distings update
Sankpala Library and SAYA
Almost done! Hoopah! Planning, fundraising, shipping, building and painting has been going on for over 8 months now. Family and friends raised over $2,000 to ship the books and cover what the USAID funds fell short on. AMAZING! Seriously, amazing. I must add that all the labor to put this library together was done absolutely free. That is unheard of, it is so rare to see a PCV manage to build anything without somehow paying for labor in one way or another. That is just to say how proud I am of the Sankpala Youth Association, my students and other community members who believe in literacy as much as I do and who have come out day after day to see this project through. Inauguration of the Sankpala Youth Association and the Library will take place in August or September. Stay tuned…
Reading Classes
Still going strong, now that the books are here (but still in boxes until the library is painted), I have been sneaking a few Dr. Seuss books away for reading classes. They love Green Eggs and Ham as much as I do. I cannot wait to have these classes in the library, and either can my students.
Health Club
We have been doing a lot on sanitation and hygiene. We continue to have community clean-up days. We also spent a few weeks making posters encouraging good sanitation and hygiene practices, we will put those around the primary school next term.
Girls Club
They don’t know it yet, but I have a fun weekend planned for them in Tamale in October. A few PCV’s and I are going to have a Tie-Dye workshop for our girls as a last project before I am home bound.
Guinea Worm
The lovely Red Cross women and myself continue to check guinea worm filters weekly. There hasn’t been a case in ages. Go Central Gonja! Last year we were the most endemic region in the world or something. I consider myself lucky to have been able to work eradicating this disease while its on its last leg. (we hope!)
Other distings
I spent some time at the STARS conference a few months ago, a week long conference for the brightest high school students in every region of Ghana. Andrew and I ran the HIV/AIDS day, which was a lot of work but so fun and worth it all. A week like that really gives one hope for the future of Ghana, those are some good kids. Andrew’s community made a film in Dagbani about family planning as a follow-up to our Men As Partners workshop, which turned out great. I will be having a few viewings throughout August.
I am at the tail end of my service, which fills me with a slue of emotions. I will finish up in November. Where did the past two years go?
I am really sad to see the end of the World Cup. I’m so proud of the Black Stars, as painful as that last game was to watch. That month might be tops for my time here. Musah and Aze are still by my side daily, helping with the library, my garden and just generally playing with my sanity.
Oh, and the rainy season is here. Le sigh.
Almost done! Hoopah! Planning, fundraising, shipping, building and painting has been going on for over 8 months now. Family and friends raised over $2,000 to ship the books and cover what the USAID funds fell short on. AMAZING! Seriously, amazing. I must add that all the labor to put this library together was done absolutely free. That is unheard of, it is so rare to see a PCV manage to build anything without somehow paying for labor in one way or another. That is just to say how proud I am of the Sankpala Youth Association, my students and other community members who believe in literacy as much as I do and who have come out day after day to see this project through. Inauguration of the Sankpala Youth Association and the Library will take place in August or September. Stay tuned…
Reading Classes
Still going strong, now that the books are here (but still in boxes until the library is painted), I have been sneaking a few Dr. Seuss books away for reading classes. They love Green Eggs and Ham as much as I do. I cannot wait to have these classes in the library, and either can my students.
Health Club
We have been doing a lot on sanitation and hygiene. We continue to have community clean-up days. We also spent a few weeks making posters encouraging good sanitation and hygiene practices, we will put those around the primary school next term.
Girls Club
They don’t know it yet, but I have a fun weekend planned for them in Tamale in October. A few PCV’s and I are going to have a Tie-Dye workshop for our girls as a last project before I am home bound.
Guinea Worm
The lovely Red Cross women and myself continue to check guinea worm filters weekly. There hasn’t been a case in ages. Go Central Gonja! Last year we were the most endemic region in the world or something. I consider myself lucky to have been able to work eradicating this disease while its on its last leg. (we hope!)
Other distings
I spent some time at the STARS conference a few months ago, a week long conference for the brightest high school students in every region of Ghana. Andrew and I ran the HIV/AIDS day, which was a lot of work but so fun and worth it all. A week like that really gives one hope for the future of Ghana, those are some good kids. Andrew’s community made a film in Dagbani about family planning as a follow-up to our Men As Partners workshop, which turned out great. I will be having a few viewings throughout August.
I am at the tail end of my service, which fills me with a slue of emotions. I will finish up in November. Where did the past two years go?
I am really sad to see the end of the World Cup. I’m so proud of the Black Stars, as painful as that last game was to watch. That month might be tops for my time here. Musah and Aze are still by my side daily, helping with the library, my garden and just generally playing with my sanity.
Oh, and the rainy season is here. Le sigh.
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