It was good to see the Child Center workers when we opened the Center this morning. Everyone is doing well and they wanted us to send their greetings to everyone in the states. We are starting a new system to try to get the people to come to work on time. In the past we have tried time sheets, bonuses, we have given them alarm clocks and wall clocks but Ghana is a land without time. Time seems to mean nothing! Well, the new plan is that their attendance and performance will be tied to next year’s raise. Now that all the workers are making well over the minimum wage we are not required by law to even give them a raise. We want to give them a raise but at least now we have some leverage; we are making each worker a performance sheet; which will be ticked when they are tardy, just don’t show up, don’t let us know when they are not coming to work, if you go home early, etc. At the end of the year 1 Cedi will be deducted for each tick. A Cedi is worth about 8 cents. This is the first day that everyone has been back to work and it has started already; Amama told me that she was going home but she was leaving 15 minutes early. I told her that it was not time for her to leave; she laughed because she knew. I told her that she could leave if she wanted to but that I was going to tick her paper and that it would affect her raise; she promptly said that she would work longer. Really! It is just like raising a bunch of teenagers! Always pushing the limits! Ha!
Steve’s cold is still troubling him. He left a little while ago to walk down to the drug store and to buy cough drops. I asked him why he did not drive and he said that he needed to walk because we did not walk this morning. We overslept because of the jet lag. Well, excuse me it is brutally hot out there right now; maybe the heat will loosen his congestion!
Mr. Dawda, the mason, stopped by for a visit this morning. We know that he would really like to start another building project on the back of the property. We have a couple projects that we want to do but Ramadan, the month-long Muslim fast is going to start in a couple weeks and there is no way that we want to do a building project during Ramadan! The workers have no energy and they are only able to do half as much work as they can when they are not fasting. We would like to get the new roofs put on the two round houses before the rains start. Maybe we can get that started pretty soon.
Please keep us and the work in your prayers.
In His Service,
Steve, Kandie and Skeeter
The Monkeyshines
Mom made me a new shirt this morning; this one is not a mid-drift shirt; I feel much more decent in the new shirt. It is brown with an animal print! I like it because I blend in with the trees; it is as if I were camouflaged!
Mom was typing the Yendi Notes; she had a bottle of juice for me but she had her hands busy so I had to throw myself back in her lap and hold the bottle by myself. Mom said I was so cute when I fell asleep still holding the bottle. Now, really I think a baby monkey having to feed himself is monkey abuse! What if I got choked? Do you really think Mom would do the “Hiny-lick” Maneuver on me? It is dangerous for a baby to feed himself!
I spent lots of time outside today. Mr. Iddrisu was painting the doors on the garage so mom let me play in the big mango tree because Mr. Iddrisu was out there to watch me. This afternoon I played outside again; this time 3 teenage girls walked past the main gate and saw me. They stopped and stared and stared and tried to holler at me! Mr. Iddrisu finally shooed them away! Now that they know I live here I am sure they will be back tomorrow with a bunch of their friends!
Mom has been trying to get me to eat a new fruit but I don’t like it. It is an ugly green fruit that has spikes all over it; it is called a Sour Sop. I am supposed to eat the white flesh but I can’t get past the big black seeds. It is great fun to pick out the seeds and crack them open. I will pass on the fruit!
Send me the number for the “Monkey Abuse HotLine!”
Love, Skeeter
