A Day of Work and Fun
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Kranka,
Ghana
Friday, July 18, 2008
We started the morning bright and early to head out for Kranka. The two groups with all of their respective equipment grabbed two taxis to head out to the taxi stand. It turns out that there is more than one taxi stand in the city of Sunyani. After a brief period of looking for each other one group called the other to actually confirm that we were not in the same taxi stand. It turns out that there is a "new taxi stand" and an "old taxi stand." We were not specific enough for our drivers. After talking about the situation we decided that each group would take a taxi from their stand and meet up with each other in Dormaa, the city that we would need to stop at to switch taxis.
Both groups got into the taxis and headed on the way. Dormaa is about an hour to an hour and fifteen minute drive. After about an hour of driving we got to this big traffic stop. Think Chicago traffic during rush hour traffic only instead of a four lanes for incoming and out coming traffic we are driving a dirt road were motorcycles and scooters weave in and out of traffic. The tiny taxis also weave in and out of the little spots in front of trucks and bigger vehicles. As we creep closer we see the only traffic coming in the other direction is vehicles turning around. We decide that we would get out and look to see what is going on. We walk a little bit and see that the road is completely washed out. Crews are trying to reconstruct the road while vehicles are trying to get through. There is no closing the road because there are no alternative routes. We gather around to discuss the options. We could walk across to the other side and catch a taxi and continue on to Dormaa. After thinking about this option the only problem was that if the road doesn't get fixed there really won't be any way for us to get back to the dorms at the end of the day because taxi's won't be waiting on the other side of the road. There was also the other option that we would just turn around. It was already getting pretty late around 10:30 a.m. The last option was that we just wait to see what happens. We decided that we would see how the situation progresses for a little bit. We all got back in the taxis as we wondered what would happen. We began to move forward. As we moving forward one of the men watching yelled into the cabs that Ghana is a very poor country and we should help. We all just looked at each as we slowly moved passed them after about a half hour we were able to see the situation. A bridge completely washed out after a hard rain. The force of the water caused the bridge to turn into a moat. The water was about 3 feet deep but this did not stop taxis and other cars from going through it. It was soon our turn to try to make it through the moat. Somehow our two compact cars had enough traction to make it through the puddle. As we were exiting the zone there was a large truck coming in with building and stabilization supplies.
We finally made it into Dormaa. One group was dropped off at the taxi stand while the other group's driver decided that he would just take them to Kranka. The one at the taxi stand grabbed some crackers and water for all of us to snack on later. They also headed into a taxi to make it to Kranka. It is another 20 minute drive to Kranka. The majority of the time it is on paved road it is not until the last 5 minutes that it turns into a dirt road that has been heavily eroded.
We all finally made it into Kranka. The Pavlis team introduced the IBV team to one of the teachers working at the school. The chief was working in his teak plantings but he would stop by soon. The IBV team headed down to the clinic that is within the village to go meet with the midwife. The Pavlis team soon found out that all the teachers were gone at a meeting so there was no one there for us to meet with. We would have never guessed that all the teachers were gone because all the students were still in school.
We sat done with one of the ladies who appeared to some sort of secretary at the school. During this time Marcie asked if she could use the restroom. One of the other secretaries led Marcie to the area that was supposed to be the school restrooms but they had run out of money. The area had about four foot high stone walls with windows in them. This was the school restrooms. Inside of the walls was just dirt and grass.
As we headed back we talked to the secretary about the school. The school in Kranka had been built in the 1943 by the British. There have been no updates down to any of the buildings because of lack of funding. The walls and the floors are starting to crack. The classes are too small to fit the growing population of children in the village. The children sit on wooden stools most of the time or stand outside of the classroom if it is too full. We began to talk to her briefly about the computer project and she said that there was no one that would be able to facilitate these activities.
During this time we asked about what future projects would be good areas for future groups to focus. She told us about the lack of basic school supplies which include everything from pens and pencils to books. Many of the books that the students use are falling apart and very hard to read. There is also just money to expand the school and do some remodeling to make the school more modern. The issue of sanitation also came up because there are no restrooms at all. We saw students going to the bathroom in the soccer field or right next to the class room. She also brought up that many of the students are orphans and do not really have families to take care of them. Many students come to school without having eaten any breakfast and will also not eat lunch. Ghana just implements a school lunch program where low income students would be given one meal every school day but that program has not reached the village yet. This situation was very apparent because many of the students looked like they were suffering from malnutrition. After hearing these concerns we snapped a few pictures of the office and then headed out to snap of few pictures of the children.
The children just went wild when they saw the camera. Everyone wanted to be in the picture and get their picture taken. Mitch took out his camera and the out of everywhere children came running to get their picture taken. At one point there had to be fifty students all trying to get in the photo.
During this time the chief showed up to greet us. We asked him if there would be anyway that we would be able to test the laptop computers today. He said that today would not be a good day but the following Monday would work out much better. We then told him that we could introduce him to the other team members that are working in the clinic.
Once we got to the clinic there were about 10 women and children waiting. The IBV team was sitting having a conversation with the midwife about what equipment they use in the clinic. They then went to go look at the different equipment. During this time, we asked the chief if he would like to try out the computers that we would be testing. We pulled out two of the XO laptops to show him the chat function and some of the other programs. The chief had never used a computer. He said during his time at the University they did not have computers. He was amazed by how small the computer was and had difficulties understanding how to use the touch pad on the computer. We hooked up one of the mice to the computers to make it a little easier and briefly explained how the computer works.
We opened the chat function and he was just so amazed that the computers would be able to hook up to each other. We also showed him the neighborhood view of the computer and he was very pleased that the teachers would be able to monitor what the students were using the computers for. He was very excited for the children to have the possibility to use the computers for their learning.
We took a few pictures of him using the computers and then told him that we could print out some of these pictures for him right now if there was electricity in the clinic. He led Mitch over to the outlet and Mitch printed out a picture of the chief. The chief was so excited, as well as, the others village members in the clinic of the pictures.
The IBV team soon returned after their tour of the clinic. After a brief discussion with the midwife and a few pictures of the IBV team and the clinic staff we decided to head off to see some waterfalls. One of our friends at Sunyani had told us that there were some waterfalls near Kranka. When we asked Emanuel about these waterfalls he said that they were very beautiful and not very far.
All seven of out and our driver piled into the truck. Mitch, Cory, Nana, and Brooke rode in the truck bed. The waterfall ended up being about an hour away from Kranka but it was such a nice day that no one really minded the drive. We also got to see a little different part of the country. The drive through some of the beautiful ecosystems allowed us all to relax.
We arrived at the Kintampo Waterfalls after about an hour of driving. There are three sets of falls that make up the Kintampo Waterfalls. Ghana has been really trying to increase the amount of eco-tourism that occurs in the country. This has been a large benefit to the economy from many Europeans and Americans coming to visit Ghana and for the preservation of the natural biodiversity that is present in the country. The Kintampo Waterfalls was established as an eco-tourist site in 1992 and the supervising have been trying to preserve the natural beauty that surrounds these waterfalls.
We began our tour of the three different waterfalls. The first two stages of the waterfalls were small and similar to some of the waterfalls that are present in the Copper Country. The vegetation surrounding the waterfall so lush and green. We then began our descent to the final and largest waterfall. The stairs we a little oddly spaced a little steeper than they should have been. We reached halfway down the path and saw our first view of the waterfall. It could have been a scene out of a movie. We could hear the water rushing and falling into the rocks below while the green vines climbed up the rock walls surrounding the waterfall.
We finally reached the base of the waterfall and it was just so much for all of us to take in. There were rocks that we spaced perfectly to be able to stand a few feet in front of the falling water to take it all in. This was the only waterfall that you were allowed to go swimming at. However, I would not recommend this option at all.
The stream that was fed by the waterfall meander slowly over larger rocks to an area that looked like a judge. There were large tree roots that sprang up from the stream and vine that tempted the inner Tarzan in all of us. Among all this beauty there was trash. No more than two yards from the base of the waterfall was an area that was used for trash. It was similar to all the other trash sites that we have seen in Ghana. It was basically an area that all the garbage was thrown and then lit on fire. It seems that this is part of the nature of Ghana; raw natural beauty trying to over shadow population problems such as sanitation.
After taking many pictures of the waterfall we headed back up to the truck to head to the monkey sanctuary which was about an hour drive. Once we got to the sanctuary, it was pretty clear that some people were really not interesting to going on the tour. At time point in time Marcie was not feeling extremely well so she decided that she would sit this tour out. Cory, Nana, and Liz also decided to join Marcie. Mitch, Brooke, and Sam found a guide who happened to know a lot more about the project to take a short tour. They saw so many more monkeys during this tour actually in the forest. They even got to see some of the large black and white monkeys. Their tails were so impressive. They are super long and at the very end fan out beautifully. Mitch, Brooke, and Sam got to learn some more about the different trees and how the monkey came to be protected.
After their short tour it was already around 5 p.m. During this time students were walking past us to go home. They ran up to us and started yelling "Broni Broni Broni." They were equally excited to get their picture taken but also wanted money from us. We had to explain that we did not have money to give them and that we needed to get back home.
The truck dropped us off in Dormaa where we all grabbed a taxi to head back to the dormitories. During that time that four people riding in the back of the truck just wanted to take a shower. The three other people headed down to Berlin to grab some dinner. After about a half hour we had the whole group together to enjoy our last meal in Sunyani together.
