Our assignment, at last!

We have received word that we will be teaching in the seaside village of Brenu Akyinim. Brenu is situated fifteen kilometers west of Elmina. And Elmina, as my students at Walker may recall, is the location of the notorious Elmina Castle wherein were kept the captives from all parts of the African continent while they awaited shipment to the New World to become the slaves of landowners there and work the fields until they died.

We plan to take time to visit that historic place and record our thoughts about it. But first, we will get situated in our new home in the village and meet the families that make up that community. Our classroom, we have now heard, is an actual building. Though it lacks doors and windows---and thus, is open to the outside---it has floors and desks for the children. How many children we will be teaching we have yet to find out. This we do know: The children will most likely range in age, anywhere from five or six to ten or twelve; we will be teaching the English language to these children and I, Ms. Kierzek, being a music teacher, intend to use song and movement as much as I possibly can.

Ms Lagen and I are so anxious to be on our way, but still have some last minute preparations. We are stuffing suitcases full of the school supplies contributed by our students at Walker---we acquired several large ones just for this purpose---weighing them carefully, and stuffing in more. I am taking my keyboard and those 60 soprano recorders from Dr. Rinehart---wooHoo!!!---to help me teach with musical motivation. Oh, I wish we were on our way!!!

Destination: Ghana

Ms K and Ms L are scheduled to depart for Ghana and their new adventure as teachers in a foreign culture in September 2008.

As they are able, they will keep you informed of their activities, of their whereabouts, and of some experiences of interest. This site has been established for the benefit of their awesome students at Walker Elementary School and any others who may be curious as to the nature of their doings across the globe from Tucson, Arizona.

They are expecting the unexpected, that is, they don't really know what's about to happen except that they will find themselves in a new world. They have prepared for this undertaking---they have been inoculated for Malaria, Yellow Fever, Typhoid, and countless other threats that greet travelers afar. They have worked with an organization in the United Kingdom that places volunteers in positions of need in various spots throughout the world and have been accepted as volunteers by this organization. They have updated their passports, applied for visas (permission to enter a country) to Ghana, and purchased their airline tickets. They have agreed to serve where they are most needed in the country of Ghana, probably near or on the coast, possibly in the community of Brenu Akyinim.

What is more important, with the help of their many fine students at Walker School and some other generous folks, they have accumulated school supplies ranging from the "well, duh" to "huh?". They have pencils, tablets, scissors, rulers, as well as soprano recorders for making music. These are not things that all the children of Ghana have readily available to them. They will teach students English, the official language of the country of Ghana. Many children enter school without having spoken English, having grown up hearing only their tribal language. There are 46 languages spoken in Ghana, the most spoken being Twi, Fante, Ewe, Ga, Dagomba, and Halisa.

As they arrive in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, ladened with many pounds of supplies and luggage, they will meet with the leaders of their volunteer team and take a very quick class to introduce them to the country, the culture, and the language of Twi (pronounced "chwee").

As soon as they are able, they will post a new message to their kids at Walker. Stay tuned!