After yesterdays failure to secure a tro tro to school we were determined to make our way onto one today, and against all odds we squeezed onto one fairly promptly (ignoring our British need to queue...finally). On tro ride today was a perfect display of good tro etiquette. Our fellow travellers helped us pay, made sure we got off at the right stop, and even when i dropped 10 pesewa (a simple 4 pence) which i was willing to leave behind due to the serious inconvenience of trying to pick it up off the tro’s floor, was handed back to me through the window once i was already off. The Ghanaians are truly remarkable in how honest and helpful they are to Obruni and to each other.
However, bad tro points must be given to the near collision between a little girl running to get onto our tro and a motorbike riding up the invisible inside lane and the church sermon given on our tro ride home. The hand flailing, shouting, somewhat angry man reciting the bible in Twi, did nothing for me. Although the majority of Ghanaians may be Christians, there are a high percentage of Muslims, and to impose a religious sermon on public transport would be unheard of in Britain. Ghana is clearly different, as not only was the sermon allowed and fairly well received, the god fearing man got a free ride.
On our arrival at the Government school, the headmistress who we had met the day before and arranged the visit with, was no where to be found, not a good first impression on the management of Government schooling. Luckily for us another teacher showed us around and sorted out some children for us to interview and so we were all set. Even with a football pitch within the school compound the boys i interviewed told me they were not actually allowed to play football during the school day. So clearly physical education was not an integral part of this government schools curriculum, and was specifically seen as something to do after school or at the weekends. As we were leaving the school i noticed 2 deflated footballs in the store cupboard, which reinforced my ideas that sport was not perceived as an important part of education. Our first visit to a government school had been eye-opening, having read the many articles by Tooley and Dixon about such incidents in public schools, it was enlightening to experience firsthand how lack lustre some of the staff can be in comparison the the private sector.
From the government school, i had to venture all the way to Kasoa school to continue on with my mini project. As the Benton Park children had sent emails back to the Omega children, things we finally running smoothly, and i had children paired up, ready to begin their pen pal journey. Thankfully, the power stayed on, and all the children managed to either sort out their email address or send an email back to their own individual pen pal.
The evenings entertainment involved Elisabeth and I daring to try the phantom kebab; perhaps goat, perhaps rabies dog...who knows? In the end it turned out better for us, as the chicken portions that evening for Sophie and Paul were not the usual succulent leg and thigh and instead consisted of some sort of deep fried bones. The food in Ghana is an adventure in itself. Fed(technically) and watered we headed upstairs to enjoy another air conditioned nights sleep (which i think has been working slightly too well, as i have now woken up cold a few nights in a row! Cold, in Africa, craziness!)
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