Day 34 in Ghana

Dear Zo-Simli Girls,

I have enjoyed my time here at your school teaching all of you. You have made my experience in Tamale a special gift that I will never forget. Your hard work and participation has been great. But most of all, I have appreciated your kind spirits and warm hearts. The kindness you have shown me for the past five weeks has made me feel very happy!

Please continue to be the best women you can be. You are the next generation who will lead this great country. Remember that no one can take away your knowledge, so continue to do very good work in school because one day you will be rewarded for it.

Each and every one of you is beautiful. Continue to let your lights shine around you.

Yours Gratefully,

Anam-Zoya (Adrianna Lacey)

Day 31 in Ghana

Yet again, it is hard to believe that I only have eight more days in Tamale, and eleven more in Ghana. Next Monday, I plan to fly back to Accra and stay there until traveling to Cape Coast (by bus) to see some historical places such as the slave castles, and then travel back to Accra (by bus) and prepare to go home.
Yesterday I got to enjoy a festival that took place right here in the compound of the palace. The festival was a showcase of cultural dancing which was absolutely beautiful! It was an interesting, entertaining display with drumming, elaborate costumes, and of course dancing. The Ghanaians who sat next to me in the audience were able to narrate some of the different stories that are associated with particular dances. So at the conclusion of the festival, there is an opportunity for the drummer to call members from the audience up to dance. Of course, yours truly was called to dance. I caught on fast to the movements and was able to please the audience fairly quickly! Most importantly, I had fun doing it!
So today has been more of a relaxed day that has included me doing some reading and office work. A storm came earlier this afternoon for about an hour and has left the sky a softened gray. I noticed that since I have been here, I pay close attention to the color of the sky, what it looks like, the moon, the sunsets- and it is all very beautiful. At night, the stars are so visible, it looks as if one of them might drop down on your head. As the sun sets (which is usually around 6:30PM as opposed to the US in July setting around 8:30PM), the sun turns a red-orange color making its rays practically invisible. Sure, many of these images can be viewed in the States, yet when I'm here, I feel more inclined to take note of them. On the nights that I begin to miss home, I look in the sky and see the moon. I simply remind myself that in about four hours, my mom will be able to see that same moon just as clear as I can.
Distance really is a fascinating idea. Being over 5,000 miles away from the US is what really is. However, I am constantly reminded by all of these beautiful brown-faced individuals that I cannot just use these big bright stars to "walk home."

Day 27 in Ghana

Time truly does get away. It's hard to believe I have been in Ghana for four weeks tomorrow, with only two weeks left. My days seem to get filled quickly. I have been doing more clerical work in the Sister Cities office here in the compound, and of course still teaching. The students are now writing persuasive speeches. So I gave them the "American" components of structuring strong arguments to convince their audience. My last day teaching at the school will be July 7th.
I really enjoyed my events of this past Sunday. I traveled with Chief's son, Solomon, along with two other individuals around my age to Paga, where we sat, posed with, and fed a tamed crocodile. It was interesting. I also had my first experience riding a donkey for a short time- the struggle there was keeping the donkey calm. LOL
I believe while I am here my most fulfilling project will be the library for the Zo-Simli girls. The project itself is moving along at an American pace....(Quick and overall thorough.) Many of my friends back in the US have asked what are some of the things I miss about the US being in Ghana. I believe this is a typical, fair question. So here's a list of some of the things I miss. (Other than family and friends.)
1. Traffic without the constant fear of being hit in a car or hitting someone. (The lanes are not quite established, motorbikes, cars and pedestrians come together on the road.)
2. Hot, steamy showers.
3. Having access to anything at any time.
4. Consistent flow of internet access.
5. Ice in my drinks.
6. Air conditioning in every facility I enter.
7. Not wondering whether or not one of the mosquitoes that has bitten me is actually dangerous.
8. McDonald's Breakfast.
9. Escalators.
10. Sidewalks.

So clearly some of the things on my list are important to many Americans, and some of the things on my list are solely built on the amount of comfort in the United States. Being here has been such a wake-up call of how blessed I am, how fortunate. But America is my lens, which means what I cannot find in Ghana, does not mean individuals here are missing something. Happiness is something that is easy to find here. But I can't help but wonder about the Americans whom I know do not find my experience in Ghana to be one they would like. Simply because their material items are so important to them, or because they would not want to do without. This experience however, gives me a chance to challenge myself and think about what God has given me, why He has given it to me, and what is really important. So I won't simply write these things and pretend as if I won't return to my "American comfort" and enjoy it. I am writing this to acknowledge the fact that being in Ghana is allowing me to find peace within myself. I'm able to explore peace, identity, friendship, and happiness. Frankly, I feel for those who choose to limit themselves based on the fact that they don't want to lose what they THINK they would be giving up by going to any developing African country.
Herman Melville said, "Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity, nothing exceeds the criticisms made of the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed and well-fed."

Day 23 in Ghana

Yesterday I got to experience some of the raw experiences of African culture... and I loved it! Myself along with Professor Wyatt (Prof) traveled to an area called Fooshegu in which we took part in the funeral of a Chief. There was loud gun firing, drumming, dancing and drinking. We walked about the area in somewhat of a staggered line as other individuals and children in the area joined in the line. It was wonderful.
This was also my first day wearing traditional Ghanaian clothing which allowed me to blend in and also to stand out to those who were not accustomed to me wearing the clothing! It was truly a great feeling and I certainly plan on wearing the clothing any time we travel to participate in traditional Ghanaian events/activities.
Last week, I mentioned to Dr. Susan Herlin whom I refer to as "Chief" that the library at the Zo-Simli junior high school is what I would call "nonexistent." The library is a small room with large shelves in which collect dust. The books that are there are in boxes, unavailable to the students whom have expressed to me that would like to read books during their free time. So Chief has connected me with a young man who works at the Northern Regional Library here in Tamale. Us along with another young man whom is skilled with his hands have set up a plan to improve the library. Chief has agreed to sponsor this plan. This would include building new shelves, fixing the ceiling, and most importantly, strategically organizing the books so that they can be available to students to read or check-out.
I am glad to be able to teach the students English, but it is even more fulfilling to me to leave knowing that there was improvement to the school as well. My mother always used to tell me no matter where you are, you take pride in what you have. In other words, the Zo-Simli school may need more improvements than many other schools, but if they have a library in which is taken care of, a library that the students enjoy and can take full advantage of, that is what is important. I look forward to seeing my suggestion come to fruition thanks to the help of Chief and everyone who puts forth effort to participate.

Perm - by Shane Scott

Where to start…the trip to Perm was unbelievable, amazing, wonderful, interesting, and the list could go on and on.

When I was first informed of the trip I was slightly hesitant – a free trip to Russian? All expenses paid? – is this some kind of scam. As it turned out it was completely legitimate and needless to say the trip exceeded all expectation tenfold. First and foremost I would like to thank everyone involved that helped make the trip happen, from the Sister Cities Organization, to our translators, and everyone in-between that planned and executed this extraordinary trip. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

The trip was only 6 days in total with about a day and a half of travel time (around a 24 hour flight including layovers just to get there) but it seemed like we were there for at least 10 days. The guides managed to fit as much as possible into our stay as we embarked our 16 to 17 hour days daily which made the trip that much more interesting and exciting.

Our first full day in Perm we were lucky enough to go to school # 84, a secondary school in central Perm (I think). For me this was one of the most memorable parts of the trip: As soon as we arrive we were greeted by a group of smiling Russian teenagers all were shirts that read ‘I speak English’. As they lead us inside the school we were again greeted by an even larger group of high-school-aged kids who gave us the warmest welcome I have ever received. It was bit overwhelming at first but certainly a great experience. As the group of us took our seats we (the Americans) individually introduced ourselves and the school child, all in unison, welcomed us with their newly learned English.

Shortly thereafter, we watched a brief slideshow about the history and wonders of Perm. Following the slideshow the children were unleashed upon us to ask questions, in English, about anything they pleased. Some of the more popular questions included: ‘what do you think of Perm?, ‘Do you like Perm?’ (Difficult questions to answer at the time because we hadn’t even spent 24 hours in city yet), ‘How long have you done extreme sports?’ and plenty of others. It was incredible interacting with these teenagers and I was thoroughly impressed with their English. It made me realize my limited intellect as I can barely master English, let alone another language, while these kids were capable of speaking multiple languages.

After the question-answer session, which last quite some time, we head outside to plant trees with the school-age-children. I planted a Birch Tree with two kids( whose name slip my mind currently). I think planting of the trees symbolized a bond between Perm and Louisville. After the well documented tree planting event we were treated to Russian snacks…

As a side note: I’m always one who loves to try new things and experience new cultures. This being said, I was thrilled to bite into some interesting and unique Russian cuisine. I grabbed a plate full food and began investigating what I had grabbed and the one item that caught my attention the most was a crepe (Russian pancake) filled with caviar. I had never tried fish eggs before but I had heard good things about them so I took a generous bite. Well….it was certainly not what I expected. It was incredibly salty, slimy, and other textures that I do not have words. As I began to try to swallow, tears began to flow from my eyes and my gag reflex was in full effect. I didn’t think I was going to be able to hold it down but out of respect for a new city and new food I managed to swallow it and put a smile on my face. I didn’t attempt to eat any more Russian snacks while at school # 84.

Following the caviar incident we were swarmed by Russian students asking for e-mail addresses and facebook pages. I wrote down my e-mail so many times that my hand started to cramp. After several moments of exchanging contact information were we asked to make a circle in the school court yard. As we formed the circle loud Russian techno (all the music that I heard in Russia was techno) began to play and the teachers and the children began doing a dance which they instructed us to do. I wish I had a picture or even a video to show everyone this dance. I’m pretty sure I laughed the entire time but it was so much fun. I distinctly remember a few words from the song: ‘American boys are American Joys’.

Preceding our dance party on the playground we were invited back into the classroom where we were bombarded with requests to sign the Russian teenager’s shirts, hats and papers. It was unbelievable, here I am, some ‘American boy’ who is nothing special signing autographs for a bunch of high school aged girls – I felt like a celebrity. We must have signed autographs and interacted with the kids for at least an hour before we had to leave school # 84.

I truly do not have words for how incredible, eye opening, and thankful I am for that experience with those kids at school # 84. There is no doubt that it was a once in a life time experience and could not be more thankful that I was a part of it.

Amazingly, this little excursion at the school was only a fraction of our first day. After the school we went on a tour of Perm and all it had to offer, followed by a session at the skate park, followed by a café, followed by a bunny hop contest, followed by dinner. As I mentioned earlier our schedules were packed from morning till evening.

The hospitality of Perm and its residents was incredible. Everyone that we ran into was helpful, kind, and giving like I have never experienced before. I would like to thank all the locals at the skate park who welcomed us to their park and made our time at the Perm Extreme park an excellent one. I would like to thank the Mayor of Perm for coming out to the skate park and interviewing us and taking the time to greet the Americans, it was humbling experiences. Most of all I would like to thank our translators and guides who had to put up with 7 American boys for 6 days. I know it must have been difficult but everyone did and amazing job and made our stay the BEST possible stay I could have dreamed of. Thank you again for an adventure of a life time!!

I apologize if my thought are a bit jumbled and scattered towards the end of this post, it's just I could most likely write another ten pages on our first day alone and who knows how many pages about the trip in its entirety because I had such an amazing time. But I doubt anyone truly wants to read that much about one trip to Perm, nor do I have the time to write so extensively on this trip at this time.

Thank you to everyone involved that allowed me this opportunity!

-Shane

Day 20 in Ghana

Yesterday I conversed with some of the individuals whom I see around the palace during the day. I was speaking with one of them about the importance of a person's name in Ghana. It predicts so much about a person, it can even warn others! So of course I asked him for a local Dagbani name. My name is "Anam-Zoya." So I have created my whole name as Adrianna Renee Anam-Zoya.
He told me many of the names are chosen by a person's birth. I told him that my mother labored sixteen hours when I was born and I suffered an infection at birth because I was such a large baby. He was so surprised when I told him I was the only child. He said, "In Ghana we believe that such a long delivery can result in the death of the baby or the mother, but God spared you both, which means you were born a child of much greatness."
I told him that when I was still an infant, my mother in the midst of prayer lifted me up in the air as if to give me back to God. She was so grateful to have me as her gift that she was giving me back. My Ghanaian friend then said, "Ah, so the sky must be your limit." So the name "Anam-Zoya" means "the sky is the limit, God's love for me is boundless because I was put on this Earth to make a difference, therefore my successes will have no limit."
So of course after this conversation, I was speechless and in total amazement. The Dagbani people are so wise and have such strong value systems. I then told my friend about my mother. I told him how much I admire her. He said, "a woman who could labor for so long must be very strong and very great." So he has named my mother Vivian Lacey, "Pa-Wuni" which means "Woman of God." The significance of the names is absolutely incredible. So now my students call me "Anam-Zoya," along with other Ghanaians. So when I introduce myself I say "My name is Adrianna. Please call me "Anam-Zoya" and the respect that comes along with the name is unexplainable. After all, they know that I was given this name for a reason. They always smile at me and nod in approval. So I am official in Ghana now that I have a Dagbani name. It makes this journey to Ghana go deeper than before. My friend repeated "Anam-Zoya, Anam-Zoya, Anam-Zoya is your name now that you are home."

Day 18 in Ghana

I stare at the clock in the bottom right corner of my laptop and see the time is 7:13PM, this clock is still set to the time it is in Lexington, KY, so the current time in Tamale is 11:14PM. I am writing at a time where I usually get ready for bed because the internet here is about as reliable as the wind blowing my 8th eyelash on my left eye. Probable. So I figure I should write before I lose my connection again!
It's hard for me to believe I have been in Ghana for almost three weeks now. Time seems to be moving so quickly. I am still working with the Zo-Simli students on speech writing. The topic is for them to give speeches on what they would like to see improved at their school. I secretly wished I could give my own speech to an audience of individuals of anyone who would listen... Once again, considering all of the factors that help students learn from an American perspective. The air conditioning, cushioned chairs (it's easy to squirm a lot while sitting on hard wood), new chalkboards, new desks, bathrooms, more books for the library, transportation system, computers, a place to eat lunch such as a cafeteria, and the list goes on. However, I am sensitive to the fact that I am looking through my lens through an American perspective. A place where the students' comfort and resources are the main priority. It seems as if many of the girls are discussing in their speeches some of the above mentioned ideas. So this poses the question: How does one propose ideas of improvement without the incredible stench of an American way of doing things? Food for thought, and believe me, I am still "chewing" on this one.
I find that some of my best experiences in Ghana come about when I take walks with some of my Ghanaian peers into town. The interactions I have with these people are the most wonderful encounters. Whether it be a seamstress, a cook, a drummer, a child, or a goat, I always seem to walk away with something different whether it be a simple thought or a smile.