Change in Plans

Guess what? I'm not going to Kumasi, I am going to Gomoa Nkwantanag. I have no idea how to pronounce it. Tina, the SYTO coordinator, asked me if I would go here when she saw my face when she said that the orphans did not always get enough to eat. She knows a Big Mama will feed the children. There are 2 of my babies going here also. They will keep the kids bellies full. Tina asked me to go to work at the school. The elementary school has 3 teachers instead of 6 and almost no supplies. So my girls will be working at the orphanage and I will be at the school.

Here's what I know about Gomoa.
*) It is somewhere between Accra and Tema.
*) It is a small village of about 150-200 people.
*) The only electricity is in the orphanage and it is solar powered. Hopefully, there is sufficient lighting etc. but??
*) The water is taken from a pump in the village.
*) Twice a week we walk to the market to purchase food. It is about 3 miles round trip and you are carrying groceries on the return journey.
*) To get to the internet you walk to the small town also.
*) The only people who speak English are the teachers who come from another town. I know much less Twi than either David or Soo-Hyun knew English when them came to Tucson. I will be living with a woman who speaks no English. So, this will be my chance to feel what my ex-change students have gone through coming to Tucson.
*) The children are suppose to learn English from their teachers. So they will have some Engligh but very few if any go to school beyond grade 6.
*) There is no shower only a bucket for washing.

So, instead of the big city with all the conveniences I will be in a small village with no modern anything. It is exciting and crazy and stupid all at the same time. I told Tina she could just send the junk I brought and I would still go to Kumasi, but she said they really needed teachers here and the place in Kumasi has alot of support already. Soooo I'm off to Gomoa. Until today, I did not even know what the name of the place was.

On Friday we leave for our placements. Tina said that the first week is the worst. The poverty is incredible where we're going. There may be only one book for the whole class to use for reading or math or whatever the subject is. She said we should just copy the assignment or reading material onto the board so all the kids can see it.

Anybody want to guess what I'm going to be requesting?? Not yet, my plan is to give the teachers everything I currently have from home to use. Then I will wait at least two weeks seeing how the teachers work before doing anything else. I have heard some horror stories about some teachers in remote areas. We'll see what I encounter.