The mural we (and by we I don't really mean me, although I contributed a few minor strokes, I am completely talentless when it comes to art!) painted was amazing...such a dream for children. It is filled with rainbows, kids dancing, a peacock, flowers, bubbles, stars....all things whimsical that only a child's imagination could appreciate.
The painting went on for about 4 hours, 3.75 of which I spent playing with kids. I've learned that I may have been a great babysitter back in the day if I hadn't been so afraid of robbers and fires. I played futbol with about 10 kids, helped assign teams, even scored a goal (dad would be so proud...), scuffed up my knee and got plenty dirty. Three boys really a took a liking to me and showed it by sitting all over me, flashing their bigs smiles and spilling their dinner all over me. It was difficult to watch them eat dinner, it looked like a gray-ish soup with some chicken in a paper bowl, they ate it with their hands. I am sure they were ravenous and their way of eating surely showed it.
One problem I had was we did not see one staff member until the very end when we finished the mural. There are 96 kids there and 46 staff members. Granted, it was a weekend, but still, shouldn't there have been someone? I broke up some pretty brutal fights between boys and there was one girl, who was hella tough, who helped me break things up. The dynamics among the children were fascinating. The care takers, the bullies, the quiet ones, the artsy ones...all believing that they are brothers and sisters. Truly awesome.
On the way home from the orphanage our tour bus ot side-scraped by a mack truck!!! They took off our side mirror! Our bus driver, (Alhassan...who is incredible!) Got out of the bus, ran to the truck and hopped up inside the cab!!! They were trying to drive away!!! Some of us were try to get a picture of the liscence plate and this radnom dude wsa stadning in front of it trying to block the numbers. It was so bizarre! Then Alhassan came back to the bus, and the guys started drving away, we chased him down until he pulled over and Alhassan got the money right then and there. It was so awesome.
Which brings me to this concept of "instant justice," so prevelant in Ghana. If someone robs you, you instantly have the right to perform due justice. A few days ago I saw a pretty chillin example of it, or at least that is what I am assuming it was...this muslim woman was basically being pushed into the road and slapped around by a group of 4 other women. It was hard to watch and we quickly drove by, so I don't know what happened in the end. We were trying to imagine what she could have done to deserve that...steal? sleep with someone's husband? give some a bad deal? what would warrant that here?
**I am catching up on some entries...so I am breaking them up a bit-cuz I love my readers so much :)
Fun Trivia about Ghana:
Having a child is of the upmost importance in this community....if say, your sister is unable to have children, you have a child and give it to her, once the baby is born it is always hers, never yours.
(I don't know how fun that was...but it is interesting!)
2 comments:
I bet your 15 minutes of mural work was the MOST relevent of all however!
I'm 100% sure you would have been a GREAT babysitter. My twins love you! You won't believe how big they are when you see them again. Can't wait to see you!
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