John's Next Step

The Peace Corps has various committees for volunteers to work on besides their primary and secondary projects. I'm on the technology committee and the Food Security Task Force committee (FSTF). The FSTF committee met this week on Thursday and Friday so I had to travel Wednesday and Saturday. The committee meeting was very productive. This was the first meeting with the new officers and members – so it was a hand-off meeting to review and modify upcoming plans for the year and how we are organized. The committee will look at ways to improve food production, food storage and preservation, nutrition, and financial stability of small groups. We are interested in alternate practices such as no-till that has a big supporter in a local Ghanaian expert supported by Howard Buffet as well as composting and improvements to traditional farming practices. We are interested in annual and tree crops as well as small animals and bee keeping. Rabbits are a popular small animal and I...

Happy Father's day As a Peace Corps Volunteer who is also a father and a grandfather (of a grandson I have yet to hold) I would like to wish all a Happy Father's Day. There are probably less then 7,000 current PCVs (latest stat I could find was 6,818 from 2014), about 37% male, and about 7% are over 50. My guess is that less than 200, certainly less than 300 are fathers. With another holiday to remind me that I'm away from my children I am reminded of the sacrifices people make. All those political and economic migrants trying to get to Europe and lost at sea, military on long tours in hostile situations, and the millions struggling just to have a roof and something to eat. My sacrifice seems trivial.  To be honest the work, like any work, is sometimes rewarding and sometimes frustrating (more the later lately), does not make the sacrifice easier. I miss my kids and yesterday doing laundry – trying to clean my sheets – I miss a washing machine and other first world...

New School The previous volunteer worked hard to convince the regional school manager that the junior high school needed a new building – thanks Jessica. We watched the new school being built. It has six large classrooms, a library, a storeroom, and office, and a staff room. Our current school has three smaller classrooms, a storage room, and an office. Our staff room is desks pulled out onto the grounds. We have a temporary shade shelter in the dry season. Using computers in the form one classroom.  At least there is room here somewhat. We were to move into the new building at the start of this year, then by the end of term one, and then term two. The school was finally handed over to the community a few weeks ago and the community promptly gave it to the primary school even though the junior high school was to get it. We would stay put or go to the oldest block in the primary that has three slightly larger classrooms than ours. We could not even move to the old ...

School Picture The teachers at the Dondometeng Junior High School picked a material to make shirts and dresses as Monday wear. This Monday was the first time we were all present and all wearing the matching uniforms. From left to right: Front row: Mary Madeline, Thomas, Christopher (Headmaster), Vivian, and Pascal Back row: Christopher, Jonas, John, and Roland Rabbit hutch part 1 I got most of the material that I need to start building the rabbit hutches this week. The lumber here is rough saw boards that can be planed for an extra fee. I don't need a smooth finish, but it does mean that the wood will be different thicknesses and widths. I can't be sure of any straight surfaces. I also only have a crosscut saw to cut the wood - no mitre box, circular saw, etc.  I bought three approximately 6.5 by 2.75 inch boards from a relatively heavy wood (split just over 2 inches to get three per board). Most of the support structure will be from this wood. The...