Recent College Leavers visit Kanvilli School
10 January 2012
Above: Helen and Alex with boys from Junior High School 3 after being presented with traditional African smocks and sandals.
Pupils this week are being joined in their assemblies by two former pupils, Helen Quinn and Alex Stringer. Helen and Alex left the College in July 2011 and have returned to tell current pupils and staff about the five weeks they have since spent in Kanvilli School, a Christian Brothers school in Ghana.
Kanvilli School is twinned with St Edward’s College and is the cause for which many of our pupils work so hard to raise money through various activities throughout the year.
The girls clearly found their time in Ghana extremely fulfilling and it is wonderful that they are sharing their experiences with current pupils and staff, inspiring us to continue supporting Kanvilli School in any way we can. Below is their report of the trip.
On the 10 November 2011, we set off to Tamale, the capital of the northern region of Ghana for five weeks. The memories of which, unknown to us, would stay with us forever.
Upon our arrival in Accra, we were met with an overwhelming heat and a lot of stares. We initially wondered what we had let ourselves in for but the weeks that followed were truly the best of our lives.
Tamale is a world away from life in Liverpool, from the crowded, dusty roads which hundreds of motorcyclists share with cows, chickens and sheep, to the small houses made from simple materials which are occupied by large families.
The school itself has large grounds and there are around 600 students aged between about 4-16. There is no fencing around the school so it would not be strange see a goat or chicken walk in to a classroom, which of course we found hysterical at first. The kids thought we were crazy to laugh at something which they find completely normal.
Above: With pupils from Primary 4
Our first day was quite nerve wracking as we were greeted by so many new faces and we were also asked to say a few words in the assembly, which the entire school have each morning before class. However what we did feel straight away was a great feeling of welcome. The pupils sang a few songs to greet us and by the end of the first day, after being able to interact with many of the pupils, any nervousness or anxiety that we felt at the start of the day had completely vanished. It is very easy to feel a part of Kanvilli which is all down to the amazing staff and pupils who we have been lucky enough to spend a lot of time with.
As the weeks passed at a tremendously fast pace we found ourselves getting closer to both the pupils and teachers, and of course the three Christian Brothers who work at Kanvilli; Brothers Andrew, Bonaventure and Sonny. The pupils are so happy at school, there is the odd one who does not enjoy learning as much as others but it is amazing how kind they all are and they would go out of their way to help us and make us feel welcome. Whenever we stepped foot into a classroom, one student would run to get us a chair and some of the primary would even come over and ask to carry our bags or water bottles for us- this is something we thought would very rarely happen in England!
Above: With Head Teacher Brother Andrew
We were able to interact with every class although the Kindergarten are only just learning English as the majority speak the local language, Dagbani, at home. However the language barrier was not a problem and the little ones always used to come over to us and say hello and wave and ask us to “snap them” (take their photograph). One boy in particular called Neindow, who we became attached to, came and found us each afternoon to play.
We taught some of the older Primary classes, helping them with their pronunciation and cursive handwriting and we taught them a few songs which they loved and did not stop singing for our entire time at the school! We also very much enjoyed talking to the pupils from the Junior High School classes who range in age from 11-16 and they were very interested to hear about life in England. We got asked a few funny questions such as “is your hair real?” and “is it true that in England, some people have never seen the sun?”
The overall experience for us was absolutely fantastic. We did not realise before we went that our time there would not only have a great effect upon us but would also have a strong impact upon the people of Kanvilli. One of the teachers told us that before we came he had a negative perception of white people and their attitudes towards other races but he told us that we have changed his life and perceptions and now he will not hesitate when approaching a white person. This is something that really touched us.
Towards the end of our trip, we received many letters and tokens from the children of Kanvilli. In one letter in particular, a pupil called Isaac wrote “We loved the time we spent with you and it will be one of our most cherished memories. We hope you will remember us wherever you go as we will always remember you.”
Above: Two girls from Primary 4 with the College badge