: ICT Lab Equipment/Sponsorship

Don’t be fooled into thinking she’s the only girl in the group. She’s actually 3 in one. And soooo competitive. I have to pretend I didn’t see her hand shoot up before everyone else’s, otherwise, no one else would get a chance to get an “er” in. She’s really a quick learner, and ever so graceful at everything. Always positive this girl, always smiling and laughing. She’s the kind of person everyone wants on their team, including yours truly.

ROBERT KORANTENG

aka. The Great Debater

Age: 18
Area of Fundraising : Food Procurement & Extra-curricular Supplies

This guy, oh this guy… He’s the kind of person people don’t typically want on their team, excluding yours truly. Because no one thinks of him as the studious kind. Other teachers who know his class antics may be skeptical of my decision to include him in our little group. But honestly? He’s a guy I would classify under the “good bad boy” category. He just gets into trouble for bending the rules from time to time. But secretly, he’s super motivated to learn and he’s an active thinker with that spark in his eyes, if you know what I mean. I just love that about him and I know that he’s very smart in an unconventional way. Besides, doesn’t every girl love a bad boy? I got a lot of quizzical looks from the other teachers living in the house when they saw him visit me after hours to discuss his speech ideas (the very day I launched the competition in class). Truth be told, he has never let me down - I just know him better than they do :P

FRANK WORBI
aka. Jack-of-all-trades
Age: 17
Area of Fundraising: Construction Material & Hardware Supplies 

This guy rocks the preppy look, no? He really pulls it off, just like he does everything else. Loved by teachers and students alike, he’s everyone’s go-to guy. Come to think of it, he’s a “handy-man” to have around for ANYTHING on your wish list. He’s an electrician, an accountant, an IT specialist, and you-name-it, all in one. Why? Just because he's one of the most curious students I've had the pleasure to meet!

Ok, you’re probably thinking, all this is well and good, but what exactly will my group of highly charged Change Agents be doing? Of course, I’ll be helping them out every step of the way (which is why I can only involve four students, as personally managing and tutoring more would be counter-productive), but they will be: 

• Learning how to type and use Microsoft Word and learning other random skills. They will be publishing their stories on my blog in the next few posts. These stories are the first pieces of writing they have fully typed all by themselves. Cool, huh? (Please be sure to share any words of encouragement or inspiration by commenting on their posts) Anyway, they will continue to practice typing to get better and faster at it. There is an excursion coming up - students will be visiting Parliament for the day. Not everyone can afford it though. So I told my team that the best typist by March 3^rd will get to go free of charge (little do they know that I will secretly arrange for all of them to go as a special reward for their dedication so far. They’re a little too dedicated actually - I caught a coupla them working on the computer when they shoulda been in class! I let them off the hook when they pleaded their case explaining their teacher was absent for that hour and they wanted to use the time productively). The added bonus is that we end up brushing up on their English too. Like the stories, for example, they had to write and correct for each other. The typing competition, for example, will be a dictation exercise in which I will also be testing their spelling. They also have to work on their planning/organizational/multi-tasking skills, because I give them a set of tasks and a timeline and limited resources (like a modem), and they have to organize themselves to meet their weekly objectives. 

• Learning how to use the internet. Aw, it was so cute to see my teenage students get confused with the right click/left click/double click, and open/open new tab/open new window etc. Or when they’d press the on button to turn off the computer. These are things I learned when I was tiny, so it feels great to pass this on to 18 year olds for the first time! Aw, I can’t stress how cute they’ve been, all wide-eyed and hesitant and insecure about doing it on their own, yet brave enough to try even when making one mistake after another. They want to learn and they want to be good, which is the best incentive in the world! I wanted to show them how they could search for something on the internet, so I told them they can type ANYTHING they want in google, ANYTHING at all. And instead of typing something scandalous like I half expected them to, they cut straight to the chase wasting absolutely no time: “stationary companies in Ghana”.

 

• Brainstorming for strategic ideas that would positively impact the school. We want to come up with new solutions. Ok, so maybe I will do most of the thinking myself, but at least I will do this out loud so that they benefit from witnessing the evolution of thought and experiencing the thrill of coming up with new ideas. 

• Opening their very first email account! Yeeey! And learning how to write a business letter they will be sending out to the corporate world. They’ll also listen in on how to conduct phone conversations, as we’ll need to contact managers to arrange for meetings. Who knows? Maybe if they get the hang of it, they can have a go at this themselves. 

• Drawing up a compelling presentation that sells their case, then actually presenting it to potential donors. We’re a team, and we’re all marketing the school and essentially trying to get companies to buy into our dream – a pitch of a lifetime! 

 

Fingers crossed . Wish us luck!!!!

To be continued...

Touristy Me

It’s funny actually how untouristy Ghana is, EVEN the touristy part. Which, I guess in many ways makes it great “unexpected” touristy fun (sometimes that you can laugh about only afterwards though). Here are some of the last few months’ highlights from my touristy and/or untouristy escapades (you be the judge)…

From the depths of dungeons (I blogged about earlier here), I made my way up a jungle of mountain in order to enjoy the Kakum National Park canopy walk. 

True, I am a sucker for rollercoasters, paragliding, ziplining, speed, height, etc - anything that results in an adrenaline rush, but let me assure you, those ropes were adrenaline inducing in a baaaad way. I was halfway along between one tree and the next feeling very Mowgli-ish straight out of The Jungle Book when, er, I made the horrible mistake of…… looking down. Nooooo! The sight genuinely scared me! Not the sight of the plunging mountainous slope below, but what was literally under my feet! The suspended walkway on which I traversed the jungle high up in the air, well, was actually a few ladders just pieced together, with a plank of wood placed on top, all held together with some rope that was tearing apart in some places!!! Please refer to the picture below if you need proof to believe me. 

Ok, so maybe I’m exaggerating a little, because apparently it can “withstand the weight of an elephant” according to our guide (I sincerely hope no one got offended!) Oh it was all good fun at the end of the day - it IS better to be curious than cautious.

And in an effort to be more curious, Nix and I took out her “trusty” Lonely Planet guide one night. We noticed how Jamestown is heavily featured as the seaside historic district of the country’s capital, Accra. So how could we leave Ghana without having seen it, right? When we stepped out of our cab at this very destination with our cameras ready to go, we looked around us, a little… confused. Perplexed. Huh?!? Correct me if I’m wrong, but when you imagine a historic district, don’t you imagine a group of buildings or sites that have been designated as historically or architecturally significant? All we could see were shacks and wooden stalls and just plain old derelict rundown buildings (if you can even call them buildings, since it would require them to be actually built). Hence the confusion. And not only on our faces, but on every tourist’s face. Really? THIS is “it”?!?! We just CAME from a shanty-like village that was no different, 3 hours away! Anyway, we decided to make the most of Jamestown and climb up the lighthouse to enjoy the view of such a “historic district” from above. 

BUT I think we enjoyed an even better view from above, haha! 

(Notice my naughty smile?)

Now THAT was a truly historic moment!

Since we were at the beach, I just HAD to get my toes wet. Only this time, you do NOT want to know what I accidentally stepped in. I overestimated the length of my stride (see? I’m not thaaaat tall!) and assumed I could long jump my way over some running sewage. Boy was I wrong! 

And that is how I started my journey on a desperate search for soap. Not any kind of soap, but the medicated antiseptic kind surgeons use before operations! Ukh, talk about one hell of a cold bucket shower that night (in the privacy of my luxurious en-suite bathroom, thank you very much).

This thorough scrubdown brings to mind another day on which one was equally needed. On several occasions, I’d been asked “Have you seen The Falls?” “Have you been to the waterfalls?” So I knew that this must be at the top of my list of Things To Do in Ghana. After taking a taxi to Kasseh Junction, a trotro to Tema roundabout, then another to Tema Station, then waiting in line for another trotro, which took us (actually more like flew us)  to Koforidua, we hopped into another taxi that would finally drop us off at our much anticipated destination. We thought we’d see other tourists, or at least other people, but no, just 3 were in sight. “You here to see waterfalls? No water”. As I wondered how that could be possible since the very word “waterfall” means actual water that falls, he elaborated further… “It is dry season. Which doesn’t usually affect us this way, but you are unlucky there is no water this time. But you can hike to the umbrella rock and the three-headed palm tree”. So much for my packed bikini and towel, huh?  

Well, since we were the only uneducated tourists to FINALLY find ourselves at the waterless Boti Waterfalls, of course we had to see something, anything, that would make our trip, well, less unsuccessful shall we say? Now I’ve handled a coupla challenging hikes in my day (I still have some elbow scars from the last one at Balou3 Bal3a, right before I left Lebanon), but never have I seriously attempted such hiking activity lugging a backpack, wearing flip flops AND taking anti-malaria meds. I have been strongly advised against taking Lariam due to the severe side-effects everyone seems to experience. But my body has handled it really well, relatively speaking, and I'm happy to inform you I have not experienced any suicidal tendencies (yet). The only real difference I noticed personally was with my several repeated requests of “come again?” and with the odd collisions I’ve experienced with people walking well out of my path. But I had never really put my ears to the test before this truly unfortunate day. Which was truly unfortunate! Because my balance was totally off. I was crazy dizzy and all I could see were leaves and rocks, bees and bright red ants, all just coming at me from all directions and angles. I couldn't help but whimper with every unsteady step I took (in my flippityflipflops, remember). Even things that usually come naturally to me, like breathing for example, were difficult. I was holding my breath and forgetting to breathe out of pure fear. Looking back, I probably shouldn’t have pushed myself so hard. Was it worth it? Umm, at least I got to see a freak of nature...

...and the Umbrella Rock

(brings to mind the Pride Rock, no?)

But you know what? The series of unfortunate events was not yet over. My flip flops came apart just as we were leaving and arriving at the market, which I guess is more fortunate than unfortunate. Hakuna matata, right? So bare-foot I roamed until we found our trotro line. Our never-ending trotro line. Many local shoppers in Koforidua enjoyed a good laugh at my expense! They were pointing at me and pointing out the fact that I needed slippers. Yes, thank you very much, it has "slipped" my attention, but what I really need is to be pointed in the direction of where I could buy such slippers! The search was on as I weaved my way through the crowd and dodged every puddle of, er, unknown liquid, I could manage to jump over. It looked like Africa was wearing off on me literally. My feet were genuinely black. Black I tell you! Ukh once again, talk about one hell of a cold bucket shower that night (yes, again, in the privacy of my luxurious en-suite bathroom, thank you very much).

On another day, a Sunday, Nix & I decided to hit the museum, despite Godwin’s advice not to. “You want to go to the museum today? I don’t think you’ll be lucky”. But hey, every guide book said it’d be open. And besides, YOU try naming a single museum worldwide that is NOT open on a Sunday! However, truth is, as I looked out my side window once we made it to the capital, I could barely recognize the city because there were no cars on usually traffic-ridden roads! Uh-oh, it looked deserted which sure wasn’t an encouraging sign. Hey, we risked it and came this far, we were GONNA go to this museum, closed doors or not! And guess what? Our sheer determination paid off. We marched through the corridors of the national museum in triumphant solitary satisfaction, with a wide grin on our faces. Sure, we were the only ones in the building excluding the ticket lady and security guard, but it felt like we hit the jackpot. Imagine, a whole museum just to ourselves! I really enjoyed the intricate woodwork, ritual dolls, and extremely interesting jewelry. Seriously, check out this necklace! (Enlarge the picture if you need to)

What I was truly fortunate with was my trip to Kumasi, the relatively far-off second major city in Ghana. It’s not so geographically far, but is oh so very difficult to get to. Usually, it would take around 7 hours by treacherous road, if not more, should you happen to have a relatively sane bus driver. I was very lucky however, to land in Kumasi after 45 minutes of leaving Accra via the smallest aircraft I have ever boarded. Take a look at the size of a passenger vs. the cabin! 

I’m very thankful to the Kumasi Lebanese crowd (especially Avedis, Adonis & Haidab) I had the pleasure to meet and converse with in Arabic. They really took me in. Literally. Check out this feast at Avedis’ home (kafta w batata was on the menu, yum). 

He even gave me a private VIP  tour of his LLL company factory, 

the region’s leading timber exporter. 

Some boy toys were downright dangerous.

You do NOT wanna clip your nails on this bad boy!

Ooo, I got take-away bacon flavored wood on the way out!

mm, mm, mm!

I felt jealous of wood, believe it or not!!! 

Aw, it was going to Beirut without me :(

HOWEVER, Avedis assured me that another batch of wood 

was going back to Sega with me!!! :) Yeeey!

Which brings to mind the winning monologue from Madame Nix's class Godwin and I had the pleasure to judge.

So for this Avedis, many many thanks the kids and their chairs send your way!

No but really, it has been great to witness how successful the Lebanese are at whatever they put their minds to.

I, like, totally hope from the bottom of the bottom of my heart, we can put our great minds and hearts together. To, to, like, er, change the world? So let’s just, um, SHARE THE WORLD! Oh, and yes, I vote for world peace. Thank you [with a side-ways wave to the crowds, and a batting of the eyelashes]

Time Flies

It's been a while, huh? I blame it totally on "Ghanaian time". And believe me, "Lebanese time" is reliably PUNCTUAL in comparison! I know some of you even got worried there might be something wrong (I must admit, I did enjoy all the extra attention, thanks for your emails and calls), but I assure you all is well with the world. As I know it at least!

So what have I done with my Ghanaian time since the last time I blogged?

- Well for starters, I spent significantly less time on the internet, right? Good detox I believe. Helped me enjoy some more reflective reading and thinking, peace and quiet* time.

(From a library I visited)

- I spent a lot more (less peaceful) time dealing with exam papers! Ugh, you know I was never one to stress over my grades in school. I never really cared too much because even as a student I never believed my grade defined me. That's precisely why, now? I'm reeeeeeally stressing about my school grades... as a teacher! It breaks my heart to give some students a low grade when I know they're trying and it's an improvement for them. I also don't want to be lenient with others who can get complacent and quit* trying. At the same time though, I don't want to discourage them either by marking them down. Aaah - what a struggle! It's a very tricky job to hit the mark. At least for me. It's just soooo subjective. How can one be objectively fair?

- I've been showing Nix around town**. As the newest volunteer here, from The States, she's my friendly next-door neighbor at The House. It's funny how a newcomer's arrival made me realize how far I've come since the day I myself landed in Ghana. It feels good to know I've adapted well and can take her around and share all the valuable tips I've had to learn the hard way. It made me wonder whether I would have liked to have another volunteer already here, when I first came, who coulda showed me the ropes... Uuuum? No, not really. As convenient as it may be, you get a great sense of achievement getting things right (even if it means you get it VERY wrong along the way and end up in an unknown area opposite in direction to the destination of your choice). Truly, what's important is that you're on for the ride, and you enjoy the experience and the people you meet along the way. And if you get lost? It may take longer, true, but it will certainly be more memorable.

The joy of reading?

- Continued the Christmas Story by continuing to secure books for the library of course. In fact, I will be going on a shopping spree at the Ghana Book Trust on Wednesday... Call me bookish all you want, but their sale IS my idea of fuuuun! And instead of bar hopping in the city, we did some library hopping last week. It was truly inspirational, gave us many additional ideas on what we can do and change here in the village. Can't wait to see things shape up! The building itself is starting to shape up thanks to the kids' extra help on the foundation.

Boys vs. Girls Showdown!

You go girls!

It was so funny to be shut down by my own student! Prefect Elijah politely came up to me and said "Madame Dima, please, you're distracting us with your camera. We're really working here". Oooookaaaaay then! I think I'll just take a little walk. (ukh, what's with the Madame? Makes me feel so old!) 

- Passed it on. A friend lent me his camera to practice with when I was just starting to learn photography (which I am STILL just starting to learn, by the way, almost two years down the line). So it was nice to pass on that favor and lend mine to Jacob. He's one of my students that just loooooves to snap pictures. Portraits to be exact. So he is using my camera instead of a really old bulky unbranded digital camera with a busted flash to answer all his classmates' "snap me!" requests. He then actually proceeds to extract ALL their pocket money, all 40cents worth, for a print. So he runs quite a photo delivery business that arrives right at one's classroom doorstep! Way to put my camera to good use, huh? Kids here are just obsessed with having their picture taken! I had also brought with me a photography book which I promised him he could read... AFTER the exams, that is! And sure enough, on the last day of exams, I heard a knock knock. Who's there? It's me. It's me, who? Jacob. Aaaah yes, I knew exactly which one he was out of the countless Jacobs I've met here.

Um, what else is there worth mentioning? Oh yes!

- Planned a senior high speech giving contest, which I just launched in class today. A while ago, I was sitting with a student that was complaining about this, this, and that. Hey, she WAS a good talker! So remembering all my other students that wanna be Mr/Mrs. President one day, I just looked at her in a very Kennedy "ask not what your country can do for you" kinda way, and encouraged her to actually do something about it. Well, since I have to cover the topic of speech writing this month, I figured a little competition could do even more than simply help their writing. Perhaps it can help the community at large. So that was their brief: to identify a problem/need in the school/village and propose a feasible solution for it. The team of four that succeeds in persuading a panel of judges composed of villagers, parents and teachers during an event, will actually be funded to proceed in implementing their idea as project leaders. How very Donald Trump of me, right? Actually, not really, I haven't quite* figured out how to get the funding, ha! Maybe, how Ted of me. Will be projecting a speech marathon in the kids' dining hall this Saturday for inspiration (thaaaanks for your TED archive Patty). But actually come to think of it, how very Leo Burnett of me! Essentially what I'm teaching the kids to do is pitch their ideas.

By the way, for any Burnetters/designers OR educators reading, this TED talk is for you!



Ok, well, that's all I can think of sharing for now. Um, I honestly do hope to keep you posted : /


* Oooh! This is a word we worked on in class, how to pronounce, spell and define using an example, the words: quit/quite/quiet. I shamelessly bribed my students with a game of "chocolate, catch!" for the first correct answer. Pandemonium I tell you! (Just imagine in slow motion: one piece of chocolate and countless body parts all up in the air)
** My mum happened to call me when I was leading Nix around the Accra Market maze. I quote: "Shou? Sirti bint el balad?" (Translation for non-Arabs: "You're now a local, huh?") And as if to prove her right, Alfa musta overheard our conversation or something because my Lebanese sim card suddenly decided to disown me. So no, I will no longer receive any messages on my +961 number.

I'm So Sorry!

In the name of all humanity, I apologize for our evil unfeelgooding :(

IN EVERLASTING MEMORY

OF THE ANGUISH OF OUR ANCESTORS

MAY THOSE WHO DIED REST IN PEACE

MAY THOSE WHO RETURN FIND THEIR ROOTS

MAY HUMANITY NEVER PERPETRATE

SUCH INJUSTICE AGAINST HUMANITY.

WE, THE LIVING, VOW TO UPHOLD THIS.

Having attended a British school for a big part of my life, 

I had of course read all about the international slave trade

and seen the pictures in my history books.

And yes, it certainly was very sad. 

But it was, er, um, I don't know how to put it... 

It was tooo painfully sad, like from the bottom of my heart, 

to literally be standing in the world's capital of slavery.

And even though you know that humans can be evil, 

it's hard to comprehend the extent of this until you find yourself 

in places like the Cape Coast and Elmina slave castles.

 What a "dirty" history!

This is honestly what the place really felt like: haunted.

"Scholars debate about the total number of Africans caught in the slave trade, 

but estimates range from 12 million to 25 million".

I just couldn't bring myself to pose for a picture here like everyone else. 

Even though it was a nice photo op, somehow, it just didn't feel beautiful. 

Care to be 1/300 in here?

There was just a one inch gutter in the middle of the floor. 

So can you guess what 300 people had to sit in? 

Piled up feces, urine, vomit, blood, decaying bodies, etc. 

Quite a hell-hole! Specifically, about 50cm deep. 

The sludge was apparently piled up 

to the roman numeral chalk marks on the wall above.

Most of it has been cleared up, but you can still see here

the "hard" evidence of dried up excrement, bones, etc, 

left behind and crumbling on the floor.

Fungus of course lined the walls.

The captain's job had quite a few "perks" 

and his bedroom balcony had quite a beautiful view.

He would stand there (like the man in yellow)

and watch all the ladies on their way to their cells.

The chosen one he wanted would be led up these stairs...

... and exit through a trap door conveniently located inside his bedroom.

Any house guests would simply assume he's slipped out

for a quick bathroom break. Quite a quickie indeed!

It was very moving for the roles to be reversed 

as we traced the slaves' footsteps.

We all leaned over and stretched our necks 

to peer out at what would have been

their last view of their beloved homeland.

But unlike them, we were able to move on 

and return through these doors.

They, on the other hand, moved on to the ships, and this:

What was most striking about both castles was how each had a church hall

right above the underground dungeons. And I'm sure their hymns 

would have been audible all the way down there.

Psalm 132 is a prayer for blessing on the sanctuary. 

But how could they possibly think this place could be blessed?!

Once you make your way out of the castles and dungeons though, 

you can better enjoy the Cape Coast 

with its coconut-lined beaches and charming fishing villages

Such beauty... It is a blessed (and cursed) land!