School building projects and sad news

Construction projects


We are getting into to building season in my area. This is the dry period when people can build their mud walls buildings. The school (students) started with making bricks a couple of weeks ago and now they are dry. Our students built a urinal pit for the primary students on Friday.

We will have the students make more bricks for our next project – a new pigsty closer to our new school. The school raises pigs to support the end of year celebration. Fridays after the first couple of periods is normally set aside for such vocational work, or cultural practices, or academic competition between groups of students.

Gender roles are followed - the ladies bring the water to make to mud mortar for the walls

The bricks made by the students are carried to the construction site.

Working on breaking up the dirt to make the mortar

Some students like to stop working and pose for a picture.

Like most children and adults some seem to stand around more than work.

Sad news


The computer room is ready for the students and I've already had classes this week, but I kept forgetting to take photos of the students. I'll have pictures next week.

We were going to wait for the School Management Chairman and other officials to commission the room. However, on Monday morning our headmaster called the chairman and the man said he was in the hospital for some stomach pains. By Monday noon he was dead. I've not yet heard the official cause of death. Unfortunately, such a death is not uncommon and people just accept the fact that nothing more can be done except the funeral. I can't help but think that the man could have lived if some diagnosis like diabetes (he was a big man) or high blood pressure was made earlier and first world medical care provided. But such is the life for the locals – a life expectancy of about 60 for men and 62 for women – which is an improvement, but still bad – Ghana is at position 158 of 191 countries for life expectancy published by Country Economy in 2013.


Rabbits


One of the does came in heat this week, or so I thought. This was the first time mating for buck and doe and she was not very receptive and he needs more practice. My rabbits are not yet breeding like rabbits. I'll try to check for pregnancy in 14 days. If all goes well it should give birth on December 21 and my first litter will ready for harvesting on March 20. Otherwise, I'll try again. I might have enough time with this doe for three or four litters before I leave Ghana.

At this time I can still collect bean vines although the goats and such have stripped the leaves off – the rabbits still seem to enjoy eating the vines and munch on the millet stalks. I also feed them dry grass.

The vines I collect for the rabbits each day look almost brown in the picture.


Burning has started


People have started to burn the grass and bush. I first noticed it when I saw grass ash on my water barrel. The ash can travel some distance and at the time there were no fires that close to my place. On Friday someone decided to set fire to the grass close to my house – so a lot more ash and less rabbit food

Close up of grass ash on my water barrel lid

Grass ash settled in the bottom of an extra basin of water that was brought on Friday
The grass slowly and sometimes not so slowly burns after people set fires.
This fire near my house moved close the the fields and lasted about two hours.



Dry season garden


The students bringing the water during the school week continue to be a great help as I keep my garden watered. So far though, my garden is basically food for the grasshoppers and lizards. I need to just keep replanting to hope that some okra and beans and such will survive.


Did I mention the dust


Now that we are into the dry season the dust on the road and the dust blown in is increasing. The picture below is on the lightly traveled road to my village. The main road going up to Burkina Faso with the heavy trucks is also just a dirt road and very dusty. Riding a bicycle into town you taste the dust and feel it in your eyes.


Daily schedule


My daily schedule is now to make breakfast and take my bath in the morning. Then I can check the rabbits, cleaning water containers and cages as needed. If Roger has brought food I will feed them as well. If he has not brought food but any rabbit is out of food from the evening I will collect some dry grass/hay for the day.

Watering the garden comes next with three or four buckets of water. All this happens before 7 am on school days. I try to be in school before 7:30.

School keeps me busy during the week. On the weekends there is working on this blog and any Peace Corps reports, visiting people, Church, and the market during the day.

I leave school between at 2 or 2:30 pm to hopefully take a rest and try to get something to eat – commonly oatmeal or rice milk.

If I need to go to town I'll try leave before before 4 pm so I can get back before dark. The length of the day is rather constant as sunrise and sunset generally stays close to 6 am and 6 pm (currently 6:09 am and 5:44 pm) this close to the equator.

Before it gets dark I need to collect rabbit feed for the evening (major) feeding. I'll check water and clean the cages as required. I'll check the garden and maybe water again.

Then it is time to figure out what to cook for dinner and get ready for bed. An evening bucket bath may be in the cards, but lately – I've not found the time.


Health


Nothing new to report. No major positive or negative change. I continue to be basically fine.  I've started using eye drops again to help with the lower humidity and the dust. 



Love always,

John

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