Ivaana

3 Months ago these children had never held a pencil or opened a book. They had never been to school because they are shepherd kids who look after cattle all day or help their parents on their farm, fetch water, take care of their siblings, pound fufu and carry out the 1001 other chores of Ghanaian rural children.




But now their parents have agreed they can go to a special school in their community in the afternoon for a few hours. After their work is finished.
They are catching up on what their peers who do go to the normal school have learned over the past years and will integrate into the 3rd grade of the formal school next school year. The parents, most often illiterate themselves, are proud and are convinced now that their children should learn. That it will help them in the long run and will benefit the whole family.

And now, 3 months into the programme, these eager beauties can write their own name. And even write my rather complicated name. And I am proud like a mother each time I see them write on the board, sticking out the tip of their tongue in upper concentration. Another 800.000 out-of-school children to go!