Hi All:
I hope all is well at home for everyone. Ghana thus far has been pretty amazing despite the lack of running water and light every 2.5 days. Kumasi is a city unlike any that we are used to. It's a "city" but by most of our opinions, it scarcely fits the description. The tallest building I have seen is no more than 5 stories high. The vast majority are only one story. The section of the city where I live, called Kentinkrono Gao Jct, resembles a small village in the middle of the city more than anything.
Everything takes time in Ghana. The society here is much slower than ours. People sleep early (around 9ish) and wake early. By 6:30 the neighbors are rustling and spanking their children. Therefore I have no choice but to wake up early and begin my day by 7 am. Sounds travel through anything here. I am an intent listener to the neighbors' joys and catastrophes despite my desire to not listen.
This is of course Africa, and white people are a scarcity. That makes me special. Such special people are called boro (pronounced broni), or Whiteman (woman if you prefer). I am, to say the least, the novel Whiteman of Kentinkrono. Everywhere I walk, some little Ghanaian kid is waiting to call me "broni," shake my hand and smile. IN America I'm the Colombian. In Africa, I'm the Whiteman. It's pretty interesting to say the least.
Being a Whiteman brings a certain demeanor with it. Ill explains the specifics some other time, but Ghanaian people greatly respect "de boro". I am always offered the front of vans and taxis, and am overall treated with great respect and luxury.
That said, the family that I am living with has been by far the most respectful and admirable people I have met in Ghana. Not only have I become a sort of elder child (they have two small children, 4 and 6 yrs of age) but an older brother, teacher, and a window into another culture. I am most fascinated by the African culture as it pertains to the family, which is extremely complicated in its interactions between husband/wife and towards other members of the family. The sense of family, as I have observed thus far, extends deeply into the community. The few people I have met in Ghana have been extremely welcoming, always offering me food and a bed if I ever want/need it.
The family life extends deeply into my teaching. The Benjamin School is housed at the same place where I live, and the Anebakem family lives. Some of the students, about 3, and other friends, live in the house as well. The 25 students report everyday for school at 8 and I teach and mentor until 2:30ish. "Mentoring" has turned into almost entirely teaching. The students usually watched instructional videos, learned from assigned books and dvd courses and then took examinations. Upon my arrival things have changed. They asked if I could teach them ALL the courses they are learning this term, and thus I am doing so. The teaching is not particularly difficult. The preparation of the lectures is though. The material is also relatively simple, being all introductory stuff, most of which I have taken. That makes me the unofficial teacher of intro to anatomy, intro to statistics, intro to epidemiology, and Community Health and Wellness Assessment. They take quizzes everyday, along with hw. I have a community project planned for al of them and they will begin work on that soon. My work at the Bomso clinic has been somewhat slow thus far, but I have managed to see malaria and tuberculosis critters at work in a small lab. I have observed the process at the clinic for all patients and will probably even get to teach some basic courses to community health workers on anatomy and community wellness. Regardless, the experience has been phenomenal thus far. I have enjoyed my teaching the most, especially since the class is extremely happy and outgoing.
,
Johann