Arise & Shine!

I was once again selected as the Trip Liaison for a field program. This time we were heading to Morning Star School, which is a private school in Accra (the capital of Ghana), with grades K-9. When the ship was cleared (now in Tema), we got off to find the exact same vendors from Takoradi waiting next to the ship. I remember seeing them pack everything up in Takoradi once the students were back on board, but didn't realize they would just make the 3 hour drive to Tema and be ready to welcome us again the next morning. The vendors were actually pretty good at remembering people and names and, because of this, would try to persuade you to buy more items from them.

We set out for the school at 9am with another excellent guide, Nii Laaye. He was a younger guy and had a lot of energy, so he was perfect for the students and for this field program to the school. The traffic was busier (I was warned that Ghanaian traffic is similar to LA, which is horrendous), but luckily we weren't really travelling during the “rush hour” times. It took about 1.5 hours to get to the school, where we were welcomed (“Akwaaba”) by Mrs. Nana Abena Kwakyi, the Director of Academic Affairs for the Morning Star school. Mrs. Kwakyi did a brief introduction with our group and explained how the school was founded in 1965 with 7 students. The current enrollment is 1070 with a staff of 120. The school’s mission is to, “promote optimal learning to enable our pupils and staff to seek and use knowledge for personal growth and development and service to mankind.” In addition, their motto is, “Knowledge is power for service”…not a bad slogan to run a school with. Mrs. Kwakyi explained the children would be having free time soon, so we could feel free to just play with the students until the bell sounds for them to return to class. Like other programs, the children were probably just as excited to see the SAS students and we were to see them. 

With Mrs. Kwakyi at Morning Star School

I was planning on taking pictures again, so the students could just enjoy themselves. However, I had a group of 3rd grade boys come up to me as soon as I snapped a few pictures. They were interested in everything about me and kept asking questions. They then started laughing at the shape/size of my nose. This turned into a game of tag (I was ALWAYS “it”), which was great. Certain boys kept taunting me, so I asked who was the fastest in the group…they all raised their hands. After chasing/catching them, we headed to the playground and mainly stayed on the jungle gym. Similar to myself at that age (and probably boys everywhere), they just loved climbing, swinging, hanging upside down, etc. on anything possible.

The Group of 3rd Grade Boys

One boy led me away from the playground area (and away from all the other SASers) and over to the kindergarten area, where I joined in a counting activity the teachers were doing with the children. At first I thought the kindergartners were on free time too, but I think they might have just been doing the activity outside. When I participated with them and jumped around when the teacher got to “10,” the kids went wild. I then started high-fiving the students, which evidently gets them more excited. Soon I had 25 5-year olds jumping on me and grabbing at me. Luckily the teacher came over to save me from the mob and took the kids back into the classrooms.

One of the Kindergarten Classes Singing a Song

The final activity I did during free time, was play a dance game the girls (mainly) tend to play. There was always someone in the middle of a circle facing one person on the outside of the circle. The two individuals would clap twice, jump twice, and then clap and put one foot in the circle simultaneously. If the person in the middle picked the same leg as the person on the outside, they would win and move on to the next person. If not, the outside person would then become the one in the middle. Soon after joining this group, the bell rang indicating the children had to go back to class.

 Girls & SASers playing the "Dance" Game

SASers Dancing to the Morning Star Band

The next two hours were spent touring the school and stopping in various classrooms to chat with the students. We stopped in classrooms of most grade levels and would spend 5-10 minutes independently, learning about the kids and asking/answering questions. The kids were thrilled to see us although it was hit or miss if you started talking with an outgoing or shy child. I took lots of pictures as we went from classroom to classroom. Here's a few:

 Caitlin & Melody hoping to get left behind

The final place we visited was the library, where first graders were sitting watching Cinderella. Mrs. Kwakyi asked for two people in our group to talk with the kids about why school is important. After a student, Caitlin, went, I got up and asked the kids what they want to be when they grow up. The first kid said, “a pirate”…or so I thought. I wasn't really sure how to respond, but thought he could possibly make that a reality by moving to the east coast of Africa. When the second boy I called on said, “a pilot,” I realized the first boy probably said the same thing (whoops!). The next girl wanted to be a teacher and the final girl I called on wanted to be a doctor. I asked the pilots if they knew how to fly a plane and asked the doctor if she could treat a sick person…they laughed and said no. I finished my talk by explaining how if they work really hard in school, they could learn all they need to get their dream job. I told the pilots, one day I’ll be flying on their plane, the teacher could teach me something new in the future, and the doctor could make sure I’m staying healthy. The kids seemed receptive (at least for first graders) and we finished our visit with them by saying, “Morning Star,” to which they all respond (while lifting their hands up), “Arise and Shine.”

1st Graders: Morning Star...Arise & Shine

We finished our trip to the school by a visit to the kitchen/cafeteria, getting shown a cocoa plant/tree (which obviously makes chocolate), having some pastries/drinks while doing a Q&A with the administrators of the school, and finally taking a group photo.

Q&A with Administrators

 Group Photo

SASers: Morning Star...Arise & Shine!

It was another wonderful visit with children and the SAS students absolutely loved it. We headed back to the ship (hitting worse traffic this time) and once again had a relaxing evening at the ship.

My final day in Ghana, Carla and I decided to go explore Tema. Most people were visiting Accra, the capital, but we heard traffic was going to be terrible (because it was a Friday), and didn't desire to ride a bus for 4-6 hours. Thus we hopped on the shuttle to the port gate, picked up a taxi, and headed into town. Similar to Takoradi, we wandered around the streets (baking in the heat/sun) and made some purchases. It’s hard to describe what a town in Ghana looks like. They really don’t have many tall buildings and no real skyscrapers. The city was dirty with trash piled up on the sides of the roads, in ditches. Vendors were selling anything/everything you could think of and women were carrying huge items/baskets on their heads (no hands), as if it weren't a struggle at all. The people were still very friendly, but many had that used car dealer charm, meaning they really just wanted you to buy their merchandise.

When we were done with the heat, we headed back to the ship to prepare for embarkation from Ghana. The ship did a barbecue for everyone, which was delicious (burgers, BBQ chicken, mac & cheese, etc.) Once again…any change of pace is a good thing when it comes to food on board, so this was wonderful!

The next morning, we would be celebrating Neptune Day, which is celebrated when crossing the equator for the first time on a ship! 

“Nostalgia is a necessary thing, I believe, and a way for all of us to find peace in that which we have accomplished, or even failed to accomplish. At the same time, if nostalgia precipitates actions to return to that fabled, rosy-painted time, particularly in one who believes his life to be a failure, then it is an empty thing, doomed to produce nothing but frustration and an even greater sense of failure.”

Akwaaba & Ahgo - Experiencing Ghana

After leaving Casablanca, the MV Explorer needed to make a quick stop. The destination: The Canary Islands! However, we were just anchoring in the harbor to refuel. The approach in was beautiful and probably made everyone wish we could have stayed for a few days (not on the ship, but on Las Palmas). Instead, 5 hours later we were back on track to Takoradi, Ghana.

Approach to the Canary Islands!

 Just another day (or 5 hours) floating out near the Canary Islands

We arrived in the Takoradi Port at 8:00am and waited for the ship to clear. At about 10:30am and after a quick breakfast, Alison, Carla, and I went off to explore Takoradi. We were docked a little ways away from the port gate, so SAS arranged shuttles to run non-stop to/from the ship to the port gate. When exiting the ship, there was a small market selling all types of items (probably just to rip of the tourists coming off cruise ships). The difference between these individuals and the people trying to sell items in Morocco was that the Ghanaians were extremely friendly. They would smooth talk you, explain they wanted to give you something for free (which obviously wasn’t the case), or ask your name and start making a wristband/bracelet with your name on it. You really had to be determined to say, “No,” otherwise you might end up buying anything and everything. After successfully navigating the vendors, we hopped on the shuttle and headed out of the port area.

When the shuttle came to a stop, we were immediately swarmed by taxi drivers wishing to drive us wherever we wanted to go. After a bit of haggling, we agreed on a price and the driver took us into the city center. The first place our group needed to go was to a money exchange or a bank to get some Ghanaian cedi. Ghanaian cedi is about $2 to $1 (USD). The driver of the taxi, after realizing we needed to go to a bank; took us to the “Black Market.” The black market was 5 guys sitting on a bench outside a shady looking building. The taxi driver called one of the men over and began haggling an exchange rate. Mind you…the driver was haggling with the individual who was standing directly outside my window. I definitely kept my wallet in my pocket. Carla, Alison, and I explained we didn’t have any US dollars to exchange (even though we did) besides the $10 we just gave to the driver to take us into town. After understanding this, the black market individual decided he wouldn’t do any transaction with us…no problem there! We exited the vehicle and made for the nearest bank (only about 1 block away) in the hopes they would have a working ATM. Luckily they did, so we were able to get some cedi. We wandered around the markets, which were similar to Morocco, except they were on both sides of main streets, instead of down narrow alleyways. We made a few purchases and then heading back to the ship because Carla had a field program that afternoon. Our taxi driver waited for us the whole time we were in town and took us right back to the port gate.

When we got back to the port, I decided to browse the vendors and struck up a few conversations with the sellers. A lot of my conversations revolved around soccer, as a Ghana-Egypt World Cup Qualifying match (soccer) was taking place that afternoon. I gave the Ghanaians a hard time for Ghana beating the US in the last World Cup (in 2010) and they invited me to come back to watch the Ghana-Egypt match with them on a small television in the building next door. After grabbing lunch and relaxing on the ship for a bit, I went down to catch part of the game. When I arrived, Ghana was already up 3-1 with the second half about to start. The Ghanaians were ecstatic and cheering the entire second half and Ghana didn’t let up. The eventually ended up winning the match 6-1, which was a huge surprise as Egypt hadn’t even lost a qualifying match yet. This decision practically assures Ghana a spot in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. In fact, Ghana would have to lose by 5 goals in a 2nd match against Egypt, in Cairo, Egypt on Oct. 28th.

After celebrating the Ghanaian victory, I headed back to the ship for a quiet night in. I was going to be the trip liaison for a field program early the next morning, so I was hoping to get a good night’s sleep. In addition, the heat and sun just took a lot out of me and I was exhausted after feeling like I didn't accomplish a whole lot during the day. A bunch of staff met in Glazer (Faculty/Staff lounge), played some cards, and we called it a night.

The next day at 8:00am, I was headed on a program to the Atomkwa Village. This is a small village about one and a half hours from Takoradi. We had a fantastic tour guide, Steven, was gave us a ton of information about Ghana. Whenever Steven wanted to tell us something he called out “Ahgo” and we all would respond “Ahmay.”  He would then rattle off tons of facts. Here’s some for you: The word “Ghana” means “Warrior King.” Ghana was the first African country to gain independence and did so in 1957. Ghana’s official language is English. Ghana has always been rich in natural resources (mainly gold, petroleum, and natural gas…which is what brought the British to the area). Ghanaian moonshine is called Akpeteshie, and is nicknamed “Kill Me Quick” or “Lean on the Wall.” Ghana is a presidential constitutional republic and has 10 regions. I could go on and on (as Steven did), but I’ll get back on track.

When our group arrived to the Atomkwa Village, we were welcomed ("Akwaaba") and taken to the community center instead of a meeting area outside (due to rain). We started our visit by paying a courtesy call to the paramount chief and elders of the village, who thanked us for being there. Next up was a drumming and dance performance by some of the villagers, who were incredible. They did some very difficult acrobatic moves and were very entertaining overall. Afterwards, everyone in our group participated in a naming ceremony, where we would be given our African name. As the group leader, I was asked to complete the full ceremony with the village chief. After completing the ceremony, I was given my African name, Yaw Duku. The students then did a shortened version of the ceremony before being brought to the village chief and given their African name. In addition, everyone was given a certificate and welcomed into the Atomkwa Village community.

 Acrobatic/Dance Performance at the Atomkwa Village

 Naming Ceremony for Students (shortened version) 

 Two students getting their African Name from the Village Chief

 Group Photo with the Atomkwa Village Chief

After the ceremony, we were supposed to walk to the village school as well as see the clinic; however, it began down pouring outside, which turned the streets to mud and would have made it difficult to walk around the village (we also had a student in a wheelchair that would not have been able to participate). Instead, we all stayed in the community center and participated in a dance workshop. In addition, some of the younger kids and village members came to the community center, so the students were still able to interact with locals and play with the kids.

Dance Workshop in Atomkwa Village

Afterwards we headed to Coconut Grove Beach Resort for lunch. This was vastly different area than the village. Whereas the village was old, quaint, and looked like it had been around for hundreds of years, the resort was still being renovated and looked very modern. It honestly felt like it could have been on an expensive island in the Caribbean or elsewhere. The food was excellent (plantains especially) and the sun came out right when we got there, so it looked like we were on a tropical beach (which I guess, given our latitude, we technically were).

Coconut Grove Beach

Coconut Grove Beach Resort

After the 1.5 hour ride back to the ship, I decided to wander around Takoradi before having to board the ship for embarkation (the ship was moving in the evening to Tema, Ghana). I got lost, chatted with some locals, talked with some children getting out of school, and found a post office…pretty successful wandering in my opinion. I returned to the ship, showered (which was glorious), and crashed for the night at 10pm. In the morning we’d be in a new port and I’d be headed to spend another day with kids!

Captain Jeremy and Hotel Director John - Watching the Embarkation in Takoradi

“We need to be reminded sometimes that a sunrise lasts but a few minutes, but its beauty can burn in our hearts eternally.”

"Here's Looking at You, Kids"

The rest of my time in Morocco was spent in Casablanca. We arrived back from Fés just in time for dinner on the ship, which was especially good. When we are in port, the food gets better because they know a lot of people will not be eating on the ship (which turned out to be an issue in Morocco, as something like 120 people who went on multiple day Camel Treks/Berber Village Trips came back with some sort of stomach virus/food poisoning…and were sick the first few days at sea ). Matt and I had our fill of chicken parmesan and then headed out to wander around Casablanca before it got too late. 

Casablanca, Morocco (not in Epcot)

The Dean of Students, Eddie, and the Executive Dean, Nick, were heading to dinner at Rick’s Café (the restaurant/bar/café opened in 2004 and I’m sure makes all of its money on tourists who love the movie Casablanca as much as I do). Matt and I didn't have reservations, so we couldn't get in, but we obviously had to get a picture outside of it.

"I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling in going on in here."

Afterwards, we wandered the city, walked through the markets, and made a few purchases. I haggled an Ali-Baba (or Magic/Puzzle) Box from 120 dirham to 40 dirham, which was easily my best haggling job of my time in Morocco (though I still probably overpaid). Matt & I headed back to the ship, where I took a much-needed shower, and crashed early in the evening. I woke up a few hours later to catch (play-by-play on ESPN Gamecast) the end of the OSU-Northwestern game. It was too close for comfort, but the Bucks came out victorious 40-30, so it was a good night! OSU now has an easy schedule until they meet Michigan at the Big House on Nov. 30th!

My final day in Morocco started early. RD Carla and I met for breakfast and immediately headed out. Our first destination was the Hassan II Mosque. Partly erected on water, the Hassan II mosque is a beautiful edifice inspired by King Hassan II (to honor the departed King Mohammed V, who died in 1961). The architects built it in reference to a koranic verse, “The Throne of God was on water,” thus it's placement right on the water. It was constructed from 1987-1993 and is the 7th largest mosque in the world. It has the highest religious minaret in the world at 210 meters (689 ft.) and a maximum of 105,000 worshipers can gather together for prayer (25,000 inside and another 80,000 on the mosque’s outside grounds). The prayer hall of the mosque covers 20,000 square meters and can accommodate 25,000 worshipers (20,000 men on the main floor & 5,000 women on the 2nd floor mezzanines). They separate men and women for reasons of modesty (because they don't want men to be distracted by women...especially in the prayer position) OR for possibly unequal segregation reasons...take your pick. Like a number of stadiums in the US, the mosque has a retractable roof (it only takes 3 minutes to open), which can illuminate the hall during the day and allows worshipers to pray under the stars on clear nights. Below the prayer hall is the ablution hall, which consists of 41 fountains and is the area where believers wash and clean themselves before saying their prayers. Finally, two traditional bathrooms (hammams) are open to visits…though they do not serve a religious purpose in the mosque.

 Hassan II Mosque (left); Prayer Hall (right); View out towards the sea (below)

 Ablution Hall Fountain (above); One of the Hammams (below)

After the tour of the mosque, Carla wanted to visit Rick’s Café as well. We went there and realized they were letting people come in for lunch. I had a field program coming up, so we couldn't stay for lunch, but decided to grab drinks instead. As soon as we sat down, the staff turned on the movie Casablanca, we purchased a Casablanca beer (lager), and Carla was mistaken for a local (which is always fun…though for some reason, I wasn't confused for a Moroccan as well). Before leaving we had to take some more pictures in Rick’s Café.

 Carla & I at Rick's Café

 Casablanca Beer (left), Inside Rick's Café (right)

The Owner, Rick (aka: Humphrey Bogart)

Playing It (Obviously)

I had a little bit of time left, so Carla and I wandered the markets, made a few more haggling purchases, and headed back towards the port. A shuttle was supposed to be running every 15 minutes between the port entrance and the ship (the distance between the two was about one mile). Unfortunately, Carla and I just missed the 12:45pm shuttle and were waiting around for the 1:00pm (my Field Program left at 1:30pm, so I was already cutting it close). We then remembered the shuttles stop running between 1-2:00pm for prayer…whoops. After this realization, I sprinted back to the ship, got there at 1:10pm, grabbed the materials I needed (as the Trip Liaison) from my cabin and hurried down to the bus.

The field program was a trip to the Dar Lamima Orphanage. This orphanage provides care for children ages newborn to 15 years old. Forty SAS participants (the maximum) came on the trip and were excited to interact with the children. I was really hoping for a different experience than the foster home outside of Hamburg, Germany (even though it was fantastic), where there was only 7 children. Luckily when we arrived, it was clear there were many more children. The orphanage had close to 50 children of various ages. Before getting off the bus, we split the SASers into 5 different groups. There was a group that would be playing soccer with the boys; one to read books in English to some of the younger girls; one to paint nails of the older girls; an arts and crafts room; and finally a game room for the younger children. I decided not to join a group and told all the SAS students to enjoy spending time with the children instead of worrying about taking pictures, as I would take a ton (I ended up taking close to 500) throughout the visit.

When we arrived, we were given dates and a glass of almond milk (a traditional guest greeting in Morocco). Similar to the foster home, the children were so excited for us to arrive and for us to spend time with them. After a short tour of the facility, everyone broke off into their groups to start playing with the children. Over the next two hours, I kept going from room to room to take pictures and just join in the activities taking place. Many of the children were absolutely adorable and were so excited to be spending time with SASers. I could go on and on about this experience, but instead, I’ll just show pictures:

 Soccer Group

 Game Room

 Reading Room

 Arts & Crafts: Mask Making

 A few more pictures

 My Favorite, Isma

When the visit was ending, our group went into a dining area where we were given cookies, pastries, and mint tea! The orphanage presented a gift to the company we worked through to put this trip together. In addition, SAS brought a number of items to present to the orphanage including books, coloring books, crayons/colored pencils/markers, and finally 2800 toothbrushes. The toothbrushes came from a program called Global Grins (created by an SAS alumni), which distributes toothbrushes and educates on dental hygiene. We have 25,000 toothbrushes on the ship to give away along the voyage (during specific field programs).

 Presenting of Gifts

The Entire Group

Similar to the foster home, the students didn't want to leave and the children were hanging on, hoping we’d stay longer. Unfortunately, we were on a time crunch and I eventually had to get everyone on the bus to head back to the ship. 

A consolation for having to leave the children and return to the MV Explorer was the fact that it was “Taco Day” on the ship for dinner. This might not seem exciting, but having a completely different option than the everyday variety of food options on the ship was a HUGE deal. Everyone (or I should say almost everyone…see above) ate their fill when we returned, before retiring for the evening.

8 days “at sea” till Ghana! As my brother-in-law put it, “It's Ghana be a great experience.”

"He fought for a better world because he believed that a better world could and would be made. He had never held any illusions that he would change the world, of course, or even a substantial portion of it, but he always held strongly that fighting to better just his own little pocket of the world was a worthwhile cause."