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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2011-11-02, Page 6Wednesda , November 2, 2011 • Lakeshore Advance 5 Community Bringing `Love' to Africa Charlene ("Charlie") Love Proud Alumni of Grand Bend Public School When 1 first stepped foot out of the airport in Accra, Ghana, 1 wondered what I had gotten myself into, 'the heat and humidity hit the like a brick wall, and 1 realized I was still wearing the fur boots 1 had habitually pulled on back in snowy Ontario. My guide lead me over to his organizations "tro-tro' which is a long van used as the plain form of public transportation in Ghana. As we travelled down the dark down dirt roads, 1 became more and more disori- ented and nervous. 'There were no street signs to be found anywhere, and when 1 asked my gltide how anyone ever knows where they are going, he simply replied 'we just know.' When we arrived at the volunteer house, 1 sat down directly in front of a huge industrial sized fan and scarfed down a plate of Ghanian spicy spaghetti. Afterwards, l was lucky enough to be able to take a shower because the water ANI) the electricity were both on at the same time (a very rare occurrence'), i then tried to fall asleep on the thin piece of foam placed on top of a wooden bunk bed, but did not get much sleep byline. I heard the constant cock -a -doodle (100 of an annoying rooster at dawn, 1 awoke in the horning to be greeted by a breakfast of what 1 like to call "rice slush"..which is just that. 'then off to training to learn what 1 was suppose to be doing for the next 2 months. I realized 1 was a long way fann tile' "Love nest" that 1 had grown up in near little Grand Bend! And now you may ask -- why on earth would ever want to go BACK to Africa'? As strange as it may sound, 1 started growing fond of 'bucket baths' when we had no running water and card games when the electricity was out. i grew (suite attached to fried plantains and beans. And the ridiculous heat just meant mom of a great tan. When you don't have the over- whelming amount of commodities we have here in a first world country, life becomes much more about the relationships you have with those around you. 1 was living with 9 other girls in the volunteer house in Kasoa' (about an hour and a half outside of Accra, the capital). We all bonded instantly, and had some amazing adventures and experiences together. Most of all though, l bonded tvith the kids. 1 was volunteering at all orphanage that housed From the Countryside John Russell Lakeshore Advance I have leen quite fortunate in my working career not t0 nave haled t0 ('onlrllute any long distance for a long period of time. The last four years I have had to deal with family issues in Brampton and travelling there quite frequently along old I highway 7 has been a long commute in a way. I now know what a friend referred to years ago as his best think- ing time, the commute to London, It is so good that I write columns in my head and of course forget them immediately. But 1 digress. last week coaling hack, I thought that the time with the doctor and the results had left e lace. 1 ,;tic S you could say at 06 the -dad in a another choices beeonw limited, the body unresponsive and yet the memories are still strong, Leonard Cohen once crooned, ' I'm aching in the places 1 used to play: So.o.o.o.o tete! As his body reacts in this awkward spirnl of negative results, all the touchstones of his active and talented life become millstones of memory, instead the what they should be. Cutting the lawn and trimming the hedge after 2 years was a victory and an awful chore but not as awful as acknowledging it might be the last time you do it. As a machinist, there was nothing Lome wouldn't tackle including rebuilding a transmission on the old car, Ills woodworking , his cooking and his garden- ing all were done with a machinists' precision, Ina bit of irony, the one doctor has referred to his trade as a ways and means to helping in his treatments as he can do the detail work. A positive thing. What the dot hasn't been getting is the erosion of the physical ability. The mind %vaults too syndrome kicks in but the body (doesn't respond as before. The cleaning ladies do the house, yet we should expect the man to do his own treatments? 111111! 1.(onue would say better to go fishing and forget all this but that too hats become a sometime, maybe never again touchstone. And speaking of touchstones, l have always had physical ones that bring back the flood of memories, good and had. A grove of trees outside Mitchell. The bust of Shakespeare in the gardens by the Avon. '1'11e hack steps of the library. A ceiiain dune in the Pinery. Each in their way and the many others in my hard drive, contribute to what I am and how 1 deal with things. They store the lessons of yester- day with a place that can be revisited, even in your head, giving solace and grace to the past. On old highway 7, east of Rockwood on the curve exiting town, a new touchstone has been there for ise on the many ups and downs of these trips. A couple who live on about 10 acres there have created a changing vignette with plastic Canada geese. We are talking upwards of 40 here. Every time I go by it Is something different, Masks on for Hal- loween. A wedding. A soccer game, a base- ball game. All the costume's and great set design 011 a huge lawn. A horse race with rocking horses and bleachers of bettors. You name it. 1 visited them one day a year go to thank them for my new touchstone. They were glad to he needed. And that's how 1 see it this week. approximately 30 children, plus an additional 10 that cache in for school during the day. Each of them had an amazing personality of their own, and despite their circumstances, they all were happy. 'they knew how to slake the best of what they had, and could find amusement in something as silly as an empty bottle. I can't even tell you how many times a child would come up to me and say "please madam, may 1 have the coraco" (which was their term for empty container). i had the pleasure of assist- ing one of the teachers in the school on premise. A past volunteer had been gracious enough to raise funds to hire two teachers for the children. Previous to that, it had just been volunteers attempting to teach 40 children. 1 was in charge of teaching four boys in the sub- jects of math, science, social studies, and reli- gious studies. As challenging as this was, it was also very rewarding. Our teaching supplies included a chalkboard and chalk, and a few poorly written textbooks to share amongst the classes. Creativity in teaching was definitely a must! Whatever difficulties there were though, were overpowered by the rewards. 1 had the honour of witnessing one little girl go from not even understanding the concept of the alpha- bet, to being able to spell her name. It was very hard for the children though, because much of the time they were not fed well enough to be able to focus in school. Many of them would fall asleep or not be able to concentrate. As smart and willing to learn as they all were, it is Chill lenging to team On an empty stomach. So, needless to say 1 fell in love with Ghana and its people, and I a111 so excited to be return- ing this conning January. This time around, I will be in Ghana for 4 months volunteering in the sante orphanage in Kasoa, and also in a coastal town called Cape Coast. last year, 1 vol- unteered with a company called "WIN" which is a large organization run out of New Zealand. 1 became good friends with the head of their partner organization in Ghana, and will he vol- unteerillg with hint this tithe around. I lis new solo organization is called "One Wish Africa" and they have just recently built a new orphan- age in Cape Coast. 1 will also he volunteering with a separate organization called "Anansi" based out of (:ape Coast. I met the founder of this organization in Ghana last year, and she was extremely helpful and friendly. After Ghana, I will be flying to Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania fora month each. While in Kenya, l am planning on volunteering with the orphan- age Jaclyn Rader has close ties with in Nairobi. l aura sure 1 will fall in love with these children also just as Jaclyn has. Farm vehicles on the road- be careful OPP report An increasing number of farmers are oper- ating from more than one site, which increases the amount of time that farm vehi- cles are on the road. The number of licensed drivers is also increasing each year which means there are more vehicles on the road. When you have farm vehicles travelling 30-40 km/h and vehicles travelling 50-60 km/h on the same road, you may encounter problems. The South Bruce OPP would like to offer motorists some safety tips on sharing the road with fann equipment: Recognize slow moving vehicles by the orange triangle and use caution. Realize that faun vehicles travel around 35 km/h. Slow down when you see farm equip- ment on the road and be prepared to stop. Watch for left turns. Not all farm vehicles have turn signals - watch for farmer's signalling a turn using the sante hand signals as a bicycle rider. Be aware that farmers with long or broad equipment sometimes need to make a wide turn. If a tractor swings right, be careful, it may be starting a left turn. The farmer may be unable to pull off the road due to equipment weight or shoulder issues. Wait for a safe opportunity to pass. Leave a wide berth when passing, Some farts equipment takes up more than one lane and some pieces of equipment have pieces protruding that can be hard to see. When finished passing, don't stop or slow down in front of the farm vehicle. Large equipment can't brake as quickly as a car. Be courteous with farm vehicle operators; treat them as you would any other vehicle driver on the road. Aggressive driving isn't just unsafe, it's against the law. Aggressive drivers should be reported to police. Grand Bend WI review Midwives Grand Bend Women's Institute Book Club met on October 27 at the Grand Bend Library to review Midwives by Christ Bohjalian. 'Those present gave this read 8 out of 10. A htunerous reading was given with an ending moral: Never argue with a woman who reads. it's likely she can also think. A lively and interesting discus- sion centered around the role of midwives in our heaalth care system. 'ihe book, a novel was written by a man that had deeply researched his material. in Midwives Chris Bohjallian chronicles the events leading up to the trial of Sibyle Danforth a respected midwife it1 tate small Vermont town of Reddington. The novel is a gripping combination of courtroom thriller and domestic drama. Midwives provides no easy answers but challenges our ways of thinking. 'Ihe next book to be reviewed on December 11 at 2 p.111. is One Summer by David Baldacci. For more information about our book club call (lath Kilback at 519 243 1163.