Day 20: Accra

I haven’t really partied much on this trip, but I definitely tied on a good one last night and didn’t head to bed until 1 or 2AM. I felt it this morning in my pounding head so I took advantage of the “study day” to sleep in. I lounged around in my room until lunch time. After lunch a group of students went to the beach – which is probably where I should have went – but instead I stayed in to work on our papers. Our papers and presentations are due by 12midnight tonight and we give our formal presentation to the community tomorrow. Today was a busy work day with intermittent breaks to take a walk, get some pineapple juice, and attempt to buy a dress from a street seller (her price was too high and she wouldn’t negotiate).

As the time is winding down, I am becoming very reflective about my experience here – what it has meant, what I have learned, how I have grown. I know most of the learning will probably happen long after I have left, but I always try to over-analyze and process. I wish I would stop that and just be in the moment. Be here, in Ghana, for the next 6 days. Our final trip to Kumasi should be a good time and, along the way, we will be visiting a couple different villages and village projects. I am looking forward to that and to learning more – the sponge that I am.

I am also starting to look forward to my next trip – London, Paris, Belgium, and Amsterdam, here I come! (And, maybe Berlin, Prague, Munich, and Manchester if I can swing it!)

Day 19: Accra

I cannot believe I leave here in a week. Me and change, while we’re old friends, don’t quite get along. In some ways I feel I am just finally getting settled and into a groove and don’t want to leave. In other ways I feel I am getting restless and am ready for the next chapter. Ghana was my “work” trip. Since my project is over and I accomplished what I set out to do I feel lost in my purpose for being here now. I guess I could just have fun??

After all of our hard-work, we still have a stupid paper to write! Our group needs to compose 12-15 pages and give a presentation on Tuesday as our final project before heading off to Kumasi for 3 nights. I spent a large portion of today working on that. It was nice, actually. One of my Ghanaian friends came over and we watched the futbol game. He sat yelling at the TV while I alternately typed and watched the game. It reminded me very much of undergrad and dorm life. Not that I miss that, but it was a nice adult-like flashback.

Afterwards we went for a walk to get some fresh air and later stopped at a local eatery for a drink. We had a great conversation about everything under the sun – family, upbringing, education, future, culture. We are very similar in many ways – both are first-generation college students who have worked hard as hell to get to where we are today and we both have younger siblings whom take care of (physically and/or emotionally). We both had drama in our homes as children and had a parent who suffered from mental illness. The effects on us seemed similar – we became hard working, dedicated, stubborn, motivated people who would not take “No” for an answer. Similarly, we became hard on ourselves and put pressure on ourselves to succeed. Failure was a motivating fear because we never wanted “those people” (who didn’t want to see us succeed) to be right or win. We wouldn’t allow losing wagers to be placed on us. I admire in him the strength and perseverance. Even now, he is looking to study in the States and is working very hard to learn more information and determine what it takes. It is not often that I meet someone who I believe matches my hard work and determination to make things happen. I rarely feel that someone works as hard as I do, but I feel it with him. It is interesting how I have to go to the other side of my world to meet someone whom I can relate with so well in that regard.

Later in the night, Miss K., our hostel mistress threw us a party! Since we will be out of town the later part of the week and most of us leave on Sunday or Monday, she wanted to have a bash to send us off. She is so sweet! She has been incredible at accommodating a large group, cooking for us, and generally being loving and motherly. She always greets us with a smile and a warm welcome. Again, the warmth here is unrivaled. We pushed back the chairs on the back patio and she had a DJ playing jams. Luckily it was a cooler night and there was a perfect breeze to help keep us not so sweaty as we danced the night away.

Day 18: Accra, Depression Circle

Same moon, same sky, and same me wherever I go. I was hoping that my depression would stay behind in Austin and let me enjoy my vacation. It appears, however, that it wanted to come along on this trip. I spent much of today in bed – reading, journaling, listening to music, and generally feeling sad/blah. I felt bad for “wasting” a day on my trip, but I needed to honor where I was today. This week has been pretty emotionally charged and, in many ways, today felt like the end of semester crash. All I have been thinking about, planning for, exciting over just ended. I do not do well with ends, ever. Also, I know I need downtime and quiet time to replenish and rehydrate. Traveling with 40 people has not afforded me much alone time. While I partly feel I ‘wasted’ a day – I know I did what I needed to do to take care of myself today. And, ultimately, that is what I am striving to learn – how to take care of myself no matter where I am. Practice, practice. Practice makes perfect, yes?

Day 17: Ashaiman SHS

This morning was chaotic. We arrived to the school early, as requested, to begin our morning assembly. Since today is the last day, they wanted us to end early because they had planned a recognition ceremony for us in the afternoon!  Well, as usual, we hurried up to wait. Headmaster was in a meeting but needed to meet with us before assembly. Finally, about an hour later he was able to see us. Basically he just wanted to welcome us for our final day and tell us of the ceremony they had planned for later. He also wanted to be sure we would finish our work by lunch. This did not fit with what I had scheduled for the day – I wanted to meet with the peer consulate group again and we had more one-on-one counseling sessions. However, the Headmaster calls the shots so we adjusted. I was disappointed because I did not get a chance to meet with the group again and I had promised them we would discuss some of their questions and concerns today. I had planned on helping them to identify the mission, goals, and purpose of their group along with providing basic mediation skills. I will give the information and training manual to the counselor and hope it reaches the students properly. ::sigh::

The wrap-up theme for the week was “Exploring Options - Post secondary options.” Two of our co-workers who are Ghanaian led this section since they know more about the educational system here than do we. They provided information on university and other college options as well as military options. As is usually the case with seminars like this – some students were extremely engaged, taking notes, and asking questions while others were passing notes, reading other material, or flat out sleeping. Teenagers are so similar, no matter their background or placement on this globe.

In the afternoon was the special ceremony recognizing our work this week and seeing off the student teachers. I did not want such an elaborate honoring for us. It almost felt as if we were stealing the thunder from the student teachers because we were the “Special friends from the U.S.” I definitely appreciate the gratitude; it just felt awkward. One of my friends told me not to worry; he told me that “this is how we show our thanks in Ghana.” There is a belief that if you do not appropriately thank or honor someone who has helped you that you will not again receive help (sounds religious or spiritual to me). At any rate, it was a really sweet gesture and we very much appreciated it.

This event was complete with drinks and appetizers, including the casual octopus kebab.  Not only were we honored and thanked publically, but we were each given gifts. We each received a large, framed “Citation.” A Citation is equivalent to a certificate in the States. The Citation reads:
“You arrived in Ghana-West Africa on 26th May, 2009 and first visited Ashaiman Senior High School on Monday, 1st June, 2009 to acquaint yourself with the environment and to put yourself in good shape of the task ahead. Subsequently, from Monday, 8th June to Friday, 12th June 2009, you together with other members of your three-member team took turns to share with the staff and students of the above-mentioned school your rich experiences in the field for social work particularly on issues concerning: “Expressing Myself,” “Positive Self-Talk,” “Leadership Heroes”, Goal Setting” ‘SMART’, and “Future Planning.” You also held daily counseling sessions with individual students who needed help. You also proved yourself a good mixer and exuded the spirit of voluntarism and selflessness. Lesson learned from your one week interaction with the ASHAISEC community will go down memory lane, especially for being the 1st Batch of Americans to willingly choose ASHAISEC for such an exercise. Thus for the above achievement and others which are yet to manifest; and selfless services to humanity, the Board of Governors, Parent-Teacher Association, Headmaster, Staff, and Students of Ashaiman Senior High School present to you this citation. Thank you. God richly Bless You.”

This, alone, brought tears to my eyes. I feel what we did was so simple and non-impactful, and to receive such a heartfelt recognition and token of appreciation really moved me. In the States you would never get such a large thank you for such a small task. I really love that about this culture – the people are soooo warm and loving and friendly. They are so genuinely interested in you, as a person, as a part of humanity. I have been incredibly well received in ways I would have never expected. I love the warmth I am surrounded by here. It makes my heart ache, truly.

Along with our Citation, we each received a wrapped gift which I was told included “something African for you to wear.” When I got home and opened the gift, it was a traditional dress complete with headscarf. I tried it on and I think I look a bit silly but it was incredibly thoughtful. I am not sure where I will wear this in the States, but I will definitely sport my super ab-fab new wear proudly. I really am so appreciative, it is beyond words. I had already cried when I said goodbye to the kids and several of them told me they didn’t want me to leave, they would miss me, and I had changed their lives. And then to be so positively received by the administration was mind bending. I wish schools in the States would be so appreciative of support services. I wish.
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Feeling like a ball of emotional turmoil (from a week well-done, mixed feelings of sadness, excitement, pride, and guilt) I did what most people do on Fridays at 5PM – I had an ice cold beer. I sat outside and talked with some of my Ghanaian friends. One of my friends, Gl., asked why American men have hair under their arms. I explained to her that in the US this is seen as “manly” and that hardly no men shave their underarms. She seemed appalled – “but what about the odor” she exclaimed? I asked about women and what the shave. Gi quickly chimed in “we do not shave our legs, but we shave everything else. Yes, everything.” She is usually such a soft spoken, modest, demure type of woman so I burst out laughing with her description, which included a proper hand motion demonstrating where “everything” was located. So, we had a cross cultural discussion about hair, cultural standards of beauty, and masculinity and femininity. It was really interesting to think about. Most of the arguments I have been making for or against shaving and hair is that it should be practical. Underarm hair catches sweat and increases odor – maybe shaving that is practical. Similarly for pubic hair. Leg hair, on the other hand?! What does it disturb, on a woman, other than her perceived beauty by the hegemonic society? Does my leg hair or lack there of really matter to anyone other than myself? It is not, inherently, “gross,” “disgusting,” or “wrong.” And, I argue how much of shaving legs is really a “preference.” We all have been so forced into gendered roles and boxes that we rarely have an opportunity to question or explore. How can you prefer something if you have not experienced the other? That’s like saying I prefer corn when it’s the only vegetable I have ever hard. That’s not a preference, it’s a lack of options. Having been exploring and testing gendered roles and boundaries for quite some time now, I found it reinforcing to have this conversation with two beautiful women and two beautiful men. :)

Day 16: Ashaiman SHS

Since several students expressed difficulty with academic learning, such as remembering what they had read and concentrating on a task at a hand, we integrated these issues into our curriculum for the week. The theme for today was “Skills for Success – Learning to study more effectively. Since I had done more of the preparation and leading for the first days, my co-facilitators took charge on this one (plus, it is more inline with what they study – both are earning their Ph.D. in Education). That meant I had more of a chance to interact one-on-one with students and help facilitate dialogue. The students were quite restless today – they seemed anxious and disinterest in the material. Understandably so, as learning study skills is not usually too fun. And, admittedly, the curriculum could have been more engaging. Live and learn. All in all, we provided an overview of effective time management skills, practiced note taking, and identified supports and challenges to concentration. Even though the students were restless and resistant, I have to know that at least one student learned something today. Each day, that is my ultimate goal – to affect the life of just one person. I feel I have done that every day (regardless of my unrelenting inner voice telling me nothing I do is enough...ugh).

The afternoon was my opportunity to meet with the Peer Consulate. The original plan was to lead a “Train-the-Trainer” workshop but, as with most things thus far, the plan was rearranged at the last minute. Instead, I co-facilitated a focus group with the 28 students (15 female, 13 male) who serve as volunteer peer counselors. Essentially, these are the leaders of the school and all volunteer for the role of “peer counselors.”

We began with asking each participant why s/he is interested in the peer counseling program and several themes surfaced, such as noticing a need for mentorship and counseling their peers; a desire to assist peers with their struggles; an opportunity to develop and/or enhance personal leadership skills; and a desire to improve their school and community. It seemed obvious that most of them wanted to “help” and some even connected this to their future career interests, such as counseling or ministry.

We asked the group to speak as spokespersons to help us identify the issues among the student body as they see it. The main themes were: fear of speaking up in class (shyness, afraid to make mistakes and/or be made fun of), lack of adult mentorship, and a feeling of being unloved or underappreciated. It was also stated that teachers humiliate the students; often saying telling them that what they have to say is “nonsense” (which, obviously wouldn’t be much help for those who wish to speak out in class). Also, it was pointed out by several females in the group that the male teachers are “too friendly” with female students. (I later asked one young woman to explain what that meant. She said the male teachers play favorites with a group of girls and will spend much of their time flirting with those girls. I asked if she knew of anyone being romantically or sexually involved and she said no. Here’s to hoping…)

To try and identify positive and successful coping mechanisms, we inquired of the strengths of the students. They identified several strengths within themselves to draw upon in overcoming the above obstacles, including: self confidence, belief in God or faith, practice in socializing, encouragement from friends, remaining goal-oriented, boldness, determination, counseling and guidance from a few Pastors and teachers, realizing one’s humanity and unity with others in that regard, parenting, close relationships and sharing, admiring and learning from those who are confident and speak out. Time and time again the impact of a positive adult – a parent, mentor, priest, or other important person – was listed as having been integral in helping them to cope with situations. This reminded me very much of what I know about resiliency and the influencing factors to resilient human beings. Those ideals seem to be applicable in this culture as well.

We also wanted to better understand what they like about the school, how the school is supporting them, and what the school can continue to do. The students identified the strengths within the institution that already adds to overcoming the above obstacles, such as providing positive reinforcement for Class Prefects and in academic competition, encouraging groups (such as morning devotions), assisting in arranging study groups, offering clubs and sports, some teacher’s lectures, and providing social opportunities for youth

They had much more to say, however, about where the school needs improvement. Suggestions from them directly include:
• Organize more social time for students to feel comfortable around each other
• Form study groups and peer teaching models
• Obtain better facilities (furniture, science equipment, computers, etc.)
• Encouragement from teachers: more positive reinforcement than negative, discontinue favoritism, more support for students who are struggling
• Train teachers to learn how to reach students at their level
• Encourage teachers to be more patient with students and give the students a chance to think of answers
• Place students into groups based on career goals and focus more heavily on more relevant courses
• Provide individual and group counseling/therapy
• Monthly forums for students to voice concerns
• Scholarships to help with financial burden of attending school
• Offer experiential education or provide more real-life examples to help with teaching and explanation of material
• Implement a Newspaper reading club to help with English and keep students up to date on current affairs

I was impressed with the critical thinking involved in the list. The students knew what they wanted and what would help them. I am thinking how this list might compare to a student group in the US – better lunches, add soda machines, more school dances – and am humbled. Most of these students so genuinely want to learn. They work harder to complete a high school education than many do to complete their college education. They have many more barriers to overcome – financial, personal, and societal. It is inspiring and overwhelming to think about all they do to succeed.

In effort to empower youth and help them to use their voices and be agents of change, we asked them what they could do to create change in the school. The group identified options in which other students can contribute to a better learning environment, such as forming study groups; study, complete readings and some of the learning before class so it will be easier in class; fully prepare for each class; compete with each other (healthy competition for success); and attend classes on time and not participate in truancy. How responsible! Again, most college freshman I know are not doing these tasks consistently. While it can be seen as an unfortunate struggle that the students must work so hard; I see the strength and resiliency these students have and know they will be better off in their futures for learning how to work hard.

The results will be submitted to the Headmaster and Asst. Headmaster. I will include the following recommendations:
1. Expand counseling services, individually and group
2. Train teachers to utilize more positive than negative reinforcement
3. Encourage a professional environment, and address the issue of how male teachers are treating female students
4. Provide monthly meetings for students to voice their concerns and follow up on all possible suggestions
5. Develop a newspaper (or other) reading club
6. Assist in the formation of study groups

Obviously I would recommend scholarships and any other financial aid, but it is not feasible at this point. They school is very aware of the financial status of its students and is working to improve those circumstances. Unfortunately, secondary education is not government subsidized so money is tight all around. This, I believe, also contributes to the poor quality of teaching. The teachers, I am sure, are underpaid and overworked. They are managing 70 student classrooms and lack basic teaching materials. It is an extremely challenging situation for everyone. Instead, I want to focus on more tangible suggestions that could possible be implemented with little cost other than time and energy.

The day ended with me feeling pretty good. It was nice to actually get a chance to sit with a small group of students and allow them to speak. I do not believe that students’ or youths’ voices are typically heard in this community. They were hesitant to talk at first but eventually opened up and had lots to say. These kids are incredibly intelligent, motivated, and driven. I know they can do amazing things and I would love to see them flourish with some adult support. I keep thinking, in the back of my mind, that I could transform this group if I had some more time to work with them. And that voice keeps saying, “you can…in January…final field.” Shhh, voice. Not yet…

On the way home from work a couple interesting things occurred. First, I purchased some material from a woman on the side of the road. I saw her carrying fabric on her head and said I wanted to get some. Next thing I know, my friend had invited her into our van and we drove while I picked out material. Nothing like drive through (or drive while) shopping. I got 4 yards for 12 cedis. That’s a great deal, since it is usually around 20cedis for 4 yards! I must find a tailor now to make me another dress. I want to buy all the dresses here. And the jewelry. And the art. And the musical instruments. And, and, and… And I’m out of suitcase room already! I simply must come back again.

Second, I engaged in an interesting conversation with one of my Ghanaian male friends about male-female relations. Most all of the men whom I have met are still virgins. Most of them are around 25ish. Now, if I were in the States, I would think they were all bullshitting, but here – no, I believe them. It is largely engrained in the culture to wait until marriage. Some people will ‘date’ for one or two years before ever even kissing. Kissing! Some women will make a man pursue her for one year before even deciding to go on A date with him – one date, to dinner perhaps, and there is no special dessert.

Now, my Western frame of reference is…flabbergasted. Coming from such an oversexed culture, I have been very interested in these having these conversations. Today I learned that in courting, a man “must stand the test of time” by pursuing a woman. My friend compared this process to a piece of electrical equipment, my digital camera, to be exact. He said “just like your camera, we must prove our durability, reliability, and resiliency. You want a camera that will stand the test of time, don’t you?” Well, yes, but how do I know if it stands the test of time if I don’t ever USE it? If I leave it at home in its case, how do I know how it functions, what its strengths and weaknesses are? How do I know if I have the best camera for me if I don’t try several different cameras during my life? It might be a simple, silly analogy, but it really made me think. I doubt I’ll be taking a lifetime vow of chastity but it helped me to question our culture’s obsession with sex, sexuality, and the body (especially ideals of beauty). My friend broke it down and said “a partner who is for real doesn’t need physicality. They want someone with whom to share their days and feelings – for better or worse, richer and poorer.” It made me see a different view of “man.” In the States I have never heard a man say this. Men are “by nature,” as the argument goes, “hardwired for sex.” They “need” it because that’s the way “they are.” Bull. Here is an entire group of men, attractive men I might add (the no kissing rule is a shame!) who value connection on an emotional and spiritual level over physicality. Holy cow, who knew. Aren’t only “women the emotional ones?”
Learning about a different culture is so eye opening. Being here has helped me to question myself, my values, and my experiences in a new light. It has really helped me to open my mind and stretch my abilities.

One more day at Ashaiman. I am quite sad, actually. I will miss those kids...

Day 15: Ashaiman SHS

When we first began our work here I had asked the Headmaster if there was any way to meet with the boys and girls separately to discuss the issues that are most relevant to them. He had seemed resistant at first; I believe because he wanted to be sure all students were reached. It is obvious now that we are reaching all of the students. Yesterday the school counselor informed us that we would be leading group discussions with the boys and girls separately, of course in large assembly format. She wanted us to talk with the girls about their health and “womanly concerns.” She gave one example of a girl who was confused about why there was discharge “down there.” She is also concerned of girls who are having pressures of “sexual immorality.” I confirmed that she wanted us to talk about women’s health and sexuality. As for the boys, she wanted us to talk about drug abuse. Now, I know boys and girls face different concerns growing up, but girls do not get pregnant on their own. It takes semen AND an egg to make a baby…

We began our morning with Worship. Every Wednesday the school has worship first thing. (I have been to church more this week than I have been in nearly the past 10 years). The Worship was high energy and actually woke me up a bit. They had the school choir singing and a few students playing drums, percussion, and keyboard. One male student served as director of the choir while another lead the entire group in songs. A female student sang back up vocals and played some percussion. Teachers and students alike danced and sang and praised. I may not be religious, but it was definitely high energy. Then a Pastor said his part which focused mostly on staying focused on God and making time for Him in your studies. The Pastor told the students they must make time to study the Bible because if they do not make time for the Lord, the Lord will not have time for them. I am glad the students and community have a strong faith that helps to support them; however, I also know many of the students cannot pass their academic coursework because they do not have time to study due to work duties. One girl talked with me today and she awakes at 4AM to begin her day – she completes her morning chores, sells goods on the side of the road and then arrives to school at 7AM for classes. At the end of the day she must again sell before returning home to help cook dinner for her family. She has no time to study or to relax/play as is – is studying the Bible really the best for her right now? Maybe so if it gives her strength and determination to persevere but I struggle to see that benefit. It feels that the staff is so removed from the real needs of the students. At the end of Worship, the Pastor told them they must make contributions to Offering. He lectured them that if they do not give their bounty they will not receive from the Lord. It went as far as “If you give 1 peswa, you will receive 100,000 cedis. If you give nothing, you will receive nothing.” Again, I have had students who do not have money for breakfast or lunch and sometimes they do not have dinner. If they do have money, I would rather them eat food to nourish their brains and bodies than contribute to Offering. I question if The Lord really wants people to starve before He ‘rewards’ them. I do not believe in the necessity of suffering. The Pastor even quoted a story from the Bible about someone who was hungry or starving but they still gave their bounty. This was very emotionally charged for me. Again, my cultural humility is being tested quite a bit…

Following Worship, oddly enough, was our sex talk with the girls and boys. I worked with the girls group. I began by introducing the topic for today and told them this was going to be a safe space for them to ask any and all of the questions they might have about their menses, sex, relationships, their body changes, etc. To help get a sense of the questions they had, we gave them slips of paper to write down their questions and collected the questions. My colleagues were nervous about the topic and talking about sex in a cultural appropriate way so I began the discussion. With all due respect, Ghanaian culture, I will be giving these girls accurate health information concerning their bodies. Going into this I informed my colleagues I would be saying the words penis and vagina; I would be talking about safe sex and how to protect yourself (and the benefits of abstinence); and I would not turn away any question – no matter how complex or challenging it might be to answer. These girls (and boys and all humans) have a right to know about their bodies and sexuality. The deserve answers to their questions so that they may make informed choices about their bodies and futures.

With that, we had about 150 slips turned in with questions ranging from “what causes menses, why is it irregular, why does it hurt in my abdomen” to “what is sex, what is a virgin, if I kiss a boy am I still a virgin” to “is it OK for a man to beat his wife.” We also had questions such as “is it illegal to have a boyfriend,” “how can I control the white liquid coming out of my vagina” and “why does semen come out of my vagina if I am a virgin.” These girls range in age from 14-19 and clearly do not have even a rudimentary understanding of their bodies. I tried to answer themes of questions as best as I could. I felt very sad that they have not been provided with this education. They are so lost and confused. I wonder the affects of such strong religion in this culture which seems to prevent the children from receiving any education around sexual health. The only answer is to wait until marriage (which, by the way, proposals are commonplace. To be married does not mean you know one another or have dated or are in love. Many girls asked how to stop men from proposing to them and wondered why men were noticing them more lately. Men. Not boys.). We also had a question about sexual abuse and if you can say no to someone who wants to have sex with you. We gave a complete answer about the right to your body, to say no, to change your mind and how they do not owe anyone their body or access to it no matter what (for example, many aunties and uncles are paying for their education and the uncles want something in return). The counselor then got on the microphone to reiterate the importance of telling her if this was happening so they could be counseled. She said “If you do not tell someone you will have a horrible life, you will not get married and you will be not have children and you will not lead a happy life.” WTF?!?!?! Meanwhile, at this time, the boys were talking about how to stay in school and get into University and to avoid drugs. I have been so frustrated with the sexist ideals of responsibility and have really struggled to remain cultural humble and curious. I am doing my best to respect the cultural norms while still providing accurate information. I made myself available after our forum for individual questions. A couple girls came and asked questions about sex and pregnancy and how they might know if they are pregnant. Innocent questions. I wish I could be here longer and lead several small groups for students around sexuality and sexual health.

Later, during my individual counseling session a girl told me about being molested at the age of 6. She had never told anyone before and she wanted to know if she was still a virgin and if she would still be able to marry and have children. I wish I could do more for her. There is no one to report it to, no one to tell who can help this girl. I felt so helpless in that situation. Luckily, she is no longer in that unsafe situation, but she is feeling obvious after affects. She began talking about this because she said she feels nervous around men and boys and does not like to be alone with them or close to them. She asked if this was normal. She does not wish to talk to her mother (that was my first approach since family is the foundation of everything here) nor anyone else. She said she wants to just forget about it and move on with her life. I have to respect that that is where she is right now and it wouldn’t be safe for me to bring all of this up with her to have no follow up. I felt so incredibly inadequate and useless. At least I was there for her to have a safe space, free of judgment to share what she needed to share and get accurate health information. I hope she is able to tell someone someday and work through it.

On an upswing, during our break, a student I talked with yesterday came up to me with great news – he was able to accomplish one of his goals today (we had set two goals yesterday and he reached one this morning). He was so excited and the huge smile on his face was heart warming. He couldn’t wait to tell me how it went. He was bright, smiley, and cheery and said I had inspired him and he wished I could be with him always. I told him how incredibly proud I was of him for working on his goal today and told him I would always be with him. He will always have our conversation and the skills I helped him to learn and that he can carry those with him wherever he goes in the future. He also has my email address and said he will write. (Most all of the students ask for your address or email – I am not sure how many will actually write)

I also hung out with a group of girls in the courtyard during lunch. We took pictures and had a great time posing and laughing and being silly. They love the cameras, that’s for sure!

Today’s curriculum was a follow up to yesterday’s goal setting. Today we broke it down into more specific steps to achieving your goal(s) and identified those people who are in your support system, or your circle of support. I was quite impressed with the students’ abilities to think critically and identify steps to reach their goals. Students have big goals – to be the first female President, to be the Minister of Women and Children Affairs, to be “the biggest lawyer Ghana has ever seen,” to travel the world and write books, and to be “the next Obama.” Many students had sense of what it takes to enter a certain field – extra math/science or study social sciences. They knew they would need to have a practicum, conduct research, and seek mentors. It is so inspiring to hear the students’ goals and dreams and help them to identify ways to get there. I hope at least one student learns something from this week that they take forward with them and use in the future – whether it is goal setting, problem solving, or social skills – I hope there is something they can find that is useful.

Tomorrow I am training the youth consulate group on facilitation skills so they can become facilitators of these seminars. I have created a 20 page manual for them and am leading a 2-hour training. I am still determining the best way to integrate photo journalism into the project… I hope it all goes smoothly. This week has been so rewarding in so many ways. I know I will not want to leave come Friday – which is just right around the corner. I can’t believe I only have another 10 days left in Ghana. The time has flown by.

Day 14: Ashaiman Secondary High School

We left our hostel bright and early at 6:55AM today. I am not a morning person. At all. It takes about an hour to fight traffic to get to our school (it would only take 15-20 minutes max otherwise) so we have to leave with ample time. Grr.

Our meeting with the Headmaster this morning was full of praise for our work yesterday. He is very happy with our work here and even wants to give us an office. The Program Director from UT asked if I would be interested in coming back here for my final internship placement next January…we shall see what unfolds. At any rate, we have a plethora of support from the school. As such, we made a proposal to divide the students into smaller groups today. Instead of working with 300 students for 1 hour 20 minutes, we wanted to try 2 sessions for 40 minutes each with 150 students with the hope that they would have more opportunities for interaction.

Today’s topic was “Reaching for the stars: Goal Setting.” We began with sharing “what I want to be when I grow up.” Each facilitator shared what we wanted to be when we were in secondary school (me = psychologist) and then we asked the students to share with us what they want to be. Many students are interested in nursing, lawyer, business, and journalism/broadcasting. Other interests I heard were veterinarian, soldier, police woman, football player, actor, musician, and pastor. We then moved into an activity to help students map out their current path, the bridge to their goals, and the challenges and support they have in front of them. Taking a piece of paper folded into 3rds horizontally, they wrote “path” on the left side, “bridge” in the middle, and “goal(s)” on the right side. The path represents where they are now – they may be on a straight road, a curvy road, or there may be a fork in the road. The bridge represents what they need to cross to get to their goals on the other side, but underneath the bridge lurks sharks and other challenges. You don’t want to fall off of the bridge because these things might hurt you. These are the challenges. Most of the challenges shared by the students to reaching their goals include financial troubles, broken homes, lack of advice and guidance, unsupportive parents, academic problems, drugs, teen pregnancy/sexual misconduct, and peer pressure. Above and on the bridge are the people or things that will help carry you to the other side. What were most shared were determination, hard work, and perseverance. I thought it was interesting that the biggest challenges were structural and the biggest supports were individualistic. Our curriculum for tomorrow builds off of this seminar.

We went off to individual counseling for the last hour of the day. Today I had two clients, both dealing with friendship issues and social skills (shyness). I approached this from a solution focused, empowerment direction. I had students identify times when they did not feel shy or when it was less scary to speak up. After identifying those times and what was different in those situations we were able to identify what they might need to do in the future. With both clients we mapped out two task items for the week in working towards their goals. I reminded them they can use our goal setting workshops as tools in solving their own problems in the future. I also reminded them that they are strong and smart and capable of solving problems; they know what is best for them and have their own answers. I hope something I said is helpful. I am glad that I know something about solution focused brief therapy because that is coming in handy right about now. Social work school has taught me something.

Tonight has been spent planning and prepping, catching up on my writing, and trying to relax. I forget how draining long days are…but the work is so rewarding. I can’t even believe this is all happening right now. I feel so honored and so lucky to be a part of it. I know I am learning and growing in so many ways that I cannot even yet see, feel, or begin to process. Writing is helpful, but I really think a lot of this will not hit until I am back in the States. I am trying to just savor each moment and offer as much as I can. I am trying to have a connection with every student while I am here – even if it is a smile or a greeting, I hope to give a piece of myself to each of them. I am so inspired by their hope, dreams, dedication, and determination. I hope to take a small piece from each of them with me as well. In some ways I never, ever imagined myself here, in a place like this, doing this work; yet, in other ways it feels so perfectly natural for me to be here and this is exactly what I imagined myself doing.

Day 13: Ashaiman Secondary High School, Ashaiman

The long awaited youth empowerment program at Ashaiman Secondary High School officially is up and running and I am happy to report that day 1 was a huge success! We were so warmly received by the school’s administration and are fortunate to have their support 110%. Our day began with a meeting with the Headmaster and Asst. Headmaster to present our proposal for the week. But, first, we needed to print our proposal which proved to be quite a task in and of itself. They have one computer for all of the administration (which the secretary uses) and one small photocopier. I was humbled to see how much trouble it was to make 9 copies of the proposed plan.

We proposed leading workshops in different classrooms each period every day this week. Knowing there are 14 classrooms and 4 of us, we knew it would be a challenge, (especially since some classes have up to 70 students per period) but we were up for the challenge. The topics we proposed leading were: identity exploration, addressing your inner critic, leadership, and goal setting (two-part session). The Administration liked our ideas, but they wanted to be sure we reached ALL students. They proposed we have two daily assemblies with Form 1 (first year) and Form 2 (second year) students (Form 3 students recently completed their studies and are not present during the summer months). For clarification, I asked how many students would be in each assembly – oh, ‘just’ 300 or so. Our program quickly morphed from working with small(-er) groups to leading large scale assemblies. We adapted and made some adjustments to our curriculum for the day (Who am I? Exploring your identity). The Asst. Headmaster, upon the change of plans, quickly moved into action. He informed us they have a PA system they would set up and left the room. At 10:55AM, Form 1 students were rallied, all 300+ of them, in the assembly hall.

When we entered the hall, what was formerly an empty room was now full with 300 desks, a podium, a large moveable chalkboard, a table (with a white table cloth accented by the fake flowers in a vase in the center) and chairs. The PA system was up and running, from the help of a couple students and we were ready to go. It was amazing how quickly it all came together, especially since when we entered in the morning, about 1 ½ hours earlier this was not at all our plan. I cannot believe how well we were received and how quickly the administration adapted and responded for the students. The Asst. Headmaster is adamant that the students’ need this program and he wanted to be sure we reached each and every student. As such, the students will not be in class for two periods (one block) every day this week. This, compared to what I know from working with administration in the US, is crazy – they would not be as happy to give up their students’ classroom time for week-long assemblies on identity and development.

I was pretty nervous to lead the assemblies. I am fairly confident of my abilities in working with adolescents, especially girls, but a mixed gender group of 300 was pretty intimidating. I started out by saying “Maakye” (“Good morning” in Twi) with blank stares which I took as normal for teenagers at 11AM on a June Monday. The Asst. Headmaster apparently did not believe this was appropriate and took the mic from my hands. I was waiting for what he would say when he said “Do you realize she was speaking Twi? She just greeted you.” He handed back the mic and I again said “Maakye” and was greeted with uproarious laughter from all 300 students. I’m guessing my accent was a little off? I tried.

The activity today focused on identities and how people see us. We began with a short sharing of “something you don’t know about me…” Students were prompted to share something we might not know about them by looking at them. Most students shared their future goals or dreams (mainly career-related), such as “I want to be a nurse/football player/doctor.” A couple students shared their favorite colors or where they are from. It was fun to finally interact with the students and learn a bit about them. They are mostly so demure, so shy and quiet – and so respectful. Our next activity was drawing a mountain. From a distance when you look at a mountain you can only see the top part – you cannot see what is at the bottom of the mountain – are there people? A village? Animals? To see what is at the base of the mountain you must move closer. This is the same with people. From the outside we only see the tip of the mountain; we must get closer to people, get to know them better, ask them questions to see what is really underneath. Using this metaphor we drew a mountain and identified things on the top of the mountain for them (body shape/size, hair color, skin color, face) and those underneath (religion, personality). They then drew their own mountains highlighting what aspects of themselves were at the top of the mountain or underneath the horizon. The second activity (which we did not get to with Form 1 groups) was to based on a poem from a curriculum I work with in the States. It is called “Just Because” and is originally written by Esther Kamkar, a woman born in Iran in 1947 who now lives in the US. She often feels that people judge her by what they see on the outside, but do not really know her.

Just because I was born in Iran,
I am not a belly dancer
I am not a fortune teller
I am not a camel rider.
I am a poet.

Just because I am a woman,
I do not like diamonds
I do not love to shop
I do not worship credit cards
I love to play with clay

Just because I am a Jew,
I do not make a fortune
I do not hate Arabs
I do not believe in “an eye for an eye”
I remember and give refuge

Just because I am a mother
I am not regretful
I am not a martyr
I am not a fixer
I am a free spirit.

After sharing this poem with the students, they wrote their own Just Because poems. We had a few students volunteer to share their poems with the group and they were amazing!! One student talked about “Just because I am poor, I am not lazy, I am not unmotivated…I am a village boy” and there was an uproar of support for him. One student shared “Just because I am fat…Doesn’t mean I can’t dance…Doesn’t mean I can’t stand out…Doesn’t mean I can’t be beautiful…Doesn’t mean I can’t be respected. I am fat-tabulous and happy.” There was also great applause and cheering in support of her. I was so personally touched by her poem – because 1. As a fat girl, I can relate so much to her words. 2. I hate when teen girls have to struggle with weight concerns. It’s so stupid and mean. And 3. I hoped there was a part of the world where I could go that was protected from the fat=bad bullshit but from westernization Ghanaian women and girls are now receiving these message as well. It breaks my heart to hear, yet she inspired me so much to remember my own beauty and to be FATTABULOUS. I recorded her reading her poem for future inspiration 

Upon completion of our group assemblies we rushed off to do our individual counseling sessions. Another unforeseen need and addition to our program was the offering of individual counseling for the students. They have one school counselor for all 1000+ students. We created ¼ slip forms to hand out to interested students. They filled out their name, form (grade), program, and issue to be addressed and turned them in to us. We had no idea that over 300 students would turn in forms! After sorting through the Form 1 forms we noticed categories of concerns: financial, academic, future planning/goal setting, medical, and general (social skills, family concerns). For today we addressed the general concerns since they were the least amount. We were given a classroom for the 5 of us to counsel. We arranged the 10 desks into pairs and tried to give as much a space as possible between the paired tables. I learned a lot today about being a resourceful social worker. I saw one student who was concerned about pressure she is getting from her family to work or else she doesn’t know how to pay school fees. She fears she cannot work during the week because she must study many hours. Her mother is telling her she is lazy since she doesn’t want to work. Since I only have one 45 minute session with this student I chose to use an empowerment model and focus on how to provide her with problem solving and decision making skills. Together, we brainstormed a list of possible solutions to her situation and did pros and cons. Once she narrowed down her top choices we discussed possible challenges she may face and ways she may address those challenges. We identified first steps for her to take in moving towards her goal. I hope this was helpful for her. I am not so much a quick fix type person; I would rather get to know the client and develop a relationship with them. In this context, however, I am more solution and empowerment focused. All I can do is my best over this week…

After our long day we did some planning and prep work for the week, ate a quick dinner and I am heading to bed soon. I need a good night’s rest for tomorrow

Day 12: Tema Wedding

I went to the wedding today in Tema. I expected it to be more interesting, but really it was very similar to any wedding in the States. This was a more modern wedding – held in a church with the bride and groom in a white dress and tux. The church service lasted almost 3 hours and was stocked full of talk of God, Jesus, and gays-are-bad. I have such a hard time in religious settings, even despite cultural humility. I try really really hard but I just don’t have much patience for the –isms. The reception followed at an outdoor garden. Many of the traditional wedding customs with which I am familiar were in place – the head table, popping of champagne, toasting, best man and maid of honor speeches, etc. We sat in round tables and were served a delicious buffet of red red, fried rice, plantains, fish, chicken, fufu, and goat soup (which I did try. Yes, I have officially eaten goat. It tastes like pork to me).

After returning from church I spent the rest of the day with my group planning for our project tomorrow. Our project starts tomorrow! I am so excited to meet the students and get a chance to know them. It is difficult being here for only one week but I hope we can make some sort of difference, no matter how large or small. Even if we are just planting seeds, I hope someone else will water them and make sure they have sun so they grow to be strong and healthy.

Day 11: Accra Artist Market

Yet another early morning. Breakfast was at 8AM and we left for the Artist Market at 9AM. I’m tired, but I don’t want to miss a thing! The Artist Market, I’ve heard, can be very overwhelming. It is similar to a flea market with several stands in a small space. The difference being the selling technique. These sellers are quite aggressive. They will grab your hand and try to pull you into their shop, they will follow you through the market and try to sell to you and if you so much as look at an item or touch something they will basically put it on you saying “it’s yours.” (But, it really isn’t because when I walked away with it and said “thanks!” they weren’t too happy. Who knew?!) Also, as in many developing nations, the norm is to haggle for prices. Being an obroni (white, tourist) I will always get quoted a higher price – sometimes a ridiculously higher price. You have to barter and haggle to get to the price at which you’re comfortable buying. I’m not much of a fan of this process. At any rate, I ended up with some wood carvings, a drum, a dress, 2 bags, a shirt, and loads of jewelry. I keep telling myself some of it is gifts…I just don’t know which items because I want it all for me!

When I came out of the market, I was looking for my bus and realized I had been left! Luckily, another bus from our program had just rolled up so I caught a ride back with them. We drove the Accra Main Square to purchase some other items and it was a crazy madhouse. Tons of people everywhere – on the street, on the sidewalk, in the street. People selling everything from Raid roach killer to tennis shoes to kebabs. There wasn’t anything I have ever needed in my life that wasn’t for sale on that street. After an hour there we headed back to the hostel.

I went for a walk with a friend here and decided to get my hair braided. We walked past a woman in a field who was doing hair and asked her if she could do my hair and how much. Yes, and 7 cedis. I choose a brownish-red weave and sat down. Three hours later I now have me some fancy braids. I like to fit into the culture I’m in. Plus I am going to a wedding tomorrow and I wanted to have something ‘fancy’-ish for it. Woo!

I enjoyed a later dinner and made plans to go out dancing. Plans were foiled and I ended up hanging out in my room again chatting it up – which is OK because tomorrow I have to be up early, again. The wedding is during church service so we must leave by 9AM. Wish I could have one day to sleep… I guess I can do that back in Austin. For now there is fun to be had and experiences to experience.

Day 10: Cape Coast

I had ambitious plans to wake up at 5AM today and watch the sunrise over the ocean. When my alarm went off, I laughed, snoozed, and returned to sleep. Around 7:30 I awoke and did yoga on my porch looking into the ocean. The life. After breakfast we loaded our buses to head to Kakum National Park. No sooner had we parked and paid when a torrential downpour began. Kakum is a rainforest, so some rain is to be expected, but this was crazy style rain. We decided to eat lunch on site and hope the rain ended. Shortly afterwards a bamboo band rolled up in the rain and began setting up for a performance. Our Program Director is pretty amazing and just pulled this out for us. It was a full ensemble, dancing and drumming troupe who performed for an hour. It was amazing! All of the instruments they were playing were made of solid bamboo – the only additions being metal pieces for connection. In perfect timing, our food was ready as they finished and the rain slowed down to a light drizzle. After some kebobs, I ventured into the rainforest. A short uphill hike led us to the canopy tour. We walked 7 canopy bridges and it was breathtakingly beautiful. I remember from Costa Rica just how beautiful the rainforest is from that high…Kakum did not disappoint. Wet and tired, I completed all 7 and headed back to load up the bus and head home. It was a long drive home with 35 wet people crammed closely together. I put on my headphones and zoned out. Back at the hostel I took a lukewarm shower, had a light snack and just hung out with my roomie and some friends. It is nice to be back with the group.

Day 9: Cape Coast

After 3 ½ hours crammed tight in the backseat of a Mercedes (you know how I roll), I thankfully made it to Cape Coast and was able to catch up with the group. We began our day with a tour of the Slave River – the final bathing place for the slaves after they walked for weeks or months from the Northern Region of Ghana and neighboring countries, such as Burkina Faso to Cape Coast to be traded or sold. On site they have built a memorial wall for those who have returned to Ghana after the Diaspora and/or other supporters. The site was touching in a way, trying to imagine the walk folks took and the conditions in which they endured. But, this was clearly a tourist centre. I do not believe there is historical evidence of this being “The” Slave River or bathing site; rather it is a lake with a story. At any rate, the guide gave a good speech which personalized the experience and helped drive home the reality of the history of slavery.

Next stop was the long awaited Cape Coast slave castle. This fortress, castle, dungeon is a true historical building over 200 years old. From the outside it is a beautiful white structure. It looks like a traditional castle. Inside, however, there are dungeons, a holding cell, and cannons. We began with an entrance into the male dungeon. This was a three room concrete cellar with one small window in each room. Guards stood by with rifles in the windows to keep order. Over 1000 men were held at a time and were held for up to 6 weeks. Men were fed twice daily. They ate, slept, and defecated in this same space. A small gutter existed, but archeologists have found evidence that fecal matter and waste reached up to 4 feet tall. Appalling. Despicable.

The female dungeon was even smaller, just two rooms, and held both women and children. The two rooms only had one small window which was also guarded. Women were kept nude and were used by traders and guards as desired. A woman’s “saving grace” was to become pregnant from one of the British men. She would then be freed. The risk was too great to try and sell or transfer a pregnant woman. In the Cape Coast area now there are many people who have last names such as “Stephenson” or “Robertson” – this, quite literally, means the child is the son of Stephan or Robert. (Why do I know no Stephendaughters?)

Near by was a holding cell. This cell was a small, narrow room where rebels were locked up. This room contained no windows and when the door was closed there was no oxygen coming in. They closed it for a minute while we were in there. It did take my breath away – not only the lack of oxygen, but the heat, the closeness to everyone, the lack of light. It was scary – and I knew what was happening and that it would end quickly. I cannot imagine what it was like to be taken from your country by force or manipulation, shackled and forced to walk for sometimes 3-4 months and then be kept in a dungeon for 6 weeks all for no apparent reason. Most of these people were just minding their own business before being taken away and enslaved. I just do not understand humans.

The final piece the enslaved people saw was a big black door labeled “The Door of No Return.” This is the final door where men, women, and children walked away from their homes. The door opens to the harbor where they were loaded on ships to sail to far away, never heard of places. It is such a beautiful sight to behold – the ocean, the rocks, the people. It is difficult to imagine such atrocities happening at this very spot, this very beautiful, breathtaking spot. I had such mixed emotions of everything. I just kept touching the walls in the dungeons and feeling connected to the thousands of hands who touched those same walls. To those who slept and wept on the cement floors I was walking on. To those who lost their lives there. To those who lost their souls there. I could feel that energy transferring through me and into me and it was overwhelming. At several points I cried, but mostly I ached deep inside my heart, in my soul. The fear and pain those people had to feel…

After this journey we visited the upstairs of the palace. This is where the governor resided, where church services were offered, and where slaves were sold. The upstairs of the castle had hard wood floors and many black shuttered windows. They had a beautiful view of the ocean. He sure had nice living arrangements up above people who were lying in their own feces, crying out for their mothers, their fathers, their Lord. The room where slaves were auctioned and sold was also beautiful – a large ballroom with wooden floors and multiple windows opening up to the ocean front.

It is an indescribable feeling to be in that space, to process how much went on there. How many lives were forever changed and how the world was forever changed. I just kept thinking of how many people passed throw there before. My brothers and sisters in humanity. That could have been me or my ancestors, but it wasn’t. Why not? What kept the Swedes or Germans from being enslaved? Why Africans? Why do we continue to abuse Africans and African Americans and other brown people? WHY?! If there is a Goddess, God, Higher Power, Universal Energy, something, anything – WHY does she/he/it allow things like that to happen? Why do we continue the genocide? Why aren’t we, as humans, learning from our mistakes? Why is Wal-Mart enslaving people and getting away with it? In fact, most big businesses are getting away with this, in one form or another. Why aren’t more people in an uproar?!?! We may not be as overt about our shackles these days, but they’re definitely still on. Look at our prisons and detention facilities – are we not still enslaving a particular population today? How did the US just sit and watch the Holocaust? Apartheid? Darfur? How am I involved? Am I a part of the solution? I have always felt that if you’re not part of the solution then you’re part of the problem. I’m realizing though, that I’m part of the problem no matter what, but how can I reduce my emissions? Am I doing enough? Should I, could I be doing more? What is that? Where is that?

After the castles we returned to our beachfront cottages for an afternoon of relaxation. How do I go from all of this intensity to ‘fun time’? It is difficult for me to switch like that. I found myself a nice quiet spot on the beach to journal and think and just watch and listen to the waves. I allowed myself to feel the waves of emotions and thoughts passing through me… I cried. I cried for the past, the present, the future. I cried over all of the ugliness and beauty surrounding me simultaneously.

After ample time of decompressing I joined some friends in the warm, warm ocean water and played in the sand and relaxed. Some beer or wine would’ve been nice, but I’m still taking it easy from my tummy. Instead I gave myself an all-natural, organic sand and sea salt full body scrub. :) I love silky smooth skin. I retired to my room to shower and get ready for our evening and very much enjoyed the hot shower. I had an amazing evening. Enjoyed some red red for dinner, an amazing drum show and performance, practiced my African dancing (my Beyonce is still pretty weak, but I’m working on it), and capped out with a bonfire on the beach. All in all, a great way to wind down after an intense day. It’s crazy that it is so beautiful here when its’ history is so ugly.

Days 7 & 8: Nyaho Medical Centre, Accra

I woke up Tuesday morning writhing in pain. I had THE. WORST. abdominal pains I have ever, ever had in all of my life. I began vomiting around 7:45AM. I made my best feeble attempt to get down to breakfast to grab a piece of toast to try to choke down my malaria medication. Thinking this was just the malaria kicking in full force, I tried to self soothe and remind myself that it’s just running its course. The Asst. PD caught wind of my vomiting and came to my room to check on me where I was strewn across the bathroom floor crying. She told me we were going back to the hospital immediately. I resisted, again, (I hate medics and I am just so stubborn) and she pretty much was like “tough luck.” About 2 minutes later the diarrhea began back up and then the sweats kicked in and I was ready to go. I continued to lie on the floor alternating ends on the toilet. They called for a car to take me to the Centre which took about an hour because traffic is horrendous (similar to Chicago rush hour, no joke, for those familiar). By that time, I felt disoriented and semi-conscious. I thought I was going to die. Obviously I live since I am writing this, but really, I was begging for the Universe to take me away. I felt miserable.

We got to the hospital where they wheeled me into a room (I could not walk by this point, I could hardly stand) and, again, took my blood pressure and temperature. Then I had to wait to see the doctor. I was in a waiting room with about five other people. I am crying, throwing up in a bag, pouring sweat – a real sight to behold. Finally I got in to see the doctor and he asked what was wrong. “ummm, well Dr. it appears I’m THROWING UP MY BRAINS!” I tried to communicate, but the Asst. PD had to help me. He had me lie down on the table and pressed on my stomach to which I yelled out in pain. He said, “ohh yes, you have a stomach infection.” I asked if I had malaria and he said “ohhh, no!” I told him the Dr. from last night said I had malaria and he looked at me like I was crazy – “It is too early for you to have malaria, plus you are taking your [malaria medication].” Awesome, so no malaria. At this point I didn’t care wtf I had…I just wanted to die and be done with it. They got me into a room hooked up to an IV. I was still throwing up and crying. Not soon enough they came to give me a shots in the butt – one for pain, one as an antibiotic – with an old school needle that was as big as my head. MISERABLE, I was. Luckily I fell asleep for a short time.

This continued for the next 10 hours or so. I would wake up every hour or so and start vomiting again (or have diarrhea) and crying out in pain. They’d make me tough it out for awhile and finally would do the shot thing again. It sucked. I was in a room with three other patients, the TVs were blaring, the lights were all on, and people were walking all around. Not much privacy and not much discern for the pain I was in. IT was very frustrating. The last things you want when you’re that sick are people around, noise, and light.

I finally stopped throwing up after about 13 hours. I had a couple bites of mashed potatoes for dinner and finished a bottle of water. I asked for another bottle of water to which they kindly informed me they only provide the first one for free – you have to get your own water after that. Luckily, I had Gifti, one of our amazing program staff, with me so she got me some water and apple juice. Seriously – you only get one water?!?

Our Head PD came to check on me and when she learned of the conditions she was pissed. I had not actually been tested for anything (no blood, urine, or fecal tests) and they had already misdiagnosed me once. She was not happy. She was on the phone with our international health insurance trying to figure out what to do. She wanted to transfer me to a different hospital in town and there was talk, for a brief time, of getting me air evacuated out of the country to France. I have not yet been to France, but am planning on going in a few weeks – I’d rather go on different terms. Mostly she was concerned and upset and trying to get stuff done. Not having many advocate for me as a child, I really appreciated it.  Everything was slowing down by this point so we decided to let me sleep it off.

I slept off and on overnight getting up every few hours for a bathroom visit. It’s a process when you’re carting around that damn IV carrier with you everywhere you go. The power went off and some point so we had to sleep without the air conditioning and it was not the most comfortable of situations. By 9AM I finally stopped with the diarrhea. They kept pumping me with saline and antibiotics. The Asst. PD came to visit around noon and started to push for me to get discharged. They were hesitant, but I wanted to go. Plus, I missed the slave castles this morning in Cape Coast and really want to go for tomorrow’s excursions. I was awake more today and caught an episode of Friends on the TV (they have TV, but you only get one water) and watched a lot of the local version of MTV (when MTV was actually the music television channel). I even heard some Enya on a commercial and caught part of Beauty and the Beast (it looked like a holiday version?). The doctors, nurses, and my roommates (and all of their visitors) were all so very nice and sweet and concerned and loving. Nurse Elizabeth was my favorite – she was so maternal and sweet and just when she would look into my eyes I felt better. No matter where you are, humans can be truly wonderful people who care about you just because you are a living, breathing human. I love that genuine, real connection with people.

By 4PM (Wednesday) I was finally discharged. I came back to the hostel tonight to find we had no electricity or water. I have officially sat in my own filth for 3 days – I am so sexy. I had a few bites of rice for dinner (still no appetite) and am about to shower and get to bed so I can awake for our 5AM departure (Thursday) to Cape Coast to catch up with the group. I will have missed the tour of the Elmina Slave Fortress World Heritage Monument under UNESCO, but will see the Slave River and the Cape Coast Slave Fortress. There will also be a nice dinner with "cultural entertainment" tomorrow night. Friday morning we travel to Kakum National Park for the ethnobotantical trail and eco-tourism lecture. I am glad I get to go. What a journey.

Traveling sure is fun, but it definitely isn’t all rainbows and puppies, that’s for darn sure.

Day 6: Ashaiman Secondary High School

“Ashaiman Secondary High School: Modernization calls for change”

After months of imagining what Ashaiman Secondary High School (ASHS) might look like and developing a program in my mind of ways to work with the student population, it all finally came to fruition today when we met with the Headmaster of ASHS, Emmanuel Fiemawhle and Assistant Headmaster III (of Social Welfare), Michael K. Gbologah. ASHS is a 3-year private school (the Government currently requires 3 years of secondary education). Students apply for admission to ASHS in their final year of primary school and are accepted into one of four subject specific programmes: Agricultural Sciences (Horticulture, Fisheries), Visual Arts (Graphic design), Home Economics (Clothing & Textiles, Food & Nutrition, Management & Living), and General Arts (choose 3 from: History, Geography, Economics, Government, Literature, Christian Religious Studies, Music, or Language: French, Twi, Ga/Dengme, Ewe). All students complete core coursework all three years in English, Mathematics, Integrated Sciences, Social Sciences, and Physical Education. Of the programmes offered, General Arts accepts the largest class of 155 students; followed by Agriculture of 90 students; Visual Arts and Home Economics both accept 45 students each year. Because space is limited, programmes can be competitive.

The school was formed in 1991 with two teachers, thirty students and offered two programmes: Agricultural Science and Vocational Studies (which consisted of Home Economics and Visual Arts). Land was obtained from the Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation. I am not sure if it was government mandated, donated, or purchased, but I believe it may have been government related. Because the land was then full of motor mechanics, the first set of students spent much of their time removing abandoned scraps and generally cleaning up the space. Obviously, students did not complete normal academic work during this time. Also, classrooms did not have yet have furniture. The only complete structure on the building at that time is the current Science classroom. The current main classroom block of four rooms was then being constructed.

The two teachers, anxious to get started with academic work, went to the local community seeking furniture for the classrooms. Various tribal unions donated benches and planks which were then places on piles of cement blocks to serve as classroom tables and chairs. This worked, temporarily, though students were getting hurt when the benches or planks would drop. Ouch!

The school has grown rapidly over the past 15+ years and now consists of four main classroom blocks. Classrooms are open aired, but covered with a tin roof. Classrooms do not have overhead light and rely on the sunlight. Most rooms have desks and a chalkboard, however some rooms are overcrowded. As many as 70 students may be in one class at a time. The school has over 1000 students, 48 teaching staff, and 21 non-teaching staff (administrative, cleaning, security). There is a canteen on site where students may purchase food for breakfast and/or lunch.

A typical day for an ASHS student is as follows:

7AM: Arrive to compound. Tidy up classrooms, stair cases and immediate surroundings of school.
7:25 – 7:40AM: Morning Assembly on Mondays and Fridays
7:35 – 8:15AM: Worship on Wednesdays
8:25 – 9:45AM: Class Session I
9:45 – 10:15AM: Morning Break. Canteen open and some students eat a snack or breakfast
10:15 – 11:35AM: Class Session II
11:35 – 12:55PM: Class Session III
12:55 – 1:15PM: Afternoon Break. Canteen open.
1:15 – 2:35PM: Class Session IV
2:35PM: Day ends and students may leave for the day.
2:45 – 4:05PM: OPTIONAL Class Session V which most students stay at school for the extra learning. (It is not tutoring for remedial students; it is an extra class option in which most students willingly participate)

There are several rules that students must follow that were surprising to me. Girls, for example are not allowed to perm, press, blow, or have her hair chemically treated. No hair accessories such as ribbons, combs or clips are allowed. No make up, including nail polish, is permitted nor is jewelry, such as bangles, chains, rings, or beads allowed. Boys cannot blow or wear their hair bushy and a beard or moustaches is ‘strictly forbidden.’ Boys are also not allowed to wear chains, rings, or caps. Neither boys nor girls are allowed to wear “dark goggles,” which I assume are sunglasses. Severe consequences are in place for various offenses. In most cases, the first offense results in a warning or suspension and second offense is dismissal. Exceptions include sexual misconduct, assault of staff, pregnancy or abortion which results in immediate withdrawal or dismissal. I wonder how rules around sexuality are administered. Are boys dismissed if they impregnate a girl (which should fall under sexual misconduct)?

In many ways, walking on this compound today reminded me of stories from my grandmother of her experiences in school – single classrooms, corporal punishment, gendered practices. It feels like I am in a movie in the 1940s sometimes.

The school is still in need of basic infrastructure for their students. The science lab needs tables, chairs, and basic teaching/learning materials (for example, there are no beakers, no periodical table of elements, etc.). The visual arts department needs a working space (with overhead light), drafting tables (or other appropriate spaces for creating arts), and a darkroom where screens could be developed and reproduced. The math department needs teaching/learning materials (workbooks, multiplication tables, etc.), calculators, and graphing sheets. The social science department needs classrooms, geography materials (maps, globes), and teaching/learning materials (updated textbooks). The agriculture department needs fencing for land, teaching/learning materials, and reference books.

Despite the challenges and needs of the school, several students go on to pass final examinations and gain admission to the Universities, Nursing Training Colleges, Teacher Training Colleges, and Polytechnics. Despite not having a field for training, ASHS male and female students and teams have won local sports competitions in cross country running and volleyball.

For our programme, the Headmaster would like for us to work with both boys and girls focusing on goal setting and reaching your goals. He said many of the students struggle with determination and motivation. My group (3-5 of us) will be going into every classroom for a little over an hour to lead these workshops. I will also provide training for the Peer Consulate group who can carry on these workshops. I will develop a curriculum and training manual they can use in the future. I am also going to work on setting up a pen-pal program for students. My colleagues will work more directly with staff to provide training and consultation. In addition, he requested our assistance with website development and gathering needed supplies and materials. We have a lot on our plate!

We had a late lunch at Agbamami Restaurant in Tema where I tried to have some soup and salad. I had not been feeling very well most of the day. I still was pretty achy and tired and had another sweating spell. Over the past couple of days I have been having sweating spells where I just start pouring sweat, even if I am in air conditioning. Strange. I thought some soup or a light lunch might help. It really didn’t.

Later in the evening, we went to a fancy dinner at The African Regent which dubs its’ self as the “Afropolitan.” We had a full buffet with options ranging from Mediterranean to local cuisine. Tonight was supposed to be our working dinner planning time for our projects. Unfortunately our Headmaster could not make it. I was so hungry but did not have an appetite. I tried to get down a piece of bread before having my first round of diarrhea. Shortly after I had another sweating spell. I had talked with one of my colleagues about how I was feeling – she became concerned and told our PD who then informed me I needed to go to the hospital because I may have malaria. Awesome.

Reluctantly I went to the local hospital, Nyaho Medical Centre. The hospital reminds me of a military type facility. All white, older looking buildings. The lobby is outdoors (covered, but hot and sticky). I filled out a one-page intake form and was ushered to another waiting room where a nurse took my blood pressure and temperature (with an old school thermometer that she dried off with a napkin before sticking under my armpit). After that I was called into the Doctor’s office. The Dr. asked what my symptoms were; I told him. His diagnosis: beginning signs of malaria. I didn’t think malaria could show up so soon, but he said it could show up as early as 3 days to 1 week. I have been here 6 days today…so, I, of all people, apparently managed to get myself bitten by THE malaria mosquito basically upon arrival. Awesome. I was given a prescription of Artrin and sent on my way. All in all, the cost of the visit with prescription was 39 cedis (about $28). Good deal. I’m going to rest tonight and hope I am better tomorrow. They want me to stay home and rest, but I really do not want to miss tomorrow’s lectures: Indigenous Religions, Spirit World, and Ancestors; and Ancient & Contemporary Art. I am so stubborn sometimes.