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Our mission is to provide a model of quality basic education that integrates language, culture, literacy and academic excellence. |
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Thinking Aloud
I am grounded for the next few days. My pickup truck is not well and Peter took it to Tamale for repairs. That truck deserves a special recognition for what it has been through: the roads it has travelled, the loads it has carried and the things it has seen. It has been complaining of neglect over the last few weeks so loudly it could no longer be ignored. As a 4-wheel-drive pickup (and an ever-ready-driver, its contribution to the choice of where we are and what we have accomplished in our program has been substantial.
It is quite nice working at home for once. However, the interruptions from people, mostly children who are sent by their older relatives to bring cell phones to charge or collect earlier ones, can be irritating. My niece and helper at home has made a small phone-charging business with our solar system. Unfortunately, she is away until Sunday. The spread of the mobile phone here is just phenomenal!
The weather is acting strange. It is hot and sweaty most of the day and during the night, but turns cool and very windy in the early hours of the morning. The increasing intensity of the heat and humidity is normal. But the persistence of strong harmatan winds at this time is unusual. Global warming?
The 2011 raining season was short and scanty. The rains were late coming and stopped short, causing complete failure of peanuts and other crops that needed to be cultivated early. Yields of other food crops such as millet, corn and rice were also drastically reduced for lack of water. Thus, the “lean season” (May –July/August) is going to be particularly hash for subsistent farm families in northern Ghana, including families in our program area.
The lean season is the period when food stocks from the previous harvest are depleted but the new harvest is not yet ready. Farmers, especially subsistent farmers, are at the mercy of mother nature. Lets pray that the rains arrive early during this coming farming season and continue regularly to November.
To be continued.... Purpose and History
This festival is held by many ethnic groups in the Northern Ghana. Most Muslims and Non-Muslims take part in the celebration. The fire (Bugum) festival is observed by the Muslims to mark the landing of Prophet Noah’s (Nuhu) Ark after the flood. It is celebrated in the night with bundles of grass used as torches.
This is the period during which some non-Muslims make offerings to their ancestors and God, since the festival marks the beginning of a new year. The Islamists hold the view that following the great flood during the time of Prophet Noah (Nuhu), the Ark landed in the night and torches were lit to enable Prophet Noah (Nuhu) and his people to see whether they were on land. This festival is therefore held to mark this important night when the Ark landed after the great flood.
Besides, the Traditionalist are of the view that, one great king lost his son and when night falls a search party had to light torches (flash lights) in order to search for the prince in the night. Therefore this occasion is remembered annually, thus, the fire festival is held to mark this all important night.
Mode of Celebration
As the festival begins in the night, the bundles of grass used as torches are prepared in the afternoon. Lots of foods are prepared for supper. Traditionally, family heads perform rituals by offering sacrifices of fowls and some of the prepared food to their departed ancestors. They then pray for good health and prosperity during the coming year.
After supper, inhabitants assemble at the chief’s palace. The chief lights his torch first, circles it round his head seven times while calling on his ancestors to grant him and his subjects good health and prosperity during the coming year.
He then throws away the torch and everybody then lights his/her torch and a procession begins amidst drumming and dancing to the outskirts of the town or village. The processions converge usually around a big tree. The torches are thrown at the tree. The processions then begin to dance back to the chief’s palace.
During the climax of the festival celebration, the chief Imam (head of the Muslim community) of the village or town and his entourage will pay homage to the chief and pray for success and prosperity to mark the end of the celebration. The festival is celebrated by the Mamprusi and all other tribes and groups that have their ancestral linage to the Mamprugu kingdom including the Dagombas, Gonjas, Nanumbas, Frafras, Kusasi and Kumkombas. Fire festival began Monday night and the following day was a public holiday, hence no school. (Will write about the Fire Festival later). I was in school yesterday. Upon arrival, the children ran to welcome me with "Mma Azimi lo, lo, lo!!!" They crowded around to shake hands with me and help with my pieces of luggage.
I visited all classes to say hello but spent the longest time in 2nd grade to talk about my trip that kept me away for so long. On a detailed map of Ghana, we traced the route from Bumboazio => Langbinsi => Walewale => Tamale => Kintampo => Techiman => Kumasi => Accra. Then the deep blue sea over which the airplane had to fly from Africa to North America! The concept of distance was a bit overwhelming since most of them have never traveled to Gambaga or Walewale i.e, 16 miles or 22 miles away from their village. The children (and teachers) had so many questions about flying: is it made of wood or metal? What to eat if it takes so long to arrive? Can you make fire to prepare food inside there? What do you do if you feel like going to toilet? Can you fall out? How big is a plane? How can it fly if it is so big? Etc; etc. They were ready to forgo their break time. Discussion to be continued with the class.
The teachers and I met after closing to brief / debrief each other on important goings-on since the end of October. I brought them greetings from our friends and supporters and shared the remarkable work you and many others do to support them and their work with the children at the La'angum Learning Center. It was a long but exhilarating day. I just finished a similar debriefing / briefing and a planning session with Baba.
Bye for now. Will be back soon.
Alice I arrived home in Bongbini on Saturday night, finally. Sunday was a day of reacquainting myself, greeting and catching up with all the family and community news. I was in the office in Gambaga on Monday and Tuesday, unpacking, finding out how things have gone / are going on that require immediate attention. Paid a short courtesy call on the GES director and staff, just to say hello.
Baba had an accident with his motorcycle on his way back from his weekend classes in Tamale. He had left early that morning. He had bruises on his hands and knees and one knee hurt quite a bit. Luckily, he was wearing his helmet. The front of the motorcycle was quite damaged. I advised he gets home and seeks medical attention. Fortunately, it his injuries were not too serious and he was at work the following day. Peter spent most of Tuesday working on my computer to get it to communicate with our modem so I can get onto the internet with it. Now I can send with the (slower) modem from the one company, but still not able to do so with our main one that is a bit faster. A little bit frustrating after enjoying fast internet connection until only a week ago.
But life goes on, with or without internet.
Alice Friday Dec 1, 2011
I arrived in Tamale at 7 am this morning and reunited with my husband. It was a long sleepless night, as loud music from the radio and two Nigerian films kept us awake and "entertained" throughout the journey.
We started off in Accra at 4 pm. I wasn't able to get a ticket for an earlier bus. But I was so keen to get out of hot humid, traffic-jammed Accra and back home I was ready for night travel.
There are now several quite luxurious buses plying Accra-Tamale, Bolga and other towns in the north. I felt like I was flying business class: air-conditioned, large comfortable seats with seatbelts and lots of
room to recline back, and video film for all. No chance to opt in or out.
I learned there are also four airlines flying to Tamale for about 5x the cost and one-twelve the time! The catch here is luggage. Otherwise, a worthwhile option to consider. Anyway, I am happy to be back in my home tuff, with family and friends.
I can't get my computer and modem to communicate with each other so I will have to send this tomorrow at an internet café.
Bye for now. Monday, 28 Nov. 2011
Dear friends, I'm back home from home! A blast of warm air (85 F) as I
decended on to the Tarmac quickly drove it home. "Akwaba" Welcome!
Thank you all so much for making my stay so special. Patti, I miss
you. I'll miss the smell of Andy's freshly brewed coffee in the
morning. Linda & Tom, you gave me independence! I cannot recount what
y'all did, but you made me feel so much at home, it was painful to
leave. Thank you!
I had no problem at all with luggage or customs in Accra. All went
extremely well. Even our friend who offers his office as "chambre de
passage" when we are in ACCRA came to pick me up at the
airport, at very short notice.
My only complaint is that it's too long through London. If any of you
is thinking of coming to visit us, please check direct flights to
ACCRA, unless you've a good reason to go through Europe.
It's 1 am (7 pm OKC time). Another jetlag session to work with. Have a
good evening.
ALICE
I came into the office early this morning. I have been in school the last few days. The postmaster had come by earlier to say I had a package at the post office to collect. My colleague picked it up for me. It was on my desk, all wrapped up with red tape in a shiny-foil-looking bag. I frantically tore opened the bag and many assorted goodies poured out. I reached for the envelope and tour it open. And, lo and behold, the word ‘M O T H E R’ was spread the whole length of the cover of the large of a card, with smaller inscriptions on the other side. I opened the card. It was written on May 10, 2010 by my daughter. She begins: “Dearest Mom, even though this card will reach you at a different date…….”
Indeed, the card, and its accompaniments, has reached me at a much, much later date, on January 29, 2011! However, its contents touched deep in the heart of a mother, a friend. She also wrote a small note to her birth mother, my sister, which is equally touching. Tears welled up in my eyes. I turned and looked at the assortment of goodies she had packed, including granola and mars bars, chocolates, splash gum and an ice-pak/hot-pak to keep food cold or hot! Finally, a CD of beautiful songs of worship, to top it all.
Where did she get all that thoughtfulness, indeed wisdom from? I must confess that my husband and I cannot take credit for it. We are just thankful for the gift of such a daughter. We count our blessings like the colors of the rainbow: beautiful and free!!
I cannot end this note without a word of acknowledgement and appreciation for the Ghana post, slow but sure, mail delivery. My daughter asked me several months back if I had received a package she had sent last may. We thought it had got lost, most likely on its way up from Accra to Gambaga in the N. Eastern corner of Ghana and the contents found their way in someone else’s home. It happens. No big deal, we concluded. And, eight months later the package it turns up with all its contents intact. Just amazing!!
AAI
A major methodological challenge for PAMBE Ghana is how to effectively integrate English into the curriculum which is being taught in the mother tongue. The research in primary education proves beyond doubt that when students start with their first language, it helps them become proficient in a second language much faster. Research also shows that student performance in other subject areas improves significantly. But how does one do it in the classroom?
To gain practical experience in the methods of bilingual education, I attended a 2 week workshop in Monrovia, Liberia organized by Dr Susan Malone, and her husband, Denis, of the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL). This workshop was the third of a series of workshops on Liberian Languages and English Multilingual Education (LLEME) for kindergarten teachers, involving 16 Liberian language associations. The Malones have much experience in Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTBMLE), especially in Asia, including the much-talked-about success story of Papua New Guinea with 380 languages. Two SIL Consultants working in MTBMLE in Kenya and Senegal also shared their experiences.
I learned from many concrete examples - from presentations and exercises on language and literacy development in mother tongue and English. Many of the ideas on developing a bilingual approach can be applied in our PAMBE Ghana program right away. The methodology and approach promoted is child-centered and experiential, in line therefore with the Montessori principles. For example, there was strong emphasis on making language and literacy development practical and fun for children, beginning from speaking, listening, writing and reading; building on children's existing knowledge and experience, and techniques to encourage children's creative writing and invented spelling.
I found the distinction between teaching and learning for meaning and for accuracy, called the two-track approach, especially at the emergent literacy stage also quite useful. In teaching for meaning, activities or exercises are as experiential and meaningful to the students as possible. The teacher pays little attention to errors or mistakes. The focus is on expression and comprehension and creativity. In teaching for accuracy, the focuses and draws the students' attention to details and conventions/correctness e.g. sound-letter association, syllabic segmentation, sentence structure and grammar.
Another area of great interest for me was the development and use of local materials and resources for teaching and learning in the classroom. One of the key issues we must keep in mind, as work and develop quality primary education model, is the cost effectiveness of the model. If the implementation of the model program requires heavy and costly resources it would be less likely to be taken up by others, especially GES, even if it is very successful.
I'm very eager to share the new ideas I have learned about MTBMLE with our teachers and see how best to adapt the it our particular situation. We already scheduled a one-week teacher education workshop at the beginning of the 2010 - 2011 school.  Girl child being immunized by nurse |
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