Back to work (19-23 Nov)

We both feared our return to work after 2 weeks of holidays, as it was a kind of trial before our final departure. What happen to the changes you had implemented within your several weeks in Jachie? I think every volunteer must have this question in mind during the last days spent in Jachie. Are the changes still put in practice? Or has the situation go back to its initial stage? These are the questions I was asking myself when I was walking to the computer centre on last Monday.

As the first class starts now at 10.30, I started my day in the library typing the books into the system as my objective is to finish the capture of at least all the children stories books. When I arrived at the computer centre at 10.15, the centre was open; Obboy was sitting at the desk. He helped me to switch on all the computers so that everything was ready when Charles turned up at 10.30am sharp. Then, the first half-class of children came on their own without any teacher. Charles did the register and there were no absentees (no child had been lost on the way to the centre). The 3 next half-classes came by themselves too. All this made me happy.
Charles had started to teach some theory about the computer. For that, he uses the white board and the children are writing the taught definitions on their exercise books. After the theory, the children used the computer to learn how to read the time – as most of the children cannot afford a watch, most of them do not know how to read the time.
I spent the class listening, helping Charles in this class and reading Charles’ report notebook which was quite well updated. I could read that only that a few classes had to be cancelled in the last two weeks, because of Charles’s delay or a breakdown of the generator. In general (for the last two weeks but also for the whole last year), Charles records were just missing some details about the content of the classes to help me to define a year program I am working on.

In the afternoon, I wanted to spend more time in the library but I felt not really well and spent most of it in bed. In the evening, I was really feeling headaching and feverish. Fortunately, I had a sore throat that made me think that it was not malaria. Anyway, on Tuesday morning I called Paul who drove me to the local hospital. I had already been there when Kathryn got her glandular infection but this time I choose not to jump the queue as it makes me feel bad to be treated as a priority because of my skin color. Maybe I should have cheated as I wait 2 hours to have my temperature and my blood-pressure be taken by the nurse, and another two hours to see the doctor who examined me in two minutes. Anyway, at the end, I was happy because my fever was due to an infection in the throat. Thus it is possible to get a throat infection when it is dead hot! After having swallowed all my pills at lunch time, I had to turn up for the teacher sessions in the afternoon as I was just coming back from holiday. Also I had read in Charles’ records that none of the teacher sessions happened while I was away. Charles told me that they need to be pushed in order to come. It is true that it is quite hard for them to come after their lessons without any lunch when they wake up at 5am. It is also true that I am constantly advertising the afternoon sessions by calling them or mentioning it when I meet them on the street. For the future, I will make sure that the organization provided Charles some phone credit so that he can call teachers for the children and the afternoon sessions. This day, only the 3 teachers who need to learn some theory quickly to write an exam soon turned up. As the other ones (the regular ones) did not turn up, I was jobless and could go back home to sleep.

On Wednesday, our planned power cut weekday, the four classes could have classes for once in normal conditions thanks to our generator which luckily could be fixed by an acquaintance of Obboy. I was very pleased to try two new programs: one about fractions with the JSS2, one about Hangman with the JSS1. I felt quite down when I had to teach them how to add (1/2 + 3/2), but feel full of hopes when I saw some coming back on Friday to practice. For the Hangman, it was less a challenge to make them understand. They all got the objective quickly but whereas some were impressively good, other were struggling to find the missing letter in the word INFOR_ATION.
On Thursday, I put another piece of software on trial. The more I test during my classes, the better I can design the year program. Indeed when I have experienced software with them, I have an idea of how difficult/easy it is for this class and how long it takes them to get to grips with it. I tried a maths game with the primary school that we were so far using mainly using for the JSS classes, or at least not with the youngest. A success! Of course, I had to explain very thoroughly how to proceed with the keyboard, the mouse and the calculation, but they all got the point even if most of them did not go over the level 1.
In the afternoon, the teacher session was cancelled again because of a football tournament. For this same reason, I won’t have any classes the next Thursday and Friday. That is good a ‘farewell price’ as it was supposed to be my two last days of work. More seriously, this is a perfect coincidence as I will use this time to write precise reports and guidelines for the organization, above all for the next volunteers who will arrive in Jachie next January.

On Friday, the Grande Finale of the Big Quiz happened despite the football tournament and was quite a success which makes both of us very happy as we really wanted the children to enjoy the quiz.

Mid-Tour: second week in Northern Ghana

For our second week of holiday, we had decided to go the North whereas Pete and Holy choose to go to Togo and the Volta Region. We based our choice on the reports of the former volunteers; for all of them, Mole National Park (located in Northern Ghana) was the highlight of their Mid-Tour. We also wanted to discover another part of Ghana with different landscapes (mud-huts), culture (influence of Islam), food (almost no fish and chicken has been replaced by the guinea fowl) and climate (much drier).

Construction of a mud-hut in Larabanga

We had planned to leave on Monday but as the Barclays machine had kept my card on Saturday evening, I had to go to the bank on Monday morning and we had to postpone our departure to Tuesday. Thanks to this incident, I could work on the blog in the British Council on Monday where I end up being gently kicked out as I am supposed to stay on internet only 30 minutes a day (I had never been informed about this rule before this day).

Tuesday was the Jour J: at 7a.m our STC bus to Tamale was leaving, almost on time. Our objective was to reach our final destination (Mole National Park) in one day without paying any taxi. As on the way to Accra, we really enjoyed the reliability and comfort of the STC buses but also its numerous stops because of police control, or a personal purchase by the driver or a mysterious unexplained cause.

View from the front of the stc stopped

As planned, we got off before Tamale at Fufulsu, ‘Mole junction’ (in the middle of nowhere). We felt quite confident, especially as we had convinced two German medics (Stefan and Johannes) to do so. So in case we could not get any tro-tro to the National Park, we could always share a taxi with them, as a back-up.
But everything went very smoothly: we only waited 30 minutes for a big tro-tro which was going to the closest main town and which, for a bit of extra money, dropped the four of us at the entrance of our motel in the National Park.

Alone in a big tro-tro!

After long and tensed discussions, we managed to have 2 twin-rooms. The European standard was there: air conditioning, private toilets and bathroom in the room, swimming pool, European food menu and real milk with the coffee. However, everything was quite old and a bit broken. Anyway, we were no longer used to European standards and the amazing view upon the Park was so unique and relaxing that we were beyond happy to stay 3 nights here to recharge our batteries.

Kath admiring the view from our hotel

On our first day, we woke up at 6am for the morning safari. At first, it was really pleasant with a cool breeze, but the more we walked the hotter it got and the more disappointed we were as we could not see any elephant on this day by the end of the 3 hour-walk. However, we had fun and we saw some baboons, many antelopes, some vultures and warthogs. In addition, the surrounding landscape and the gun of our guide made us feel as adventurous walking deep and deeper in the unknown savanna, which was wicked. Even though we had to keep quiet for the animals, Kathryn and I (as very talkative persons ;-)) manage to talk and laugh during the walk!
Picture of our guide and a warthog

Group pictures at the end of the safari (Stefan, Kath, our guide, myself, Johannes)
It was only 10am when we finished the safari but we were all sweating and hence jumped into the pool immediately after the walk. Le pied! Kathryn and I taught a Ghanaian guy, Koni, how to swim. We were so impressed that after his first hour in water, he was swimming the length of pool.

Teaching Koni how to synchronize legs and arms for breaststroke
In the afternoon, Koni brought us to his home village, Larabanga. This is the second main ‘attraction’ of the region, thanks to the concerted efforts of a village ‘Eco-Tourism’ board, represented for us by a fixed 2gh entrance fee and a request for donations.
We were told that this is the only fully Muslim community in the whole of Ghana. This village speaks a distinctive language [‘Kanawa?’] that is not spoken anywhere else in the country. Historically speaking, marriage outside of the village tribe was not condoned until relatively recently.

To reach the village, Koni took Kathryn on his motorbike while Stephen, Johannes and I rented bikes.

Biking under the beating sun…
After having walked around the streets of the village, looking at mud huts and taking pictures of children who were dying to see their face on my little screen, we had a look at the famous Sudanese-style Larabanga mosque, the oldest mosque in West Africa.

The guys in front of the mosque men door
The girls in front of the mosque women door
We were all very happy with our day and spent the evening by the swimming pool overlooking the national park, enjoying our beef steak with some drinks. We went to bed around 11p.m, which is very late for Ghana.

On our second day, we did the same morning safari but this time God was with us. We saw 2 elephants. The first elephant was seen in the bush from a distance of a few hundred metres. Our party went in search of it. Although we found traces of elephant activity, such as broken branches and uprooted trees, we could not find the elephant itself and the guide announced that we may have lost it. Yet a few minutes later we suddenly came upon it amongst the trees; it was less than 15 meters away when we saw it. It was so impressive. We stay a while looking at the way it was grasping and stripping the trees. Unfortunately, because of the branches we could not take very clear pictures but I have a pretty good video (to be uploaded in France with a quick connection!)
We saw the second elephant, an even larger adult male, making its way across open ground towards the watering hole. It drank and then bathed in the lake, making it easy to take some souvenir pictures.

The safari was far better than the day before as we saw a large group of baboons crossing the path right in front of us. It was apparently mating season; the females’ bottoms were flushed bright red, contrasting with the white of the males.

We were so happy and spent the rest of the day at the pool where we met some French people (the first since we have been in Ghana) and a Guinean girl (also francophone).

Practical advice for tourists or future volunteers
The best season to see elephants is definitely the end of the dry season, that is to say February, March and April. At this time, the water hole near the hotel is one of the only ones left in the park, artificially sustained by means of water pipes while the other ones dry up, there can be up to100 elephants taking their bath just opposite your window. In our case, it was the beginning of the dry season, or rather the end of an especially long rainy season. Therefore we felt very lucky to see some elephants.
We were told it was not necessary to book in advance. If it may be true for this time, it is definitely not true for the best season. Here is the number to call for a reservation:
When we tried to book the day before our departure, we could only book for one night; we were told that the twin rooms were full on the second and third nights and we could only book for dorms. But surprisingly we managed to keep our room for the 3 nights. At first, the receptionist asked us for a tip but as we noticed that people who had not booked in advance could also get a twin-room, we claimed our tip back and were successful.

The return went as well very smooth. We left the hotel at 4pm (sharp!!) to Tamale where we discovered that a bus was leaving in the middle of the day, even if it was not written on the information desk as it was coming from Bolgatanga in the north and just stopping in Tamale. As there were some free places, we could get in and so avoid a night in Tamale where there was not much to see. Once more, we had to discuss to avoid sitting on the back seats; as whites, we are always being told to sit in the back seats!!

The big quiz

Presentation
This big quiz was set up for the first time this year by Laura Caruso and Francesca Gregory (Africa Trust Volunteers – Jan-Jun 2007) This was a very popular and successful project which saw local junior schools pupils initially competing with their schools and the winners going on to represent their schools at a grand event where prizes for the schools and the children were awarded.

This project aims to improve basic literacy levels through a challenging competition which would provide adequate motivation to increase the use of TACCO library and computer centre. It is easy to organize as you have only to schedule the dates with the schools and then define the quiz questions. Initially there were 2 written sections: Spelling and Grammar. For the second edition, Kathryn and I designed a new format with 3 sections described below:
-Spelling: a first part written and a second part oral whereby each of the participant has to spell out one word loud so that the assembly can judge by itself if the answers are correct or not. In case of mistake, Kathryn was calling for someone on the floor to give the correct answer. That is why this was probably the most lively part.
-Grammar: exclusively written part with 5 sub-sections: irregular verbs, antonyms, plural, synonyms, and nationalities.
-Comprehension:
*visual: we show them for one minute about 10 flags; they have one minute to memorize them; then, we select 3 flags that we show them; they have to write the name of which corresponding countries.
*reading: a text is read to them; they are given the text on paper to follow better; then, 3 questions about the excerpt were asked them.
*listening: an article of a junior encyclopedia was read; this time, they do not have the article written so that they have to listen up very carefully; then, they also have to listen carefully to the questions as they are not been written.

Visit of the 3 Junior Schools of Jachie
Even though the quiz is opened to every Junior School in Jachie, the private schools do not want to participate. The reason is very simple: they do not want to take the risk to lose against a public school, as it can make the parents think that free public schools can be better for their children than expensive private ones. But of course, in every school, they are outstanding pupils. And it is therefore such a shame that the private schools dread this kind of competition. We can maybe hope to convince them in the near future.

Let’s go through the 3 public schools we visited with some pictures:

Anglican School: First one for us. As a result, we were a bit impressed by the numbers of spectators (all the classes of the school). Also we were hoping that our questions were well adapted to the level of JSS pupils.
DA2: we would particularly like to thank the teachers of DA2 as they were very interested by the quiz and very nice with us. One of them asked for a sample of the extract from Nineteen eighty four from George Orwell which was used in the reading comprehension. At the end, they offered us drinks (Malt Guinness) which is here really a treat as you can feed two persons for the price of one bottle (25p).
DA1: first quiz outside under the trees!

23rd November: be ready for the Grande Finale!!

Mid-Tour: First week in Accra Region

My notes

We had bought in advance our tickets for the 9am STC bus from Kumasi to Accra. Surprisingly our bus was almost on time (only 30 minutes late) and the journey was very pleasant: air conditioning, T.V with some crappy Ghanaian cheesy movies and a rest stop with proper toilets and take-away shops. Also it was not that long (5 hours) and a perfect timing as we arrive at the same time than Holly and Pete who were coming from Cape Coast. Our week with European standards had just started.We met Marion at one of the two westernised supermarkets in Accra (Koala) where you can buy many imported, albeit extremely expensive goods. But first let’s introduce our Good Samaritan, Marion: she is a very good friend of Cecile Varin, one of my best friends from Centrale. They lived together in Valencia in Spain where I had met Marion twice very quickly and where Marion met her Spanish boyfriend, Salva, whom she followed to Ghana. Marion and Salva, who have both been working and living in Accra for a while, suggested accommodating the four of us while we were in Accra. I found it so generous from them as I hardly knew them. I admit that I felt quite embarrassed but she made us feel immediately at our ease. I must confess I was more than happy to accept their invitation as they live in a beautiful and very comfortable house with air conditioning, 2 hot showers, 2 toilets, internet…I think we just felt as if we had came back home. Around 8pm, we walked to a very posh French restaurant, Le Tandem, where we had an amazing French meal. I had a beef carpaccio as starter then a sole meniere with puree and ratatouille, last but not least we all had an excellent moelleux au chocolat that Marion had especially ordered beforehand from the French chef. We also had some nice wine (the first one since I left), an aperitif (Martini) and even a digestif (Limoncello). Of course, I really enjoyed the food despite the European prices but I also really appreciated having a very long meal and chatting in French with Marion’s friends, maybe the only thing I was really missing.

Experiencing Marion’s flat and life, I asked her what she was missing from France. Her answer was very spontaneous: shopping malls and cinemas! Also, she finds it a bit excessive to buy cereals which cost 6 euros a pack. Concerning that, a brand new huge supermarket has just opened in Accra; the prices are supposed to be reasonable and consequently it is going to revolutionise the expatriates’ lives.

On Sunday, after having done some food shopping at Koala (I am ashamed I bought one Lindt dark chocolate tablet for the equivalent of 4 pounds!) and trying many banks to finally be able to withdraw some money, she drove us in her company car (a pick-up truck) to Kokrobite where thanks to Holly’s parents and their architect friends, we were all invited to stay in a paradisiacal house with a swimming pool and a deserted beach.

Front entrance of the house

Backview of the house

Under these conditions we could only have the most relaxing days we ever had in our lives. Therefore I would like to send many many thanks to Holly’s parents and their friends. I wish I could find such deserted gorgeous places in the future to make a break from the city life. I completely recharged my tired batteries within these few days.

I spend most of the time reading, admiring the beautiful view from the terrace of my room and jumping into the swimming pool once a while for a refreshing bath.

View from my room One morning, I went to buy some fresh fish on the beach just opposite the house. I waited one hour under the beating sun in order to be there when the nets came out. I even helped the 20 Ghanaians to pull the net out as a Ghanaian woman encouraged me to do so. It was worth it; I bought a few very big ‘kassava fish’ (a fine white fish) and I even got a small lobster for free (because I had helped them!). We ate half of it in the evening grilled and we saved the other half to cook it for Marion and Salva on our last night in Accra. We went out for dinner twice in very nice local restaurants with reasonable prices (3 pounds the main course). For lunch, nothing was really planned. As the only French in the house I felt obliged to prepare one proper set lunch for the four of us. Whereas I was quite missing the set lunch with everybody, I think the other are not that used to these long meals where you chat for hours... For instance, Pete was enjoying his early brunch at 11am with eggs, toasts and beans. One day, Pete and Holly tried to eat the local cheap food (Kenkey) but did not eat much of it.
In the early mornings and late afternoons, I was taking pictures with sunset and sunrise lights. By the way, we had a really good shooting session with Kathryn. The photos speak for themselves.
In the evenings we watched some movies on a centered screen which was a change from our Jachie television.
In the nights we just all enjoyed the air conditioning in each of the four rooms and the calm early mornings without the roosters’ calls. For once, I was waking up after 6am!!!

When we went back to Accra, we stayed again at Marion and Salva’s place and we cooked a lovely dinner for them on Friday night with fresh fish served with some English mashed potatoes and a French ratatouille. I also did a moelleux au chocolat loved by everybody (thanks to Marie’s secret recipe, so thanks Marie!). We also used this night as an excuse to celebrate Holly’s birthday, as we won’t be with her on November 20th.

To sum-up, this week definitely surpassed my expectations in terms of food, comfort, landscapes (and prices).

For once, Kath finished writing her prose before me so that I feel I do not have to be exhaustive as she is telling many other details and thoughts about our first week of holiday near Accra.

Kate's notes

We have had beautiful few days in a stunning location near Kokrobite, as well as an interesting if brief stay in Accra itself. Many, many thanks are due to Holly’s family and Virginie’s acquaintance Marion. I was glad that we were able to thank Marion with the present of a web-cam, as well as cooking a full dinner (including chocolate cake and wine) for her and her boyfriend on the final night.

I have to say that I found the first two days extremely difficult. My reaction to the luxury supermarket we went to on the first day was more one of shock than of delight. I wandered round the aisles looking at prices, unable to stop myself from reverting to Jachie – ‘that 8-cedi pack of Special K could feed the family we live with for weeks’; ‘that 4-cedi yoghurt could purchase 7 pairs of shoes and Susannah’s have holes in’ etc.
In the end I bought a few packs of biscuits, thinking they were priced at 1700 cedis each (0.16 Ghana cedis, about 8 pence and equivalent to a Kumasi street price).. When I got to the till I realised they were 16000 (1.6 Ghana cedis). It’s ok if I force myself to think in terms of sterling (that’s 80 pence) and compare it to Europe, but still… Thankfully, Virginie was purchasing the communal food, to split the price later; otherwise I would have been unable to do anything.

On the first night we went to an excellent French restaurant. Had this occurred a couple of days later I have no doubt that I could have enjoyed it whole-heartedly, but the slight unease persisted as I ordered my (delicious) rabbit and chocolate pudding for 25 Ghana Cedis, which would have been 35 if I had had alcohol. That is only 13 pounds to 18 pounds, very cheap by European standards (as I kept reminding myself) but almost obscene by those of Jachie.

During the next couple of days near the tourist resort of Kokrobite I started to get used to the higher cost of living and relax in the tropical sun (slathered in factor 50 and regularly forced back into the shade.) The house was on the beach and there was a lovely pool in the courtyard. Unfortunately on the second day I got 6 mosquito bites, my first bites since the first week in Ghana, having trusted what everyone says about no mosquitos coming out before late afternoon. I got mine 2-3pm. I guess the pool is responsible. I hope my prophylactic drugs work well; I know doyxycline is not supposed to be even close to 100% effective.

The exchange rate is getting better and better for us. When we arrived it was perhaps 1.83 cedis to the pound; now it is virtually 2 to 1. I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that the cedi is pegged to the dollar, so I guess that provides some indication of how far the dollar has slipped in the 2 months since we left? At least it will be good for Ghana’s exports, though the products in Koala Supermarket will probably get more and more expensive, unfortunately for the expats! I miss news.

I rather enjoyed our day shopping in Accra, despite the bustle of the market. It is surprising to see the difference in the reaction we get here: in Kumasi we cannot move without being touched, grabbed and shouted at - ‘Bruni! Bruni! Come!!’ Here they seem to take our presence in their stride. The market itself was not dissimilar to the Kumasi market in terms of what you can buy. We then went to an expensive tourist souvenir shop called the ‘African Market’. I bought a fertility doll. The most wonderful section of the store was the small room devoted to some wooden carvings from Zimbabwe, particularly the ghoulish wooden masks with distorted features, real hair and an ‘authentic’ smell of decay. I wish I could have afforded one, but I have been told that these wooden masks crack once you take them into the British climate so maybe it is lucky that the price was prohibitive.

The trip home was slightly less luxurious than the trip there. Coaches to Kumasi had been cancelled, and when one did come (2 hours after our scheduled time) many people were fighting for the limited places. It is incredibly fortunate that we got ourselves near the front of the queue; we got the last two seats. These were uncomfortable and at the back but we felt lucky to be going back that morning.

Report about Ghanaian food

When someone asks you what you would like to eat tonight as our Ghanaian mum often does, the answer is not: “I would like some fish or some pasta”. You have generally 3 options: yams, plantain or rice to what you add some stew. Then, the yams or plantain can be fried, boiled or smashed into a dough as the following schema shows you:



By and large the food is very good even though I think it is just too much based on carbohydrates. Sometimes we wish it was a bit more diverse or had a bit more of chicken (the only meat we eat).


Our favourite meals
Mine: palava sauce (mixed spinach, onions, tomato sauce) with fish, boiled platains and yams, with a malt Guinness (does sound alcoholic, but it is not. It is just thick, a bit sweet, filling and just delicious!)
Kathryn’s: Friday lunch at the crèche: little samosa-style pastries filled with a black-eyed bean dough – I have it with a little plastic bag of warm cocoa milk. (it is also my favourite because it is the first meal the kids have started to receive that is NOT rice – a big achievement!)
Peter’s: red-red (tomato stew with black-eyed beans and onions) with deep-fried plantain, + 1L Club beer.
Holly’s: groundnut soup with a canned diet coke (if available, that means here almost never!)

What I am missing:
-dark chocolate: although Ghana is well-known for its cacao, it is nearly impossible to find some manufactured dark chocolate in Kumasi.
-balsamic vinegar, red bleeding meat, fresh yoghurt.
-ice-creams: although you can find some inexpensive ‘fan-ice’ in some Kumasi shops.
-milk: the most usual is the canned concentrated milk. Lately, we discovered powder milk, which improved the taste of our coffees and teas! However, we found one shop in Kumasi where we can get UHT milk.