Memoirs of a village boy

This is my primary school (P1-3), St. Paul's Primary school, Nandom, Upper West Region. It's here; it's still the same. 1994 I started my academic journey formally here. I feel nostalgic writing this: I remember those days fondly. Primary 1 had no furniture so we laid like lizards on the floor. You either sit on the floor or lie down prostrate and you write on the floor. It was fun. After Monday, your school uniform is already dirty. Primary 2 was the same, lie on the floor on sit on a stone. Sometimes you'll even fall asleep. Third-term, we are now provided with furniture. But it was arguably the best furnished primary school in Nandom at the time. For some schools, it was common for classes to be held under trees, for there were no structures.

For 6 years of primary school, we didn't have a watch or any timekeeping device for that matter. It was pretty standard. My neighbours also didn't but we had a radio. We were even lucky. So we listened to it for the time. But of course, going to school, you can't tell what time of the morning or afternoon it was. My friend Clement and I; we just went randomly. You're either too early for school or late. Especially if we were for the afternoon shift that week, it was a disaster. We were young but trying to use the sun to guestimate the time. What else could we use? Mum is out of home by now, radio is switched off. Most of the time, we were just wrong about the time. But I think I was pretty good at telling the time by observing the sun than I am now. Now I just look at my watch or ask google.

Did I tell you about sweeping the school compound every morning? Yeah, we inhaled "galons" of dust.

There was no electricity. What is TV? I know one person in my community who had a black/white TV that was battery powered. You had to bathe before you get the chance to view it. But this was pretty normal-no qualms about it. Those were fun moments. I'm not sure we even knew that electricity could be available in homes.

Of course, without electricity, how does one study at night? Kerosene lantern, and we were lucky to have one. Many of my classmates from remote villages used firewood or oil lamps to study or complete their homework. Nandom finally was connected to the electricity gird later when I was in JHS1. For those of us who stayed around, things changed. I will say we were privileged. For my classmates from far, same story.

I will not say that life was a struggle. It was village life, and that's all we knew. Every family was virtually about the same. If your dad had a bicycle, you're in the game. Your family is middle-class.

I saw a desktop computer for the first time in JHS 2 (Year 8 ).

That one, I was very fortunate to be part of a team representing my school at a quiz competition in Lawra (the district capital at the time). I can't describe how happy I was to touch a computer and to type my name. It blew my mind, literally.

Today I am at the University of Melbourne and completing my PhD. Occasionally while walking through the campus, I'm suddenly stung in awe. “See me, a mere village boy. I am thousands of kilometres from home. I am at one of the topmost universities in the world.” I am both delighted and humbled at the same time. For a few seconds, I gaze aimlessly at the buildings and many people passing. Then smile and tell me. “You see, all these people passing have exciting and unique stories. Some had an easy life; some had it tough. Some passed through hell. Some barely made it this far alive. But here we are—all of us. Rich, poor, old, young, black, coloured, white, we are all here and doing amazing things.”

Someday, I want to be able to give back to my primary school.

To my friends, classmates, and teachers, thank you.