Fulani education Center update

Submitted by Michaela Sholes

Attendance has been a bit lower in the Fulani camp since the rainy season has been in full swing (bringing with it sickness and discomfort due to the cold wet weather), but it is those who are dedicated and who continue coming week after week who encourage us. It is also little surprises like realizing the children in the camp were on holiday today as well, following the Ghanaian holiday yesterday (Republic day), so we got to see their cheerful little faces again.

Although the men's session was almost non-existent today as they were either sick, running errands, or simply absent, we were able to use that time to review with the children who had come to join in. Despite the challenges with an inconsistent taxi driver to take them to school, most of the children are still attending even though they now have to take a tro-tro into town. This isn't the ideal situation as the tro-tro doesn't take them directly to school, but rather drops them at an intersection about a half mile away...however, we are simply glad to see that they are finding ways around these challenges. We were so glad to have them come visit us this morning though and it really was a lot of fun to spend the time reviewing with them and singing the songs they'd learned from us before. Barikisu demonstrated for the other kids all the hand motions for the "Hand-Washing Song" while Mamuna was very proud of her rendition of "Head and Shoulders".

Unfortunately, we didn't get to spend very much time with the women as some heavy rain put a damper (quite literally) on our class. Amina had just finished sharing with the group her review of the talk we gave last week on burns and we were settling in to review our letters when we found ourselves in a heavy downpour with just enough wind to make it impossible to hear each other well...especially when there are babies and kids to add to the mix. (These women inspire me, by the way.. I had a hard enough time being able to pay attention in college when it was just managing myself and perhaps a noisy student sitting near me. These ladies are trying to concentrate and learn, even while having young children and infants coming up to them for this or that, needing to breastfeed, etc...) So, we decided to save our literacy section for next week and closed the class for the day so people could get back to their homes and avoid catching a cold.

We hope that the weather and other forces will work in our favor for nextweek's session!

Law of Averages

Submitted by Ben Sholes

So, roughly a month ago now we started encouraging the Fulani men to consider using a budget system.  It quickly had an initial impact of showing them how much they were actually spending on the items they decided to track.  However, the cool thing about budgeting is that it gets more effective over time (if you have the discipline and the right techniques).

As of the last Fulani session, we finally had enough spending data to start taking a look at trending analysis.  Across two spending categories, we were able to take weekly totals over a month and derive an average of what they "should" be spending on those categories (from a purely historical perspective).  Today, we got to see the results of using those "average" numbers, and they were surprising.  Not only had the men used their numbers to try to limit their spending, there were cases where they were purposely changing their habits to "beat" their average number. A good example of this is one of the men consolidated his normal twice a week trip to get food to a once a week trip thus cutting his food transport costs by half.. He said it required moving money around from other purchases, but he understood that ultimately he would be spending less money overall. Can you say, "I think he gets thepoint"?

It will take a lot more time, discipline, and experience to perfect juggling finances for these guys.  But, I'd say they're on the right track.  Great job, fellas.

SODIS .. it's working

Submitted by Michaele

An interesting discussion was held during the women's session at the Fulani Camp yesterday. We had finished the literacy session and were discussing some of the health education topics and demonstrations that have been held, when Audrey was curious about actual use of the information. She asked if any of the ladies had tried the SODIS method for water disinfection or could provide a little bit of feedback. At first we were a little disappointed as it seems that Amina and Alai's family are the only ones to have tried it thus far, but when Amina shared her experiences with SODIS and the difference it had made for her family, we couldn't help but be reminded that things are changed one life at a time. Amina explained that they like the taste of the SODIS water so much that they use it for cooking as well, and since they've been drinking it, their family has seen a marked decrease in tummy troubles like diarrhea! Some of the other ladies in class had been absent for the SODIS demonstration and followed the conversation by asking her to show them later how to do it for their families as well. We are so glad to be able to have provided an option that helps improve the quality of life for even just one family, but it is extra encouraging when you see how that one family begins to share their successes and inspire others!

A penny saved is a penny earned...

Submitted by Ben Sholes

Three weeks ago, we distributed a rough budget template sheet to the Fulani men in an effort to help them understand how they were spending their money. Despite the sheet only have two categories (transport and phone credit), the results were pretty clear: they learned that they didn't realize how much money was going toward those two items. Goal number one accomplished!!

Riding that wave of realization, we continued to talk about what that fact means. We discussed about how to look at trends in their week to week spending, how much the total cost of each item compares to their total revenue, and if the items that they are tracking are actually money makers for them. After sufficiently blowing their minds, the universal question that was asked was, "Are we spending too much money on these items?" And, like a smart group, they answered their own question: more categories needed to be tracked! Goal number two accomplished!!

Next week we'll continue with more about money management as well as get into wound management.

Amina and Alai, helping Mom make a difference

Submitted by Michaela Sholes
Readers who are regular followers of the MoM blog have no doubt heard me mention Alai and Amina on a few occasions. For those of you who are a bit new, Alai and his wife Amina are not only our main contacts in the Fulani camp, but are also a lovely family as well! They have three children, the most recent of which is baby Hamidu, who is the most adorable chunk you've ever seen! Alai keeps watch over some of the cattle in the community while Amina tries to bring in a little extra income by making and selling a local food called "Wagashi." They have been invaluable supporters of our work in their community and quite frankly, we wouldn't be able to do much at all without them! In the group sessions, they are always the first to enthusiastically join in whatever new topic we've introduced that day, even if it means being a little silly (like when we taught the community the Handwashing Song).

I wanted to write about them today because they are a huge part of what makes up the "faces" of MoM. Whenever we seek insights about the community or how to improve our efforts, they are always willing to talk candidly with us, especially if it involves a cup of tea!. They have supported our efforts to the best of their ability, working with us to find sustainable ways to manage getting the community children to school and being willing to at least try our taught health education activities. They have also been very kind in helping us with developing our ETCHE posters! This week, both Alai and Amina were a part of our Malaria health education poster, and modeled behaviors like sleeping under bednets, wearing appropriate clothing (closed shoes with long sleeves/pants or long skirt/cloth) in the evening to avoid being bitten.

Many thanks Alai, to you and your family! Your willingness, cheerful spirits, and support help encourage us to continue doing what we do!

AvTech, teaching what they've learned

Today was a lesson in flexibility for all of us involved in the Fulani Educational Center. We had some trouble getting into the camp because of the thick mud caused by last night’s heavy rain. After moving some folks around into the back for extra weight, we were able to manoeuvre our way to the camp. When we got there, folks were a bit slow to show up, and when a disagreement broke out a few houses down the road, one by one our pupils began to leave to go observe/assist in the disagreement. Finally, when it was all settled, we were able to start our classes – over an hour late. We made the best of it by having shortened sessions for everyone and by doing a shared demonstration of the SODIS method of cleaning water – courtesy of the AvTech girls. All kinds of illnesses can be transmitted through water, and we’re trying to educate the Fulani in ways that they prevent them. The community was definitely interested in this new information, and we hope that it will be an effective way for the people in camp to get clean water.

There wasn’t time to have an academic session, but a great many of the women brought their pencils and books back, which was a great encouragement! I happened to see one flipped open and line after line of A’s and B’s popped out at me…I was so happy that they’d actually practiced the letters that we’d learned. I hope that next week there will be more time and that we’ll get to review and move on to some new letters! This basic literacy is so important because since organizations like MoM send information out in English, and since things like pill prescriptions and bottles will be printed in English, the Fulani people will need a basic understanding of the language to be able to better care for their families and themselves. It is a work in progress, but is certainly a worthwhile effort on everyone’s part.

Rain Day

Submitted by Michaela Sholes

Mother Nature added her version to our plans for today by dropping several hours of heavy rain on us last night. Due to heavy mud, continued weather dangers, and a few logistical challenges, MoM has rescheduled the ETCHE drop for tomorrow (weather permitting, of course). Classes in the Fulani camp were also rescheduled for next week as travel to and from the camp would have been risky with the amount of mud around. Despite the weather challenges of the day however, we continue to roll with the punches and address the many other positive aspects of the day (like welding!).

'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.

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.