Royal Beginnings

A stream of green uniforms is exiting campus, as we are completing our time with Anita’s P4 class this Friday afternoon. We reflect on the week that has passed, and are shocked to realize that we landed exactly seven days ago at this time. We had raised our hands in a cheer as we set our feet down on the tarmac in Accra. We were greeted like royalty, a small joke from our friend who since two people would require two separate vehicles to transport all of the projects and supplies from the airport to the hotel. As we drove, stop and go through traffic, we watched school children flowing through the streets of Accra on their way home; the weekend was just beginning. The hotel’s power was on and for most of the night. We were thankful for the generator, and began to work on adjusting to the intense heat, even hotter than the last trip and a stark contrast from the winter we left behind. It was smooth sailing all the way to Ho, and we settled in easily. It feels like we’ve never left, especially when the hillside kids, who visit us nearly every afternoon, arrive. We joke that the local mothers must love it when the Yevu babysitters arrive. We appreciate the joy of their faces peering over the fence in anticipation of lying on tiles of our porch to color for a while. Poetically, we begin this trip’s exchange where it all began: at Prince of Peace with the children who planted the early seed for this project. They are in JSS 2 now (8th grade), and as CIH veterans, easily outline their meals from the last 24hrs. They have eaten quite well. They take quickly to the lessons, and we are somewhat surprised they are not as familiar with their farmers as we expected them to be. A small frenzy ensues as they gather all the materials for the projects they will send back to their friends at Summit Charter School. The frenzy is quickly traded for quiet focus, as they each choose their own way of sharing about food. They joyfully take to the schoolyard to photograph lunch. We make our way across the enclosed schoolyard, with a small gathering of little ones eager to hold our hands. We share the webbing of food drawings from Red Sandstone Elementary School, and they easily create some of their own. They are shocked as we share the pages of Hungry Planet and they get glimpses of what the rest of the world eats. We are delighted to share our time with these children again, see the lights go on in learning, and watch the focus of giving their all for their friends in the America. We are off to a smooth start.