"To be one of them"
Jun. 21—Spring break is a time most people get to relax from schooling. For a dedicated few, work just shifts to another corner of the globe.
From March 31 to April 9, nine Niagara Falls City School District staff members traveled to Ghana to help educate villagers there.
Their work mainly focused on the island of Azizakpe off the coast of Ada, part of the Accra region that is Ghana's capital. The trip was originally supposed to take place in 2020, along with having students go, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The staff members that went were Ka-Shara Jordon, Mia Crumpton, Kary Dobbs, Goldie Burton, Stacie Whitaker, Rina Dunlap, Sarah Sperry, Theresa Mannarino and Elizabeth Olka.
Dr. Anna Adjei-Barrett, a former Lockport teacher and Ghana native who helped organize this trip, said this was the first time the Niagara Falls school district had done something like this, with multiple converging incidents resulting in this. With the pandemic and George Floyd protests happening in 2020, she felt that a lot of districts in the area and the country were grappling with not doing well by students of color.
She wanted to use this to create a welcoming environment by using identity and culture as a means of education.
"The brain is stimulated when it can connect with something it knows and relates to past experiences," Adjei-Barrett said.
These volunteers worked with the organization Global Partnerships, which also organizes volunteer efforts in South Africa, Madagascar, Fiji, Costa Rica, Nepal, Thailand and Cambodia.
Crumpton and Jordon, an interventionist and social worker respectfully at Niagara Falls High School, were interested because they always wanted to go and experience Africa.
"We went over there to be one of them," Jordon said. "We reduced ourselves so whatever we needed to get out of the experience, we did."
On Azizakpe, the villagers make organic coconut oil that they have to travel to Ada in order to sell at market. They were not seeing any profit from this because the money was going toward transportation costs.
The staff members helped raise funds so that community could build its own boat, along with providing toiletries, medical supplies, clothing, and shoes. They also taught 60 to 70 kids there, depending on the day, teaching them about math, English, science, music, and physical education. Whereas they are used to using technology to teach in Niagara Falls schools, Ghanian schools still use chalkboards and wooden benches, with nature and farm animals casually around.
Adjei-Barrett said that in Ghana, education does not separate academics from the psychological or emotional wellbeing of a person, with lessons designed to take all of that into consideration. Students are encouraged to use the sun and sand for whatever they are learning.
"Not only are we teaching them, they are teaching us," Adjei-Barrett said.
Despite the villagers lacking regular basic survival necessities like fresh water, food, shelter, clothing, and personal care, Crumpton said that had no impact on the kid's spirits at all.
"They were very lively and grateful," Crumpton said. "They were very appreciative and happy, and didn't want to see us go."
When not helping the villagers out, these volunteers had plenty of time to immerse themselves in Ghana's culture and history. One site Crumpton saw was Elmina Castle, a major stop on the West African slave trade.
"You think you get a lot in 10 days," Crumpton said, with her and Jordon telling people to experience Africa at least once. "There is still more. It's why I'm interested in going back."
Adjei-Barrett is grateful for Niagara Falls Schools and Superintendent Mark Laurrie for his innovative vision on this, with Jordon adding he paid for the majority of trip costs.
Months after returning, Crumpton and Jordon are still in contact with the Ghanaians they met, working on other fundraising efforts to achieve other village goals.
