I have four classes of Post-Secondary Professional Program students. They are taking Leadership I and Entrepreneurship I. My students fall in the age range of those affected by the 14 years of civil war and little to no education. My students were fortunate to receive a disjointed education and low quality secondary education while growing […]
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The grass rustled in the breeze as I weaved my way through the bushes, carefully watching for snakes. The sun had gone down 45 minutes ago, but already the moonlight was bright enough to illuminate the narrow path before me. I walked up the small hill and the silhouette of the school came into focus […]
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I am an educator in two high school classrooms and four National Diploma of Agriculture (similar to an associate degree) classrooms at the Booker Washington Institute in Kakata, Liberia. One of the classes, I teach is a class of 32 small ruminant enthusiasts. Well more realistically, there is me, the small ruminant enthusiast and 32 […]
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I walk into the classroom and grab a piece of chalk. Some students have gathered, but most of the wooden desks remain empty. I turn to the dusty chalkboard and begin to write: 4-H MEETING. As I write the agenda on the board, I hear the school bell ring. A voice calls out, “4-H Meeting, […]
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The long and dusty truck ride is over. I arrive in Konkoney to the site of a mountain with a protruding rock-face. It was early and the air was still cool. I am with OCP Africa, a private company out of Morocco that tests farmers’ soil for free, then recommends/sells fertilizer based on the results. […]
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I had just finished up teaching at the school for the day, lesson notes in hand and sweat on my brow, as the scorch of the Ghanaian sun sizzled on the back my neck. With the sounds of my students finishing up their closing prayer, I made my way back home. Just as I was […]
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Before I came to Liberia, so many people told me, “Oh, you are going to go there and gain such an appreciation for how good we have it here.” Or a variation of the sort. I’ve always carried that with me in the back of my mind accompanied by a snark, “you don’t quite get […]
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It is a typical Wednesday in the Upper Manya Krobo district. I do not teach today; instead, I dedicate my time to MOFA (Ministry of Food and Agriculture – USDA equivalent) and the extension portion of my job: visiting local 4-H Clubs, visiting farms and consulting extension agents on various facets of tropical agriculture. I […]
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I close my eyes and listen to the conversations happening around me. I don’t always understand what is being said because, most often, it is in Twi, but occasionally, a few English words will be thrown in so I can somewhat stay on track. It is a cloudy, cool day with the warmth of family […]
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“What do you miss most about home?” I remember asking that question to a friend who had been living in Haiti for half a decade while visiting them. Sitting on their front porch and looking out at the beautiful mountain landscape around us, they sighed, “I don’t know, maybe driving?” It didn’t seem like a […]
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