HIV/AIDS Education Event

We helped put on an aids awareness event in a nearby village. The first day we went to the school and held some basic education classes with the kids. The next day we had games for the whole community, a dance and movie. It was a blast!

Some of the kids at the school during our lessons.

The kids made cards for people living with HIV in the hospital

Water baloon toss (actually it was a thin plastic bag full of water toss)

Condom demonstrations
This guy processes honey across the street from our house. They call him "the muscles." He is with our closest Peace Corps nieghbor Katy.

Bean bag toss

The bat spin- first you spin around the bat three times then carry a book on your head. These kids have been carrying things on their head since they could walk. It really wasn't much of a challenge.

The local youth group put on a play about HIV. Ghanains love their dramas!

We had a bunch of relay races too! Some of the new trainees had a team. They started out really slow but came back for the win in the three legged race portion.

Sallah Day

Monday was the Muslim holiday Sallah or Eid-Al-Adha or festival of sacrifice. It commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to God, before God stopped him. its is a celebration of obedience to god.

In the morning they went to prayer, which occurred on the soccer field because not everyone could fit in the mosque. After prayers everyone went to the chief’s house to slaughter two rams and a cow. there were more prayers inside the chief’s house. Then everyone goes home to eat. We went to several other peoples houses and ate lots of food. Also people bring food to neighbors and family. Our friend Ibrahim took us to the chief imam's house to greet him and to eat. The imam has the best food because everyone sends him food. he looks at all the food and eats and shares the best ones. The food was really good.

Prayers on the soccer field


Scott and Jennifer with the Cheif


Slaughtering a ram



Jennifer with the Chief Imam and one of his wives

Prayers at the Cheifs house. We had a really bad storm a few weeks ago and a tree fell on his house so that is why there is a big hole in the wall

Baby Naming Ceremony

Within the last two weeks we have gone to two different baby naming ceremonies. They occur seven days after the baby is born. They are just a big celebration for the friends and family. The first one we went to was in our village. I was a boy and they had a lot of traditional dancing. The guy in the multicolored yellow smock and purple hat is our night watchman E.D. The dance they are doing is called Taki.

The other baby naming ceremony we went to was in Gushie, a nearby village our friend lives in. This one was not as big as the one in Dipale. A girl in the family dyed our friend's and Jennifer's feet with henna. The family grows it and sells it in the market. Women use it on their feet and hands for different ceremonies like baby namings and weddings.

Scott greeting the newborn girl

First they dry out the leaves of the henna and pound it.

Katy and Jennifer's feet. It looks like pesto!