Sam Royle's Update, August 2014

It has been a hectic couple of months in many ways since I arrived back from Europe after spending a couple of much-needed weeks attending a friend’s wedding. I remember my return journey back to Ghana - as soon as I arrived at the departure gate at Lisbon airport to board the flight, it felt like I was back in Ghana already. Gone were the plain-coloured European clothes, the hushed voices of passengers elsewhere in the airport. Here, the bright colours and energetic noise of the Ghanaian passengers immediately transported me straight back to Awutu. As we boarded the plane, the mayhem as people tried to push their enormous suitcases into the small overhead lockers reminded me that we were definitely on the way back to the craziness of Ghana!

The biggest event since I arrived back (and probably the whole 6 months I’ve been here) was a 2-week visit from students and teachers from Canford school in Dorset. It was a trial run, and the first full trip they had organised to Awutu Winton SHS. This meant that the pressure was high – if it went badly, we would potentially put off future annual visits from the Canford School to AWSHS. Their mission while here was not only to scope out the potential of annual trips to Awutu in their summer holidays, but to participate in school activities, get involved with school life and generally get a feel for how it would be as a high school student in Ghana.

Canford girls have a drink with Awutu student

With only five students and two teachers present on this year’s trip, it was a little easier than with a full group of 12 (the number that will potentially come on next year’s trip). However, it was still a fairly fulltime commitment for Marcus and I. We tried to get them involved in as many activities as possible at the school, and the students attended lessons with AWSHS students (and the UK teachers taught lessons) and joined in with various after school activities including drama club, carpentry club and various sports.

On the Friday of the first week that Canford were here, we took them down to spend a day at SEP School in Saltpond. This was a great opportunity to experience a different school, and because it’s a primary school it meant that the Canford students could participate in the teaching of lessons, not just being taught (as they were at Awutu). We arrived by tro tro, and Ashley, currently a volunteer at SEP, met us and introduced us to the teachers and students. In the afternoon we were invited to help them with sports day practice, which was terrific fun. There was sack race and egg and spoon, and it almost felt like I was back in the UK!

Since Canford have departed, everything is now focused on the graduation ceremony, which will take place this coming Friday in the Valerie Dix hall. The school is alive with activity, and although students have now finished lessons for the term, they are painting, weeding, cleaning and generally prepping the school ready for the big day. It’s all coming together, and although Marcus seems to be greying a little more each day that we close in on the event (not really, but he does seem a little stressed!), I’m certain it will come off without a hitch.

Sam tries to tackle the ball off Science teacher/ football fanatic Daniel

My time is now drawing to a close here in Ghana, with just 2 weeks left. However, it has been great to welcome the new volunteers to Awutu Winton. Letty, who is David and Inez’s daughter and her partner Max arrived last week and have been getting stuck in to all sorts of activities around the school. We made a trip to Kasoa market on their first day, which must have been an assault on their senses to say the least. Market days are not a dull affair, and we spent an hour walking through the maze of different fruit and veg sellers, who were all calling out to us wanting to know our names. They dealt with it very well, and looked very comfortable negotiating prices for the various produce we wanted to buy.

We spent their first Saturday night at the local beach town of Kokrobite, where we indulged in scrumptious pizza from the best Italian food joint in West Africa (or that is my opinion anyway!), and enjoyed the evening dancing to reggae and sipping rum punch cocktails. I think it was a decent introduction to the social side of Ghana, although my head didn’t feel too great the next morning!

It will be sad to leave Ghana – I’ve met so many amazing people, and truly learnt a lot just being here. I’ve been in situations I never would have been in otherwise, and I feel I’m a stronger person than when I first arrived. It’s hard to leave some of the projects unfinished though. Securing internet at the school was one of my main goals whilst here, but it has still not happened. Although much is down to high costs and government inefficiency, it’s always hard to leave something unfinished. However, Max and Letty will be able to bring provide a renewed and fresh approach, and I’m certain it will be set up very soon.

Lastly, I hope I will be able to visit Awutu Winton again in the not-to-distant future to see how much it will have changed!

With best wishes,

Sam