'A' says Ah.....

Submitted by Rochelle Milam

So today was exciting for several reasons! For one, today was Fulani camp day, which is something I look forward to doing every week that I’m here. Today Ben talked more with the men about their  our hope is that with a better grasp of their spending and earning “habits”, they will be able to plan for the future and better their lives. The women’s group was a bit smaller than last week, but as we worked through writing and sounding out the first few letters of the alphabet - keep in mind that the majority have never been to school it was exciting to watch them labor over each letter. We taught them a short song to help with sounding out the letters that I hope will be very helpful in the long run. It goes to the tune of “Farmer in the Dell” and goes “The A says ‘Ah’, the A says ‘Ah’. Every letter makes a sound, and A says ‘Ah’!” They laughed at it, and stumbled over some of the words, but when we asked them later what the letter A ‘says’, and a good deal of them remembered! I’m so very excited for next week.

Working together for disease prevention

Submitted by Michaela Sholes
MoM, AvTech, and WAASPS really do have a great bunch of folks here. We're all very different, have our individual quirks, but at the end of the day, we come together and make it all work, even when the assignment is something less than delightful! Ben and I have been preparing the next round of information packets for the upcoming bag drop later this week and needed the AvTech girls to help finish it! One of the things we do in each packet is to include a MoM-developed poster with images we've taken on various health topics, and this week was Schistosomiasis (try to say THAT 3 times fast!). Patricia and Lydia helped model correct preparation of the SODIS method of water disinfection, such as cleaning the bottles, filtering them of debris, and shaking them for 20 seconds. Even though the girls were on holiday, they pitched in with a great spirit to help us take some Schistosomiasis-related photos. I'm sure they were mortified that onlookers were staring as we took pictures of human waste just a short distance from the lake's edge (one of the ways Schisto is transmitted is when infected waste gets into a water source where the snails live), but they were good sports! They modeled good behaviors to help prevent the disease and I think we're going to have great posters thanks to their help!

My first (amazing) flight in Ghana

Submitted by Rachelle Milam

Today was my first time in one of the planes here at Kpong Airfield. I was a bit nervous, but after watching people go up and down for about two weeks, I was reasonably sure that I would survive the experience. Captain Patricia was my pilot, and as she explained the different procedures to me, I tried to focus on what she was saying and not my pounding heart. It's much different being in a big 747 where you hardly feel like you're in the air than when you're in one of these light aircraft and there's not even a door separating you from certain death
We started down the runway, and I could hear the blood rushing in my ears, but to my credit, I stayed calm and watched the ground start to go by faster and faster. All of a sudden, I wasn't on the ground anymore, but rising in the air towards a bright, blue sky. It wasn't as bumpy as I'd expected it to be, and as we rose even higher, all I could focus on was the beautiful view. Everything is so small when you're so high up, but the beauty of the landscape takes your breath away. Pat told me to loosely hold onto the stick that allows her to steer the plane, and I felt all the minute adjustments she had to make second to second as we flew steadily on. We flew over the Volta Lake a bit, and I noticed two fisherman in a boat far below us. I wonder what they thought as we flew by.

On our way back down, I noticed the dropping feeling you get when you're going down that first big hill on a roller coaster - the one where it feels like your stomach is jumping up your throat. It wasn't extreme by any means, but it was enough that I could definitely tell we were going down. As we landed, I was more sad than I'd expected to be. I've decided that I like flying (or at least, letting someone else do the piloting while I sit back and enjoy). Pat says that maybe I can go for another flight later this week, and we'll go even farther. On my report afterwards, she remarked that she was a little surprised at how calm I'd been and it occurred to me that I'd been too fascinated to be afraid. I'd completely forgotten that I'd been nervous before.

After that experience, I have a new respect for the pilots, Capt's Yaw and Pat, and a new understanding of why the AvTech girls work so hard to be able to fly. I don't know that I'd want to be the one in control (I'm a tad clutzy when it comes to machines - I blew up my brother's PS2 when we were younger), but I can't wait to be up in the sky again with nothing between me and heaven but a few scattered clouds.

Feeding the hunger for education

Submitted by Rachelle Milam
From 5-1-12

Today was my first day working at the Fulani camp, and as I looked out at the faces of those gathered to learn, I was reminded why I'm studying to be a teacher. These people took time out of their day to sit on a bench under a little (for lack of better word) shack because they want to learn and they think it's important. What more encouragement does a teacher need? When I went in today, I only really planned to do a kind of assessment, to see what they remembered and where would be a good place to start. I learned that most of the women, many of whom have spent little to no time in school, could write or at least recite the alphabet and some numbers. It reminded me that there is a stark difference between ignorance and simply being uneducated. These women are so bright - when we did our short health education bit, they were quick and thoughtful with their suggestions on how often and in what situations one should wash their hands so as to avoid the germs that bring so much illness into this region. I look forward to working with these amazing women more.

The children - well, first let me say that there is a reason I chose to be an elementary education major, and these children were such an encouragement to me. I wasn't sure what to expect because many of them are young and haven't had much, if any, formal schooling. However, when asked, they stood there and sang every song and recited every rhyme that they knew. There was much more than I expected. It made me grin to watch a little boy fold his hands behind his back as he sang "Row, Row, Row Your Boat", clearly proud of himself for remembering each word. The kids are all so smart, and I'm so excited about what other songs I can teach them to help them learn. We tried a song about the days of the week using "The Addams Family" tune, and they loved the snapping fingers part, but couldn't quite get the rhythm down. No worries, though! There's always next week!

Today's experience really opened my eyes in a few ways. I think we in the Western world often make unconscious assumptions about people in countries like Ghana without even really realizing that we do. I'm guilty of it as well, even after living here for part of my life. I was genuinely surprised when I saw all that the women and children had picked up in a short time, and I think it's because often times we assume that if you don't have a formal education, you must not know much of anything. It's a horrible thing to think, but in a culture that says you don't have much of a chance of doing anything important in life without a degree or two, education ends up being very important to our views on what we know. To be confronted with the fact that these people who've lived in the bush their entire lives could be so incredibly smart...well, it humbled me. I had to very quickly adapt my way of thinking. I hope I have more moments like this. It's always amazing to me what you can learn if you're just willing to open your eyes and see people for all they are, instead of simply what you perceive them to be.

Education is a prized gift

Submitted by Rachelle Milam

Tuesday was technically the start of the new school term here in Ghana, and though some children may not have looked forward to it, there were 5 new children from the Fulani camp registering for this term. Added to the ones who were registered last term, there are now 11 kids from the camp attending school - a huge testament to how views in the camp have changed. It was not so very long ago when there were no Fulani kids in school because of lack of money, lack of transportation (The school is quite a ways from the camp and way too far for kids to walk), and lack of support. Because many of the adults in the camp (especially the women) are uneducated, the people did not see the need to send their children to school. Then, for a long time, only one boy from the camp was attending and that was because he was able to get a bike that he could ride to and from school every day. On Tuesday we were happy to watch his brother enroll into school.

It may seem like a small thing, these 11 kids finally being in school, but not when you look at the long term effects. Because this generation has the chance at a formal education, it is very possible that they will be able to change their communities for the better as they grow. I watched one little girl sit very carefully in her brand new uniform, and I wondered when the last time I'd really been thankful for my schooling was. It's hard to be thankful for something you take for granted.

 I want to congratulate those who have worked so hard to see this become a reality. Who knows how many lives have been changed because someone decided to care enough to visit the Fulani community and encourage them to send their kids to school? I can't wait to see the effects in the community, and I can't wait to continue working with a group so eager to better themselves.

Stopping Teenage Pregnancy By Air

Another set of successful drops too place this morning. 9G ZAF, flown by Patricia Mawuli Nyekodzi, with Capt. Yaw (aka Jonathan Porter) as Drop Master, 17 bags were dropped to respondent communities with posters and health training materials. We are getting to know this route well, every tree, every danger noted and the list added too each run. We are also getting familiar with a two to five minute drop interval - not much time to prepare - and the constant 'terrain warning' flashing on our GPS equipment.

On the way back, the weather was starting to get very thermal (at 11:00) and we routed to avoid the 'dark bottoms' that were building around us. Such clouds can turn in minutes from docile to violent - so we just stay clear! All part of the interest and challenging job for a 'drop pilot and drop master'... but then we also added a 'new facet' today.

preparing to drop

Earlier this week, as you read on this blog, the girls from AvTech spoke to hundreds of girls to inspire them and encourage them to achieve more. At the event, a teacher from Akateng (a non-drop to community due to its large size, and clinic, just beyond the end of the current Upper Manya drop route) asked 'Can you help to reduce teenage pregnancies in the town, with a plane?' Now, that is a tall order, even for us!

With a confused and wry smile, I asked what she had in mind.... 'If you can just fly over our school so that I can tell our girls that the plane is built by Ghanaian girls and flown by Ghanaian girls, some of whom are barely older than they, it will inspire them and they will see a purpose to their lives. It can help us to reduce pregnancies and associated challenges for girls without a vision.'

Consequently, we are now delivering 'targeted teenage pregnancy avoidance inspiration' in collaboration with the teachers in communities that are 'outside the drop parameters' (ie too big and/or too well served by roads and clinics), as an add on to our drop runs. Although this adds a little to our drop costs (about $40 in additional flying time), we are pleased to be able to respond to a community need so quickly, effectively and, perhaps most importantly, at their request, and will continue to do so as long as we can afford it.

Funding permitting we would like to bring some of the girls from that community to the airfield (after a few more fly-pasts), and see if we can support even more the teachers desire to change lives, preventing teenage pregnancies, one flight at a time...

We will be exploring some other innovative health, community and inspirational models in the coming weeks. Our continued challenge is to meet the ever increasing costs of carrying out these tasks, even though our COSTS are considerably LOWER, TIME use much more EFFICIENT and RISKS far LESS than traditional methods, we are finding funding for this type of outreach difficult to connect with. (If you can help, please let us know - we really want to expand this outreach).

Manya Esther

As the ETCHE bag drops are getting underway, we continue to work hard to develop materials for both drops and training sessions that are informative and relevant to community needs. In order to ensure that the information we deliver meets that criteria, we work closely with community members and leaders, such as Manye Esther. She has great perspectives and many new ideas to share, such as the one that came out of a recent visit while we were discussing the Diarrhea section. In talking about the modes of transmission in this area, she identified the handling of currency, particularly among market women and individuals who collect the fees at the public latrines. This brought about the question of what could be done to raise awareness both in the communities, but also in the markets where individuals from both urban and rural areas gather.

Keep the ideas coming, Manye!