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September 14/15

9/17/2015

3 Comments

 
Picture
After a long drive on Sunday we enjoyed the hospitality of Mr. Daniel and Mr. Limpu at the Dambai Teachers Training College Demonstration School.  They found a lovely hotel for us and spent much of their late afternoon and early evening with us.  Monday morning we experienced the most terrific rain storm I have ever seen.  It lasted about twenty minutes, and the sound of the rain on the school's tin roof was so terrific that any instruction was impossible.  But we had a very good meeting with the students who will be writing letters, from grades 1-8, and were treated to the school's award winning dancers and drummers.  The school already enjoys a very high reputation in the community, in part because students at the training college practice there, but the staff tells us that the partnership with Yo Ghana! had made them even more popular.  The PTA has already begun building two new classrooms for the junior high school, which opened just three years ago.

A long wait for a short ferry ride and then a two-hour drive over roads made muddy by
rain then brought us to John Doeswijck Junior High School in Kete-Krachi.  Our old friend, Mr. Martin, hosted us, along with the new Headmaster, Mr. Anane.  Mr. George, who combats child trafficking, hosted us to a fine breakfast.  We spent a long morning at the school, with a long meeting with both the teachers and the students; in fact the students may have set a record for most questions asked.  It was a good thing that there were three of us to trade off.  There's a lot of enthusiasm here for the letter exchanges; the students are sad to hear that Americans have so many misconceptions about Africa and Ghana, but excited to hear that they can do something about that.  The school's PTA very generously gifted us about sixty pounds of yams, one of the agricultural staples of the region, and a particular favorite of Miss Lucy.

Reflection: We are struck again and again by the tremendous resilience and determination that saturates Ghanaian life.  Climate change is making it more difficult to farm.  When the rains do come, the nature of how the schools and roads are constructed makes things more difficult, at least in the short run.  And the roads are often poor to begin with.  The lights go off regularly, traffic laws are routinely ignored, but one might be pulled over, seemingly at random, and cited for some trivial or contrived offense.  Yet all of these difficulties and more simply seem to make Ghanaians more determined to succeed--in spite or perhaps because of the steep odds.  Now it's Tuesday night, and the rains are coming again, which will  make for an interesting drive tomorrow.  But enough of Ghana has rubbed off for me to feel confident that we will succeed, though improvisations and a lot of help from our many friends may be required.


David

3 Comments
Joan Fosler
9/17/2015 12:15:45 pm

Thank you so very much for your blogs David .
It is amazing that Elizabeth is having this opportunity to visit the schools and travel in Ghana with you,and meet all the wonderful people you are introducing us to .I feel in some way I am traveling with you both --- I have introduced myself to a map of GHana and loving the pictures you are posting . Traveling is the best education !!!! God Bless you both in your travels . Joan ( Elizabeths grandmother )

Reply
David del Mar
9/17/2015 01:23:13 pm

You are most welcome, Joan, and thanks for raising up such an amazing grand daughter! And by the way she's the one who is charge of the technology and has taken many of the photos. Elizabeth is a great ambassador for the U.S. and is very well liked and respected here, David

Reply
Joan Fosler
9/17/2015 05:32:47 pm

Thanks for the reply .
Just found Dambai and Kete-Krachion the map .
I will be relieved when I hear you made it safe and sound to next "Port " !. I can imagine the roads could be tricky .
It all sounds amazing !!! I have travelled to many places and I can say it is because of the people and the different cultures that keep going !!! Joan




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    Most of the entries will be from Dr. David Peterson del Mar, the President and co-founder of Yo Ghana!

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