Sunday, May 27, 2007

Cluster Clan


I was suppose to teach the cluster clan today but ended up taking more surveys. We are surveying the school children about their understanding of AIDS and its prevention. WE then teach them some basics about the disease and conclude our study by giving them a post survey which determines if our class has made any difference. It is eye opening to see what they believe and don't believe about AIDS transmission. For example they believe AIDS can be transfered by sharing toothbrushes or going to the same barber. Why there sharing toothbrushes is beyond me but the believe if they do they will get the acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Oh and "Deep Kissing" which at first I thought was kissing devoid of superficiality but later learned it was French kissing. Beware NCMOers(or should I call you NCDKers) you can get AIDS from your pernicious actions.
Some may be wondering why they are called the cluster clan. Our teaching group; Lauren, Danny, Natalie, and myself, on the day we met our class. In the small doorless room the cluster clan we watched as the teacher told the children that they write to slow. This woman then told one of the students after investigating his notebook that he was a big boy with a small brain. The kind of positive reinforcement you'd expect if your teacher were Dr. Laura.
Today our mission was to educate the children about AIDS but instead I was called off by a teacher known to me as Kofi(the Ga name for a male born on Friday). So many events in my confrontation with Kofi reminded me of how Kathleen Willey might have felt on Nov. 19, 1993, a.k.a. violated. The conversation started out casually enough. We spoke about America and the inception of the national anthem. He then asked if I spoke French. I should have been tipped off at his motives after that question. Lets just say that the conversation included him stroking my hair and referring to the continental divide that is my hairline. He then looked deep into my eyes describing their blue beauty. I was confused but, chalked it up to the abnormal affection shown by Africans to members of the same-sex. Such as holding hands or hanging off one another. The kind of affection that in America would cause people to think there was some hanky-panky going on between the two of you. That line of thinking caused me to justify his behavior. Kofi asked what we were doing in Africa. After explaining that our group was studying community health, he asked if we teach things like sanitation. This is where the conversation took an altogether creepy route. Lets just say the highlights of the conversation were when he volunteered to shave what my mother always taught me were called "my special parts" and then later in an ill attempt at double entendre by throwing, nuts at yes my "nuts."
I felt sexually harassed but believing that Ghana has not yet progressed to this level of legal action am powerless. I have a sugar daddy in West Africa named Kofi. I never want to go back!!

3 comments:

AllgauerJodler said...

wait a second... I've got a sugardaddy in Western Africa named Kofi too!.. That tramp!

Owen and Teresa Denison said...

Jeff,
Pretty creepy. I am glad that you told your mother, but you forgot what I told you about going places alone. What an adventure.

Annika Louisiana said...

So Jeff...about the AIDS thing...well in Kenya it is pretty close- however my favorite was the day I went to the AIDS clinic and I was taught the lesson on how AIDS prevention would have been taught to a high schooler in Kenya- the interesting thing is- they are not allowed to say anything about sex, or contact with a person at all- so these poor kids go their whole lives never really knowing how it is spread it makes me sick because if they knew they would be able to prevent it- another big theory is if you have AIDS to get rid of it is to have sex with a virgin- so what do they do- they rape the really little babies- it makes me SICK! (however have you seen any signs around that say SAY NO TO RAPE?- they were my absolute favorite!) At this clinic we were given a comic book that was suppose to teach us all about AIDS but it didn't say anything...I think its called Straight Talk its a good one- if you can get your hands on any you will love them i know it! another thing- I did not have a Kofi but I did have an Evance...a 16 yr old boy who came looking for me one night at our hotel wanting to take me to the market by himself...umm no thanks- and then having him get mad at me (and yell at me) because I hadn't written him back in an e-mail...- he gave me a CD and holy cow the songs on it pretty much creeped me out! so I don't have a Kofi but I do have a creepy Evance!