Ghana Update #7d -- return to Accra

Returned late this afternoon to Accra after a lovely visit with Bright's family in Kumasi. They are delightful folks and Mom is a splendid cook! They say next year must be a three day visit.

It was nice to experience how people looked out for me on the long trip south. Due to the stop over in Kumasi, I could not take the plush, express bus. The alternative was the older, stop-and-go type bus that had mechanical troubles that added yet another interesting twist to the journey. People were protective of me and very helpful.

I have packed a duffel bag ready for a Lynden family to take back for me. Another family took some things for me on Saturday. Their willingness to do this has allowed me to bring back a greater number of craft items to sell as fund raisers.

I'm going to sleep at the switch ... time to sign off.

Grateful to be 'home' at BH.

Grandma Judy

Ghana Update 7c – Up North

Saturday 19^th Nurse Berthilda and ‘her’ boys.

Nurse Berthilda is a big woman with a very big heart. We met her last year at the Presbyterian Clinic in the Namolgo Village. She introduced Rachel and me to Victor, a teenage boy Rachel’s age (then 16) and to three little boys and their blind grandmother. All four boys were in need of sponsorship so they could attend school.

Rachel and her family are sponsoring Victor, including the purchase of a bicycle to ride from his village into Bolgatanga, four miles away. The town school is better quality than the village school for a youth of Victor’s age and capability. Last year I had a hard time reading him and thought he might not really be interested in attending school. Today there was no doubt in my mind … he does want to continue with his education and is very appreciative of the sponsorship.

After meeting with Victor, we continued on our way down the very rutted, dirt roads … let’s hear it for Gafaru. These are roads that would be tough on a 4-wheel drive vehicle and Gafaru’s taxi is just a regular old beat up station wagon.

Berthilda introduced me to the ‘Landlord’ of the three little boys. I now know that term is used to mean the most senior member of the extended family or compound. The man is the great uncle of the three boys, the brother of the boys’ deceased grandfather. [The boys’ father is dead and their mother disappeared years ago.] Berthilda explained that even though the boys and their grandmother live in a family compound, each unit is expected to be independent financially. The boys are not supported by the rest of the family. The great uncle expressed his appreciation (in English) that we have interest in the boys and are willing to offer sponsorship for them. He went on to explain the obvious … that he is no longer able to farm and provide for the boys and their grandmother.

We were led though the compound to the boys’ ‘home’. I am so glad I video clipped this journey and took photos of their home. Tomorrow I am sure I will think I was imagining the whole thing. Their home is a small room with no window or ventilation … just a small, low entrance opening. It was stifling hot; it must have been 20 degrees hotter in the room than outside. The dirt floor was swept clean and everything was neatly put away.

The boys themselves were not so neat and clean (as was the case with the other children in the compound). Gafaru told me later that Berthilda told the boys, in FraFra, that if they were not clean the next time they had visitors, she would ‘beat’ them. In Ghana, ‘beating’ is the same as our spanking and is used more as a threat than as the real thing.

After a short conversation with the boys and their grandmother, we went outside, in the shade of a tree … whew!! … and the boys drew pictures with the pencils and crayons that we bought them as a form of thank you letter. Knowing money was coming, Berthilda returned them to school, but they have missed so much since their father died. Even eleven year old John had to have ‘thank you’ spelled for him. Hopefully the educational advantage we are providing will help them improve their life situation.

Back inside their home, Berthilda had each boy say his name for my video clip. John is the eldest, is the ‘man’ of the house and does all the cooking. Peter who is 8 brings in the water and helps John. Joseph is the youngest, is very shy, and gathers firewood. The boys were delighted with the huge bag of millet we brought and gladly posed as if they were trying to pick up this 2-ton object.

We have promised 8 months support for the boys. I was told it was important for them to know that there was no promise of continued support after that. What I did not tell even Berthilda is that I am reasonably sure we have enough to do the whole year. Berthilda uses the Internet occasionally and says she will send me updates on the boys now and then. It is Berthilda who will be visiting them every weekend to take groceries to them; it is she who will purchase material and have a tailor make them new school uniforms. Even though they started school already, the uniforms they have are ill fitting and are rather worn. She will also buy their school books. All this she will be doing while attending a two year program of mid-wifery training. She’s a great lady.

Well, my computer is overheating, my hair is almost dry from an early shower to wash off the road dust, and I am tired, so time to bid you all goodnight. Tomorrow is another day and I will be off early to the bus headed for Kumasi and Bright’s family.

Grandma Judy

Ghana Update #7 – Up north

Wednesday 16th I boarded the bus late Wednesday afternoon dreading the long confinement in a seat. Instead, the ride to the north was really not too bad. The seats were similar to those on an airplane, so with the help of modern medicine, I was able to at least doze much of the time.


I have photos of the roads out of Accra which were typical of the whole journey … very bumpy. My sister-in-law, many years ago, used to drive on the bumpiest roads, even railroad tracks, to induce labor; she could have ridden on the Ghanaian road and done just as well. Actually, some of the roads in Ghana are splendid and quite modern. Some are waiting to be updated!!!


Vida, my companion for the journey, was the last to board and almost missed the bus. The traffic in Accra, especially in the more congested areas (such as bus stations) is dreadful. It took Dinah and me 1 hour and 20 minutes by taxi to get from BH to the station. I use the word station lightly because the one bus parked there was the only indication it was a bus station. I am soooo glad Dinah suggested she come along. There is no way I could have found the place. Even the taxi driver went past it and Dinah had to direct him back.


Thursday 17th A day in the VEA village

Pastor John first took me to see Granddaughter Lydia’s grandmother. She was delighted to see the photos in the album Lydia sent and happy Lydia is looking so well and so happy. Grandma’s son understands English, so I showed him and grandma how to use the Proclaimer, a solar powered audio New Testament in the local FraFra language. Grandma was so surprised and pleased to hear this magical box speaking God’s word in her language that she got up and did a spontaneous dance. It was wonderful.


Grandma gave me a large, beautifully made basket to bring back. She also let me purchase five additional baskets to sell at home for fund raisers.


Upon arriving at the chief’s house, Pastor John greeted the chief with a handshake, and then he indicated I should do the same. I was somewhat surprised as women are not even supposed to speak to the chief. So, I turned to the chief, asked permission to shake his hand and he did so. He did explain that doing so was not protocol, but that it was OK because I am a foreigner. After some chiefly/visitor conversations, I purchased more beautiful baskets from the women.


We went on to Pastor John’s home, visited with his children, and set up 3 more Proclaimer groups, one in John’s home, one in the home of a neighbor, and one with the men’s group in the church. While at Pastor John’s, I pulled out of my bag a solar lantern and a solar flashlight. This he said would be so useful as they, of course, have no electricity. Later, after mulling over a comment made by Mama Laadi, I gave Pastor John the 70 Ghc needed to cover medical insurance for him and his entire family for one year. [Friday he called me to say that he had ridden his bicycle the many miles to pay the fee; he was first in line and so thankful that his children would receive the ‘excellent’ medical care available to those with insurance.]


After lunch and saying goodbye to Pastor John, the taxi drive, Gafaru, helped me purchase some of the goods to bring back for fund raiser sales. Shopping is fun.


Over dinner I shared some of my experiences with Bernard (Romana’s right hand man) and with the Stewarts who were here with their new daughter doing some of the visiting, paperwork, and court stuff for their adoption process. After dinner, Berthilda surprised me with a brief visit to make plans for Saturday. This was great opportunity for the Stewarts because it was Nurse Berthilda who rescued their little girl from probable starvation and brought her to BH. Berthilda posed with the Stewarts for photos.


I did a major crash after dinner and sending out the brief ‘I have arrived safely’ message.


Friday 18th A morning in Pwalugu Village where house mother Juliana’s family lives.

A sizable group of women gathered at the church … women who walked there from various areas of the village. Most of them are my age or more, some of them are blind. One of the younger women in the group spoke English was my interpreter. Another somewhat younger woman was introduced as the chairperson of the group. They told me what their group does and it sounded much like the Methodist Shepherds and the Presbyterian Deacons … they are caregivers for the congregation. I told them my church family wanted to help and I gave the chairperson 30 Ghc to use in their care giving efforts.


When I started the Proclaimer playing and they heard God’s word in their language from what appears to be such a magical box, they cheered, clapped, and even danced. They were wonderful! When I was ready to leave them, they sent forth a very loud cheer. I responded with a thumbs-up and a ‘wah-hoo’, which delighted them.


Julian asked me to deliver a package to her family who take care of her 9 year old son Michael. The package contained soap, toothbrushes, a water bottle & textbooks for her son to take to school, and a photo I had printed of little Josephine who lives with Juliana at BH. I took a photo of them to take back for Juliana. She misses her family.


Next we visited Michael at his school. The little boy looked so frightened, but I took his photo with some friends and showed it to them on my camera’s screen. He relaxed a little. The Gafaru said I was probably the first Abruni (white person) he had ever seen; I must have looked like the ‘purple people eater’ to him. Later, I told Gafaru that I forget I am different from them, because I don’t feel different. Certainly I am very aware that my circumstances are very different from many people here, but I don’t feel like I am a different as a human being or as God’s child.


Gafaru has shown such patience and he is an excellent problem solver. I told him I wanted to find printed material to help Lydia and Victoria relearn their native language. It took some doing and a 36 km drive, but we finally found someone who was not only willing to help, but was so pleased that the girls want to hold on to their culture, he will let us have access to material he is in the process of publishing for his master’s degree. Today, we photocopied a 110 page manual for teaching beginning FraFra to English speakers.


The second problem Gafaru solved today was to find a place where women were sewing bags. I wanted to go to the source rather than paying middle men. Hopefully the craftswomen will benefit and there will be more profit when I sell the items, therefore more money to bring back next time. The people were pleased to hear how their work would be benefiting Ghanaians in the future.


Back at Mama’s Place (Mama Laadi’s guest house), I am typing, packing away goods, and getting ready for tomorrow’s adventures. Gafaru and I will pick up Nurse Berthilda soon after 8am and head for the village where we met her last year at the Presbyterian Clinic. We will meet with Victor, the teenager the families attending school together with the Daileys is sponsoring, and then we will visit in the home of the three little boys that a number of you are helping to sponsor. I hope to video clip the children, get them to write notes and/or draw pictures for me to bring back, and leave with them pencil cases and either crayons or colored pencils to use at school. Also, two of the four solar lanterns will go to the children at Romana’s suggestion. Victor will get one and the three boys will get one. (Nurse Berthilda has the fourth lantern to use during the many power outages that happen during the midwifery training program in which she is now a student.)



Peace and Joy,

Grandma Judy

Made it NORTH

Just a short message to say I arrived Bolga via bus this morning safe and sound, although very tired. Spent day in VEA village visiting lots of folks and taking lots of photos. A report will have to wait as I need to go to bed. Thanks for the prayer support.

Love, Grandma Judy

Ghana Update #6

HEADLINE: Lots of power outages and Internet unavailability.

HEADLINE: I leave Wednesday (tomorrow) afternoon for the north.

PS: no photo this time; I'll try to make up for it next time



Saturday digression … You should have heard all the exclamations when we arrived bearing not only groceries and kitchen supplies, but also three water tanks. Every staff member approached me and said “Praise God, praise Grandma Judy, and praise the friends who have provided the money to make these purchases”. They all know that you folks at home are praying for us and funding these projects.

Sunday 6th

The various children who needed medical care on Saturday are looking much better today. Even master ‘G’ is tolerating the eye drops with only a little protesting. Little miss ‘G’ did not develop a fever today and is interacting some with the other children. She sure does cling to a ball when they are handed out. One of the two older children who were thought to have malaria is acting much better; the other one is still droopy.

I am eating well. The BH food this time has more protein and vegetables and is very tasty. There are some dishes that I do not eat, so this year I am doing some of my own cooking in the microwave in my room … mostly rice, cabbage, and eggs mixed together in one micro pot (lunch/dinner) and oatmeal for some of the breakfasts. I fix mango and yogurt for snacks. The added protein and avoidance of salt in what I cook is hoped to help lessen the health issues of last year. As is our custom on Sunday, Romana and her children and I eat restaurant fare after church. It is good to look forward to a western style lunch once a week.

Monday 7th
Everyone had their fill of water. The new tanks are filled as well as the old containers and all the buckets and basins. There was cooperation all around. Hurrah!!


Wednesday 9th

Medical problems here among the children. Three went in for checkups and one of them was admitted to the ‘ward’ (which means she was admitted to the hospital). She is one sick girl. She was put on fluids and antibiotic via IV, otherwise all care must come from the staff member that must stay 24/7 with her. The hospital does not even supply a thermometer; the child’s ‘family’ is expected to bring one or buy one. Everything must be supplied by BH … water, food, bedding, paper supplies … everything but the IV with meds.



Runny noses continue and two of the 4-6 year olds continue to show symptoms of malaria. Their symptoms run like a roller coaster … feeling fine, then feeling miserable. There is infant pain/fever meds, but no child version of same, so I am giving maximum dose of the infant type when one comes to my attention. Their usual treatment for fever is bathing and fluids, but when that doesn’t do the trick I cannot just sit on my hands and do nothing. So far, as long as I enter the med into the child’s chart, Romana has not forbidden me to be involved. Next year, I will bring both infant and child fever meds.

Thursday 10th

Crash, bang, and gulley washing!! A fantastic storm hit right after lunch and lasted almost 3 hours. It was pretty spectacular, like the ones I remember when traveling through the Midwest. The children where kept inside the rest of the day, except those doing the dishwashing which is done outside. The rain here is not cold so getting wet is not really a worry. When rain starts all adults, including me, run to the clothes lines and frantically gather anything that is even partly dry. The little ones all jump up and down and think it is just a splendid show.


At 5 o’clock the little ones were dressed in their night clothes. I asked how they bathed the children … I knew the tubs were still full of rain water from roof runoff. The answer: Oh, it is too cold to bath them, so we just changed their clothes. Would you like to guess the temperature here after a rain storm? I have a small thermometer with me and it registered a very low 80 degrees. Cool indeed.


There has been no electricity during the day yesterday and today. The power went on this evening about ½ hour after the sun went down. I distributed the solar flashlights various folks funded. Everyone asked me to say a big thank you to all who helped provide the lights. They are most appreciated, particularly since they do not have to buy batteries.

My trip north has been postponed once and will, hopefully, happen this coming

Tuesday (15th). I have lots to do while up there …

Wednesday 16th – leave Accra via bus with a friend of a friend of Romana’s

Thursday 17th – arrive Bolgatanga (it is a very long trip, but costs only about $40 round trip); shop local ‘market’ for bag of millet for Lydia’s grandmother then ….

Thursday 17th – spend the day in the VEA village with Granddaughter Lydia’s grandmother, Pastor John, and other folks who will be receiving the Proclaimer (solar powered audio New Testaments); this visit starts with a visit to the village chief

Friday 18th – visit Juliana’s (baby house mother) village just south of Bolgatanga (church [Proclaimer group], school, her son’s home)

-- shop at the craft market and bookstore, if not done on Wednesday

Saturday 19th – go with Nurse Bertilda to the village where she runs the Presbyterian Clinic. There we will visit the three boys we are collectively sponsoring. Also we will visit Victor the teen Rachel’s family is sponsoring. I may not be able to visit Lamisi, the deaf teen I am sponsoring, as her school is way out in the boonies.

Sunday 20th – head south to Kumasi; stop there for the night to visit with Bright’s family (Bright is a Ghanaian who is a member of my church in Sequim, WA)

Monday 21st – complete the journey south to Accra


Friday 11th

Five days after the last water flowing in the pipes, those who take care of the children still had some water left. Water flowed again today and all containers were filled. The only hiccough was the kitchen. They must still rely on water from the huge ‘estate’ tank. Romana is still trying to work out a schedule for satisfying the kitchen needs.

In the meantime, the water filter systems were allowed to run dry because there was no water in the kitchen tap from which the filters could be filled. The cook and I did a toe to toe grumble session and came away with a solution that we think will work. Tomorrow I will purchase a 5-bucket size container to be placed in or near the kitchen that will be filled whenever the water is flowing in the pipes and will be used only for the filters. Mercy (cook) has promised this will happen.

Our little seven year old came home from hospital today able to walk on her own, but still looking pretty miserable. She will go back to hospital on Monday for more tests. In the meantime, she will sleep in Romana’s room and will be kept away from the other children. There is no provision for isolation of a sick child in the present property. The new Beacon House, if/when it is built, will have an isolation room.

Little miss ‘G’ giggles when she sees me now … most of the time. The exceptions are when she has to do something she doesn’t like to do and when strangers are about. Such a refreshing change. She will be a blessing to the family fortunate enough to adopt her.

Saturday 12

Vero, Faustina, and Isaac all ran my legs off at the Medina market today. We accomplished a lot, but oh my goodness the miles we walked. At one point Isaac and I were trying to find a toilet seat to replace the flaky, grungy one in the baby house bathroom. He finally asked directions; he said it was just down the street. We walked easily a mile before finally scoring. I suggested we reverse the mile via taxi. Isaac said we could take the short cut. My response: ‘But isn’t the short cut just as far as the way we came?’ ‘Oh no, it is not just as far.’ Well he was right … it was not just as far. It was much farther … or so it seemed.

Purchases …

Fish 90 $61.64

Eggs 42 28.77

Onions 24 16.44

Cabbage 12 8.22

Fruit 21 14.38

Total food 189 $129.45



Hose & fittings 40 (for running water to tanks and general use)

5 pencil cases 18 (for sponsored children)

Biscuits 7.50 (for snacks for the children)

Water container 15 (storing water for the 5 filters in the kitchen)

3 buckets 12 (continued solutions to water problems that are improving)

Toilet seat 10 (the previous one was despicable)

Clothes pins 20 (unpinned clothes just blow off the lines and get dirty)

Dash (tip) 2 (the poor women who carry the heavy loads and the old men who help load the taxis sometimes get a dash or tip from me)

Pens, erasers, rulers 2.80 (for sponsored kids)

Total other 127.30 $87.19



Sunday 13th

During testimony time at church today, one man said something that reminded me of event of yesterday at the market …

‘You, Lord, turn mourning into dancing

You, Lord, turn sorrow into joy’

Yesterday, as we were walking though the area of the market that is covered with charcoal dust, I noticed folks dancing to loud music and having a grand time … shoppers and venders alike. Vero came back to me and explained that a vender in that area had just died and the people were celebrating her life.

I think next Medina market (in two weeks), I will do some video clips with the camera beside my right eye so you can see what I see and hear what I hear while walking through the market.

The electricity was off from soon after we arrived home this afternoon until about a half hour ago and the Internet is still not available. The sending of this will have to wait until tomorrow to send.


Bernard thought he could get me a universal gizmo that would allow me to be on the Internet without a hookup or nearby router. If that comes through, I will be in touch while in the north, otherwise it will be one or two times at an Internet café.


Monday 14th

I was greeted this morning with many ‘Happy Love Day’.

Another day without Internet and some power outages.

I made a side trip into the countryside and was in mango territory. I bought 30 Ghc worth which is enough to do 3 fruit snacks for every child.



Tuesday 15th

There is never enough time on Saturday to find all of the things on my shopping list, so Dinah and I went to Medina market via TroTro. Oh how I dislike this conveyance, but she is trying to make me more frugal. Here is the purchase list:

40 small bowls 10 (so bowls can be properly washed between uses)

10 plates 19 (never enough)

12 kitchen towels 14 (the current ones were rags)

5 clothespin bags w/pins 30 (so clothes don’t fall off into the dirt)

Large metal bowl 35 (the baby bathtub that Rachel and I purchased has served them well, but will not last until I return next year)

Powdered milk 22.50 (so the babies/toddlers can have an afternoon snack of milk now and then)

6 wooden stools 24 (2 for baby side, 2 for boy/girl side, 2 for kitchen)

Total 154.50 $105.82



I am giving Vero the usual food money so that she can make the purchases on Saturday …

Eggs 42

Onion 24

Cabbage 12

Fruit 20



Peace and Joy to all,

Grandma Judy Griffin

Ghana Update #5

Greetings from Ghana this beautiful Sunday morning.


HEADLINE: Water arrives Thursday!! Thanks for all the prayers and rain dances.

HEADLINE: Byte size of photos reduced so numerous included.


Wednesday 2nd Folks are in remarkably good spirits, considering the water crisis. Staff members and children alike have gone outside our compound retrieving water in buckets, bottles, and large containers. The attached photo (P1000181(1)) shows children in the foreground with various containers and way in the back is Isaac with two huge containers. He is resting from the almost a mile trek with his heavy load.


Some of the water retrieved is being put into the filtering systems so there is water to drink.


This morning Juliana is sponge bathing the 7 little ones with one of the two buckets I had here in my room. She uses the same water to wash a few of their clothes. Even the dirtiest water is kept to flush the toilet.


We are hoping Romana can get someone from the ‘water company’ to come and see why others have water and we do not. It may be the direction of the city water pipes or it may be something wrong with the Beacon House supply pipes. I am hoping the next entry regarding water will be good news.


Partial good news … maybe. The scuttlebutt is there is a broken water main that affects us and the houses down the street, but not up the street. In the meantime, the bucket brigades to the neighbors continue.


Evening water news: The broken pipe is supposedly fixed, but water is not flowing yet in any of our area … up as well as down the street. We are hopeful for tomorrow.


One neighbor is the gatekeeper taking care of an otherwise empty huge house. He has befriended us and our predicament. He says we are welcome any time to come for water which is stored in their huge tank. As Dinah and I were headed out toward the A & C market (a small western style store) after bottled water for drinking (and for bananas to feed Dinah’s pregnant hunger) this gatekeeper insisted we come in to fill the two buckets I was carrying as shopping bags. We detoured to fill the buckets, returned them to BH, and then continued on our way.


Upon arrival on the main street, Dinah convinced me to ride for the first time on a tro-tro. This is something like a mini-bus that is usually so crowded with humanity that this claustrophobic granny was never going to set foot on one … ever. Dinah spotted one that had no passengers so I managed to climb into the rickety thing and we rode the short way to the store. I survived, but hope never to get on another one. As we went through this process, Dinah and I laughed at the way folks were staring at the crazy American abruni (white woman) with her bucket shopping bags.


Dinah is a fun loving young woman. She is a high school graduate. After the birth of her baby boy, she hopes to attend nursing school. She has been helping the two girls who attend public school, with their homework. Dinah is good at it.


Tonight the fifth grader read from her cultural text to me and the second grader. This reading inspired me to purchase several similar texts to take back for my Ghanaian grandchildren.


Friday 4th Would you believe there are miles of lines filled with clean clothes fluttering in the cool breeze? Well, the miles part is a slight exaggeration, but the rest is wonderfully true. We are all tired, but very happy to have clean clothes and every tank, barrel, bucket, wash bowl, and bottle filled with water for the first time in at least 10 days. The attached photos (DSCN2785-92-94) show the process.

The water pipe is fixed; water is flowing through the pipes; and, thanks to the pump, we all have water. There still is not enough pressure to get water through the faucets, but we have been allowed to fetch water from the large tank that is filled by the pump.


A friend who has a very big heart for mission work has deposited funds into my bank account upon which I can draw via the ATM machine in the mall. Tomorrow will be a big shopping day. Vero will shop for the normal food items (with an enlarged budget) plus some needed things for the kitchen, while Isaac (on his day off) and I make some other purchases that have to do with the kitchen, water storage/fetching, carpentry, and playground balls for the little ones.



Isaac is a great staff member. He is honest, loyal to Romana (BH director), loves the children, does his best to help each of us, and thrives on the carpentry/fixit tasks I pose to him. We are hoping to rig a shelf up high on the outside front of the baby house that will be a safe place to charge the solar panel on the Proclaimer (audio- New Testament) and the solar powered flashlights that I will be giving to the staff members.



Each of us has celebrated the water supply in different ways. Most washed clothes; Vero cleaned the clay filters for the water filtration systems; Mama Comfort scrubbed the cemented toddler/baby play yard and flagstone walkways (photo DSCN2812); and the toddlers played in the bit of water runoff from the scrubbing, played in the dirt, and thoroughly enjoyed getting messy (photo DSCN2838). Isn’t water wonderful? Jo and Deb show their delight in photo DSCN2824.



Saturday 5th More celebration of water in the form of washing all the toys and spring cleaning the baby house from stem to stern. It continues to be wonderful.



Dr. Julia has arrived to check on any children who might need her expertise. She is originally from Romania; married a Ghanaian medical student taking classes at the same university some 20 plus years ago; and now has a practice with her husband here in Accra.



While her daughter Julie helps some of the older children with their school work, Dr. Julia checks with the various house mothers regarding any sick children. In the baby house, ‘I’ is ‘looking very handsome’, ‘G’ needs some drops in his eye (which I started last night), and little miss ‘G’ needs continued care for what is thought to be a boil on her cheek. Dr. Julia changed the antibiotic she was on. By evening little ‘G’ was running a fever and feeling miserable. I’m sure glad folks sent me here armed with infant pain/fever meds.



Medina market shopping

Eggs 42 $28.77

Onions 24 16.44

Cabbage 14 9.59

Oranges and melons 18 12.33

Total food 98 67.12



Spoons & forks 7

2 metal trays 9.50

2 plates 3

10 bowls 16.50

3 water tanks 168

Taxi to get tanks back 15

Small balls for toddlers 7.50

Hardware/rope 5

Water buckets 36

Total for other 345.50 $236.64



Peace and Joy,

Grandma Judy Griffin

Ghana Update #4

Saturday 29th Medina market shopping. Eventful as usual; I come home exhausted, but happy. See accounting below.

Sunday 30th Halleluja!! Two breakthroughs!

Remember the little girl, ‘G’, on which I did the first assessment? The one who always looked so solemn and sad? This afternoon, after all the other toddlers had a chance with the four balls I purchased (definitely not enough), our sad little girl brought a ball to me and threw it to me. This is the one that I could not get to even hold a ball a few days ago. She not only threw it to me, she caught it when I threw it back … and she giggled! [Photo is of her]

Tonight after dinner, some of us were sitting out on our ‘veranda’ and while the toddlers took turns getting their teeth brushed. ‘G’ came up to me with another child and the two of them leaned against my legs, watched the antics of other children, and started giggling. Little miss ‘G’ looked a very happy little girl. Hurrah!

The other breakthrough is with the staff. I have spoken one-on-one with each of them, asking each to pray for all of us and in particular for all of us to work together in peace, kindness and sharing. Each one said they would and, although they are skeptical, they are willing to give me a chance to organize the drawing of water a bit differently … as in taking turns (novel idea what?). I will draw the water from the faucet in small buckets that I can easily handle, then pour the water into the various buckets (and there are hundreds of them, or so it seems) in a way that all get equal chance at getting water while it is running whether it is for 5 minutes or 5 hours.

I told each staff member that Granddaughter Rachel, whom they all remember from last year and hold in high regard, wrote “I am praying for water, but I am also asking that the Living Water of His Spirit would be poured out on everyone there … and that it would bring love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All are needed!”

Monday 31st Isaac (the gatekeeper and general handyman) repaired 6 chairs, using the material that Emanuel (driver) purchased on Friday. Perhaps I should say that Emanuel purchased them with my money; I stayed in the car so the craftsman did not see me and double the price. We needed some bamboo slats, one small board, and three sizes of nails. When we do a project like this, Isaac and I problem solve, then he does the doing and I do the holding. He must use old, inadequate hand tools that I no longer have the strength to use. Oh, how I wish for the presence of my power tools here.

We (Isaac, Juliana, and I) are mentally designing a modification of a rocking horse that three children can ride on at the same time. I think I can build it at home, assemble it with woodscrews, take it apart, pack it, and bring it here next year. Perhaps even two. Why don’t I just make it here, you ask? The only available wood is rough and splintery, there are no decent hand tools much less power tools, and things constructed with nails soon work loose and become dangerous. The toddler play yard has a plastic version of what I want to build and the children just love it. It, however is cracked and soon will be causing cuts on little fingers and toes.



Early afternoon, there was no water in the pipes, so Dinah, our young pregnant baby house mother, went to a neighbor and asked if we could draw water to bathe the babies. [There water was flowing in the pipes.] Dinah and I hustled enough to bathe the babies/toddlers tonight.


About 4:30 the water started flowing through the pipes. The staff let me take charge and were cooperative and hopeful. We managed to squeeze the equivalent of 4 of our 5 gallon paint buckets (about 20 gallons of water) before the water finally stopped at 6:30. It was enough for all the children to bathe tonight … sponge-bathe that is.


Tuesday April 1 Are you familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? It is usually shown as a triangle or pyramid, with the most basic needs at the bottom … that of air, water, food, etc. People need to have the basic needs fulfilled before they can focus on the higher levels such safety, then belonging, then esteem, then self-actualization.

Would you believe we are stuck at the basic level? WATER WATER WATER

Mercy (cook) had to hustle water from the neighbor in order to prepare lunch and wash the breakfast dishes. I had to follow her to bring back a bucket to flush the toilet. Several of us made a bucket brigade to get enough to wash the toddlers, their clothes and diapers. I even brought a half bucket more so I could wash clothes to wear tomorrow. I am not fooling myself to think the clothes are really clean, with that little water, but I can pretend.


In the meantime, a new crop of college volunteers has started. They get college credit and their help is greatly appreciated. They work directly with the children. One of them did a paper on water last term and is very interested in our water predicament.



Accounting for Medina market shopping for January 29

Eggs 21.60 $14.79

Cabbage 6 4.11

Melons 18 12.33

Total food 45.60 $31.23



Other

Sm & lg balls (2) - 3.50

2 more balls 4.98

Bucket for assessment - 3

Water bucket for baby house filter Sys - 4

Water scoop for baby house filter Sys - 1

Container 3 bucket size for filterSys - 10

Total other 26.48 $18.14


The top three items in other are for the assessment process (and for the toddlers play) and the rest are in support of the water filter system purchased the previous Sunday for the baby house.


Peace and Joy,

Grandma Judy Griffin