Deaf School

Yesterday was really fun! Miriam (a German volunteer here at the village) and I traveled to a village called Jamase (Jugh-ma-see). There is one child in the village who is called Kwame Apomsah who attends the school. He was born hearing, and came to the village perfectly normal but he had a very severe case of spinal meningitis I think??? Since then, he lost nearly all his hearing, and had to relearn how to walk and take care of himself. Now... he is one of the top students at the school. All his teachers were praising him for his hard work and dedication at school.

We toured the entire campus and I was really really impressed. The Jamase Deaf school is the ONLY school in the Ashanti region for Deaf students. So.... nearly 450 students attend and board there the entire school year. They teach grades pre-K thru about middle school which is called J.S.S. (junior secondary school). All the grades have their own classrooms, with very qualified teachers. Everything is taught in English. They use mostly written language and a combination of American/Ghanaian sign language to communicate. They all obtain a basic education and then once they are to move on to another school they have a few options.
#1 - stay @ Jamase school and learn a trade (vocational training)
-this may include Kente weaving, tie & dye of fabric, catering, dressmaking, carpentry, etc.
#2 - transfer to Winneba school for the Deaf, which is a S.S. (senior secondary school)

Currently there are many students learning a trade, some at the S.S. and there are even about 6 at the University. The campus is very well organized, and funded through a NGO in Holland, the Ghana government and also the student's fee's help support the school.

There is a library, full computer lab, assessment center, recreation rooms,etc. There are also currently 2 peace corp volunteers who study Fine Arts for the Deaf of which are interning at the school. They are in charge of the art department there. One of the girls is from IN. :)

Pics on the way from my trip!!

my tent bed

This is my mosquito net bed. My "unders" aka my underwear/bra/hankerchiefs are hanging in the window as they didn't dry during the day. I sleep tucked inside the tent at night so I don't get eaten by mosquitos. My bed is huge!!! I think 4 people could probably comfortably sleep in this bed. It is like a king size bed plus a bit more???

my study spot in my room

My desk in my room where I study! It was made by the workers at the sawmill. It isn't anything special, but it works. That is also my fan which is on probably 90% of the time!!!

Annabelle sleeping in my lap!!

Sometimes at night I put her in my lap and just pet her and she will fall asleep. She curls her head around and tucks it against her tummy. She is sooo cute. She is not too smelly either surprisingly. I think I will give her a bath soon though, her hair seems a bit dingey.

Annabelle!!!

This is my goat named Annabelle!!! I am not really

sure of her age... maybe a month or 2??? She is real cute.

Regarding monica's comments....

1) no... no goat friend. She see's the other goats around and often calls to them, but they don't mind her. The one baby goat that came by her the other day she chased it away???

2) She only stays tied up inside the porch when I am gone. If I am home, I am usually with her, or we are out in the grass. I don't really trust the kids to be nice to her. They are loud and have erradic movements and she freaks out.

3) She eats puppy food now, about 10 pellets a day. The vet said it should help give her a balanced diet and let her get stronger from being sick.

my house again

This is the back of my house. I hang my laundry on the line to dry on sundays. To the far left in the cubby area there is the water spicket. Not shown in the picture is the chicken house. I will take pics of them soon, they just run away from me all the time!!!

my house

This is the front of my house!! It may be on the website. It is called Steinhagen. The front veranda is where Annabelle stays!!! hehe.

me wo abrekyere = I have a goat!!!

I have a goat!!! I bought her for 18.00 Ghana cedis. Which I think is about $12 USD. Haha. It is a baby goat, but old enough to be away from it's mother. She is grey/white/black and her name is "Annabelle". The kids here think it is hilarious I have a pet goat. But.... they are always around my house wanting to pet her, because the animals here just run from you. She actually comes up and likes to be pet. She is getting better at walking on a leash. I have bought a mat for her to sleep on. She is actually starting to potty train herself too. It is really cool. She won't go on the mat unless I leave her for too long without taking her out to the grass. Everytime we go out to the grass on a leash she goes potty. haha. It is like a puppy, but with hooves!!! I have never had a goat.... but it has been interesting. I missed having a pet. So... I decided on a goat. Since back home we treat and take care of our animals a certain way, I didn't want to leave a dog behind to be neglected. So... I chose a goat. The unfortunate thing is that she will eventually be eaten one day. Just not when I am here though. At least then, she won't be neglected and treated any kind of way. But, while I am here, she will be just fine.

Catching up on comments

Sorry everyone. I am just checking the comments posted on the site.... today. So... per my mom's request here are some of the things I have been asked .....

Some basic phrases in Twi

Hello - don't think there is any actual translation, people just say Hello in English

but.... you can say good morning/afternoon/evening

good morning = Ma akye (ma-augh-chain but make the n silent)
good afternoon = Ma aha (ma-augh-haa)
good evening = ma adwo (ma-augh-dwa-o)

goodbye = nante yie (non-tea-yeh) = walk well/safe journey/goodbye during daytime
= da yie (die-yeh) = good night

nice to meet you = not sure about that
but we will meet again = yebehyia bio (yeh-bay-shia-be-o)

thank you = meda ase (may-da-augh-say)
please = mepawokyew (may-pa-woe-cho)

I'm hungry = ekom de me (a-comb-day-me)
I'm tired = ma bre (ma-braid but the d is silent)
Let's go = yenko (yen-co)
stop = gye (jugh-i, but say it fast)
what is your name? = wo din de sen/ye fre wo sen? (woe-din-day-sane/ yeh-fray-woe-sane)

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Areas at the village:

1) 3 chirldren's houses : Bunde, Westerwinter and Ika Ehrmann
2) church
3) Westphalian Senior Secondary School
4) Sawmill
5) Steinhagen house (my house)
6) Westphalian Eye Clinic (where Mrs.Esaw is the Dr.)
7)printing press in Kumasi
8) Internet cafe (which is currently being renovated)
9) Optical Training school

I think that is pretty much it. There are a few other buildings that administrative people live in... but I don't know the names.

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What I have to do for school???

I have to write 4 reports in total.

Report #1: Organization/Project Analysis (due Aug. 20th)

-for this I am shadowing all the various areas of the project, and the different departments within them. I have to come up with an analysis of how the project is ran, the history, the aims, who reports to who, flaws, things that are working well, etc.

Report #2: Critical Incident Journal/Proposal for Research (due Aug. 20th)

-for this I am to analyze myself in the internship thus far, and any incidents that have occurred good or bad and how they were handled. Also my proposal for research of which I will be doing in the fall is also due. I am yet to decide concretely on what I want to research. I was thinking something in the hospital... but not sure yet. Hopefully by the end of the month, and seeing many of the different areas in the project I will have a better idea what I will want to research.

Report #3: Research paper (Due in Dec. when I return)

Report #4: End of internship/semester feedback (due in Dec. when I return)

So.... that is what I am working on. In addition to my twi lessons 2-3 times a week, and my online classes!!! haha. :):) The fun never ends!!!

OPD and the weekend

Hi Everyone.

Well... OPD was fun this week. I think the patients were more amused to see an "Oburoni" inside the registration booth more than anything. They would just smile and laugh, and then try and speak to me (in Twi of course) and I couldn't hardly hear what they were saying. I could pick up some greetings and a few words. Mostly the older women would just say I was pretty in Twi. Haha. The kids would laugh and smile. My job was to file the previous day's cards and register new patients. I had to fill out their paperwork and log it into the book.

This week was crazy as Obama was coming to town. All everyone was talking about was Obama. Saturday he gave his speeches in Accra and at Cape Coast. He spoke very well as usual. Every tv you passed in the market and in shops all were tuned into his speeches. I wore my Obama shirt to the market on Saturday. Haa. People would start chanting once they saw it. It was a very cool feeling. I felt very proud being an American here this weekend. I was happy to say he is my President.

We (Mrs.Esaw and I) spent nearly all of saturday at the kumasi market. We set out early so as to get to the 2nd hand shoe store in time for a good selection before they were overpicked. That place is kind of crazy. There are tables upon tables of shoes from all over... U.S., Italy, Britain, etc. Some old, some new. I found out I wear a size 37-38. I guess that is British sizes maybe?? We bought fabric also. I have some real nice fabric that I will get dresses made next weekend. I can't wait!! Some real nice Ghana wax prints.

Today we went to the Effiduase market to buy vegetables. Mrs. Esaw (also know and called Ma by EVERYONE) cooked a special Cameroonian dish for me.... coco yam grated and stuffed inside coco yam leaves and cooked in a pot and a type of stew created out of it?? It was real nice. She says it is a delicacy back in Cameroon.

This evening I finished washing my clothes, by hand mind you so it took me forever!!! But... I managed it. I am now working on some online homework and maybe pop some popcorn later. I miss you all. I am having a nice time, but I do miss home a bit. :):) I miss my car!!! Also seeing all of you!!! Mom and Medo... I miss you both the most. Can't wait until we meet again. Soon... December will come sooner than we think.

Hope the weather is nice there. It has been VERY nice here. The sun isn't too hot, there is often a light breeze and the cool rains rock you to sleep at night. I was even cold a few nights!!!

Dad... I am sending your b-day card in the mail tomorrow. Sorry it will be late. I ran into problems finding greeting cards in Oyoko or Effiduase, so I had to wait until I went back to Kumasi.

Love, Steph
xoxoxooxoxo

internship begins 7/6

I told you my internship begins... but didn't say what I would be doing. I start at the OPD tomorrow. The outpatient department. It is kind of like the registration/check-in place. I believe they also take your money. The most intersting thing about it... is that many of the people who come to the hospital do not speak any English. So... lucky me, I will have to learn my Twi fairly quickly to keep up!! :):)

I will send an update in the next day or so. xoxo

Internship offically begins 7/6

Hi Everyone!! I hope all is well back home. Everything is fine here. The weather has been "nicer" the last few days, not so hot. I am getting to like the food a bit better. They sure do love "peppae" here. They use fresh peppers and it is HOT!!! The taste is real nice, so after a few mouthfuls you can't taste the hot much. My favorite so far has been Peppae soup with oxtail. haha. Since I don't like bones, I got the meat part of the tail in my soup. Surprisingly I really like having tea everyone too. Yellow label Lipton is my fave with 2 sugar cubes. The pineapple is AMAZING!! I have never tasted pineapple so sweet and delicious in my life. It is real nice.

Yesterday was market day in Kumasi. Wow, wow, and wow. That place still freaks me out, mostly because it is so gigantic and so many people. Mrs.Esaw, Mr. Moses and Seth and I went to the market. Ohh... Seth is a little boy from about 2 villages away in Kumawu and he comes to the house on weekends to work on his English!! :) He is real cute, about 10 yrs. old or so. Going to the market is nearly an all day event. The travel time is significant... about 40 minutes each way from Oyoko to Kumasi and in-town traffic is just plain ridiculous.
A few observations about the market.....
1) freshly butchered meat out in the open, flies and all.... kind of scary
2) everything is sold in RAW form... cooking from scratch baby!!
3) items expensive in US are still expensive here --> i.e. tv,laptop, etc.
4) driving signals are optional?? As are street signs??

I have lots more... but they can wait for another post. Also yesterday we attended a funeral. I wore a traditional funeral dress and blended in quite well, minus the skin tone. The funerals here are quite elaborate and slightly confusing. There is lots of greeting, and giving of money and dancing and more greeting. It's very interesting.

Today was more relaxed, we hung out at home all day. I worked on some homework for my online class, and cleaned my room. Seth and I worked on English. Well... I would say it in Twi, and he would tell me what I said in English. It was a pretty good system. I really hope to find a way of uploading some pics on here. They take FOREVER to upload and often time out before they are through... but I am working on it. So please bare with me. I miss and love you all. Medo... wo nkoaa ne medo. Mepawokyew fre me wae.

Love, Steph