Day 4 – Learning, Laughter and Life in the Village
Today was another day at the school, and I finally had the opportunity to take my own class. We were teaching the children their five times tables, starting with a recap before introducing new learning. It was lovely to see their determination, and although some of them found it challenging, they were so eager to join in.
One thing that has become really noticeable is that many of the children find managing frustration difficult. If something doesn’t go their way, it’s quite common for disagreements to quickly become physical, with pushing, hitting or lashing out. It really highlights how important teaching emotional regulation, sharing and turn-taking is alongside academic learning. We found that regular movement breaks made a huge difference, helping everyone reset before coming back ready to learn again.
To make things more manageable, we split into smaller groups. The younger children headed outside for colouring and basic number activities, while I stayed with the five to seven-year-olds to work on their times tables.
One of the biggest hits of the morning was a game of animal-themed bingo. The children absolutely loved it. It wasn’t just about having fun it became a brilliant opportunity to practise waiting for their turn, sharing resources and celebrating each other’s successes. Those are skills that can sometimes be just as important as learning maths.
Before lessons began, we watched breakfast being handed out in the local community. Children arrived carrying small plastic bags filled with what looked like rice mixed with a simple sauce, which they ate on their walk to school. At break time, they drink water sold in sealed plastic sachets, biting off the corner to drink from them. It’s something I’d never seen before, but it’s completely normal here.
Later in the day we visited the local market, and it was an experience to say the least. It was absolutely packed with people and full of life. Every corner had something different happening fresh fruit and vegetables, spices, fabrics, chickens just sat in baskets, fish being prepared right in front of you and machetes being sharpened by a grinder as everyone walked past. It was noisy, colourful and incredibly busy.
At the same time, it was impossible not to notice how little many people have. So many of the women were working long hours at their market stalls with babies peacefully strapped to their backs while they worked. It was both inspiring and humbling to see such resilience and determination.
Back at the accommodation we took part in a traditional Ghanaian cooking lesson, learning how to make a black bean stew. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised it was actually really tasty! Afterwards we tried a homemade hibiscus drink, which was refreshing in the heat.
One of my favourite moments of the day came when we FaceTimed my family and my my friend and her son back home. The children here absolutely loved speaking to them and especially to my own children. They were full of excitement, curious to ask questions and kept asking when they were coming to Ghana too.
Something else really special happened today. One of the girls here is 13 years old, the same age as my daughter back home. They’ve now been introduced and have agreed to become pen pals. I can’t wait to see their friendship grow despite the thousands of miles between them.
Whenever we go to the market, lots of the children ask us to bring little things back for them, and when we return they’re waiting excitedly to see what we’ve bought. Their excitement over the smallest things is incredibly heartwarming.
We also attempted one of the everyday skills everyone here seems to master carrying items on our heads! It’s far harder than it looks. I definitely need more practice, although Anna seemed to pick it up almost immediately and made it look effortless.
Today’s most emotional moment came during our visit to the market. Since arriving, we’d noticed one lady who appears to be homeless. She quietly walks through the village each day and, unlike everyone else, doesn’t seem to interact with the community very much. In a place with such a strong sense of togetherness, it really stood out.
One of the volunteers told us she’d been wearing the same top, with no shoes and very little else, for at least the last six weeks. We couldn’t stop thinking about her, so while we were at the market we put together a small care package with some essentials.
We’re hoping to give it to her this evening, and I really hope she accepts it. It’s only a small gesture, but sometimes kindness doesn’t have to be grand to mean something.
Every single day here continues to teach me something new not just about Ghana, but about gratitude, resilience and the incredible strength of community. I already know these experiences will stay with me long after I’ve returned home.
Comments
Post a Comment