Out of Africa

-Katy Carlson

Education is something that has to be fought for in Africa. It is not like in America, where we are required to attend (free) school by law. In Ghana, parents and students both have to desire an education. It sometimes seems that there are more reasons not to attend school that there are to attend school. For example, school fees at the school in Ejura were $9 per term, per student. The fees were not due up front, as many people simply could not afford to hand over such a significant amount of money at one time. Instead, fees were paid a small amount at a time. About halfway through the term, students who had not paid were "sacked," or sent home. We, as volunteers, could not believe it – more than half of the 400 students were sent home that day, and for the days following, until at least part of their school fees were paid. The fees do not include anything other than the cost of instruction. Students' families are responsible for purchasing school uniforms, shoes,notebooks, pencils, lunch, and sometimes, transportation to and from the school. Having your child attend school is a major financial decision; a luxury that many parents simply cannot afford. As a student, it is also a big commitment to attend school. Most children in Ghana have significant responsibilities inside and outside of the home. Fetching water, cleaning, doing laundry (by hand), helping with the shopping and cooking, and caring for younger siblings are just a few of their responsibilities. In addition, many work to help support their families, selling food or water at the tro-tro station after school or at the market.
 
School itself can be a discouraging place to be. There are never enough desks to accommodate the students. Children sit crammed together two or three to a desk. Some of the teachers can be less than inspiring. Most classes consist of the teacher writing notes on the board and the students copying the notes while the teacher attempts to explain (if the students are lucky). There are no opportunities for hands-on learning; no labs, no field trips, no group-work, no research projects, no computers, no overheads, no whiteboards, no print-out notes, no educational videos. Imagine being in the Pre-Vocational class (taught to the JSS students) and learning how to cook by writing down all the steps in your notebook and that is all. No practical experience is provided. The classrooms are hot, the classes unexciting, some of the teachers are lackluster, family needs overwhelming, and the bottom line is that if I were a student here, I don't know if I would have the motivation it would take to stay in school. Yet, these three individuals that I have met, faced with outside challenges, have all managed to make it through at least the JSS (Junior Secondary School) level of their schooling and are trying hard to continue.
 
In the past, students at the International Neo-Humanist School in Ejura have been sponsored by incoming donations. At times, it was so tempting for me to just hand over the twenty-seven dollars to help a needy student pay for their three terms of school. But, if I started with one, then two, then where would it stop? How would I determine who deserved the money more than someone else? Or who needed it more?  Because of this, I did not formally sponsor any of the young children in Ejura (I did give small amounts of money here and there to individuals and families). Instead, I donated my time teaching at the school and my time living at the house with the boys, in hopes that it would make a difference.
 
Again, though, my mind comes back to these three young adults, who have persevered and made it through at least the JSS level and are now waiting on the cusp of the next phase of their lives; eager to continue what they have been working on for the past fifteen years. It is in people like these three where my hopes for Ghana lie. School fees are significantly higher once you get through JSS. Many students simply cannot afford to attend SSS (Senior Secondary School) and even fewer can even hope to attend university.
 
For that reason, rather than fundraising for the school in Ejura, which continues to receive $250 from each volunteer, in addition to other generous donations from individuals, I will be personally donating money to Mahadev, Oppong, and Jamila.  If you are interested, I would love to have you instead consider putting that money towards the further education of these extraordinary people. If you are looking for an excellent way to contribute to the future of promising young students, even $5 can make a significant difference.
 
Mahadev has been staying at Namaskar House in Ejura for the past four years. He is 20 years old.  He completed Senior Secondary School with top scores last spring and has been working hard to save money to attend university since then. His hope is to become a computer engineer. Mahadev is one of the most impressive people I have ever met. His work ethic is unmatched and he has a heart of gold. He is one of those people who truly goes above and beyond in everything he does. He is currently teaching at the school in Ejura, where he earns $35 a month. He is by far the best teacher there, and this is only his first year teaching (keep in mind, with no formal training). He also works nights at Dada's shop in town for no pay. On Saturday mornings he heads to a farm in Ejura to weed and tend the beans that are grown for the school. He also tutors a 5-year-old boy named Christopher in the afternoons, between school and his job at the shop. He receives no monetary compensation for this job. Thanks to Mahadev, Christopher is now learning his multiplication tables. Mahadev is one of the most intelligent people I know. He is the definition of intrinsically motivated.   He is reserved at first, but once you get to know him, he is funny, witty, and a good conversationalist.
 
Oppong (David) has been the cook at the Namaskar House since November 2006. He is also 20 years old. Born in a village with less than 1,000 people, he completed primary school there, then lived in another small town where he completed JSS. He is the 11th born out of 13 children. He also happens to be the only one in his family who can speak English or who has even completed primary school. He desires so much more for his life. But due to financial reasons, he was unable to attend SSS after that, so he came to cook at Namaskar House, where he earns $20 a month. He had been saving since he arrived, but this past October his sister became sick and he gave all his money to his family for her medical treatment. He has since managed to save $80 (the average admission fee for SSS is at least $100 – and this does not include any  instruction fees). Average costs for SSS run anywhere from $100 - $300 per term). His goal is to become a bank manager.  His life at Namaskar House has been relatively solitary. Cooking three meals a day for 15 people does not allow him to socialize much, or even really leave the house and forget about a day off. Yet, he has managed to be a positive role model and father-figure for the smaller boys at the house and the kids in the neighborhood.
 
Jamila is staying in the house where we live in Cape Coast. She is 19 years old and has completed JSS. She has been attending secretarial school ($80 per term, funded by her uncle) with hopes of continuing onto computer school. Recently, though, her mother became ill, and has been in the hospital for the past three months. Her school fees have been rerouted to help pay the medical expenses for her mother. Jamila takes care of her 15-year-old sister, and her 10 year-old and 5-year-old nieces. She also took care of me while I was there. She helped us with every aspect of living in Cape Coast. Every morning, she fetched water for us. She helped us with our cooking, she washed our clothes (we paid her). She is a great girl with a huge burden on her shoulders.
   
I know that we all look for ways to help others in need. I believe strongly in these three people and know that education is the greatest and most valuable tool they will ever receive.