Two steps forward and one step backwards

My post this week shares a setback in my gardening project. But first some good news about the computer room.

Pictures of the computer room

I have pictures!!!  (Although they took hours to put in this post.)

Computer room ready for students

One of my computer classes.

Students with computers

And one last picture

Trying to manage 45 to 60 students working with 15 to 20 computers is difficult.  I’m mentally exhausted after each class.  Maintaining patience when I explain to a student over and over again how to do something or reminding them not to play on the computer when they are supposed to be completing an assignment is difficult.  However, this is a major part of my service and I have two more terms to bring the students up to a comfortable working level in using the computers.

Travel plans

This week I will be traveling to Tamale for a Food Security Task Force meeting on Tuesday – Thursday. I'll stay over on Friday for a work day to help update our Food Security manual.  I'll stay over the weekend and at least until Monday.

On Monday I'll get a flu shot for the American flu strains during the U.S. flu season as I am sometimes treated as a Federal Employee.  I told some law requires the vaccinations.  I understand the value of requiring Federal workers to get the flu shot.  It helps improve community protection against the flu (a community does not need 100% vaccinated to support a general immunity against a severe outbreak to a disease). I also understand the difficulty in writing laws – “all employees must get a flu shot” is easy. Adding in exceptions for those living outside the U.S. during the flu season would complicate the law and is hard for the legislative branch to figure out ahead of time. 

However, I do think it would be nice if the policy could be adjusted to avoid the unnecessary expense and travel for many volunteers.  (Volunteers in the northern regions are to go to Tamale for the shot which requires two days traveling and associated expense for many volunteers.)

One step back

Bush burning has come to my front yard. On Friday the students burned to teak leaves on the ground in front of my house.   The fire and heat encroached on my garden and some trees that I was nursing. I think I lost a number of plants including my best mango seedling and all of my gliricidia seedlings.  I was hoping to show the value of gliricidia (a fast growing tree that adds nitrogen to the soil and can be used as a living fence) before I left.  Now that year’s work is lost and I no longer have time to establish the seedlings.  The fire also melted and broke part of my nylon cord cloths line.

New view of my front yard.  Luckily only a small part of the cloths line was lost

Fire on the wrong side of my garden fence

This was a very good mango seedling before the fire - now dead.

I also understand that the layer of leaves could harbor poisonous snakes that can bite children on adults walking bare foot or in flip flops.

However, it would be nice if some little more care was put into the activity. Of course, I was just talking about a little more care from our legislators and the Lord knows I could be put a little more care in most things I do. The world is filled with large significant events that are a mess because of the lack of caring. My little problem is insignificant.

However, it is my little problem and I am annoyed. (I am annoyed multiple times a day with things in Ghana as a Peace Corps volunteer, or should I say as a human being.)  When Peace Corps volunteers focus on problems to try to improve things in the long term it is frustrating when “unnecessary” setbacks disrupt the progress.

Still, I’m working on a number of projects so some will fail and some have some sort of success.  Yesterday (and earlier) I was helping my headmaster with his printing business he is trying to start.  I am helping to improve his computer and printer setup and to explain cost and profit analysis.  So, I’m improving things on that front and it is very much appreciated.

In the end, I think that major improvement to the lives of the host country nationals that many Peace Corps volunteers do is to simply provide an example of someone who cares and it interested in working to improve things without looking for the personal economic benefit.  (All serious volunteers know the frustration of their work as well as the many intrinsic benefits gained.)  

Seeing the direct positive long term impact Peace Corps Volunteers make to improve the image and understanding of America seems far more effective than all the rants about ISIS and arguments about immigration currently going on back stateside.  Perhaps we could buy one less top of the line fighter aircraft and double the Peace Corps budget to have a far greater improvement to our own peace and security along with the world at large.

Thanksgiving

This week was Thanksgiving and my day was relatively low key. Peace Corp staff in Ghana gets all the U.S. and local holidays, but I was working on Thursday in my persona as a “volunteer” rather than “employee” so I don’t get the holiday.  After school I met up with another volunteer and we split a guinea fowl – which was great. I was also able to talk with my mother and daughter which was even better.

Health

I continue to be basically fine although there has been no improvement in the minor health issues I reported earlier. With the dry season I need to get back to using eye drops as my eyes are “paining me” (using the local phrase). I also seem prone to wax build up in my ears during this time – which is significant enough to impact my hearing – despite hydrogen peroxide, oil, and irrigation. Finally, I have had a tooth ache for some time that I've ignored. I don't know if it is sinus related, a cavity, or something else.

I will talk with the Peace Corps doctor when I get my flu shot and see if I can come to Accra to the dentist, physical therapist (for my shoulder), and such during my school break after Christmas. I would rather not spend the last couple of weeks of the school term in Accra – so I'm hoping I can put off the trip.

Delaying medical care may not be the smartest thing – but I have a choice and I don't think the issues will get that much worse in another month. Many people around the world don't have a choice.

Love always,

John