It is crazy to think that 6 weeks ago Mary and I embarked on
our long-term journey to Asikuma, Ghana. Since that day Mary and I have both
found tremendous joy living in the mission center and working at the Kingdom
Cares Community School. Going into this journey we know that things do not
always go as plan and it would be important for us to stay flexible. This is a
new experience for Mary, the KCC School staff, the mission center staff, and
myself. We have spent the last 6 weeks reestablishing what everyone’s roles
will look like with in the house. It seems like we have finally gotten into
routine.
An average day for us starts around 6:15 am when Mary wakes
me up to get ready for the day. I am very fortunate to have Mary as my personal
alarm clock. After Mary and I are ready to face the day we help to ensure that
the kids have bathed and are dressed in their school uniform. Sometimes I am sewing
buttons that mysteriously break off when everyone is supposed to besleeping.
Once everyone is dressed we all eat a quick breakfast. Once the children are
finished eating Mary and I hunt for the 5 children we have that are currently
receiving HIV medicine on a daily basis. Once all of the medicine has been
given we make sure the children have their exercise books, pencil, eraser,
pencil, sharpener, and homework before we start marching kids to their
classrooms. By the time we get everyone situated for class it is 9:00am. Mary
and I spend the next hour observing the different teachers in their classroom.
Then the students disperse for break. During this time Mary and I walk around
and try to talk to the teachers about what we are seeing in their classrooms.
We mention what the strengths were for that lesson as well as the areas of
improvement. We also use this time to demonstrate a few different strategies
they can use in their specific classrooms based off of our observations. For
example, when one of our teachers was teaching his ICT (Information
Communication Technology) lesson to the P2 students he was talking about using
a mouse to click on a computer screen. After the lesson we brought up the point
that some students have never used a computer before so this is a foreign
concept to them. We then suggested that he try to find a computer mouse to
bring into class so students can actually touch the mouse and use their fingers
to make the mouse click. Students tend to remember a concept when they can
relate an action or experience with the new information.
After lunch we try to spend time teaching lessons in the
various classrooms. Sometimes our lessons are planned and other times we will
be observing when a teacher will ask us to step in and teach the rest of their
lesson for them. After we teach the lesson we have a conversation with the
teacher about what they observed us doing and how they think the students
responded to the different teaching methods. We then observe the teacher and
offer support as they try to implement some of the new strategies into their
teaching.
After school we wrangle the kids into their rooms for siesta
time which usually ends with the kids then having to pick up their rooms. Once
the kids are done siesta-ing we spend our evenings out side on the porch
gathered around a book, dancing in the rain, chasing the children around the
compound, and trying to keep up with these enthusiastic kids. Mary and I try to
enjoy an evening walk every now and then. Once everyone has been bathed for a
second time and eaten the home cooked meal we give the kids with HIV their
second round of medications. Then it is off to the school for studies time. During
this one hour we work one on one with the students who need special or extra
attention, prompt the students working in small groups, and read to the
children who have already completed their homework. Just recently we started to
bring out puzzles for our younger primary kids to work on their fine motor and
problem solving skills. I am not sure who enjoys this more: the kids or Mary. I
really enjoy seeing all of our kids working so hard towards becoming a better
student. It warms my heart to see some of the older kids helping the younger
kids complete and check over their homework. Have we mentioned that we
absolutely love these kids?
Once everyone’s homework has been completed and checked we
venture back to the house for an hour of entertainment. This could be the kid’s
settling down to watch part of a show or movie, board and card games, or some
sort of crafting (coloring or bracelet making). Most of the younger kids fall
asleep before bedtime so they need to be carried to bed. Occasionally we will
have an older kid who “falls asleep” and needs to be carried to bed. We spend
the next chuck of our night making sure everyone winds up in a bed, school
uniforms are ironed, and the teeth are brushed. Once every child has been
kissed and been whispered medo (I love you in Twi) the lights go out. Mary and
I then patrol the hallway to make sure the kids are staying in their rooms
before we head back to our room. We take minimal time to brush our teeth and go
over the day before our heads hit our pillows and our lights go out.
Please continue to follow us on this journey and
share what we are doing. We are always more than willing to answer questions or
give more information. If you feel compelled to make a donation or support the
school in some other capacity please either email us at kccschool15@gmail.com or visit Kingdom Cares
International.
Peace and Blessing,
| Anna |
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