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