Introduction to the Boys

I am just going to jump straight in. Yesterday morning me and a few of the volunteers had an adventure to a pool with a few kids. There were 5 volunteers and 7 kids. Three of those kids have special needs and then we took four 6 year olds. So we hopped in a couple taxis and spent 4 hours at the pool. There was no shallow end of the pool except for the steps so we had to keep the special needs kids in the baby pool and then I took the four older kids in the big pool with me and another volunteer.
I spent all morning swimming back and forth with these kids on my back. The only time when the kids weren't on my back was when they were sitting on the steps. The only problem is that since I am short I had a hard time keeping my head above water while swimming with these kids-pretty funny if you ask me. The special needs kids really enjoyed it. They are actually never bathed other than with a damp cloth so to get them fully submerged into the water is really good. They had the biggest smiles on their faces and we just able to relax. There was no crying!!! :)

I am learning how to play this one instrument- it is kind of like a maraca. It is two large nuts that are hallowed out and filled with seeds and then attached together with a string. You hold one nut and then swing the other one around your hand to hit the other one and make a sound and then catch it and shake them together. It is really difficult and I have never been very good with rhythm.

It rained again last night just as I was about to leave and walk home! The kids wouldn't let me leave in the rain and lightning even if it meant I would miss my dinner. They made me call my roommates and tell them to save some dinner for me. I wasn't allowed to walk home until the rain had stopped. This rain is really helping our water situation!! It is unusual too because it is not the rainy season yet. I think I might get to shower today!!

I will finish this letter with a little bio about two of the boys from the home. I will start with the two I met first:

1. Alfred (His name is also Kwei). All of the kids have two names. The name they were given (Alfred) and then a name for the day of the week they were born on (Kwei = Boy born on Sunday). Alfred is 18 years old. He finished Senior High last April and won't attend University until fall of 2009. His mom is an Auntie that works at the home. The reason he has to wait so long to go to school is because his mom is already putting his older sister through University and doesn't have enough money yet to send Alfred as well. He wants to be a pilot but is going to study accounting in University and then after he might join the military to learn how to fly planes. He is a really sweet boy and a very genuine person. I might classify him as the kindest and most accepting of the boys. All of the babies love him and he allows all of the little kids to sit on his lap. He loves to read and speaks the best English out of all the boys. He laughs at me a lot and just laughs a lot in general. He loves when I tell him stories about random things. His key phrase to drive me crazy is "Are you sure?". He will say this after everything that I say just because he knows that a lot of the time I am not sure. He doesn't go to church every Sunday (which in Ghana is considered bad) but instead he stays in and studies his Bible. When I asked him why he doesn't go to church he told me because most boys just go to church but when they leave they go back and fight (hypocrites is what he means).

2. Seth (Kwame = boy born on Saturday). Seth is 16 years old and is in his last year of junior high. I believe this is the equivalent of our sophomore year of high school. He has exams this week which decides which Senior High he attends. Last night I spent 3 hours helping him study for his catering exam. It is kind of like our version of foods class but without the cooking. It teaches them how to set a table, table etiquette, and all about buying and preserving food. Also, what foods are healthy and what not. Seth is an orphan and is also very genuine. Alfred and Seth are best friends so they both have very kind hearts. Seth has trouble reading but we are working together to improve it (he reads out loud to me). He loves to play soccer (like most of the boys) and loves Goosebumps. When the younger boys are in trouble and are getting caned (yes different types of punishment, very hard to watch) they will always yell for Seth to help them and that ends up breaking his heart because he wants to be able to help them but knows that he will get in trouble. Seth goes to church most Sundays and always invites me to come with him so I think one of these Sundays when I am here I will go with him. He is the one that started calling me Acoco.