Ok, so last blog entry I said I would try to update my blog every 2 weeks. Well it has been at least two months and now I'm trying again. Of course a lot has happened and then again not enough has happened. I'll try to update some of the highlights. Remember the first lease agreement that was going to be amended? Well it was rewritten when we arrived to see the fixes it had already been sent to the typist. When it came back it had new mistakes. So, I typed out each fix needed, in the format Section 2.a states "xxxxxxxxx" it should be "yyyyyyyyyyy". It came back again and was still WRONG. Instead of retyping and making the corrections, the mistakes that could be easily fixed on the front page were done and the back page was skipped. I was furious; luckily no one was around when I was throwing a fit. We, Evans and I, met with the head of the family leasing the land and showed him the problem. We agreed to split the cost of having the lease retyped and re-registered with the courts. We all went to the district capital Ho, and made sure the typist understood the changes. Unfortunately, the computer was broken so the changes couldn't be made that day. Three days later we went back and picked up the document. It had some minor typos but it was correct in context. We signed the lease and wrote the family the check the next day. What should have taken two weeks after my arrival in Ghana took over 2.5 months. Such is life in Ghana. The story has a very happy ending though. Nyame Adom Foundation of America has 7.7 acres on the Volta River to be used for farming and/or fish farming purposes for the next 100 years! We have paid for the first 50 years and the next fifty years will be paid with farm profits. So you see my blog updates are running on Ghana time, what should be two weeks is actually 2 months.
The name of the farm is Cook's Fisheries. It is a limited liability company owned by NAFofA. The business license is supposed to be done this week. What the lease delay has done is delay the EPA report. The Ghana EPA will not look at any request that does not include proof of land ownership or land use rights. Of course this makes good sense, you don't want someone using an EPA approval to help further his case against rightful landowners. Unfortunately, it means that we are just now able to begin the process. I hope the EPA approval will come through before I leave Ghana but realistically, I doubt it.
There is more good news. I have been at the Water Research Institute (WRI) in Akosombo since June 2. I came at the same time as "attachment students". Attachment students are college kids going into their senior year. They work for 2 months at a business or government agency in their field of study to get actual experience. At WRI they also do a project or experiment that they must write up and present. The students live in a dormitory setting. I live in the lap of luxury. I have a bedroom, living room, dining room and kitchen. It also has indoor plumbing. Unfortunately, due to a pipe problem (the city's pipes not WRI's) it doesn't usually work. But, I have water in a container and buckets. The house is two bedroom so I occasionally also have a roommate. Most importantly, I have learned tons! On my first day I was handling fish, separating male from female and collecting eggs. I have also done sampling, counting, feeding and hatchery work. At first I was determined to work as hard or harder than the young people. Well, after missing 3 days of work with back pain, I accepted the fact that I am 49 years old and outrageously out of shape. Now, I watch the students and say, "I can't lift that. I'm too old to move that". I also bought a stool that I bring to the ponds so I can sit instead of bending over. Dr. Ofori, the officer in charge at WRI, and all of the WRI staff have been incredibly supportive and helpful. I am very grateful for all of their help.
WRI also produces fingerlings to sell to local fish farmers. One day I started talking to such a farmer and he invited me out to see his farm. He has also been helpful answering questions and offering to help when we start Cook's Fisheries. So, I have been able to see both a research facility and a working farm.
"Farm, farm, farm who cares? What about the children?" Ok, I hear you. We made 3 trips to Suhum for shopping and lunch excursions. The children bought hand held video games, clothes, books, and belts. What surprised me is that every one of them saved some of their money. Ok, not really saved, but they didn't spend it in Suhum. They brought it back home to spend. We all enjoyed going out to lunch. The children all ordered fried rice and chicken. After they finished their meal I asked them if anyone could eat more. Benjamin smiled and said, "If I loose my belt I can." After we all stopped laughing I asked if he wanted more and he said yes. When the extra fried rice arrived the other children also had some. When it was gone we ordered a second plate of fried rice. No one wanted a third. Two of the three groups ordered extra rice. The third group had 2 of the smallest children in it. The 2 bigger kids ate their leftovers and were satisfied. It was very fun taking the children out to a restaurant. It was also rather extravagant at 110 Ghana cedis or 79 US dollars. This took all 11 children once and Evans and I 3 times. Granted it was less than 5 USD per person for lunch, drinks and tip, but it won't be repeated often, especially with a farm to finance (oops sorry, I said farm again.)
Patricia and Father John were the top 2 students in the family based on their term 2 report cards of their best 8 grades. Father John just squeaked past Kelvin. No one was more surprised by this than Father John himself. He took his report card and Kelvin's and compared subject by subject and studied them thoroughly. If there was a mistake, he was going to find it before he got excited about being one of the top 2. There was no mistake; Father John and Patricia came to spend a 3-day weekend in Accra. We went to the bead store where they each chose a bracelet for themselves. We went to Akosombo where they got to go on a boat ride and see the farmland. We also walked across the suspension bride. When a large truck came past it shook! Ok, so no big deal to Californians but it was cool. It felt like an earthquake. After getting over her fear, which she vehemently denied, Patricia enjoyed it too. On the boat we traveled under the bridge so we saw it from all sides. We also went and spent a day at the beach. Working hard in school has some very nice perks! We showed everyone the pictures of our travels. I then told everyone that next year at the end of term 2 we would also have a trip. Next year everyone who averages 80% or above in his top 8 subjects will get to go. Benjamin wanted to be sure he (and I) understood. He asked, "If I get 80% and my two brothers get 90% who goes?" I answered, "All 3 of you will go. Next year I hope the whole family will go. If everyone gets 80% or more everyone will go." Of course all the children said they would be going next year. We'll see. By the way, we do the trip at the end of term 2 because at the end of term 3 the children travel to see their extended families.
The children are learning much more at the private school. Patience as a new student started term 1 in the B class (lower achieving). At the end of the first term she was moved up to the A class (higher achieving). I am very proud of her. She has 2 more years before taking the Junior Secondary School (equivalent to a US junior high or middle school) exit exams. With continued hard work she'll be able to attend a good Senior Secondary School (equivalent to a US high school). Unfortunately not all the children are doing as well. Four children are failing, Stephen, Benjamin, Justice and Prince. I was very surprised since the first 3 are considered some of our top students. They are all bright boys. The older children have had a harder time keeping pace at the new school. At the end of term 3 we'll follow the school's recommendation on retention or passing. Since we knew Patience was behind she has had a tutor this past year. After term 2 we hired a teacher for the primary students. Evans is looking for another primary teacher. We will then have a JSS teacher, an upper primary teacher and a lower primary teacher working with the kids in the evenings and on school breaks. All the children will be attending the private school next year. If they are still failing at the end of the second year we'll have to sit down and re-think their schooling options.
NAFofA has committed to provide extra classes to primary school students in the Zongo community also. The new school was almost completed and then further construction stopped. It is hoped the school will be opened for the 2009-2010 school year. When it does open, the community classes will start up again.
Prince, Prince, Prince, Prince, Prince. What can I say except he reminds me so much of my brother Bill that I call him Prince William in my mind. Prince is in class 4 for the third time. He is excellent in English and understands everything he reads. When he wants to, he can do well in any subject. However, he is as lazy as the day is long. He would rather be punished than do the work. One day in school since he wasn't working his teacher told him he would have to lie down on the floor. This was supposed to be a punishment since his white school shirt would get dirty and he would have to take the schoolwork home for homework. Prince took it in stride, lies down, fell asleep and took a nap. No problem, he didn't want to do it any way. You've got to love a kid who can make the world his own. However, his future will be very hard without schooling. He had the lowest average of the family. He asked and I said yes, his extended family will definitely be seeing his report card and the family averages. He is working harder this term. I hope he applies himself because he has so much potential he could be a university professor.
One final story about the kids and how children are children and families are families the world over. Stephen, the eldest boy, was supposed to do the dishes. He didn't want to so he offered Susana, the youngest girl, an ice cream if she would do them instead. He told her he would buy the ice cream for her tomorrow. Susana agreed and Kelvin also took up the offer and did the dishes. The next day came and lo and behold Stephen didn't want to buy the ice cream because all he had was a one cedi bill. He didn't want to break into it for only 0.05 peswas. Susana said, "But that's what you said last time and I never did get my ice cream." Visions of childhood raced through my brain. Replace Stephen with Norm and Susana with Florence and the same scenario can be replayed. Having been the younger sister I came to the rescue. I told Stephen he had 10 minutes to buy Kelvin and Susana an ice cream or he would have to buy one for Kelvin, Susana and me. After another ten minutes he would have to buy for Kelvin, Susana, Grandma and me. If he waited long enough he wouldn't have to worry about having a bunch of change because we would all have ice cream and all his money would be gone. He sat for about 5 minutes and then called Susana and Kelvin to come and get an ice cream. I tried to convince him to sit down for another 15 or 20 minutes but he wouldn't do it. That evening Stephen again didn't want to do the dishes and offered Susana another ice cream. She agreed and Kelvin got up to help. Stephen said, "You can help but I'm only buying one ice cream. You two can split it." Kelvin and Susana agreed, did the dishes and split an ice cream the next day. Everyone was happy. I can hear my brother Norm denying ever cheating or even trying to cheat his little sister out of her money for doing his work. But Norm can't say this with a straight face. He did, Stephen did and in time Kelvin will if he gets a little sister. Such is the way of large families.
There is no news on our updated paperwork for our home. The Ghanaian Department of Social Welfare has everything they need. I heard that they are working on the homes that need to be closed and working on placing the children from the closed homes. Our home has been inspected and is known to be a good placement for children so the paperwork will be done when time permits.
P.S. With the slow connection in Ghana, I won't be posting any pictures until I return home.
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