Wednesday: Back to School

Wednesday: Back to School

We met our buddy Kwaku up at the lobby and headed back to Cape Coast to meet Jen and Yahaya. They sponsor a school in a local village about 40 minutes outside of Cape Coast and needed to deliver the teacher's salary of 50 cedi's a month. We tagged along to deliver the many school supplies we brought from home. We loaded up a personal tro-tro and drove out to the village. The tro-tro dropped us off at the top of a hill and we carefully walked down a dirt path to the school. We could see the children outside for recess playing with a ball as we approached. As soon as the children saw us they screamed and ran up to us eager to greet us with: "My name is ....." We took many pictures of them and they were dying to see their picture and laughed hilariously at their images. A bell rang and the students immediately ran to their schoolhouse. The schoolhouse was approximately 10'x14' with 4 windows: no screens and a door. Inside was a cement floor, 3 long benches, a corrugated tin roof, one chalkboard: made of plywood painted with chalkboard paint  and a few posters on the walls. 26 children ranging in ages 3 to 8 were sitting on the benches awaiting our arrival. The only thing on the teachers table was chalk. We were greeted by the teacher through an interpreter. We in return introduced ourselves and our school and explained why we were there. The teacher lead the students in a welcome song in Fanti. We placed all the school supplies that we brought on the teacher's table. We then presented each child with a book or item that we brought. We enjoyed seeing their appreciation and excitement on their faces. Jen explained to us that through donations a new school is being built with four rooms and a teachers office. It is their hope that once  it is built the  Ghanaian government will recognize it as a school and take over running the school. If this school was not there the children would have to walk 3 miles to the village to go to school. Our visit was short but very memorable. We took pictures with the children and said our good byes. On the way home we talked to Jen about how WOIS can make a connection through service projects to support the school.

 After a quick lunch at the lovely Oasis hotel where we sat Oceanside and watched the local fisherman haul in their nets full of small silver fish, while others pulled in wooden boats while singing at the top of their lungs, we took a tour at the Cape Coast Castle.  This castle was built in 1653 and was one of the largest slave holding sites in the world.  Sitting on the edge of town overlooking a rocky coast, this building is more majestic than you would think a slave holding site would be.  Even knowing the history, it was a powerful experience to imagine the conditions that the Ghanaians faced in person.  We took a guided tour through the castle traveling through the male and female dungeons following the steps they took to the ships through the Door of No Return. This door which was the last before boarding the ships now holds the name, The Door of Return, as family members of former slaves have been invited back to re- enter the castle breaking the chain. The castle also holds an extensive museum of Ghanian history including African American history. Bridget found it interesting which famous men and women were chosen to be a part of the wall of leaders. The usuals:  Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. And then: Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Stevie Wonder, and Bob Marley. 

Kwaku helped Tilley barter for a work of art. Watching the bartering was most entertaining, similar to an Italian dinner where everyone talks at once. Back to the hotel for a quick jump in the pool, dinner on the porch and rest for our last night here at the Coconut Grove. Tomorrow it is back to Accra!