Teachers Paint...

Boys paint too!

MY TURN!!!

AND ME!

ME TOO!

"And Draw Long Strokes From Left to Right"

Painting the Library

The painter was very cool. He made the painting an activity for all. The kids and the rest of us were happy for the chance to spread green paint left and right. And of course, the photo-op!

Shelves for Books!

There were some shelves in the old store-room, our library to be, and there were some few books-school texts, mainly, piled in some cubbies for the entire school. But we were happy, here at least was space, a beginning.

Kibi Photos-JSS

Meanwhile on the other side, a stone throw away, the Junior Secondary Students were in exam mode, while we blasted hip-life in celebration. Not fair at all. So we shall have to make amends.

Sneaking into Photos

My nieces Gyasiwa, Kesewa and Kosi sneaking into a photo. They worked so hard to make the day a success.

POSED for a photograph

Sunny smiles as only kids are capable of in my stories of Ghana and Africa.

Stirring up the Dust

Brooms in hand after stirring up the dust, these children are fast and strong!

Hardworking Girls of Kibi Elementary School

Broken chairs, once very comfy and nice are brought out of the store as the children prepare to sweep the age old dust. These are capable children, fun, playful, hardworking and smart. You should have seen them work. In no time at all, they were done, and still in good spirits.

The second Kibi trip: December library.

The second time we went to Kibi, it was to celebrate my late dad, and mark his passing with the birth of a school library in his honour. Those gathering were mymy mother, Felicia, my sister Ama, my brother Kofi, my nieces Kesewa, Gyasiwa, Kosi and Asabea and Felicia and my nephews Duke and Jimmy and a bunch of cousins. On arrival, we noticed the DJs that my mother had hired, in position, blasting highlife songs to create the atmosphere of festivity. The students were agog with excitement. The first thing we did with the headmaster's permission, was to clean out the storehouse which was scheduled to become our library.

Pretty Teacher of Kibi Elementary School

These are the people the children depend on for their future. With little resources and little encouragement, they keep at it from day to day, some with more ability and dedication than others. Let us support these teachers in tangible ways.

Kibi School kids.

Kibi Elementary School:
A group of school kids (in mufti) probably because they had a class of physical education. That's my mother coming up behind them.

Kibi in November

My sister Ama, and I travelled the Accra Kibi road in perhaps two hours, chauffered by Mr. Bernard. We went to speak to the headteacher about the library project. I explained about the idea of celebrating my Dad with the library project to benefit the kids of the school. I told him about the books which were then on the high seas, making their way to the shores of Ghana. I had taken almost two suitcases full of books with me, as my personal luggage, only managing to squeeze in a few clothes. Mr. Adu Poku was enthusiastic. He left the planning to us.
On that first day we went around with my mom to meet and greet the teachers and the students. I was happy to see the students were well dressed, well mannered, healthy, confident and quite well spoken. There were about sixty of them in each class and yet the classes were disciplined and not rowdy. The future generations are coming up and they are looking good!

Mr Adu Poku and Kibi District Authority Elementary School

Mr Adu Poku and Adwoa Badoe at the Kibi Elementary School, Nov 2008

Mr. Adu Poku, headteacher of the Kibi Elementary school wrote to me and called me. I was so thrilled. He said at last he was entering the donated books into a library ledger so he could make the books available to the children. I have to get around to posting the photos of the library clean-up and the eager kids with whom we celebrated the arrival of books, a project we embarked on with the help of the Guelph Library staff in honour of the 10 anniversary of the passing of my father. I have since followed the books up lat Kibi, this past August, only to find school closed for the "summer." I met Mr. Adu Poku who was then on his way to his farm. He was grateful for the books on behalf of the children and has followed up with a phone call and a letter, just this week. This is grand!

I promise to post the photos of the kids and the school soon. This is why have written this blog, to hasten me. I tend to slow down conspicuously around tech matters.

Hogbetsotso 2009

Adwoa at Hogbetsotsosoza 2008., doing agbadza highlife..I can't believe I went there without my bubu or kaba-slit.

Next Saturday, October 10th is the annual Hogbetsotso festival. I must make plans to go to Toronto to see our own Guelphite, Atsu Amegashie , professor of Economics, who will be a chief this year. Atsu is the best dancer of all, lithe, rhythmic and indefatiguable. I always anticipate the mass Atsiagbekor dance performed by the entire troupe and the good food, particularly kenkey, fresh hot pepper and keta school boys that my sistah Evelyn Quist serves. This year I will miss Mr. Fugar a true elder of the Southern Volta Ewes. He was the one who first connected me with Hogbetsotso. Almost every year I danced agbadza with him. May he rest in peace. Hopefully this year, I will set off on time and will catch the dances which so thrill me.

PENGUIN SOUTH AFRICA- PRIZE and SERIES

African Renaissance has been on my mind since my trip to Barcelona a little over a week ago.

Recently Penguin South Africa has launched a new writers prize for African writers for Adult fiction and non fiction. They have gone so far as to launch The (new) African Writers Series which once belonged to Heinneman-bringing new life to the dreams of African writers. Chinua Achebe the Editorial Advisor of the series had this to say:

"Africa is not simple-Often people want to simplify it, generalise it, stereotype its people, but Africa is very complex. The world is just starting to get to know Africa-

This is what I personally want to see-writers from all over Africa contributing to a definition of themselves, writing ourselves and our stories into history."

www. penguin.book.co.za/blog/2009/04/23