PhotoTEACH continues...

10/30/08
On the way to teach our photo class this morning, Miriam and I stopped at the Accra Mall to pick up the developed film for our students---which going to the Accra Mall (a busy, high-traffic shopping area crowded commonly with more obronis than most places) undoubtedly meant that we came across the Niger street children and beggars (well, they of course spotted us first).

One of the little boys seemed to recognize me, as I picked out the word "photo" sandwiched between sentences of Hausa. He told his dad something to the extent that I was the "Photo Girl". That made me smile. I had enough Polaroid film with me in my backpack, so I figured--what better time than now to share it with these beautiful children?

Their eyes danced with amazement at the instant buzz that popped out a picture of themselves, and they all started congregating excitedly (which was a beautiful transformation from their stone sad begging expressions).

One of the fathers was sitting on a mat in the middle of the dusty ground, as he gleamed at the photos held in his hands. He held them with the most sentimental touch, cherishing the Polaroids of his children as if they were the only treasures he had.

The boys kept saying "Thank you, Madame." "Thank you." But the thank you goes out to all of you who made this possible.

Photo class was extremely productive today. Miriam and I were so pleased with the lesson and with the students' participation and comments.

We used their developed photos and cardboard L-shaped pieces (cropping tools) to teach about cropping when taking a photo. We pointed out fingers that crept into the camera lens, ambient light versus artificial light, what constitutes a good portrait, horizontal and vertical orientations, the horizon line, etc.

I was SO encouraged at the results of their photos. I can already see so much progress in the students, by what subject matter they're choosing to photograph, by the angles they choose to use, etc. They seem to be implementing pieces from our lessons, more and more with each project.

The students added new vocabulary terms to their journals and asked Miriam and me a few camera/photography specific questions. We taught for an hour and fourty-five minutes--which was our longest lesson yet, but flew by so quickly!

Letters

10/27/08
Tonight, Callie and I worked with Mary and Sarah on responding to the letters from Mrs. Dalimonte's 3rd grade class. The girls are still struggling a lot, as they are both illiterate in English and are still working on learning the English alphabet.

Callie and I read the letters aloud to the girls and we talked through their answers. After the girls put in a lot of time and hard work, I gave the globe pencil sharpeners to them (that Cathy sent me in her package), which they loved!

unicef

10/27/08
It seems like you never know how certain people will play a role in your life, or what role they might play in connecting you with other people. A Ghanaian girl who I went to high school with, named Michelle (or "Chelle"), noticed that I was in Ghana when looking through my Facebook albums. She sent me a message, telling me that all of her family still lives in Ghana and that her mom, Cynthia, works at the Unicef House here in Ghana. I couldn't believe it. I hadn't heard from Chelle since high school, and what a wonderful and thoughtful way to connect me with a piece of her!

Cynthia sent a driver to come pick McKenzie and I up from our on-campus hostel bright and early! Issac, the driver, drove us to the Unicef facilities, where Cynthia greeted us with open arms. She gave us a thorough tour of the office building and introduced us to one of her colleagues, Kofi, who briefed us on the history and mission statement for Unicef. It was wonderful learning about such a reputable and well-known non-profit organization. Kofi explained Unicef's main objectives in Ghana--to educate young girls, to improve water sanitation, to fun immunizations for children, to empower women, to raise awareness for social issues, etc.

After meeting many Unicef employees and asking many questions about the organization, Cythia and "Grandma" (they call her Grandma because she's been working at Unicef for over 22 years now), treated Kenz and I to a delicious Chinese lunch! It was the first time that we had Asian cuisine since coming to Africa. We enjoyed golden shrimp rolls, lobster in some sort of soy sauce, sweet and sour chicken, and many other Asian delights over nice conversation.

Cynthia took McKenzie and me to her brother's house (Chelle's uncle's place, I presume), introducing us to Chelle's grandparents and family. Kenz and I enjoyed ourselves on leather couches in a nice air-conditioned room, while we took naps until Issac returned for us! It was a great day and reminded me that you never know how people might affect you or play a role in your life down the road...

For more information on Unicef in Ghana, check out: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ghana.html

Christine's Last Night

Tonight was definitely bittersweet. Christine, our friend that we've grown to know here in Ghana, who is ironically enough from Elon University (about 30 minutes or so from Chapel Hill, where I go), went home for good on Sunday.

She unfortunately contracted both Malaria and some sort of parasite while being here and was in too much pain and discomfort to function, let alone attend classes. She decided that it would be best for her to go home, so she did so. That is the bitter part.

The sweet part came from the fact that the night brought all of us together, in a time of reunion, celebration, and remembrance of the past 3 or so months of our time in Ghana. It was such an unusual thing to think that this was the beginning of many sad goodbyes, and that before long, all of us would be on "that flight" en route to America...I cannot believe how time is flying by.

Of course we went out for Indian food and of course I made sure that we documented the night with many photos. The picture of us licking our hands is of us partaking in the Indian tradition of consuming Anise seeds. (FYI: Christine is the blond in the tie-dye t-shirt.)

Art History Field Trip

10/25/08
Today, we went on a field trip for our Art History class. When we arrived at the Archaeology Department at 8:30a.m., we had no idea where we were going, how long we would be gone, what we would be learning, etc. Needless to say, we didn't need to know, because little did we know--it would actually turn out to be quite fun.

Our first stop was at this cute house-like museum called the "Artists' Alliance". The Artists' Alliance was set perfectly against the beach, and through its windows you could see the tranquility of the waves crashing against the rocks. I couldn't think of a more inspiring place to place the building.

Here are a few tidbits from what I learned at the Artists' Alliance:
--Naive/amateur artists don't use the rules they have learned to apply to their canvases.
--A man's perception of or about what he is doing will undoubtedly affect the result of his or her work (art)
--"I do it (art) with some SOUL in me" (a quote from the artist guest speaker)
--Cultures change...which affects are over time...they improve on degradation
--Contemporary art came through the vehicle of formal education
--Contemporary education often teaches students to see and draw objects as they are
--The BEAUTY of Kente cloth (a popular Ghanaian art/textile) is that someone is wearing your art.
--There is ORDER is disORDER (think about markets, villages, etc.)
--"And I hope that by that (by producing a piece of artwork that speaks to someone else), that I have touched somebody."
--Everyone has creativity, just in different ways and to different degrees---we all direct creativity at different things.

I have included photos from some of my favorite pieces from the Artists' Alliance, above. After visiting the Artists' Alliance, which I felt we didn't spend nearly enough time at, we went to the National Museum (of Art) in Accra.

It was definitely an inspiring day, fueling my appetite to be artsy!

I finally got my absentee ballot!

Cathy's class--
This is what North Carolina's absentee ballot looks like for the 2008 Presidential Election. Mine finally came in the mail yesterday and I will be sending it off tomorrow, as it must arrive in NC by November 3rd before 5:00pm in order to count!

I hope that you all enjoy learning about elections, and that you're able to compare the US election and important leaders in America with those in Ghana. Please let me know if you have any questions that I can help you with and I will be more than happy to help or find out more info!

Welcome to "Tie & Dye with Gifti"!

10/23/08
The final project for my Art History class is to interview a local artist, asking him or her questions about what he or she does art. I chose to interview Gifty, who is the Ghanaian that works for the American missionary family that we have been growing so close to here (Nicole, Kirk, Aidan, & Eli--the Sims family).

Ever since arriving in Ghana, I have marveled at the beautiful colors and designs of tie & dye fabric wondering HOW EXACTLY do these Ghanaian women do this? So, I spent the morning doing tie & dye with Gifty--which was such a wonderful treat. If you cannot tell by her expression in some of the (above) photos, Gifty has seriously one of the most beautiful smiles that I have EVER seen in my life. Her joy is contagious and it is evident in her spirit that she is alive and on fire for Christ.


A few things that I gathered/learned from my time spent with Gifty:
-Gifty draws her inspiration for tie & dye from nature and natural things. She used a butterfly as an example, saying that she looks at the wings, the yellow and the black and the dots, observing the pattern from the inside of the wings to the outside of the wings, and then mimics it in the pattern of her tie & dye fabrics. She looks at leaves--at the ripening colors, the veins, the unique, but repetitive patterns, she looks at the skin on animals, and all other sorts of naturally-occurring patterns and colors.

-Gifty told me that many people simply create what they have been taught, only what they learned, and that they don't expand beyond that. She continued, "But I like to experiment and use my imagination, testing and trying out patterns and techniques with sticks, broom bristles, and objects around me...you never know what you will create."

-Gifty's sister, who use to work for World Vision, hired tie & dye artists to teach village women the art (in hopes of promoting self-sufficiency through making tie & dye as a long-term career). One day, her sister invited her to come and witness the process of tie & dye, and that is how she learned.

-According to Gifty, African tie & dye originated in Berkina Faso and Nigeria, before spreading to Ghana. Tie & dye originated in Africa, where people who did not have machinery could do this art with their hands, making it possible to be an artisan without much equipment.

-You must use hot water (in Gifty's case, heated by hot coals) to dissolve the dye into the water.

-To Gifty, "Art" means "Imagination, then creation."

-Sometimes, inspiration and ideas come to Gifty through dreams at night.

-For Gifty, more of her inspiration for tie & dye comes from her mind, then it translates into her hands.

Mary & Sarah!!!

October 22, 2008
Today Kenz and I went to visit Mary & Sarah at their school. I cannot believe that it was only a few weeks ago that the girls had no idea that they would so soon receive the opportunity to go to school, and now it's a part of their daily routine. How cool! Thank you to everyone who helped make that possible; it is such a huge blessing and these two girls are receiving an amazing education because of you.

I talked with the director of the school about expenses and about other logistics, and hopefully, with all of the donations, we will be able to support the girls for an entire 12-month school year. After talking about tuition and school fees, Robert, the accountant, introduced me to Mary and Sarah's teachers (pictured above).

Mary is in class 4 (aka "4th grade") and is taught by Mrs. Lucy. Sarah is in class 3 (aka "3rd grade") and is taught by Mr. George. Both of the girls' teachers were incredibly impressive and kept telling me how much they love educating children. Neither of the girls know the English alphabet yet (and the school is taught in English), but Mr. George promised me that "if I give him one school year", he will "raise the girls up" and teach them how to read. He explained that if a child can read well, then she can do almost anything.

Their school is one of the top 100 best primary schools in Ghana, which is very encouraging. The director told me that many of the children that attend the girl end up going to universities and technical colleges. His own children attended the school, and now one of them is the headmaster, another is a teacher at a different school, and another works for one of the Ghanaian banks. I was assured by the teachers and other staff that the Masco School has the finest standards and expectations. I got the feeling that the teachers really care about investing in their students.

After Mary & Sarah got out of school, I shared the letters written by students in Cathy Dalimonte's 3rd grade class with them--and their eyes lit up when they realized they were written specially for them and that they came all the way from AMERICA! Hopefully, I will try to work with them to write letters back to your class!

As Mary & Sarah walked with Kenz and I to get a tro-tro, they were so sweetly singing the Masco school song...it was just precious.

Water.

Yesterday, before going to visit Mary & Sarah at their school, Kenz and I hung out with Miss Jane and her family at her house. As they were preparing lunch for Kenz and I, I asked if there was anything I could help with, so Joanna said, "Carly, you can come with me", as she handed me a pail of water. We walked down to the water tank station, where you pay about 4-5 cents per bucket of water. This was such a dynamic concept to me--paying for water "as you go"--sort of like cell phone minutes or something...perhaps we would all use water more sparingly if we paid as we went, rather than paying an online water bill each month?

I stood under a large spout, as the water splashed into my bucket (and onto me!). At first, my head was tilted too far forward, splashing and sloshing over the rim above me---all of the Ghanaians were laughing and hooting and hollering. It was hilarious for them to see me, an "obruni", attempt to carry a bucket of water on my head. They kept saying "Take it with care. Walk with care."

It is a LOT heavier than it looks. God bless those Ghanaian women. They are without a doubt some strong, strong women.

"Portrait Lession"

October 22, 2008
In today's class, Miriam and I taught all about "portraits". We used National Geographic examples and two L-shaped pieces of cardboard, illustrating what constitutes a portrait. We explained that there are oftentimes stories behind a portraits, so this week our "Explorers" will be photojournalists. Their assignment is to take portraits, using a roll of 18 exposures, as they carry with them a journal to record information along the way about people's stories.

Each student shared his or her written homework assignment from last week, which was to write about one thing you learned in photography class, and one thing you hope or wish to learn. The answers were very interesting! It was great to hear the children talk about what they've learned so far, as each child wrote something that was unique to what he or she remembered from previous classes. One girl said (something to the extent of)--"I learned that each picture is special and valuable, so I must take my time and really look through the viewfinder, before taking a picture." I was so impressed! Other students mentioned lessons learned about angles, "what-not-to-dos", etc. The "what I wish or hope for or to learn in the future" was much less related to photography and much more related to what they hope to learn in life--which was really cute--such a playing football, going to the USA, learning how to use a computer, learning videography, etc.

This week, Miriam and I returned the first batch of developed photos to our Explorers. They squirmed with excitement, as they showed off their favorite photos to their classmates. We walked through some of their shots, talking about why the student chose to take a particular picture, what made it "good", visually-appealing, etc. I can't wait to see how the next (portrait) assignment turns out!

Clyde Erwin Elementary

This is a reflection from Cathy Dalimonte, the 3rd grade teacher at Clyde Erwin Elementary School in Jacksonville, NC whose class I correspond with from Ghana each week: (and below is a local news article from Jacksonville, NC that was published about the program)

"How Cultural Correspondents Program has been a great experience"
Cathy Dalimonte’s Third Grade Class – Clyde Erwin Elementary Magnet School

One experience that stands out for me is the teaching of how to write a friendly letter. The students were writing letters to Mary and Sarah – two Ghanaian girls we have “met” through Carly, our Cultural Correspondent. With knowledge that these girls are just starting school for the first time and just learned to write their names, the students were very careful to write a letter that is grammatically correct. I did not have to remind one child to capitalize or punctuate. Students were so engaged and even asked to take it home for homework to get it just right and to share with their parents.

We are now working on multiplication and the post-test for my students will be to create a booklet for Mary and Sarah explaining what multiplication is and the strategies they learned to help them understand and remember. Ms. Carly will print off the PowerPoint and make it into a booklet for them. This not only lets me know that they know what multiplication is, but they are showing it in a way that is meaningful and important to them.

Through this experience so far, I have noticed that my students have risen to challenges by suggesting and then acting on making a difference in the lives of others. They initiated the actions and have now spread it to include others at our school and in our community. We want to grow future leaders who have a sense about global issues and care enough to take action. These students, ages 8 and 9, are well on their way and unlike our adult counterparts do not want to turn a blind eye, but rather try to understand why others are being treated differently and what we can do to bring unity.

On a personal note, this experience has had a profound impact on me as a teacher, a learner, and a human being. It brings to light the harsh life of others, but even through that, hope and promises of tomorrow shine through. I see it in the faces of my students as well as in the faces of the children in Ghana. This makes me hopeful for our future if we can instill this in today’s children, tomorrow’s global citizens.

Here are some student responses:

Orianna – “It’s important that we look at kids as kids, not as beggars where people push them aside. It has been cool to learn about Ghana.”

Emily – “It doesn’t matter if we come from different cultures – every child should be able to go to school to learn, especially to learn how to write their own name.”

Satchel – “This experience has helped me learn better about another country I had never even known about before. I learned in Ghana that babies are not even named until the 8th day, and the sad part of this is that it is due to the great chance that a baby may die. I have also learned about Ghana animals with bizarre names and picked one of these to do further research for our trading card project.”

Tatyana – “This program shows you how to love and care about people you don’t even know.”

Alexander – “This program shows us how lucky we really are. I learned how many people don’t have money to learn and get educated. If we can give someone a little help, it can go a long way.”

Reagan – “There are children begging for money to eat – there needs to be action taken so no one goes hungry.”

Nautica – “Everyone should get clothes and be able to go to school.”

Shy – “I have enjoyed learning the Twi language.”
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"Clyde Erwin’s pupils connect with the world"
Clyde Erwin Elementary School's third grade is working to make a difference - and learn a little along the way.

Through O'Ambassadors, a joint project between Oprah's Angel Network and Free the Children, the pupils are being connected to people around the world to "create lasting change."

The pupils learn about, and address, problems facing Ghana including hunger, poverty and limited access to education. They've joined forces with a University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill pupil who is studying in Ghana for the semester. Through Carly Brantmeyer's blog and frequent video conferences, the pupils learn about Ghana's everyday life and culture.

The young ambassadors also learned about Mary, 12, and Sarah, 10, whose family couldn't afford to send them to school. The group wanted to help the girls get an education.

"In the end, that's what's going to raise you up - if you help raise up other people," third-grade teacher Cathy Dalimonte said.

Nine-year-old Reagan, whose last name, like that of other pupils at Clyde Erwin, was not released by the school, is pleased with the program.

"It just makes us so happy to raise money for children who don't go to school," she said.

The pupils have raised almost $100 to help the girls go to school.

"We like raising money for them so they can be happy and go to school," Nautica, 8, said.

Orianna, 9, saw a similiarity between Mary's and Sarah's school and Clyde Erwin.

"They have to wear uniforms just like us," she said.

When special needs teacher Crystal Pettit heard about the O'Ambassadors project, she wanted to get other pupils involved, so she began an O'Ambassadors homework haven.

"... I want them to know they are making a difference in a family's life by helping Mary and Sarah," she said. "I think that's really the main goal - changing people's lives for the better."

Contact Jacksonville/Onslow County reporter Amanda Hickey at 910-219-8461. Visit www.jdnews.com to comment on this report.

A little slice of Paradise

10/19/08
I wish I could paint this place with words, but that would never do it justice. I thought to myself---what is it about this place that makes it so incredible?

It's the sea salt ocean breeze, sand between my toes, my hair spinning like silk in the whispering wind, stars dotting the sky like tiny sugar crystals, feeling like I'm camping at home, the kerosene smell of glowing lanterns, the foamy white suds on the waves that cling like soapy bubbles, the wonder of digging up a purple unicorn spiraled seashell as if it's a prized treasure, the hot African sun that dances on your face, the tattering, wind-blown palm leaves that sound like rain when they slap together, the crashing waves that sound like five bowling balls rolling down an alley, the distant orange glow of an oil rig in the middle of the ocean, the pink sherbet streaks that swirl at the horizon like wisps of cotton candy, the African woman walking along the shore-side as she balances a 60-pound metal bowl of oranges on her head, the chanting and tradition of African men pulling in a line of nets filled with fish, the occasional thud of a coconut plopping into the sand unexpectedly, European children and grandparents beaching all day and vacationing from around the world, and imagining what bring each of them here--an answer unique to his/her own story...it is in this place that I feel so alive.

I feel God whispering in each breeze and I can't help but notice the masterpiece of His fingertips parting the clouds, as golden streaks of light slant downward to the sandy shores below, licking the water, each wave. The ocean is a healing pool, polishing my fingernails, making each one smooth like a pearl. The waters' salt patches up every crack and open cut, as it plumps my skin and softens my hair. It is a simple life here. No shoes, no stuff, no worries...just a tent on the beach.