On the last night of our first trip to Ghana, we spoke with Mary about what we'd observed among the children. I remember casually saying to her, "wouldn't it be great if the children could all eat together somehow - maybe at tables?" Mary agreed and said that would be nice, but she then nodded her head and turned her chair to stare off into the distance. The conversation was over.
With most Ghanaians, conversations are brief and to the point. They don't fluff up their words or go off on superfluous tangents like we Americans tend to do. They don't sugarcoat the truth or dance around the facts. Mary says what she means and she means what she says.
I have to remind myself of this often. When I email a short novel and receive a one sentence reply or when I call to ask how Eli is doing a receive a three word answer: "he is good," my initial reaction is frustration. I have been so conditioned to want more details, more explanation, more weighing of the highs and the lows, more consideration of the factors playing into the topic...I always want more. But for Mary: a trustworthy, intelligent, sensible, and level-headed person, things are what they are. I asked her if she liked the idea of tables where the children could eat together at the orphanage and she said that she did. That was that.
Imagine my surprise when Tim and I returned to the Offin Childrens' Centre just 4 weeks later and were greeted by this sight:
With most Ghanaians, conversations are brief and to the point. They don't fluff up their words or go off on superfluous tangents like we Americans tend to do. They don't sugarcoat the truth or dance around the facts. Mary says what she means and she means what she says.
I have to remind myself of this often. When I email a short novel and receive a one sentence reply or when I call to ask how Eli is doing a receive a three word answer: "he is good," my initial reaction is frustration. I have been so conditioned to want more details, more explanation, more weighing of the highs and the lows, more consideration of the factors playing into the topic...I always want more. But for Mary: a trustworthy, intelligent, sensible, and level-headed person, things are what they are. I asked her if she liked the idea of tables where the children could eat together at the orphanage and she said that she did. That was that.
Imagine my surprise when Tim and I returned to the Offin Childrens' Centre just 4 weeks later and were greeted by this sight:
Not wanting to jump to conclusions, I asked Mary what the two men were doing. "Oh, they are building the tables for the children to eat on" she replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
My heart started racing with excitement and I couldn't get my questions out fast enough. When did this start? How many are there? Where will they go? Why didn't you tell us? How are you paying for this? Do the children know? Who are these men? How can we help?
As it turns out, Mary had really loved our idea of building tables for the children, so she ran with it. Over the course of just a couple weeks, she had hired 2 men from the nearby city and contracted them to build 30 tables and 60 benches. She also had the children clean out a large room to turn it into a dining hall! She explained that the tables and benches would not only provide seating for the 80+ orphans at mealtime, but also for the 500 children who come to the school each day.
The dining hall will accomplish our goal of introducing the children to the power and value in sharing a meal together, and it will also elevate the school's status in the community (hopefully attracting more students and revenue). Most nearby schools do not have a kitchen or a place for the children to eat.
After Tim and I got past the initial shock of realizing that this was really happening, the 3 of us were able to brainstorm a little more, troubleshoot potential problems, and really reflect on all of the good that will come from this addition.
As it turns out, Mary had really loved our idea of building tables for the children, so she ran with it. Over the course of just a couple weeks, she had hired 2 men from the nearby city and contracted them to build 30 tables and 60 benches. She also had the children clean out a large room to turn it into a dining hall! She explained that the tables and benches would not only provide seating for the 80+ orphans at mealtime, but also for the 500 children who come to the school each day.
The dining hall will accomplish our goal of introducing the children to the power and value in sharing a meal together, and it will also elevate the school's status in the community (hopefully attracting more students and revenue). Most nearby schools do not have a kitchen or a place for the children to eat.
After Tim and I got past the initial shock of realizing that this was really happening, the 3 of us were able to brainstorm a little more, troubleshoot potential problems, and really reflect on all of the good that will come from this addition.
Here's how it will work:
The two "aunties" will continue to cook the meals each day. When the food is ready, they will transfer it into large plastic totes (the same four that we brought all of our donations of clothes, books, and soccer balls in) and carry it into the dining hall. They will fill all of the bowls on 2 longer tables in the back of the dining hall and will then call the children in to eat. The children will line up, get their bowls, then sit down on benches at the tables (very similar to a typical American cafeteria). When the children are finished eating, the aunties will show them how to clean their bowls, wipe down the tables, sweep the floor, and prepare the room for the next meal.
This new system will not only encourage community among the children, but will also help the aunties teach responsibility. When the day's meals are done, the children will be allowed to use the room and the tables for playing games together and completing their homework.
Check out the slideshow below to see how the tables are built:
The two "aunties" will continue to cook the meals each day. When the food is ready, they will transfer it into large plastic totes (the same four that we brought all of our donations of clothes, books, and soccer balls in) and carry it into the dining hall. They will fill all of the bowls on 2 longer tables in the back of the dining hall and will then call the children in to eat. The children will line up, get their bowls, then sit down on benches at the tables (very similar to a typical American cafeteria). When the children are finished eating, the aunties will show them how to clean their bowls, wipe down the tables, sweep the floor, and prepare the room for the next meal.
This new system will not only encourage community among the children, but will also help the aunties teach responsibility. When the day's meals are done, the children will be allowed to use the room and the tables for playing games together and completing their homework.
Check out the slideshow below to see how the tables are built:
The total cost of this entire project is $4,500.
In typical Ghanaian fashion, the contractors have started and nearly finished their job based solely on Mary giving them her word. They have not received any payment for their services, but they trust Mary and know that this is important. Mary's faith is just as staggering: she has no idea where this money is going to come from, but she knows that God will provide. She shared with us a number of sacrifices that she is willing to make order to pay for this project, and we (perhaps speaking with our own - albeit milder - level of Ghanaian faith and confidence) assured her that we would do whatever we could to make this a reality and lessen her financial burden.
After paying for the first set in honor of Eli, we are now looking for 29 sponsors to help fund the construction of the remaining tables and benches. Each table + 2 benches is $150. If you are interested in helping with this project - Come To the Table - please visit the How You Can Help tab for more information on how to give.
Thank you for making a difference for orphans in Ghana!
In typical Ghanaian fashion, the contractors have started and nearly finished their job based solely on Mary giving them her word. They have not received any payment for their services, but they trust Mary and know that this is important. Mary's faith is just as staggering: she has no idea where this money is going to come from, but she knows that God will provide. She shared with us a number of sacrifices that she is willing to make order to pay for this project, and we (perhaps speaking with our own - albeit milder - level of Ghanaian faith and confidence) assured her that we would do whatever we could to make this a reality and lessen her financial burden.
After paying for the first set in honor of Eli, we are now looking for 29 sponsors to help fund the construction of the remaining tables and benches. Each table + 2 benches is $150. If you are interested in helping with this project - Come To the Table - please visit the How You Can Help tab for more information on how to give.
Thank you for making a difference for orphans in Ghana!