Kumasi, Ghana

Posted by pertorkelson | Filed under Ghana

We have changed our schedule for SYDD Non Formal Education, starting from this week, so we teach Monday-Thursday (20:00-21:15). Monday and Wednesday are English lessons; Tuesday and Wednesday are maths lessons. We made this decision based on that we can’t be everywhere the whole time and two hours five days a week was too much. Now we have Friday evenings off, which is nice, because other than that it is work all the time. I have to tell you one thing about the evening classes which I find funny, and that is the fact that the men always come up to me during class and kindly ask for permission to urinate; “sir, can I go and urinate?”. Hehe, I don’t know why but I laugh to myself when I here them saying it.

I bought one bag of rice (50 kg) and one bag of sugar (50 kg) at the beginning of the week, because SYDD is currently working with more than 200 orphans, street children and juveniles and as I have said before, the delivery of food which we received this month from OICI will not last long enough. The bag of rice and the bag of sugar cost me around $76. Since I have private interviews with orphans every week I get a much clearer picture what they are in need of and the number one priority is definitely food, because almost all of the orphans have to go and beg for food everyday from neighbours or people in their areas. Another problem the orphans have to deal with is mosquitoes, almost every boy living in the mosque in Adukrom tell me that “I don’t like living in the mosque, because there are too many mosquitoes”. There are no mosquito nets on the doors and windows and the boys don’t have any mosquito nets to sleep under. Two of the boys showed me their arms and skin and they both had hundreds of mosquito bites, so mosquito nets are a very high priority when we get any financial donations.

We visited Sarah, the disabled girl I talked about before, a couple of days ago and we brought her some food (oil, rice, sugar etc.) and we also bought her phone booth cards so that she can call us in case of an emergency. The day we came and visited her and brought the things, it really made her shine, so I was very pleased because her situation is very tough.

Two days ago I also bought a new suitcase, medium size, because if and when I will travel for a short period then I don’t want to travel around with the big Samsonite suitcase my mother bought at Costco (California, USA). That one is too big!

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Permalink | November 24th, 2006

3 Responses to “Kumasi, Ghana”

  1. mattis spansk Says:
    November 27th, 2006 at 6:30 pm

    hallo per!

    du får allt ge oss i lyxiga Sverige ett kontonr så att vi kan bidra lite!
    om inte annat så kan vi väl sätta in pengar till dig, så kan du köpa mat och myggnät! jag skall dra igång en insamling på jobbet och syrran på sitt företag!

    take care

    - erika hälsar, ciao

  2. Anki Says:
    November 28th, 2006 at 2:39 am

    My dear son Per,
    Love to read your diaries, but we are also sad to hear your stories. Understand that you are having a tuff time, but also much love and gratefulness around you. You want to help everybody but that is unfortunately impossible. I know you are giving of yourselves + 100% as always - just it does not concerns removing dust. In Kumasi your life is so different from home and I admire you a lot for all your efforts. This is thou something you always have wanted to work with. I got a little tear in my eye when I read that Mattis and his sister will start a fund-raising for food and mosquito nets. Good idea!Will also ask the people around me. Remember how much you loved the mosquitos as a little boy. Well you love them not less today, but can handle it a little better. How are you doing with the mosquitos? It seems like I will bring your big back pack when I come and see you, if the cutoms let me take that as an extra bag? Are you waiting for me to bring a pair of shoes or you have found a new one? Started last week to write you that you should buy three mobile phones so you always have one extra, but you decided to buy food for the orphans. Great!What are you usually eating and drinking yourself?
    Also good to hear that you have some evenings off. You need that so you can be Per the hours and days you are working. Nice that you could see Sarah even this week. Think that Mumin is a happy spot for you.Take care.

    Lots of love and hugs,
    Mamma

  3. Christine De Salvatore Says:
    November 29th, 2006 at 6:32 pm

    hej Per!

    Fick namnet på din websida av Anki och har följt din tid i Ghana med intresse. Jag skrattade gott när du berättade om ditt problem att finna solskyddskräm. Det är nog en sån där pryl man inte tänker på att ta med sig när man skall åka med så lite bagage som möjligt.

    Min första tanke när jag läste ditt brev av den 24:e var, att även jag gärna vill hjälpa till med en slant. Jag hälsade på hos Anki idag och vi talade om det, hoppas vi skall få fram något till dig före jul.

    En fråga jag undrar över är vad de gör med allt socker? Ris, majs och mjöl kan jag förstå, med sockret…

    Hälsningar
    Christine

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