Nearly one year ago, Nick and I were saying goodbye to Ghana. I remember it vividly. The AgriCorps crew was bunked up in the Sleepy Hippo Hotel in Accra, a musty haven for foreigners where the beer was cold and company exotic. Nick and I were spoiled with our own room, complete with a […]
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As I walked down the dusty road towards the AgriCorps house I could hear the young children playing before I could see them. It was the first week back in school after the winter holidays and the students at the Tamale International School were running, swinging and catching up with their friends. Because this is […]
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I suppose one could make a case that teaching is in my genes. My mother taught high school English for 38 years, my brother has lectured at the university level and even my Grandma Rippke was a teacher. Despite my bloodlines, teaching was the activity that I looked forward to the least before coming to […]
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As I stood in front of my classroom yesterday, already dripping in sweat from writing the objective on the board, I looked out on my new students actively working on their warm up and I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I thought about how different my life was now. For starters, I walk […]
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I rinsed off my hands and feet under the hydrant in the school garden. After an afternoon spent planting some green beans, squash and okra with some students, I was tired. I heard footsteps behind me and a voice say “Madam, please, I need your help”. I turned around to see Baba, one of my […]
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So imagine just for a moment with me. Ok…one two, three. It’s probably 80 something degrees outside and feels like 90. You’re using your iPhone to create a blog post in the front seat of a transport vehicle otherwise known as the tro -tro. The air is thick with the smell of everything from local […]
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