It Takes a Village

After three miles of tall grass, there is an opening to Ziavi-Bamefedo village which begins with the school. There are no children in site, so we are wondering if there has been miscommunication as to our arrival. Once we parked under the mango tree, we heard singing across the schoolyard. It is Wednesday, so most schools begin with singing, dancing and prayers. We walk into a room full of jubilant dancing and singing. Smiles cascade across the room. There are few things that compare to starting your day like this!

As we leave this joyous affair, our attention is quickly alerted to a poisonous snake being pecked at by a chicken just outside the KG hut. Chalk one up for the chicken…

The bright colored handprints from Jennifer Brown and Kristin’s Ahler HIES buddy classroom shine brightly against the hut classrooms and sandy floors. There were enough for P1, 2 & 3 classrooms. They have shared their messages in Ewe, so you all can expand the depth of you language and communication. From handprints to murals, paint filled old water bottles, and a white sheets became cross-cultural banners filled with ntifafa, dzidor, dekaworwor, and morkporkpor for Cliff Valley 4th graders.

During break we passed out futbols, then the school day turned into an extended recess. We completed the school day with P6 class putting together a colorful peace sign from Vail Mountain School. We had little spectators peering in open-air classrooms all day, and our photographer captured over 1,100 photos. We shared with the Chiefs what a truly beautiful day it was, and thanked them for their blessing this summer once again. We felt their blessings as we shared this special day with Ziavi-Bamefedo.