Operation Ghana

Tuesday January 29, 2008

We woke up early, packed our things, had breakfast and took some final pictures. The lily pad flowers are open, so Aaron used his super zoom lens and took some pictures for me. Nice thing to do since I risked life and limb last night LOL.

We needed to get an early start so we could arrive at the deaf school by 12:30PM. That was the goal. I will be assisting Marco in teaching the Signs of Hope International (SOHI) sign language workshop for the Primary and Secondary School teachers. We left by 8:00AM and barely arrived on time. The tro-tro pulled up to the side of the road and I jumped out and run up the road toward the school. Everyone else went to the cottage to unload. I kept running since it was 12:30 on the dot. I looked around the school grounds and had no idea where he was. The children came running As always and I asked them “Where is Marco? Where is Marco?” They pointed me in the right direction and I found Marco wrapping up a lesson in his classroom and he was just about to move on to the room where some teachers were waiting. He said he had been holding his breath for me to show up. As we have all learned, just because you leave with the intention of arriving somewhere at some time, doesn’t mean you will.

Last week there had been some disagreement at one of the workshops. From the sound of it Marco was teaching idioms and another deaf teacher disagreed with one of the signs he taught, stating it was not the “right sign.” (A trap many early signers get into. When I first began signing I wanted to learn the “right sign” and finally realized there is more than one way to say things. So it is best to learn all of the ways to say something and alternate using the variations when you sign with your child, so they are comfortable seeing any one of the signs)

When Signs of Hope International first started coming to help out in the deaf schools they found that there were only a VERY limited number of teachers who could sign. Sometimes the teachers didn’t even show up to class. Other times the children simply copied words from the board with no connection to the word, letters or sign. SOHI looked at the possible ways of motivating the teachers to learn sign language. SOHI began offering a weekly workshop for the teachers. The teachers would get $10 per month for attending. When SOHI offered that, they had 100% attendance in these workshops. But there was not 100% participation. Some teachers came and read a book or stared out the window, technically they were in the workshop and would get paid for being there. The solution they came up with was this, each month there would be a quiz and if they passed they could get another $5. Keep in mind that they make $100 per month, so an additional $15 is real incentive.

The classroom was full. Marco asked me if I had prepared a lesson. I was horrified! Then he started laughing and said, “Don’t worry we can use the one I prepared.” Ha ha.

The lesson was about sign language idioms and slang. Interestingly enough, it was a lesson for me in some of the Ghanaian idioms and slang. I passed out small slips of paper to each teacher. Each paper had a phrase written on it. Phrases like:
warning to be careful
held in the mind’s eye
curious for gossip
beyond your view
enough food
tastes delicious
Rather than signing each word, there is one sign that incorporates the whole thought.

Aaron arrived with the video camera and still camera. I was nervous about filming. I didn’t want the teachers to feel any more uncomfortable. The teachers did a great job participating and signing, most seemed to recall about 90% of the information. Marco introduced me to the teachers. They knew who I was because he has been showing them Signing Time DVDs too. It was a great experience. I was able to voice for Marco, and help sign their questions to him, since his hearing aid is still not working. I tried to help explain signs in the “Signing Time way” by giving them a verbal cue to remember with each sign when I could or acting out the scenario where you would use that sign. I was really nervous. I just don’t know if they liked me, resented me, if they were interested at all or if they were simply putting up with me being there. Tough crowd. Marco said it went great, but then again he is the nicest guy in the world!

After the session, Aaron and I went back to the house for lunch. As we walked a student offered to carry Aaron’s video camera case. I followed her lead with the tripod case.

Ah, lunch. I am sure you can guess what we ate. After lunch Leah and Alex were whooping and hollering outside about something. We came out and Alex was holding a small lizard by the tail. Derek had offered them $5 each if they could catch a lizard… I was wondering why the tail didn’t detach. Turns out the poor little lizard was dying. The question remains; does that actually count?

Then we went back to the school with Leah. As we came down the dirt road to the school, the children dropped everything and ran to greet us again. Many children ran right past me to hug Leah. How adorable! All of them asked, “Where is Alex?” Or they would sign, “WHERE BOY?” and then put their hand out to show Alex’s height. We explained that we had an early morning and a long drive and Alex was still resting. “Will he come later?” They all asked. “Yes!” We answered and hoped it was true. Imagine being swarmed by one-hundred-plus children your size and bigger who want to touch you, hug you, ask you questions, pet you, hold your hand and be closest to you. It’s a lot when you are 9.

Alex and Leah had definitely been overwhelmed by the crowd of children on more than one occasion.

When the kids pile that close to you, you start to sway and lose your balance. They keep trying to get closer and fights break out. They hit and punch each other hard. Leah would frantically sign to them with tears in her eyes, “Stop Fighting! Stop it! You don’t have to fight! Please don’t hit!” The children, some in tears ready to fight back would stop. The older children would tell them, “Don’t fight here. Leah doesn’t like it when you fight.” I can’t tell you how many times we heard the thud of a landing fist from one child to another. This is not something that any of us were used to. I don’t think Leah has been that close to a fight in her life and never felt the responsibility of being the reason for a fight. They were fighting to get closer to us. I think instinctively she knew why they were fighting and hoped her “words” or signs would be powerful enough to stop it.

When we were assisting in classrooms, Leah covered her eyes and looked away when she saw a teacher grab a long switch and swing it at a child.

Aaron and I had suggested that Alex sit this one out today. Read a book. Watch a movie. Be a kid without worries. Alex and Derek did arrive eventually and Leah was so excited to see him. She pointed and signed, “Look! There is Alex!” The children took off running and Leah smiled at herself. Alex was ambushed and Leah had a moment alone.

There was one person I needed to meet. Every time we completed a visit to the school, Heidi or Curry or Marco would ask me if I had met Sylvia. I hadn’t. I saw her during the Signing Time performance. Sylvia is 18 years old. She is deaf and blind. When I was performing, she was in the back of the room. Sammy was signing with her. She had her hands loosely on his, following the movement to “read” his signs. I knew Sylvia had wanted to meet me, everyone told me. Leah, Aaron and I were on the playground when one of the teachers brought Sylvia to me. There are only 8 or 9 deaf/blind children at this school. We were not allowed to bring cameras into their class. If you though that the education situation sounds bad for the deaf children, just imagine the hopelessness for the children who are deaf and blind. Sylvia and I spoke for 45 minutes at least. When she was born, she could hear and see. She became sick, lost her hearing and started at the deaf school after she had learned English. She didn’t know how old she was when she lost her hearing, old enough to speak, because sometimes, she will answer your questions with her voice. Some time after learning sign language she became sick again and lost her vision. She learned to read and write Braille. She has a brother. She also had a baby sister who died at birth. Her parents spilt up and she was left with her grandmother. Her grandmother died and she now is taken care of by her “grandmother’s son’s wife in Accra.” We talked about many things. She felt my ears to see if I had earrings, she felt my face and hair to “see” what I look like. She asked why I was not wearing a wedding ring even though I am married. She wanted to know how it is that Leah is deaf and attends school yet has long hair, “Long hair is against the law!” She wanted to know what Leah wears to school, “Does she have a school uniform? What does she wear after school? It is the law for us to wear uniforms. Does Leah have to wear slippers (sandals) to school?” When I told her that Leah is not allowed to wear sandals to school and would actually get in trouble for that, Sylvia laughed. “You are so funny!” She said.

I told her that we had been to Accra and she asked if it is similar to our American cities. I said, “No, it is VERY different. First, we don’t carry things on our heads and we don’t sell from the middle of the street between cars.” She then asked, â”But if you are driving and want water what do you do?” (Here they purchase square bags of water from atop someone’s head) I told her that we stop at a gas station store and I told her about drive thru restaurants.

Sylvia asked if I have more children and I told her about Lucy. She agreed that Lucy would have a difficult time on the bumpy and uneven dirt roads and admitted that it is hard for her as well, with her small cane and lack of sight, to keep from falling.

I asked her if she could go to high school. She told me, “No I cannot go. I am deaf-blind. If I was only deaf or only blind I could go.” When she is 23 she will no longer be allowed to go to school and will be sent home.

I introduced her to Leah and Leah caught right on. Leah has signed with a man in Utah who is both deaf and blind. Sylvia asked me to teach her all of the words to the Signing Time Theme Song. She wanted to be able to sign it herself. We stood together in the playground signing the song half way around the world from where I wrote that song six years ago. I get emotional just thinking of the Signing Time years of my life… the people I have met and the lives that have touched mine.

It was getting dark. We went back to Aburi to pick up our special orders from Alfred. We walked through many shops again, all basically the same. Carved masks, elephants, giraffes, families, drums, jewelry etc. We got to Alfred’s shack and the elephants he had made were perfect! His brother, William had carved a family of 4. It too was perfect! We paid for both and continued to shop. Aaron and I found an “Infinity” symbol and when we returned to buy it, Robi was eyeing it. So strange that out of over 20 stores we pick the same single item. We paid for it and Robi special ordered a smaller one. We had not found the right gift for Lucy yet, so we special ordered a small tortoise from Alfred. Tomorrow we will pick up the last special order from Alfred.

Dinner was good, chicken thighs and spaghetti noodles. Marco came over to ask us to be ready for the high school teacher’s sign language workshop by 7AM tomorrow. Sammy and Emelia came by. Both are deaf teachers. Emelia is the sewing teacher at the school. She said she could turn my 2 yards of fabric into a skirt and a head wrap for 2 cedi. Then, she showed me how to use 2 yards of fabric to wrap a baby and carry it on your back. That will have to be the topic of an upcoming Signing Time How-To Chat (LOL Jana, Lisa, Kei and Cathy) Tomorrow I will try to learn how to carry something on my head.

I have almost run THIS pen dry as well. Unbelievable!

We went back to the school around 8:30PM. Curry and Heidi were already there. Aaron and I met up with them. Priscilla and I talked for a long time. She is one of my favorites. She was the one who first came up to me the first day and recognized us from Signing Time. I was with Priscilla and a small group of kids. I told them about the snow in Utah and they knew about sledding and ice-skating. I told them about snow skiing. They asked if I would come back with SOHI volunteers in May. I hated saying, “No.” Priscilla asked if I would ever come back…

Oh I hate this! I hate not being able to say, “YES! You can count on me every year!â” All I could say was, “I hope to. I really hope.”

We walked home in the dark after saying goodnight. Leah had brushed her teeth and was asleep in bed. I spoke with my sister Rebecca (Robi’s wife) for a minute and then my sister Emilie (Derek’s wife and Alex’s mom) called. Then I took a bucket shower and went to bed. Oh, I went to bed AFTER mid-night and roosters were already crowing. Maybe they are form the U.S. too.

Goodnight~

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