Sir Donte!

As you know I am here in Accra, Ghana as a volunteer teacher, instructing in the subjects of English and Math to 6th and 7th grade students. Actually the school is located in a village in the Greater Accra region, much more rural than the capital city itself. The name of the school is Two Roses International School and it is a private school, created by my hostess, Mrs. Rosemond Mahmoud (my brother Michael Mahmoud's mother).

Individually the school as any has its challenges, but personally I believe one of the biggest is lack of resources (e.g. there is no library). Yet read a Daily Graphic Newspaper (my favorite pass time when sitting in 2hr traffic) and flip to the education section and you will learn that this is not a problem confined to a minority of schools. And not to paint an overly primitive picture, but I read an article where students were having classes under trees, meaning they can't have classes if there's inclement weather. But one thing the school does have is a great visionary in Mrs. Mahmoud and a staff dedicated to helping the students achieve. The culture here is quite different than I've experienced before, in that the majority of the teachers and administration see the students as younger brothers and sisters or sons and daughters and are deeply concerned about their educational attainment. This I think (and pray) is going a long way to offset many of the negative impacts.

Lastly my students are much more respectful and refer to their masters (instructors) by "sir" or "madam." They are no angels, they are still 6th and 7th graders, but one thing I can appreciate about Ghana (i.e. through my eyes/mind) is that there's a culture tradition, preserved by the majority, of expecting high moral standards. There is much work to be done, but it's always easier to continue in a difficult task when people are just plain nice :)!


This blog is dedicated to my parents, Derrick and LaTanya Howard who are the bestest ever!! They placed high value on my brothers and I making God and our education high priority and for that I am eternally grateful. Thank you for ALWAYS believing in me, love you!