The butcher with the machete

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30/07/07

I have been named Kwesi, as I was born on a Sunday. I again got up at 6am this morning but woke at 4am as the cockerels started up. They are part of the small farm 100 yards away, they have about 5 pigs and a few hens & a cockerel. My first job is to bath the younger children (all 12 of them). I bath them as I wash myself each day, pour a bucket of cold water over them soap them up and then wash them down. I then get them dressed for school & walk them to class about half a mile away



Later Samuel, Ben & myself take a bus into Takoradi to do some food shopping. We walk through lots of hidden back-street markets that sell all sorts of produce. We buy pork at the butchers. He hacks up the fresh pig with a machete. I notice he has a huge bandage on the hand that he uses to hold the meat in place. Samuel joked that he might have sold his fingers to make some extra money. From there we go and meet the boss of the local thermal power plant who is also the head of the board of directors that look after the interests of the orphanage. He is a very well respected man, who has asked to meet me in person. We chat for a while and I can tell he is a very good & special man. When we get back we find the children are home from school so we have a bit of a play & then some reading.



Samuel is preaching at the church again tonight & asked me to come along. Later Ben asked if I knew how to pray to God & tonight I must try. I think they know that I am a non-beliver & are doing their best to turn me over to the good side of the force! I say I want to help the children with some reading, so maybe some other time. I am glad I didn’t go as I am in my room writing this and can hear them screaming & chanting over a crap PA & I feel a bit frightened. It sounds like when the kids are not a church it becomes more tribal. For 2 hours they have been at it & they don’t sound like they are going to stop anytime soon. I’m in my room trying to write a story for the children but the kids keep sneaking out of their rooms and coming to my window wanting to chat. I tell them to get back to bed but I don’t think they can sleep with the church service being so loud.

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Photos

My bathroom!
This is where I bath everyday, with a bucket of cold water & some soap.

1cleaned 12 to go
I have to bath the children & get them ready for school.