The Monstrous Post of April 18th

I've spent most of this past week in a rural village teaching a class of junior high kids english related topics to prepare them for their big exam tomorrow which decides if they can move on to senior high school. It's been awesome. This is the first graduating class from the small school in this village, and it's a Huge deal for them- Yesterday there was a prayer ceremony to send them off, in which they sacrificed a goat and recited Christian, Muslim and traditional prayers and rituals all morning. It was pretty remarkable that all these different belief systems were being practiced in one room/area- I don't think there are many places in the world where this could happen. They have a christian church and muslim mosque(sp?) built in the village and the two religions even intermarry.

So that was neat- but back to the kids- they were so excited! They've never been outside of Tamale, some have never even been to the center of town, and they were taking a charter bus to stay for a week in a nearby town where the exams were being held. The whole thing was so much fun. Their families sent them with the best of everything they had, and while we were waiting at the bus station they all kept looking through everything they were bringing, making sure it was all there? and showing stuff off to each other. A group of them were so excited to have the money to go and buy toothbrushes and paste and belts. Most of them are 18, some even 19...it's crazy how different our lives are...

While in the village I spent a lot time walking around and greeting everyone because as a visitor this is a must. I noticed though that I didn't see many women around... I kept asking Fred why and he just laughed, and said 'the men do the talking here'. There's always big groups of men sitting and chatting underneath trees, and we have to go up and squat before them and say good afternoon, before we move on the next group or the 'chief's palace'. The whole time I'm thinking don't these guys have anything to do?? I soon found out the answer is no because the women and female children do everything. I would sometimes see them peaking at me over the walls of their homes, or meet them when I went into the homes. But they were always working.

After I finished teaching Thursday I started handing out some stickers, which everybody loved. The reaction of the crowd was also really telling of the culture in the rural villages... Once I took them out all the boys frantically swarmed me. They would touch me, touch the stickers, then pat their chests with one hand, and say "madame, give me!" Meanwhile all the girls were still quietly sitting at their desks, but I could tell they were interested. The whole thing made me really mad, and I felt like yelling at all the boys cause they act so entitled. I remembered though, that its only the fault of the culture they've been brought up in, and that getting upset unfortunately wouldn't change anythingg, so instead I started a strict policy of girls first and everyone thought this was hilarious. All the boys starting saying "silliminga(white lady) said girls first?! girls first?!" then literally bend over with laughter. I was so mad inside.

I know I'm kind of going on about this, but just one more thing- something that makes me realy sad is that the girls have a much much harder time in school. I've heard a few teachers say things like "i dont know, girls are just lazy" or "the boys are what really make this worth it" but its sooo clear to me why they'd have a harder time learning. They get less rest receive less food, less love, less appreciation and empowerment - i think that would be enough to hold anyone back.
Even one of those things would.

Part of me finds village life remarkably beautiful. Everything is so efficient- nothing is wasted and life is seemingly a lot simpler. Part of me thinks that its almost a shame that the kids are aiming to get a great educaiton and get out of there and into a world of TVs and processed food. But then I see a woman, who looks like she's seventy, with one of those bulging, starving bellies, bent over a fire. She's standing in the center of a circle of three small circular huts and one large square one. She shares one small hut with four children, one being an infant- though she looks far too old to be having children, and the other small places house other wives and respective children. Her husband lives in the larger square structure with grown male children. She works from dawn dusk, and I'm sure recieves no thanks. So then I quickly think, no, these girls need to get out of here. But it's not easy...

SomeOtherRandomStories-
I did my laundry by hand the other day and somehow lost the match of two different pairs of socks- so it's not just dryers.

One of my favorite pseudo suitors has been a cab driver who told me that i should leave ghana tomorrow so that i can marry my boyfriend, give birth to a baby girl, raise her to the age of ten and then send for him so he can come and marry Her - this was of course after i repeatedly turned down his proposal to me. i've started wearing a ring and just telling people im married.

The other day I made another white friend:-) The whole thing was incedibly ironic- I was checking out at a little 'super market'(but not really) and I asked the lady at the counter if she knew if there was a book store around, and it turned out she didn't really speak english, but the girl standing behind my was on her way to a bookstore next and said I could come along. So that was coincidence enough, but then when we got to talking, i found out she lives in Utica?!? Of all the places in the world, and alll the places in the US and even all the places in NY...Utica. She even has family in Pittsford. Creepy.

Also want to let everyone know that since I've been here I've given out a handful of donations, and this is something I absolutely could not have done without the support of many of you. For example, 5 of the junior high kids couldnt afford the transportation to their exam, due to having lost a parent or their parents not being willing to support them because they're girls- and so I bought their bus tickets. Also got all the kids some treats before they left for their exams. Also paid for the fuel to travel to Yendi, so that my host family and I could go and visit and check up on the school that Mariama set up in the village she was born in. Also gave Fred some money to help finish the homestay for volunteers in the village, and also snacks for kids at the orphange. Could Not have done this on my own. Africa and I thank you all.