What is a school uniform in Ghana?

Today was a good day.  A cold front passed last night lowering the temperatures by a few degrees and lowing the humidity noticeably. I felt better physically than I had in a few days which was good because we were "in the field" as George says, in Lawra near the Burkina Faso border.

In the U.S., a school uniform is sometimes seen as a good thing, sometimes seen as a bad thing, and never seen as life-changing.  I remember that when I first heard about this child support program through the Upper West Science Foundation, I thought "Great, but a school uniform is not a big deal."

Wrong. It's a little different here. A school uniform can be the difference between life or death. Literally.

At the Kalsagri and Karbo schools in the Lawra district, I heard the same stories again and again.  Here's the Kalsagri School:

Kalsagri School and its headmaster, Lazarus.

"Father is dead."
"Father is aged"
"Cared for by grandmother"
"Cared for by brother"
"Lives 5 km from school. Needs bicycle"
"Needs food"

If you are a child born in rural Ghana, living is hard.  It is the cultural norm here for parents to not have to feed their children.  Children can be expected to feed themselves from the moment they are weaned. They are expected to forage, beg or do chores for others to earn money for their own keep and sometimes for their parents keep as well. It's a hard life under the best of circumstances.

The government of Ghana has told its citizens that primary education is mandatory as are school uniforms, and that they will send uniforms to all the schools.  Like a lot of campaign promises, the ruling party fell a little short.  Many schools in the rural districts were excluded from this program and the ones that received uniforms most often got about 50 at most. That's good for about 10% of the school.  Hmmm. Problem.

The Upper West Science Foundation steps in to identify children who are orphaned, or perhaps have one dead parent, or parents who, after investigation, cannot or will not provide for their child's education.  Bea painstakingly interviews teachers, parents, guardians and the children themselves. She can spot the neediest ones just by the look in their eyes.  These children are then chosen for support: 2 sets of school uniforms, 1 pair of tennis shoes, 2 pairs of socks, belts for the boys, notebooks, workbooks, pens, pencils, erasers and paper.

These are all presented to the children at the beginning of the school year in a big ceremony with water...and some food. The children are told they will not get supplies if their parents don't come.  And it's the food and water that bring in the parents.

Kids in the developed world may not think this stuff is much of a gift.  Would any of us have been truly happy on Christmas morning if our presents were school uniforms and pencils?  The thing is, for these kids it's generally the only thing anyone has given them in their lives. School stuff. From a stranger. From a strange church they can barely pronounce.

On the streets of Ghana, it's dangerous to be a kid.  If you're poor and people mistake you for a "street child", you can be killed -- just for the fun of it.  There are no child protection laws in Ghana. No Department of Children and Family Services. No foster care system. However, if you're in a school uniform, you are identified as a "school child" and people are more respectful. You have a chance.

At the Kalsagri and Karbo Primary Schools, I met some remarkable children. Remarkable for their resilience. Remarkable for their determination. Remarkable for the pride they showed in being chosen for this child support program.

Me with students currently supported

Me, with the new students chosen for the upcoming school year

The gift of a few pencils, pens and a pencil sharpener to get through their final exams was much appreciated.



Here's me explaining who I am, where I'm from, why I'm there and why people care. If you look closely, you see all the red dust in my hair! I keep trying to convince myself it's like auburn highlights, but it's not really working. Believe it or not, it was really hard for them to pronounce "Judy" even after their teacher practiced with them before our arrival.

These are children who simply need to be raised up in a world that has decided it's acceptable to discard them.  Even their own country which "feeds the children of the Upper West the scraps," as Bea said on the way up to Lawra, has virtually abandoned the needs of the child in the Upper West. The gift of a pencil, a jolly rancher and a smile makes their day. And, of course, the chance to see a real Obruni-recently-promoted-to-Nadala.

These things can change their day. A school uniform can change their life.