Join me sitting outside on an African night with a full moon.
-vc
Showing posts with label Sandema. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sandema. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Student Portraits - SSHTS
Sandema Senior High Technical School (SSHTS) students marching on 6th March.
Sandema's uniform is a white top and a yellow pleated skirt. Luckily for the girls at SSHTS the uniform rules were not so strict as to tell how many pleats. In some schools this amount of pleats would be considered immodest. Holding hands is very common between people of the same sex, as a sign of friendship, in fact much more common than between the opposite sex. Public displays of affection between a man and a woman are frowned upon in Ghana.
The results of a Home Economics practical - Creme Brulee. Made on a coal pot in carnation condensed milk tins.
Three Form 3 (Senior) boys. Whenever I had my camera everyone would say "Madam Vicky take my picture."
These student's think that they might like to join the army. This group is like our ROTC. The student cadets patrol the school grounds during special events like athletics meets.
Students would come to visit me and cook supper for us. Like any institution the school food was marginal at best. Here Portia is stirring Tee Zed on a coal pot. Rofina was making ground nut (peanut) soup with chicken to serve with the Tee Zed. We at it out of a common bowl and dipped the forefinger and ring finger of our right hand in to scoop some Tee Zed and soup, then into our mouths. I do miss Tee Zed.
Masters and a Madam counting votes for the election of school prefects. Like Harry Potter Ghana schools are based on the English system. Student leaders are elected from the Junior (Form 2) class for the next year. At SSHTS there were about 32 prefect positions. Sixteen boys and 16 girls are elected to position like - agricultural prefect, house prefect, sports prefect, health prefect and the most coveted position, Boys Prefect and Girls Prefect. They are the leaders of the other prefects and the school.
The computer lab at SSHTS where I taught Form 3 and Form 2 ICT (Information and Communications Technology). I would say at least 70 percent of the students had not used a computer before but High School students take to computers like fish take to water! Some of them keep in touch with my on Facebook!
-vc
Sunday, July 1, 2012
"Cow" Boys Fishing - Sandema Ghana
Early in my Peace Corps service in Sandema, Upper East Region, Ghana at Sandema Senior High Technical school, I decided to take a walk to a nearby pond. My landlord's son, Thomas, said he would come with me and be my guide.
Upon arriving at the pond the first thing I saw was this cow. I knew some "cow" boys would be nearby. In Ghana if a family has cows the boys of the family usually take them out to the savannah to graze.
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Next I saw these lily pads.
Then I found the boys. They were all in the water with dried sticks. I asked Thomas what the boys were doing. He said they were using the sticks to fish. They would push the sticks along the shallow edges of the pond hoping to push something on to the shore.
The catch fit into this boy's hands. It was a frog. Thomas said they would roast it and have some meat to eat that day.
These boys are from the Bulsa tribe. The northern regions of Ghana are very poor. Since colonial time all the commerce has taken place along the coast. A chubby frog would be a welcome addition to their diet.
For a map of Sandema Upper East Region, Ghana, West Africa
-vc
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Thursday, June 28, 2012
March Pass on 6th March
Sandema Senior High Technical School girls marching on 6th March. 6th March is Ghana's Independence Day. Ghana was the first African nation to gain their independence, on 6th March 1957. Like Independence day it is celebrated every year. The schools send teams of boys and girls to the regional capitol to March pass the dignitaries of the region. Unlike our independence Ghana never fired a shot to become independent of their British colonizers. Kwame Nkruma was the architect of this independence and Ghana's first elected President.
For two weeks before the March pass teachers train students to march. The best students then are chosen to go the the regional capitol, where all other schools from Primary to Senior High School send their teams to march as well. Kids love to do it because after waiting for hours in the hot sun and marching they are given a Kalipo fruit drink, like Juicy Juice boxed juices in USA, and some biscuits, cookies!
Some schools,the girls, will wave handkerchiefs as they walk past the dignitary stand. Boys will often do an elaborate salute and turn to face the dignitaries.
Chief from a nearby village attending the Sandema, Upper East Region, Ghana - 6th March, 2009, celebration.
-vc
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