Graduation was today, and we have twenty new Kekeli women! More on that in a bit.
The last week has been quite busy. Monday we took a trip to Ho, the regional capital. It is larger than Akatsi, with several paved roads and sidewalks, multiple internet cafes, and it generally feels more like a city and less like a town. While there we were able to print certificates for the women and run some errands we couldn’t do in Akatsi. We also met one of the program teachers, Gloria, who is from Ho. We had lunch and she showed us around.
I participated in the teaching this week on Tuesday, covering back pain (which they refer to as waist pain) and diarrhea/oral rehydration solution. I reverted to the role of behind the scenes logistics coordinator on Wednesday as the women reviewed the course material and talked about what it means to be a Kekeli woman. This included ideas for how they can implement their learning in their villages. In the afternoon they took their post-test which was identical to their
pre-test. After grading the tests Wednesday evening we found that they jumped from an average score of 69% on day one to 89% the final day of the course! While only a snapshot of the information they learned, it was exciting to note that every women improved significantly, and they were all given their pre and post tests back today to review. It was great to see the satisfaction on their faces as they learned of their improvement.
The graduation today was wonderful. We started on Africa time (one hour late) but no one minded much. The streamers were hung, the floor was swept, and the chairs were full of village dignitaries. David Sefe (the NGO organizer here) opened and was followed by the class captain, Esther, who spoke briefly and thanked us for coming. Olivia and I then spoke about how the community leaders could assist the Kekeli women in their work. This was followed by the main attraction, a 20 minute drama by the women on HIV/AIDS where they acted out everything from safe sex practices to HIV testing-by far the most popular part of the program. Each woman then received a certificate and a Kekeli T-shirt. The women ended the program by gifting us with three dresses and a shirt (for me) made of matching fabric; then the cold drinks and buffet began (pictures to come).
We are exhausted. We have all been battling some form of illness or another the past week. Steph is going through the worst of it currently, but stuck it out all day and no one knew she was under the weather until after the program when we were teaching the women to use their new electronic thermometers. She couldn’t hide it when they practiced on her and found her fever. That bought her a trip to the clinic and she is doing better now after starting treatment for strep throat.
We will remain in Akatsi tomorrow and head for the capital, Accra, on Saturday. We will stay with Phyllis, one of the teachers and a Sefe family member, until Monday when we fly out. The trip has been so short but so busy that I think we are all ready to sleep the entire flight home. We are starting to say our goodbyes and are sad we can’t answer the question, “when will you return to Ghana?”
Hopefully soon, hopefully soon.
