Polyester and Pumps

I think I am going to have to publish a page of photos when I can get a better connection. So...something to look forward to.

In the meantime.

Tall girls. The girls absolutely throw themselves at the ball and won't countenance defeat. Calvary girls playing netball on sports day is like Gladiator without that bloody awful Russell Crowe!

The place is dusty and there are no lines marked and we have had to find bits of cardboard on which to write WD, WA, C etc and sew them onto the girls' shirts before they can play...but boy do they play!

Amidst all the dust and limbs flying..the referree strides around. Not a blemish or mark on her...in a blue polyester suit and high heels!

She must be boilling. It's about 44 degress and I'm hugging whatever shade I can. She looks immaculate and not at all like the sports mistresses when I went to school. (apologies to Mrs Long)

The sports day was great, if somewhat long, with the girls as runners up on the day and the boys doing a little better, coming 2nd overall in the soccer. They played three full length games that day in 40-50 degree heat.

The girls here are intersting. There is a sort of maturation process goes on at about age 14. they start to grow their hair quite long and braid it. (extensions everywhere,,no hiding them like at home and pretending they are your own hair). They strut around in short skirts for about two weeks, advertising quite happily....and then they stop!

Back to school uniform and conservatism. I think it's a hangover from before, when a girl didn't have anything to do (except all the world's work) after puberty and she was then marriageable...but now they seem to think they have better things to do and school is one of them .Fabulous! They also take marriage pretty darned seriously here (at least the girls do....the boys....now there is another story! ) They don't seem to want to muck around with sexual posturing before they are ready. Also....the bride price is much bigger here for a well educated, well behaved young Christian Lady.

Sadly, there seems to be quite a lot of paedophilia here. The only sign at the airpot says ' Akwaaba---welcome! Unless you are a paedophile and and intend to do injury to anyone in Ghana!'

Well that's pretty clear...and shocking. But they don't need to import their problem It's already here.

Meghan and i seem to have had several litttle kids each who have been raped who- I think, work on the assumption that someone outside the family might DO something. Of course, this is nigh on impossible in the west--much less here. But it seems that just listening to their stories, when everyone in the family can't because of shame..is all you can do.
The idea that 5 and 6 year olds retelling stories of viloation so that they know that it really did happen is too much punishment...and punishing the wrong people. Whenever was it any different, in any culture I guess. But sitting and talking and having a cry with them (or their mums) seesm to help.
That their rapist continue to live happliy next door and go one to attck their little sisters or brothers does my head in!
OK...I will tell you another Sports day story.
I'm sitting on a rock..in the shade and it's still 50 degrees. Two of the boys come up and tell me they are thirsty. I give them most of my water and some money to go buy water for the team.
Two seconds later it becomes clear that i am buying used socks for the entire team...and they are grinning widely at me! haha. The pitch...the play and then..the grin. Gotcha! It doesn't seem like deception..it just is how things are done. Survivors all!