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Published: October 25th 2012
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After just over another month here in Ghana, I felt it was time for another update! Firstly, I can’t believe how the time has flown, and that I am now 7 weeks in to my teaching with only 7 to go until Christmas break when I will be returning to the UK for 3 weeks. It will be great to see everyone and catch up with you all- I am missing friends and family a lot, and can’t wait to catch up on all your news, but there’s no denying the fact that I’m going to find being back in England pretty tough after 5 months in Africa …
There is definitely something unique about the African lifestyle and African people- certainly in the three countries where I have spent my time since July- and I find it pretty sad that there can’t be more of the ‘African spirit’ in England. I appreciate that they are two very different nations, and I’m sure there are traces of the African spirit and sense of community in some parts of England, but people here really do have a very refreshing outlook on life, despite the daily struggles that some of them experience.
Also, although Ghana is certainly further forward than other African countries, there is a lot of evidence that this is still a developing country, as I have mentioned in my previous blog entries.
I come across true generosity and respect on a daily basis here, and people making a genuine effort without reservations, which is something that I unfortunately don’t experience so much in England other than with my close friends and family. This is evident as soon as my school day starts; I enter the school grounds at 6.45 am to be greeted by at least four people, whether they are office staff, librarians, cleaners or the school security guards. I am then greeted by each of the children in my class when they arrive in the classroom, and any other children I meet on my way around school. It is a great way to start my day, and no matter how tired I may be feeling, I am always touched by people’s kindness so early in the morning!
Being with African children every day is also a constant eye-opener, and to be honest puts some English children to shame! Again, I appreciate that they have experienced
a very different upbringing, but the children at Alpha Beta are definitely from a more privileged background than many other children here in Ghana. However, that does not mean that they are less respectful or any less independent or resilient than many of the other children with whom I worked in Mozambique and South Africa this summer. I have had one or two more difficult lessons with them – at the end of the day, children are children- but I love the fact that these children are in school to LEARN, not to impress their friends, be the ‘class clown’ or be ‘mothered’ by their teacher!
Just this week, as I was standing at the front of my class of quiet, focused, hard-working children who genuinely want to do well, I stopped to reflect on where I actually am and what I am actually doing- Quite simply: Living my dream.
It may be long days, but I when I return to my apartment at about 5.30pm every evening, I feel as if I am actually making a difference in my teaching; the exhaustion I experience is mainly due to working long days in the heat, rather than feeling
drained because I have spent most of my day trying to get children to actually behave, respect me as an adult and a teacher, and to LISTEN to me!
My afternoon duty on Wednesday this week was also made much more enjoyable by a gorgeous little boy, named Gerald. (He is the son of one of the teachers who works in the kindergarten class at Alpha Beta, and he attends the Montessori Nursery which has also been set up by Florence and Sammy). He is a tiny little boy, but as I find with many small African children, has an air of self-assurance, boldness and resilience which not many three year olds in England possess- mostly because of the environment in which they are raised. He is also such a joyful little character, and was entertained for about an hour by simply pulling faces with me, laughing at himself falling over, or trying to chase the older children (made more challenging and amusing for him by the fact that he is so tiny and his legs can’t move particularly fast!!) It just made me wonder whether young children in England would still be able to take such joy from
simple games if they weren’t either ‘wrapped up in cotton wool’ so much or bombarded by so much technology, ‘sensory’ toys etc…
It has definitely been a reflective few weeks as I think about my return to England in less than 2 months. Although I am very excited to see everyone at home (and I am very aware of how much many of you are also missing me!), I am going to have to re-adjust my mind-set once again to ‘UK life’…!
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