Not a happy camper.

Hi guys. So I am at the refugee camp right now. feeling pretty average to say the least. I will start from monday. I left the internet cafe and walked back along the main street to the iKando office. All of a sudden all these cars and trucks started zooming past. Guns were firing in the air, police men swerving from side to side of the road of their motorbikes, loud sirens, groups of men piled up on the back of their vehicles - just complete organised chaos it seemed. I asked the guy next to me what the hell was going on and he thought the president was coming! He then realised\ that someone important had died and they were all doing this charade down the street to announce it! His view was that ghanian people need to cherish the concept of being alive rather than spending so \much money on death. I have definitely noticed this myself. Funerals are a massive affair here and sooo much money is spent. Posters are put up around the town and there is like this huge expensive party where everyone is invited etc. These people barely have money to live,yet they will spend a fortune once its over. It was good to speak to another ghanian who also believed this and was thinking that way. Anyway got back to the ikando office and waited for another hour then we were off. Arrived about 2pm and met the principal and the creator of the camp. Kassus or something? He is such an amazing man liberian himself he was inspired by an amazerican lady who set up schools there and decided to create a school for his people.. The whole camp is for liberian refugees from places like the ivory coast etc where there has been a shitload of civil war, rape, murder, etc. The school on the camp is so youth can received free education and develope skills to live and work in the community and perhaps return to their home country. It is really amazing what some people have done in a short time being here and the volunteers are extremely commited. Anyway this computer is so slow and I really cant be assed writing lots but basically I am feeling pretty inadequate about what I can do here in such a short time. The organisation is very unorganised which doesnt \help and today prooved to be quite difficult. the first part of the day I felt like i was fighting a losing battle the kids were just fucking around and it was pretty frustrating. I spent today taking small groups of grade 1 students out of their class and trying to teach them how to read. the kids could read the book perfectly on first inspection, but I started to notice they werent even pointing to the right word...so when i closed the book they were still getting it correct, i realised the knew the bloody book off by heart!At first I tried to bribery tactic and got out the blocks saying if they got an answer right they would get a block but that ended up being this whole competition and they would steal from each other or from me which was a nightmare. I then tried a few different things and ended up makng little pieces of paper with different words on them and teaching the kids to recognise the word alone first. No more Betty and Sam! (the stupid book the kids knew off by heart.) Then they would have to pick the piece of paper out of my hand and read it out then arrange them. They ended up being able to actually read and recognise about 6 words which I was so excited about and we had fun. In the afternoon i offered to help out with this after school tutoring program which has just started - it was a nightmare. This teacher just chucked me in a class with like 30 kids they were so loud and bouncing off the walls. The other volunteers had told me many of the teachers hit the kids and the whole autocractic method is feared and respected. Ubrunnis therefor arent really listened to in a large classroom environment- to say the least.. Many of the children did want to learn but couldnt hear because of the noise and it was just a big waste of time\ I am staying in this budget accomodation with my own room and I realise how much i miss living with ghanian people and there families. I felt so lonely last night, the generator next to my room was ridiculously loud and celine dion greatest hits but blaring from a speaker next door. Im just not sure I can really do anything and leave a mark here in such a short time especially if they try to chuck me in anymore big classrooms. I just feel down and out at the moment. The other volunteers are alright people so far. they have helped me out and stuff, buut they all have their own projects and most have been here for months and are leaving soon too so its just like ah~! theres a girl called jess from melbourne who is really kool though and has set up this jewellery program where the liberian kids make their own jewllery then they are going to sell it at markets and profits go to the school. its jsut like funky beads on string but good quality. i will try and get the link so you can take a look but if anyone wants to buy some let me know and ill bring them over. money is going somewhere tangible which is important. anyway hopefully this gets better but at the moment i am feel overall quite depressed, down and lost. we will see what happens. missing you guys.