Sue with a Ghanaian student on her last day at Bantuma.
TT: How did you start traveling?
S: Two years ago I started researching volunteer opportunities in Africa and found an amazing non-profit,
Tomorrow’s Stars.
Their focus is on breaking down educational barriers in Elmina, Ghana. I
decided to volunteer with this organization at the Bantuma School in
Elmina, Ghana. For two weeks, I stayed at volunteer lodging at the beach
and read with kids at the school’s library. I had an amazing time, but
two weeks just wasn’t enough time for me. I knew that I had to get back
to Ghana somehow.
The following summer I went back to Ghana for three weeks to
implement an international book club project. Working alongside an
wonderful Ghanaian librarian, the students at Bantuma School authored
books to share with each other and on the website
bookclub.realelibrary.com. This website was started by Jonathan Thurston, from the
International School of Art, Business and Technology in Ghana. He is dedicated to providing a platform for kids around the world to share stories.
Sue volunteer teaching in Ghana, students listening attentively.
TT: Thanks for these excellent resources. Now, tell us one moment from your travel that was particularly powerful.
S: One of my favorite moments of the reading club
was the day I brought out the art supplies for the students to
illustrate their stories. Usually, these students had been so serious
in class. The moment they saw the assortment of colorful markers and
crayons, the students were beaming with excitement. One by one, each
student came up to the desk to take one marker. I told them that they
could take as many as they wanted. It was touching to watch these
students try to hold on to twenty markers at a time with one hand while
trying to illustrate their book with the other hand. These kids had the
biggest smiles on their faces! They all wanted me to take a photo of
them with their brightly illustrated picture. For the first time since I
began the reading club, each child came up to me after class and shook
my hand. I couldn’t believe that something that we take for granted in
our schools in the US could be such a joyful event for the Ghanaian
students.
Lovely photo of one of Sue’s cheerful students in Ghana.
TT: Beautiful! How have your travels impacted you as a teacher?
S: My travels to Ghana
have allowed me to create meaningful, authentic experiences for my
special education students back home. I work with students who typically
struggle in school and become discouraged easily with traditional
curriculum. The first time I showed my students pictures of the kids in
Ghana, they became so curious and excited to learn more about the
Ghanaian way of life. I saw a desire to learn that I just had not ever
seen before. My students have now become experts of life in Ghana, and
recently taught other students at my school about Ghana during our
multi-cultural day exhibition. We have also started an African
Friendship Club where they make bracelets from the beads that I brought
back from Ghana, and sell them as a fundraiser for Bantuma School. Typically, my students with learning disabilities have great
difficulty getting their thoughts on paper. Now, they love to write
stories for the international book club because they know that the
Ghanaian students will enjoy reading their work. They are always excited
to see their books on the
bookclub.realelibrary.com site.
Sue in a beautiful dress with her class at Bantuma, Ghana.
