Good Things are Happening

I have been inspired to write a new post about what has been happening as of late. So here it is...

On my ride up to the STARS Conference I received a phone call from the grants coordinator for Peace Corps Ghana. He informed me that the funds needed to fill one of my projects had finally arrived and the project was now fully funded. It was wonderful news. I wrote a grant proposal to build a new JHS building next to the current JHS. There is a severe problem of overcrowding and poor educational facilities available to the students and teachers. As a result, the students are not performing well and the teachers are finding it difficult to conduct lessons. I wrote the grant proposal in the fall of 2012 and for a few months nothing seemed to be happening with the grant. The funds did not appear to be coming, at least not as fast as we would have liked. Because of this I had already begun working on a budget amendment to use the funds we had already acquired to construct white boards in the already existing JHS. This way the school would at least see some small improvements and we would be able to put the donated funds to good use. However, just as we were about to begin the white board project, Peace Corps called me to tell me that I had received all of the necessary funds for the classroom addition. Thank you to all of you who helped donate to make this project successful!

I am not waiting for the fund transfer to be completed and then I will be able to collect them at a local bank. My community has already held several community meetings to discuss the construction of the school. They have even formed an executive committee that will be in charge of mobilizing the community, especially the youth, to help with community labor and construction. The PTA has met to discuss how they will contribute the project, as well as the Chief and his elders. I am very proud of my community for taking the initiative and mobilizing themselves - none of this was done at my request; in fact, I wasn't even aware any of this was going on! They have taken charge and shown that they are dedicated to seeing this project through to the end and I couldn't be happier. On Thursday I am supposed to meet with the local artisans to discuss their project timeline and the materials they will be needing first. I am hoping that by next week we will be able to begin the initial steps of construction. When this project is completed it will be one of the most amazing parts of my Peace Corps career. I never thought I would actually be able to help build a school in a rural African village. My Peace Corps dreams are coming true!

In regards to other projects, several other female PCVs and myself will be hosting and facilitating a GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Camp this coming August. The camp is girls leadership and empowerment camp. We will all select about three form 2 going on form 3 girls from our local JHSs and bring them to the camp. They will learn about leadership skills, women's empowerment, higher education, health issues, goal setting, and much more. We want to bring them out of their community and allow them to meet other girls from neighboring towns and let them step out of their comfort zone for a week. I will be calling on my female STARS student to help with the camp. She will act a peer educator and role model for the younger girls. All day today I have been working on different lesson plans for the camp. Each PCV is going to be responsible for a different topic, but we will all help each other, this is just for planning's sake. I am working on nutrition lessons, so today I wrote a lesson plan about the essential vitamins and minerals for women and the basics of nutrition. I am also working on other potential session ideas, just not as in depth as the nutrition lessons. 

Rainy season is finally back and I am ecstatic. I love the rain, contrary to what many of you may think. This rain is quite different than Eugene rain, so maybe I should clarify and say that I love "tropical" rain. The trees are becoming greener and everything is starting to thicken. The dirt in the air is not as intense as it used to be and I don't constantly feel the need to take a wet wipe to my face to remove my "au natural" face makeup. The forest looks absolutely stunning...especially early in the morning when the sun is rising. I love waking up and seeing the mist on the trees in the distance. This is truly a beautiful place to live and I am grateful for that. We all complain and talk about the negative things that happen to us here in Ghana and in Peace Corps, but when I take a moment to look around me and see the natural beauty and the generosity of the people I am living with, I forget about what is worrying me and think about how amazing this experience has been and will continue to be. I say it all the time, but I have met the most amazing people here in Ghana...both Ghanaian and American. It is hard to articulate without sounding too emotional and sappy. Unfortunately some of my best friends will be leaving Ghana in the next few weeks, as their service is finally coming to a close. It will be hard to see them leave, but I am sure I will see some of them in the future. It will be weird to continue my service without them, but luckily new volunteers are always coming and I know I will meet more amazing people soon. 

That's all I have for now. Take care.