With Love, Our Brothers & Sisters

“The entire P5A believes that individuals together with collective care, concern, love, unity and brotherliness is the way to peace.  These are what we need as citizens of Ghana and the world.”

CIH partner teachers working with the 5th Grade students at Red Sandstone Elementary School discussed the ripple effect of starting, when acting as a global citizen, with what you love.   The students decided, as such, to depict in their works of art, the people and things that they love and cherish.  Each project is personalized and provides a unique insight into what is important to these young individuals.  We see pictures of brightly coloured scenes from the natural world, including trees losing their autumnal leaves and waves rolling towards a coastal shore.  We see drawings of childhood activities and people dancing in unison around a world.  Like many other projects we received  from other schools this fall, we see a resounding number of peace signs.  We see diversity in the materials that they use and depictions that they create.  While the students express the same concepts, there is true freedom in their expressions; we are able to hear each person's voice.

In Ghana, the CIH facilitators working with the P5 students at EP Sokode-Bagble, urged the students to think about their needs and wants as global citizens.  They reflected on the work of great men and women - Malala Youzafzai, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King, Jr. - and created their own class manifesto that emphasizes love and brotherliness as the way to peace.

We are part of a global family, and the Ghanaians remind us of that - both near and far.  When we are on the ground in Ghana, the children call out, Sister Amy, Sister Erin… Brother Steve… As colleagues, we call out Daavi Susan, Daavi Leena, and Efo Kelvin. We are brothers and sisters.  Personally, Daavi Amy and Daavi Erin, are one of our favorite callings.