It's a Circus: Fifth Day in Ghana

Besides the troubles getting here, we've been having difficulties paying our participation fee because of miscommunications. International checks weren't fast enough, and so we've been going through this rigmarole. Today, Lisa and Mike have been working on it completely and whole-heartedly, and we are so grateful to them.

The six of us (current or former) CMU students worked with the kids. We were again divided into classrooms (thankfully), but pretty much left on our own after that. I tried to teach the kids Uno and Go Fish, with moderate success (and with quite a bit of Twi cheating that I couldn't stop or understand). We also did a bit of review of fractions, did some work with making multiplication squares, and then, thankfully, it was time for lunch.

The director pulled Sarah and I aside to ask about continued relations. We want to help (once I tell my co-workers that I'm learning table tennis alongside some Ghanaian children, I think they will be excited to help) and we were asking how best to help in the future. He was excited about volunteers coming, but I think that much of what we can to do help can come from the U.S. They need money (even just money for water for the children right now) though help with a bunch of children is really always needed.

The afternoon was more of the morning (except with very tired, hot kids) and then it was activity time. I watched a dance, then went back to the ping-pong I played yesterday.

We had plans to go to the beach, but best laid plans aren't really plans at all in Ghana. We went shopping instead. I have been ripped off, but at least I bargain it down to half of the rip-off that it was originally.

It's one more hot night, and then back to the creature comforts of home. And the cold weather. I'm ready to not have mosquitoes at night. And sweating. Oh, sweating...