Nowadays...

Jordan here:  Sorry to keep all of you in the dark for a while, we haven’t had much chance to get to internet lately.  We have been busy lately.  At the same time, we haven’t been busy.  But that’s kinda the way it rolls in Peace Corps.  Sarah has been keeping quite busy planning the big Girls’ Camp that we will hold in a few weeks.  Everything seems so simple if you’re not the one organizing it.  But then as you’re playing phone tag over shotty phone service, running out of credit, and all sorts of other logistical frustrations, you get a new respect for those who are “behind the scenes”.  Although, for this camp, Sarah and I will also be in front of the scenes.  Sarah will be presenting a session about changing gender roles (a potentially touchy subject).  I’ll be leading some sessions about Food Security basics, benefits of moringa in daily lives, and a hands-on demonstration of how to make moringa/shea butter soap.  For some, this camp is a chance to get out of the village and see a new place and meet some new friends.  For several others, we hope, this could be a chance to develop a mindset of leadership and action in their lives that will outlive our service here.  Maybe pie-in-the-sky mentality, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.  The impacts likely won’t even be noticed for years.  I’m sure some of you reading were generous enough to donate and after the camp, we’ll be sure to post lots of pictures to show you some of how your donation was put to good work.

I have been continuing work on my dry-season garden/tree nursery/ rabbit rearing etc projects.  We’ve now purchased the bulk of the equipment.  We are now left with buying or cutting poles to use when we extend the chain link fence to protect our grafted mango orchard.  We’ll also still need to extend our shade area for the thousands of tree seedlings we will plant.  As the garden has progressed, Issah and I have learned a lot about how best to set it up and use the equipment.  A new water pump has enabled us to avoid certain “politics” with using the 1 pump that is used by many other gardeners on their own areas.  It has been really frustrating getting more people to join our community garden, however.  The sense of taking care of your own first is a strong behaviour to change.  We still believe that after a year or two of spreading the word and flaunting the benefits, people will want to take advantage of the opportunity.  We’re about to start filling the thousands of plastic water bags that were trash and will now hold tree seedlings instead.  We’ll be carting in cow manure to promote growth and germination and natural fertilizers.  

I also have been working with the few people we have helped get rabbit rearing started at their homes.  We’re now at the stage of expansion and we’re experimenting with local material housing units for the rabbits.  Hopefully it will be more natural and realistic for the community to understand.  One man, Mohammed, started with 2 females and one male and now has 12 full grown rabbits, and last night one gave birth to another 3 bunnies.  We’re very proud of him!  

Today, Sunday, Sarah and I are teaching some extra classes to students who are preparing for their entrance exam to attend senior high school.  And of course, every day we’re thankful for being here in Ghana and remind ourselves that we need to make the most of every day.  Sometimes that’s just sitting with the neighbours and putting together puzzles, or eating fufu, or watching a harmattan sunset.  Our days are numbered and we are looking forward to coming home.  But we’re not done yet, so I suppose I should go prepare my computer class :)