About a year ago a Capstone group from BYU designed a merry-go-round that charges electric lanterns for schools in Ghana so children can use them to do their school work at night. Our EWB group went to one of these schools in a little village called Minya to implement the windmill project. This windmill will supplement the lanterns that are charged when the children use the merry-go-round. The windmill was a huge success and will work very well because it doesn't require human effort and can charge lanterns at all times of the day (when it is windy of course).
It was really sobering when we went to Minya. The people there have no electricity and live in mud huts with thatch roofs. Many of the children didn't have a lot of clothes and none had shoes. It was obvious that they wore their clothes until they couldn't wear them anymore. The school was really tiny and you could tell they crammed as many kids as possible into each classroom. Here's a picture of a typical home and one of the 3 classrooms at the school.
The children were on vacation from school that week, but a group of them saw us coming down the road in our van and came to see what the excitement was about. They watched us put up the windmill and we talked to the older ones about how it works. We wanted to play soccer with them, but no one in the village owned a soccer ball, so I got 2 empty concrete bags, rolled them into a ball and tapped it together with masking tape and we challenged them to a game. It was so much fun! The kids were really good too, and it kind of broke the ice between us and them. They were a little reserved before we started playing but after we started they were really friendly and open with us and showed us some of their games they play for fun. While we were playing Dr. Lewis drove back to the nearest village and bought 3 soccer balls to give them. They were so happy, it was like they received the best present ever. Here's a few pictures from our soccer game.
They also loved our cameras. At first they didn't really know what to do when we'd take a picture, but after we started showing them the pictures they would pose and act it up for the cameras. I was trying to teach a group of small kids how to take pictures. I would take a picture of them, then they would swarm me to see it, want to take another picture, and it would keep on going. Real cute kids though, there were two little boys that I just wanted to take home with me, they were so cute.
Being in Ghana, but Minya especially really made me appreciate the things we have. In Minya they don't have anything except the bare neccesities. The kids have no toys, there's no electricity, and not much food or water either. There was a big water tank near the school that had a small leak and there were some kids trying to lick up all the water they could from the concrete pad underneath. When we ate lunch they all looked at us longingly because they probably hadn't eaten anything all day. We all shared our lunches with them. It really pulls at your heart when you see things like that, and makes you wish there were more things you could do to help.
It was really sobering when we went to Minya. The people there have no electricity and live in mud huts with thatch roofs. Many of the children didn't have a lot of clothes and none had shoes. It was obvious that they wore their clothes until they couldn't wear them anymore. The school was really tiny and you could tell they crammed as many kids as possible into each classroom. Here's a picture of a typical home and one of the 3 classrooms at the school.
The children were on vacation from school that week, but a group of them saw us coming down the road in our van and came to see what the excitement was about. They watched us put up the windmill and we talked to the older ones about how it works. We wanted to play soccer with them, but no one in the village owned a soccer ball, so I got 2 empty concrete bags, rolled them into a ball and tapped it together with masking tape and we challenged them to a game. It was so much fun! The kids were really good too, and it kind of broke the ice between us and them. They were a little reserved before we started playing but after we started they were really friendly and open with us and showed us some of their games they play for fun. While we were playing Dr. Lewis drove back to the nearest village and bought 3 soccer balls to give them. They were so happy, it was like they received the best present ever. Here's a few pictures from our soccer game.
They also loved our cameras. At first they didn't really know what to do when we'd take a picture, but after we started showing them the pictures they would pose and act it up for the cameras. I was trying to teach a group of small kids how to take pictures. I would take a picture of them, then they would swarm me to see it, want to take another picture, and it would keep on going. Real cute kids though, there were two little boys that I just wanted to take home with me, they were so cute.
Being in Ghana, but Minya especially really made me appreciate the things we have. In Minya they don't have anything except the bare neccesities. The kids have no toys, there's no electricity, and not much food or water either. There was a big water tank near the school that had a small leak and there were some kids trying to lick up all the water they could from the concrete pad underneath. When we ate lunch they all looked at us longingly because they probably hadn't eaten anything all day. We all shared our lunches with them. It really pulls at your heart when you see things like that, and makes you wish there were more things you could do to help.
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