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How schools are turning hopelessness to hope in rural Ghana Printable Version PRINTABLE VERSION
by Rashid, Canada Apr 5, 2007
Culture , Health , Human Rights , Education   Opinions

  

Children die from malnutrition and avoidable infections and diseases that are spread through contaminated water. Their lack of education means that they have few opportunities to learn skills which could help them find meaningful and long-term employment. As a result, the children at a very early age feel hopeless and give up hope for a better future.
“I taught Mariama in class 3,” said Rachel Bates, who came from the USA to volunteer in 2006. “She is a bright, strong girl who often gets in trouble for talking and hitting the other students. She always has big wounds on her legs. When I interviewed her, it was the only time I’ve ever seen her cry. And, it was the only time I cried when the interview was over.”
“I am twelve-years-old,” said Mariama. “I live with my auntie. She came and got me from my father’s village when I was three. I don’t like staying with her. I want to go back to my father. I am always late for school because my auntie makes me fetch water, cook, wash, and bathe her little girl before I can go. I get into trouble for being late at school. My auntie told me I should stop going to school because I have to watch the house. If I go to school, no one watches the house. Her other children are not late for school. On Saturdays I fetch water in the morning, and then I go to weed on the farm. After I farm, I cook, and fetch water again. Here, every day I do chores.”
The African Union (AU), formerly the organization of African Unity (OAU), adopted guidelines relating to the rights and welfare of children in July 1990, but corruption and a lack of political will means many of these legal documents never see the light of day and the people that are supposed to be protected do not even know that they exist.
So here we are: It has now been more than 50 years after the world embraced the Universal declaration of human rights; more than 25 years after the United Nations “Year of the Woman”; more than 20 years after the convention on the elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women; more than 16 years after the United Nations adopted the “Convention on the Rights of the Child” and more than 14 years after the African Union charter “On the Rights and Welfare of the Child.”
Yet despite the years that have gone past, despite speeches, the conferences, the legislation and commitments that have been made, children and women’s human rights are far from being fulfilled.
Yes, it is the year 2007 and still your mothers, your wives, sisters brothers, cousins are been assaulted and denied equal and unhindered access to education. It is 2007 and still women are beaten to death in their homes by husbands and fathers, still battered and abused as part of our daily live.
As the school was about to break for the Easter holidays, the school organized a speech and prize-giving day for Kramokrom Primary, which here in Ghana meant the greatest day of entertainment the village has seen for years and a great deal of pride for a community struggling against the odds. Theatrical comedy had the audience laughing, clowns took the stage, costumed children paraded in cultural dance, a great stereo system pumped out beats for everybody to boogie. We had an enthusiastic MC to keep up our spirits and we had the most amazing fundraising I’ve ever seen, whereby parents got to their feet, compelled by the beauty of their children, to shower them with money.
There were times I felt like showering the children with money too. They were so striking in their green and yellow outfits performing cultural dance, so bold and confident when they came to the microphone to recite poetry, so talented when it came to the theatre which held the audience in rapture. I thought back to the many hours and many mornings I spent teaching these children at the village. In that time, I got to know their unique personalities, their abilities and the passion for learning that some of them share. I used to love watching a little girl’s face light up when she would get back her jotter filled with neat sentences and perfect grammar and read ‘10/10 Excellent.’ I loved the children’s enthusiasm, the hands that shoot up in the air for every question, the children who come back after school to copy down their homework. I played games with these kids, taught them songs and football skills, explained geography and gave them an idea of the size of our universe. Now, at speech and prize-giving day, the children come to the glorious light of a crowded square where all the dignitaries, elders, teachers and parents watch them, amazed to see the brilliance of the children I know so well and am so very proud of
But it wasn’t just the children I was proud of, it was everybody. The community has been there every week mixing cement and making mud bricks for the school. The teachers have been in the classrooms so many days, suffering with insufficient wages, doing their best so the children can learn. The government brought teachers, textbooks and supplies. Parents saw the future in education and encouraged their children to go to school early and gave time for their children to do homework.







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Comments


There is Hope In Rural Africa
Eugenia Bivines | Jul 17th, 2007
I love your article and it is an informative way to let people of the world know how life is in Ghana.

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