Let's build a school, shall we? ;)

It started with a few questions. A few comments. A few conversations. And now we're ready to make it happen. In one of my first blog posts I wrote that volunteering meant experiencing. I change my mind. It means doing. It means experiencing, learning, and then doing more if more is needed. And so Marisa, Mason and I have decided to take on a big project, and we need your help. We got it officially started today- a fundraising project for Timoskay.

Timoskay School Complex:

On the left is the nusery, to the right you can see the JHS 2 and JHS 1 classrooms 

Timoskay has become a second home to me, a second school. And one look at it when you set foot on the property and it gets you thinking. These kids deserve more. So much hard work has gone into starting the school but has been stalled due to lack of funds. So what's needed? 2 things. A library, and a new classroom on the second floor for the Junior High School 3 students of next year.

Even though I teach at Montessori, I've spent a lot of time here at Timoskay. I've seen 2 schools and I've seen what works and what doesn't. Montessori is a lot more developed than Timoskay. All the classrooms have 4 walls. There's a second story. An office full of library books. In fact, Montessori has just finished the construction of 4 brand new classrooms, one of which will be a computer lab. The JHS 3 students get one of the new classrooms which also have new desks. And already I've seen what a positive effect it's had on them. The students that is, not the desks! Timoskay deserves all of these things. And if the only thing stopping it is funds, than we should change it. We can help. All of us.

A library. A place where the whole school comes together. It benefits every single student. There are so many positive things I could say about how it would benefit the school, but it's far more interesting to hear it from the students. So, they've written you letters! Check out the photo album on the Timoskay School Complex facebook page so that you can hear directly from them why this is important.

Junior High School 3. It's the final year of mandatory education in Ghana. It's a big deal. It seems like my JHS 3 students at Montessori are constantly studying. There's so much stress on them for their final exams. The exams allow them to get into Senior High School, and then on to University and their jobs. I can't stress enough how important their final year is. This coming September will be the first year Timoskay has JHS 3. A graduating class. And as of right now, there is no space for them. The only alternative is to shift all the classes back one room, and combine the younger kids. Already, the Kindergarten and Class 1 share a room, with a small cardboard wall dividing them. If there is no new classroom, it will be Kindergarten, Class 1, and Class 2 all sharing a room. In theory it would work, but in reality it wouldn't. I am now teaching Class 1 at Montessori which has 45 kids in it. Not going to lie, it's a disaster. Having about 60 kids in one room, with 3 teachers trying to teach 3 different things would be insane. And it's not fair to the kids. They deserve an environment that is beneficial for their learning. And the new JHS 3 classroom would be the first one constructed on the second floor. They would be a part of the school of course, but separated enough that they get their own space. The second floor has to be built at some point. Why not us? Why not now?

Looking from the Class 1 part of the room at the Kindergarten Class

So that's our Timoskay project: A library and a classroom. It can be done for 5,000.00 dollars Canadian. It's within reach.

Let's talk money. We're in a country where every single dollar counts, and gets stretched to the maximum. Right away, 1 dollar is equivalent to 2 Ghana cedis. So look at that, your money is already doubled! And the money can go such a long way. Marisa arrived in Ghana with $250 Canadian donated by Lambrick Park Secondary School. With that money, they've been able to resurface 2 chalkboards, 1 bulletin board, the floors of 5 classrooms, add 3 levels of brick on the exterior wall, and lay the foundation for the new water run-off system. With the money left over they've bought 2 soccer balls for the soccer academy and some story books for the new potential library. Imagine how far $5,000 can go. (Also, huge thanks to Lambrick Park for their donation. Vic High- I'd love to see you get involved!!). Another key point is that every single dollar goes towards the project. We're not some big organization that has administrative fees. We wouldn't be doing this if we weren't 100% dedicated and believe in what we're doing. And what's more, it's a chance for all of you to be a part of our trip. We all had so much help to get here; were wished good luck by so, so many. So we're asking for donations. And we want to stress that anything helps, no matter how big or small.


How to donate: A click of a button. It's that easy. The Donate button at the top of your page will take you directly to our PayPal account, or you can access it from: http://pages.pacificcoast.net/~roberts/timoskay/
If you would prefer to donate by cash or cheques my parents in Victoria will be collecting the money. Please contact me if you would like me to put you in touch with them.


Updates!

It's more than just making a donation! We want you to stay connected and watch the progress. Our Timoskay Facebook page is going to be updated regularly with news, letters and cards from the kids, and progress with construction. And of course, plenty more pictures!  I'll also be keeping my blog updated on how progress is coming along, because this project is about to become a huge part of my trip. :)

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Timoskay-School-Complex/120020291521463?fref=ts

Timoskaaaaaay!

We're going to get the kids involved as much as possible. Because this project is not about 3 obrunis making a difference. It's not about putting up walls, a roof, a door, and a staircase. It's about so much more than that. It's about 2 communities: Timoskay School and you- the family, friends, neighbors, teachers, and mentors of 3 kids from Victoria. One of the most important things I have learned this trip is a quote from Mr Kainyiah: "There is no "I", there is only "we". There is no "my", there is only "our"". So we want to build our school a brand new library and JHS 3 classroom. And we want you to be a part of it. Any  donation helps and will make the world of difference for these kids. And spread the word!

Love,
Sarah (and of course Marisa, Mason, Mr. Kainyiah, and the entire Timoskay School community)

P.S. If you have any questions at all free free to contact me! Facebook message me or email me at sarie511@gmail.com.

Timoskay students <3

Aaaaaannnnnd Kindergarten!

About a month ago I read Robert Munch's "Moira's Birthday" to Class 2. When I read it, the class listened. I didn't have to deal with the normal Montessori chaos that I love and I'm used to. They all sat there quietly listening to the story. Except for the part that goes "I'm going to invite Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, aaaaannnnnnd Kindergarten!" They all joined me in reading that part.

Little did I know that that line would forshadow my life. Because now I'm teaching Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, aaaaaannnnnd Kindergarten. I'll explain.

A few weeks ago my roomate decided to go back to Canada, and she left last Thursday. So Term 3 has been even more of a new beginning than I would have thought. I arrived home Monday evening, and upon opening the gate to the school everything was different. In fact, I could barely open the gate due to the fact that the entire playground area was covered in cardboard boxes, and brand new tables and chairs.

The first full day of school was also full of surprises. One of the new classrooms is completed and in use, there are some new teachers, and a new headmistress. All changes for the better for the school, except the only thing that sucks is that there's a new math teacher, so I'm back to doing just Creative Arts and Library. But, I no longer only have my 3 classes. Because Maddi has left all of her students want me to be their new teacher, especially for Creative Arts.

And then came my conversation with the new headmistress. She wants me to focus on the 3 classes that are graduating in July- JHS 3, Class 6, And Kindergarten 2. To make some sort of art project that they can put on display for their graduation ceremony. So. I'm now teaching Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, aannnnnnd Kindergarten! (And may as well throw the JHS classes in there as well.)

Upon hearing that Maddi was leaving my first worry was that I would be lonely. I definitely do not need to worry about that. 2 steps out of my room and I have students who look up to me, want me to teach them, and want me to be their friend. And, typical Montessori, I always need to be in 2 places at once. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe even 3. But it's also less pressure. It's Creative Arts. It's fun projects for the kids. It's not about the marks, the tests, the stress. It's about art. And with any age group, it's a blast. A crazy, chaotic blast. :)

On Monday I'll go to Kindergarten. I'll be their teacher for the morning. I'll bring paper, crayons, and let them draw. I'll be the teacher. But also, I'm sure I'll be five years old again. I'll sit down with a group of students and draw a picture myself. Because it's about connecting. And really, who doesn't want to be in Kindergarten again??

I've also realized that I have amazing support from my friends and family. I probably don't thank you guys enough. I've been so pleasantly surprised with so many things in the past few weeks. Calls and text messages back home to Vic. Marisa, Mason, Mr. Kainyiah and the whole Kainyiah family at Timoskay. My students and fellow teachers. My host family. The first thing my host brother Prince asked me when Maddi left if I was alone. I said yes. He said no. He's right. I really do have a family here. And there's some additions to my little pink house. The JHS 3 students move into the school for their last term to prepare for their exams. The 4 girls are in the actual school, and the 2 boys in one of the rooms in our little pink house. The boys spent like 4 hours yesterday helping me clean and re-arrange my room. So basically, they're my new best friends already!

I'm at Timoskay for the weekend where Marisa, Mason and I have just kicked off a major project for Timoskay School. So stay tuned for my next blog post- I promise it will be a good one!

Thanks for reading :)

And wish me luck with Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, aaaaaannnnnd Kindergarten!

Love, Sarah
xoxoxox

Travels.

When the only departure for an STC bus to Kumasi on a weekend is at 3:30am on a Saturday, you just gotta suck it up and get up early! And then sit on a bus for 5 hours without even an iPod, as both Marisa's and I's broke the day before...

But this was the beginning to an amazing few weeks of travel. The chaotic city of Kumasi, peaceful day trips, arts and craft stores in Tamale, elephants in Mole, and a relaxed few days heading back to the coast is pretty much as good as it gets! Lots of small things go wrong, which we've taken to calling Ghana Probs, but as there were so many they may even get their own post ;) So here's a (long, sorry) overview of my adventures!

Felicity, Marisa and I at Mole National Park

Saturday April 20th, 2013.

Marisa and I arrived at our hotel in Kumasi at about 9am and were greeted by the most cheerful security guard you've even met. His name was Bismark but insisted we call him Markus because that's what his fiends called him. Always smiling and laughing, he made going and coming from the hotel very pleasant! (Plus, every single time we left he would ask: You will go and come? Which is one of my favorite Ghanaian expressions hahah). We were exhausted from being up so early so we spent the day just walking around town. It's busy and I'd say just as developed as Accra , and chaotic yet, but never hectic.

Twinning it as per usual

Sunday April 21st, 2013.

Up early, made groundnut paste (peanut butter) and chocolate spread sandwiches to prepare us for a busy day. We went to the Ketjetia Market, which is supposedly the biggest market in West Africa. It was smart to go on a Sunday because it was way less crowded as the whole country is at church. But it was still incredibly overwhelming hahah. So we went back to our hotel for a nice nap! (We feel like we're old people. We've got excellent use out of hotel. Also, we feel like we've been in Kumasi WAY longer than we actually have because are days are broken up by sleeping...!) In the afternoon we went to the National Cultural Center and went to the museum. We got a guided tour and learned all about the Ashanti history and the artifacts from the Ashanti royalty were incredible. We also went to the Artist's Craft Store which had some excellent Ghanaian jewelry  sculptures, purses, and clothing. We found that the market did not sell a lot of "African" things; it was all westernized clothing, jewelry etc. The Kejetia market was like Market Circle in Takoradi but on a massive scale. So this little art store had exactly the type of things we were looking for, and it was the perfect place to end our day!

I hardly took any pictures in Kumasi... but I thought this was cute hahah. 

Monday April 22nd, 2013.

Day trip to Adowamase village, one of the 4 original golden stool villages and about 1 hour away from Kumasi. We arrived at the visitor center (one of very few in Ghana!) and met our tour guide Raphael who took us on the combined Kente/Village tour. Kente cloth is the most well-known craft in Ghana, and this little village is one of the places where it originated from. We got to try the first few steps of the process ourselves, and learn about the history and symbolic importance of the kente.. Then we got to see the weavers at work. The first remarkable thing was that it was all men. Men do the craftwork- kente weaving, and the women do the farming. The women hire men as labourors in the cocoa fields, but it's the women who are in charge. Very interesting, as you would guess that the gender roles would be reversed.

Seeing the weaving was incredible. They work with wooden "machines" that look like they belong in a museum. The string is attached to a wooden block which they pass from hand to hand at lightning speed as it weaves the strings in place. Marisa and I stood there mesmerized watching the strip of kente cloth being woven. It's so homemade, so local, and such a pat of their culture that seeing it being made was one of the highlights of my trip.

On the tour we also got to see the cocoa fields, and suck on the inside of a cocoa pod, which tasted like candy! We asked permission from the Chief Priest of the village to visit the shrine. The shrine was interesting and we learned more about the traditional religion in Ghana before Christianity became so prevalent. At the end of the tour we got to try on full kente outfits. We went to a woman's shop and picked which cloth we liked, and she dressed us in the traditional manner. I would post a picture but we look absolutely ridiculous,  especially with the headpieces... :D

After the tour we chanced upon a beauty salon and decided to treat ourselves and get our nails done. 3 cedi ($1.50 canadian) for a manicure, not bad at all! We then walked back towards the main road. Eventually a taxi came by but we had a decent few kimometres walk first!! Luckily it wasn't too hot, and it was a nice walk with gorgeous jungle-like foliage surrounding us.

We got back to the hotel and rested for a bit (after all, we did sacrifice our nap today...) and then went out for dinner, which we ended up sprinting in the pouring rain to... Oh Ghana life!

Me in the first step of making a strip of Kente Cloth

A half-completed strip of Kente 

Tuesday April 23rd, 2013.

Woke up at 6 am to be at the STC bus station by 6:30 for the 7 am departure. But, of course, that means 7 am Ghana time. Which means sitting at the bus station for 3 hours until we leave. And then, once we take off, the driver explains in Fante (the nice man sitting next to me translated for us) that there was an issue with the tire so we were going to the STC workshop first. By 11am, we were finally off to Tamale! :P It was a fun 7 hour bus ride with no music... But, looking out the window was something else. The further north you go, the more different it gets. Once we were bumping past round mud houses with thatched roofs while cattle and goats were milling around it felt pretty surreal. Almost like watching an imax, a disney movie, or something out of National Geographic. A woman walks by carrying a large bucket of water on her heard. A man wearing a traditional Muslim outfit rides by on a bicycle. The bus slows down enough for a little kid to notice that I'm white, and waves enthusiastically.

We arrive into Tamale and you can tell it has a Muslim feel to it, unlike the south where its predominantly Christian. But the similarities stand out and it absolutely has that Ghana city feel to it. We arrive to the Catholic Guesthouse, despite reserving at the Christian Guesthouse... When you're half asleep and your taxi driver doesn't have stellar English you just end up where you do! :)


Wednesday April 24th, 2013.

Woke up early for another day of travelling. We went into town and met Felicity, one of the other volunteers who was going to join Marisa and I for the rest of our trip. After breaky we had some time to kill before our bus to Mole National Park, so we went to a shop named COLWOD, recommended by other volunteers. It's all locally made crafts as part of an NGO for women in distress, so I got some fabric and a few pressies for home :)

By 2pm we boarded the bus to Mole National Park, and it was 4 hours on the bumpiest road I've even been on. But driving through the National Park gates at sunset, with nothing but jungle ahead, I knew it would be worth it.


Thursday April 25th, 2013. 

On all my family vacations we always joke that the best wildlife viewing is found in the parking lot. And sure enough, 2 steps out of our hotel door we practically walk into an elephant. And we thought we would need to be lucky to see one! There was a 2nd one as well so we watched them in amazement for awhile, not quite believing it!! We then went to the info center for the walking safari. We saw 2 more huge elephants walking around and eating the leaves off trees near the staff houses. We were probably standing within 5 meters of one of them- absolutely incredible! As we continued walking we saw monkeys, baboons, antelopes, and warthogs which even the guide called Pumba's because let's face it, it's practically The Lion King here. The highlight of the tour was once we got down to the watering hole where there were 3 elephants. We watched them eat, walk around, and then get into the water to cool off. Absolutely amazing.

The Mole Motel is unlike any hotel I've ever stayed at. Sure, the rooms were decent, the reception mediocre at best, and the food all right. But the pool was out of this world. The setting of this place was just incredible. After a refreshing swim I lounged on the poolside with a drink- and a view of elephants in the distance.

But I must say that the highlight was when a British tourist slapped a baboon. Marisa Felicity and I were sitting by the pool sharing a chocolate bar when a baboon came sprinting towards us and grabbed another lady's bag and took off with it. A bunch of guys ran after it throwing things at it until it dropped the bag. A minute later it came running towards us again. So, this British guy leaps up and stares it down. It was quite the stand off. I guess the brit thought something might happen to him if he didn't act first. So, he slapped it. It was quite the sassy slap, and the funniest thing I've seen in a longggg time! (And yes, it was enough to scare the baboon away!)

Didn't have to go far to see elephants!! 

Truly does not get much better than this. 

View from the pool deck. 

Our shadows show how unbelievably close we were to some of the elephants.

Oh, baboons. 

On a safari in Africa, no big deal ;)

Friday April 26th, 2013. 

Planned to get up early for a jeep safari, but instead we woke up to pouring rain. We figured a relaxing morning would be just fine! We had tea and breaky and then went for a nice swim. We had the place to ourselves until a few girls showed up- 2 of the volunteers from our group hahah! It was good to catch up and hear about their travels :) For lunch we all went to the staff canteen- a cheaper version of the restaurant and it ended up being amazing. After our meal a few boys came by selling mini mangoes, which are delicious and just what we were craving. And then the lady who made us lunch pointed behind us to where a family of 3 elephants were wandering by! So we ate our mangoes and watched the elephants. Just another day in Africa :)

After lunch a british lady who we were sharing a room with taught us how to play poker- but we had to use stones instead of chips! Hahah. By 3:30 it had cleared up and the sun was out. So then we got the real safari experience. Sitting on top of a jeep being driven around the national park was well worth doing, despite not seeing much more wildlife. It was a relaxing few hours drive, very peaceful, and a good conclusion to our time at Mole.

We got back to the hotel, and sat under the stars drinking coke and talking. It was the most relaxed I've been in ages.

Saturday April 27th, 2013.

Another stellar 3:30 am start to catch a bus back to Tamale. Arriving exhausted and hungry we immediately found a restaurant for breaky. We then decided to take a shortcut back to the main road- one that ultimately took 3 hours and was a great success. In reality, it could have taken 3 minutes. But it was lined with stores selling paintings, African clothing, bags, jewelry, souvenirs, etc... So it turned out to be an awesome shopping morning!

The best part was learning how to play the game Makala by one of the shopkeepers. It involves moving marbles and it's a traditional game here. The neat thing about it is that I remember playing it, or something very similar to it, in grade 2 at SJD.

We eventually did leave, hit up an ATM, and went to the bus station. Where of course, we ran into 5 of the other volunteers who were heading to Mole! We got on a bus to Kintampo and arrived by about 6 pm. We found a hotel no problem, and it even had air con so we were pretty stoked. We found a kettle and made some instant noodles and tea. Picnic supper on the ground! It was one of those moments where you realize how normal everything is, and what amazing friends I've made here. We were all asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow :)

Dindins with the girlies!

Sunday April 28th, 2013.

Woke up and went to Kintampo Falls which was gorgeous. It was a short walk to see 3 waterfalls, and especially the third was wonderful. We spent about 45 min there with the place to ourselves to take pictures and just write in our journals. Doesn't get much more relaxing! We then went to the less known Fuller Falls, recommended by a Vancouver Island University prof that we met at Mole. We also had this one to ourselves for the 3 of us and our taxi driver and his little brother! We were in the middle of nowhere and it was gorgeous. A lovely way to spend the morning.

We then went back to the hotel, had lunch, packed up, and hopped on a tro-tro to Techiman. From there, it was an hour taxi ride to the Boabeng-Fiema monkey sanctuary. We arrived by about 3 pm and had the afternoon and evening to relax, read, write, and watch the monkeys that were climbing in the trees above us. It was wonderful to be out of the city for awhile, and a very nice place to spend the night.

Kintampo Falls

Monday April 29th, 2013.

We should have known it would be a long day when we showed up for our tour at 8 am and the ranger thought he had already taken us yesterday... Our instructions were to walk down the road to the village in search of fruit and monkeys. We did manage to find the fruit! And walking through the village was fun; it gave an amazing insight into what life is like in small villages all over Ghana. The sense of community is absolutely far stronger here! So, instead of finding monkeys, we found a bit of daily life and some excellent people watching.

We got back to the guesthouse and reported to the ranger that we had found fruit but no monkeys. So he offered to take us into the forest on a tour. Why he didn't do that in the first place I have no idea, but hey, it's Ghana. It was a lovely forest walk and we did some tree climbing of our own before spotting the monkeys. They were mona monkeys and they ate the bananas and mangoes right out of our hands. Crazy how human like they are with their little hands when they steal the banana from you!

But for me, the most interesting part of the tour was the history behind the sanctuary. The monkeys had always been held sacred by the people, and there were all sorts of fetish priest tales. The tour ended at the monkey cemetay. Due to local legends, whenever a monkey dies the death is treated the same as a human death with a coffin etc. Slightly eerie, but interesting all the same!

The rest of the day was transportation. And it took FOREVER. An hour taxi, 4 hours tro-tro, an hour taxi again around Kumasi, an hour sitting on the tro-tro waiting for it to fill up to leave, and then another 4 or 5 hours until we finally arrived at Cape Coast. We were pretty happy to get into bed knowing the farthest we were travelling tomorrow was a 5 minute walk to breakfast!

Walking to Boabeng-Fiema Village

3 little monkeys

Mona Monkey

Monkey Cemetary

Tuesday April 30th, 2013. 

Chocolate and banana pancakes. Iced coffee. Sunshine. A beach at our doorstep. A street lined with shops. A couple of great friends.

It was exactly what I needed before heading back to Takoradi with Marisa.

I've decided to spend the next few days at Timoskay. So the two of us got off the tro-tro together and started the 20 minute walk home. We decided to carry our bags on our heads. Partially because my arms were tired. Partially because people stare anyways. By no means do I think I'm a local, but I love it here and I know I'm where I need to be. For some reason durring the past 10 days of travel I've learned more about myself than I have all year. And it was a wonderful, wonderful mini-vacation.

I'll keep you posted about term 3. I can already tell that it will be drama-filled, hard, incredible, and most of all, rewarding.

Love,
Sarah

xoxox from Cape Coast

Photo Album

Welcome to the last day of term at Montessori- The usual high energy from the kids hit a whole new level!! 

 Two of my favorite munchkins in the Creche at my school- Tasha and Eastwood :)

You know you're stylish when you match a couple of cuties like these Timoskay Students! I had a wonderful 10 days being part of Timoskay School, which is truly my home away from home here in Ghana. 

These students got my attention early in the morning telling me to come teach them. Thus began a week of creative art poster projects! 

Kindergarten and Class One

Class Five's Creativi-tree

There's always something fun happening- this was an impromptu soccer game outside the nursery class that quickly caught on with many of the boys!

Haga, one of the Nursery students, quickly became one of my favorites. She stands outside the part of the school that has not been completed yet due to lack of funds. 

It's hard to find a kid without a big smile! 

The Class Four students are some of the sweetest kids I've met yet.