18-January-2006
So I've been here in Ghana for seven months four of which I spent in my village, Seikwa. The first term has come to a close the dry season is in full swing and the holidays have come and gone. I'm in Takoradi for more training.
The first term of school was pretty rough as expected. The students had trouble understanding me. I am trying to teach them chemistry and they don't know how to do basic math. Their were still students coming as the term came to a close on the 16th of December.
I have begun to organize HIV/AIDS, GYD, and science/math clubs in the school. The students are interested in a school newspaper. I'm having the science lab cleaned in preparation to do experiments.
Thanksgiving was good but my Christmas was not so great. On Christmas Eve one of my students (he was about my age) died. It was very sad and I'm not exactly sure what the cause of death was. The story is that he complained of stomach pain and before they could reach the hospital he was dead. The people (students, teacher, etc.) in my village believe that the witches killed him for their Christmas feast. Then on Monday the Chief announced to the village that there were people in the "mist" searching for human heads...not encouraging. The funeral was on Wednesday and we sent three "207's" which seat about 20 people each. The students were crying and they were drunk and acting wild. Part of it is Ghanaian culture but most of it was just bad behavior. In many respects it resembled a college booze party more than a funeral. So I was stressed out because of that. But that wasn't enough finally I had a crazy man show up wanting to live with me. So I ran away to Accra for a few days. That was relaxing but too short.
Our science/math/computer teachers had in-service training this last week it Takoradi. Takoradi is an ocean-side city and our hotel is the on the beach. We have had some time to relax which was much need.
I'm heading back to site this weekend (28th 29th). Next weekend is the Super Bowl and I hope to have a chance to watch it.
Now that I am working full time it is more difficult to update my web site but I hope to keep updating it as time goes by. I have plenty of information to put here its just a matter of time!
Until then, bye bye oh!
Ivan Greene 18-Jan-2006
19-October-2005
I arrived at my site in Seikwa the first week of September. For about the first month I didn't do much of anything. School was supposed to start 19-SEPT-2005 but was postponed by a week. However, school didn't officially start until 02-OCT-2005. It's now approaching the end of October and students are, not all, but mostly here. There were unfortunately some teachers that have yet to report. Everything seems to be moving, very slowly, in the right direction.
I am teaching in a Senior Secondary School (SSS) which is approximately equivalent to American High School (it is only three years though). The material they are supposed to cover is quite ambitious. It seems to me that the material is more at the Junior College level. The students are mostly not able to understand it though a few students are smart enough.
In West Africa the SSS students take an examination at the end of the three years. For entrance into ternary institutions the students must pass an examination called WASSCE which stands for West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination. I think the WASSCE counts as 70% of your entrance criteria and remaining criteria include, coming form a disadvantaged school, letters of recommendation, ect. However, in reality everything hinges on this one exam for them because if they don't do well they will not go on to the next level. The headmaster at our school has set a goal of having ~10% of the students go on to the next level, this is ambitious.
So I am teaching form 1 chemistry, form 2 chemistry, and form 3 integrated science (section A). The form is the year. The second year chemistry students didn't have a teacher for most of last year so I am covering that material as well. The first year students seem to have trouble with basic math. The major problem that I'm having now is that, though the students speak English, they can't easily understand me. I have to speak very slowly and enunciate my words or they have no idea what I'm talking about.
Aside from the issues with teaching, my housing situation, though it's improving, is still pretty bad. First there was the bat in the latrine, the scorpion in the hall, and the ants. Now I have bats in the ceiling and flies in the latrine. The roof leaks when it rains but not as bad as it used to (the school hired a carpenter to do someone work on it).
I'm working with the Headmaster and the Peace Corps to resolve my housing issues and am confident that they will be better soon. School is slowly starting to get into full gear. I am trying to start an HIV/AIDS club and Gender Youth Development (GYD) club at the school. There are also secondary projects that I can work on, time permitting.
All in all things are going pretty good but there is room for a tremendous amount of improvement. That's what the Peace Corps is really about, seeing the glass of water as half full (and learning how to take a bath with it!).
Check back in the next couple of months for details on life here in Ghana and more information on the education system.
Until then, bye bye oh!
Ivan Greene 19-OCT-2005