Day 3 – 3rd July 2012 – I pooed on a gecko!!! by Charlie Ward
This morning we were up bright and early thanks to the crow sliding down our tin roof at 5.00 am!
Our Welcoming Ceremony with the local community started two hours late in true Ghanaian fashion. We were treated to cultural dances and traditions which included one of the elders celebrating our arrival and calling to the ancestors with palm wine, a very sweet, very strong spirit! We presented the Headmaster with our school bunting, which he then preceded to wear!
Finally the project work began and the painting of the classrooms was well underway with all hands on deck. At lunchtime we seemed to gain many extra bodies who were very eager to help in any way possible. Carnage best described the situation. Many of the kids didn’t realise the walls were wet and had painted bums! Following gorgeous vegetable spring rolls for lunch, we started classroom 2.
In the evening after vegetable stew, Laura had a laughing fit and hysteria soon followed. As Robert and Ezekil begun drumming some of the girls gave an impromptu dance performance with Gloria, Bernice and Augustina, the cooks.
Day 4 – 4th July 2012 – The one with the ‘Testicles’ by Evelyn
Today we started the scientific designs in the classroom. We met a really artistic boy called Michael who has now become an honorary buddie. Mrs McKenzie had an interesting chat with one of the pupils in a lesson, she was putting on her glasses to read his book and a young boy promptly said ‘ oh you need your testicles to read”. Soloman, Sean’s buddie, quickly reprimanded him explaining the difference between testicles and spectacle, as Mrs McKenzie had already dissolved into giggles. The boy later came an apologised, truly embarrassed, but Mrs McKenzie quickly explained no offence taken as it was a very amusing mistake.
The classroom painting started well today but we found the students kept coming in making it very difficult to continue as the filled the classroom and was very difficult to get on with our project. We ended up cleaning paint of their uniform instead. Once they returned to lessons we made excellent progress.
After the school finished, we went to Brenu beach for a dance and drumming workshop, whilst there we bought a coke. This brought on Laura’s famous line, ‘I have missed the bloated feeling coke gives you, it reminds me of home!’. We also suffered Sappho and Charlie’s burping competition.
The wild life also got Laura back for pooing on a Gecko, by a vulture pooing on her leg! The girls did all the dancing at the beach and performed a little show with the buddies, with the boys drumming the beat.
Dinner was Yams and stew which had mixed reviews, around a camp fire. The evening finished with hot chocolate and midget gems from Charlie, and a version of Queen, African style.
Day 5 – 5th July 2012 – The Playground, The Painting and the Pancakes by Laura
Today work began on the playground whilst the design team of Charlie, Laura, Mrs Burnett, led by Evelyn continued painting the designs in the first classroom.
The playground team were met with shovels and cement, handling the hard labour in the hot sun surprisingly well. Special mention goes to Sappho who was an excellent cement mixer ……when asked to comment she said ‘ yeah man its my special skill, thank god I found one, I was getting worried!’ Bethan has decided that now she has the skills to match the builders bum from yesterday …..!!!!!
The playground team were, however, swarmed by the primary school children at break but managed to control their enthusiasm for us by teaching them the Hokey Kokey, Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf, and finally the Conga to take them back into class. All recovered their energies with a lunch of pancakes and jam.
Other news, we have discovered that killing Bullet Ants near the dining area is a bad area as they absolutely stink. (Mum’s please do not google Bullet Ants!!) Also I think my brave encounter deserves a mention, whilst up a ladder paining and eclipse on the wall, a spider crawled up my leg. I calmed handed my paint over before flicking it of, instead of running out of the classroom screaming as on past occasions. Ben and Sean are upset I have cramped their hunting stle with this breakthrough.
All in all we have had an excellent day and are all gradually becoming brown, red and slightly skinnier.