Not done yet

This is my final week as a volunteer in Tamale. I’ve got such a mixed feeling: I can’t wait to meet Job in Accra next Monday! But I really feel like I’m not done yet with my Tamale and volunteer experience. So.. I deiced to extend my stay in Tamale!

Since I arrived in Tamale a lot has happened.

I started my great adventure with a lot of observations. I still can’t get enough of doing this. Like today, I saw how woman do the dishes veeery close beside/on the road, a man picking his nose like he was the only man in the world, but actually he was attending our meeting in the community and was sitting in the front (facing the other people), A motorbike with five Dogs, two man and two big guns driving by, a truck loaded with bags and some people on the fences of the truck and a very antique wheelchair hand bike. To be honest, most of the things I see doesn’t surprises me anymore. I’m really getting used to live in this wonderful Ghanaland. 

This observations, together with a lot of conversations, made me decide to do two projects: fundraising and strengthen the collaboration between teachers and mothers in communities.

Last week Friday we wanted to go to one of the communities to provide a workshop about this collaboration. Unfortunately Ghanaian people sometimes have a very interesting view on organizing and planning. We set the date for this workshop about 2 weeks before. The day before the workshop we called them to remined them: ‘they were able to do the workshop and they would make sure the mothers and teachers would be gathered’. Great!

On Friday morning we called them again to repeat the time and asks if they were ready: ‘oh unfortunately we have a funeral.. but we will close at 10 am, so then you can come, and the mothers and teachers will be around to attend’.

At 10 am we came.. at 11am we left.. What did we do? We arrived and after a while the chairman

(who assured us we could come) told us that ‘the woman where not able to come because they were busy cooking for the funeral guests. Oh and there are only two teachers, the other 3 teachers are not around.. so… No today you can’t do the workshop..’.

And just to clarify: the date of a funeral in Ghana is settled long before.. it’s a big happening.. as you can see on the pictures and video of another funeral I attended with my colleagues Osman and Ibrahim.

But! Every disappointment is an opportunity to turn it into a good appointment! This Monday we did the workshop and it was a big success! The achievement is that woman/ mothers are going to support the teachers by doing activities with the children during school hours.

During the workshop, we played a few games and we talked about ‘working together and supporting each other’. We did a game where one mother was blinded and the others had to guide her.

Also I used the next example: If you have 1 stick/twig: it is easily to break. If you have a bunch of them it is almost impossible to break ( I let them try this, and they weren’t able to break the bunch of twigs) for this I use a Ghanaian broom. Most participants understood my point and agreed that they had to work together.

Tomorrow (Thursday) we go back to the community to see how the collaboration is working out. Another workshop will be given by me: turn trash into treasure! What is there in your surroundings you can use to do activities with/ play with!?  And because in Ghana the world is a trash bin, we will not find it difficult to get lot of materials and objects to play a lot of activities with, which are very valuable for the children and can support the teacher to make his academically lessons also a bit practical and more fun.

About the fundraising project I’ll write an update soon! But one thing I can already share: the communities are enthusiastic about the idea of cost sharing! :)

I miss my family and friends at home a lot and I look forward to see everybody again! I started this blog by telling you I’ll extend my stay in Tamale.

I’ll, but instead of extend my stay immediately, I’ll first go home (after my adventure in Ghana with Job), complete my study and work to save some money. I know that I’ll stay in touch with Ghana and my organization, also to continue the fundraising. Whenever I’m ready to go: I’ll extend my stay in Tamale! Joeheee!