Pictures from Graduation Day

Girls arrived from JSS.  This is school Blessing Baskets and the weavers in the village had built so they had an all girls school in village that they could afford.  I love the pink uniforms personally.

 

Peter showing me how to move on the dance floor.  The ladies behind us are clapping and dancing while the guys put the final chairs in place.  There are over 800 weavers, plus all the VIPS, 4 PCV’s, and many people from the village.

 

One of the leather men’s twin girls.  They are so cute but the one on the right is soooo afraid of me and the one on the left is not going to commit to anything just yet.  Aren’t their dress so sweet.

 

Part of the entertainment.  Look at the sticks they use to hit the drums.  I am betting many people will get excited about those pants and will start a fad in AMERICA. 

 

This drummer was full of acrobatics as he played his drums.

 

He apparently is very popular on radio and he played 3 different times much to the approval of the crowd.

 

The kids from the drama club put on a play about students lives changing from weaving for Blessing Basket.  However, in this scene the children were made fun of because they had torn uniforms and dirty uniforms.  Daddy is making rope and is less than worried about their clothes and being made fun of until he is requested to go to school.  He went but was not happy and still wasn’t sure he was willing to buy more uniforms.  The man in strip outfit is Daddy and he is a wonderful actor.  I saw him in another play where I did not have an interrupter next to me and I still understood his character that he played.  Hope he gets to use his talents.

 

Here Theresa, the owner of Blessing Baskets, is telling the weavers how proud she is of all the graduates (over 130).  They graduate out of the program to let in more weavers.  These grads have made it to college, come home from the South to go to school or start a business or improve their farms.  Once they make their goal they leave a spot for someone else to come in to start a dream.  The stories are truly amazing.

Pictures For Preparation of Graduation Ceremony

 

Had to move Moto w/ trailers from property to make room for chair and tents.  I did not count how many men there was but each was lifted onto the truck and they wanted 3 of them to fit in the bed of the truck.

Made it with no room to spare.  All three were tied down then things were put in the trailer and off they went with 3 men in front.  Don’t know how it got down or where they went but we had room for tents.

 

Here the family in next compound are relaxing, weaving, and visiting until time to go to party.

 

Yes those are the speakers – Boy would Jack love the “loudness” coming out of them.  We placed chairs for one of 5 tented area not counting chairs for VIP’s .

 

Otea, one of the leather men, got the VIP chairs out of truck and started placing – notice the padding on seat this is the chair I sat in!!!!

 

Not only do the children want their pictures taken all the adults do to.  They all want hard copies – my photo bill will be unreal but of course I have to

find a place that will do it.  So far in Bolga they “are finished”, so we shall see.

 

MuSa got the last of the chairs from the Craft center and took outside.  These are the horrible plastic chairs everyone uses for all seating.  The are hot, uncomfortable, and if you move wrong they break.  Yes, I saw one chair that they had taken some thick string and sewed it back together.  Nothing goes to waste in Ghana.

Random Pics

Jessica came over to fix me a lunch since I had fixed her lunch the last time she was here.  Very good, similar to spaghetti but she wanted to put in fish had to say no to dried mashed fish.  She wanted to read my books so she laid down on my floor and read until she fell asleep.

 

Brought straw to the Craft Center.  This moto w/trailer very popular.  I did not get there in time to get baby in her lap but she rode over this way on top of the straw.

 

This little guy and I can’t remember his name has it right.  Sitting on cool concrete with two rocks to beat together stark naked!!! What a life!

 

These ladies are planting no time for Craft Center until all the ground nut seeds are in the ground.  That is our clinic in the back ground.   See to motos under the tree-well this is where I talk to the tech and nurses from the clinic when they are not busy.  They say it is okay to be under tree because what are they suppose to do.  They all want to go to America to see the atmosphere and  get a job.  I told them they would not   last one day because they would have to actually work.

Why I am here!!!

I have been here 9 months-time goes so fast even when things are slow.  Does that make sense???

The 4th of July I will start saying I have 18 months left.  But after being with PCV's and talking it is amazing how many want to do more and extend another year.  I can not see that happening but it gives you hope that something will be perfect and I will do something.  Every PCV has a story how things started to work and you have all new hope.

But I have had family questioning that I have done nothing.  So here is the 3 goals of PC and I will let you know what I have contributed.

1.  To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.

This is my constant job that I have not found yet but...I have helped a lady get books for her business because she wants a loan.  I have helped with networking of Ghanaians and exporters in America.  I have sold baskets for both of the craft centers to other PCV's especially those leaving and the Mali group that had to be evacuated.  We are going to help and woman that is American born in Ghana make her dream at Wildwin Resorts with marketing ideas, ways to do things on her site and make that dream come true.

2.  To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the people served.

I talk with anyone that asks me to.  We exchange differences of American and Ghana.  They ask me questions of what they "heard" about America.  Like is Obama really running and is letting same sex marry each other?. Is it true that all children have to leave the family home with they are 18?

3.  To help  promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

This I do with my blogs, emails and pictures.  There are things you all know now that you did not in the beginning and I have answered many of your questions.

So I am "doing" things but we are so used to jumping into something and getting it done.  That is not possible in Ghana - they have their own time. 

Also Ghana does not take to any change fast if ever so it is very slow.

I hope this answers a few questions but if you have more I will be more than happy to answer and help you understand this culture.  Thanks for taking time to read.  Barbara