December 10, 2005: Headlines: COS - Ghana: Sheboygan Press: Curtis Saueressig was sent to Ghana about 18 months ago by the Peace Corps to make a difference in people's lives as a high school teacher

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Ghana: Peace Corps Ghana : The Peace Corps in Ghana: December 10, 2005: Headlines: COS - Ghana: Sheboygan Press: Curtis Saueressig was sent to Ghana about 18 months ago by the Peace Corps to make a difference in people's lives as a high school teacher

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-238-72.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.238.72) on Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - 7:00 pm: Edit Post

Curtis Saueressig was sent to Ghana about 18 months ago by the Peace Corps to make a difference in people's lives as a high school teacher

Curtis Saueressig was sent to Ghana about 18 months ago by the Peace Corps to make a difference in people's lives as a high school teacher

Curtis Saueressig, center, a 2000 Valders High School graduate, teaches math and basic computer skills at a boarding school in Akuse, Ghana. His female students, including those pictured with him, will benefit from his effort to build a new hostel for them. The current space is too small for the number of girls at the school. His parents, Nancy and Greg, are trying to raise money locally for the effort.

Curtis Saueressig was sent to Ghana about 18 months ago by the Peace Corps to make a difference in people's lives as a high school teacher

Building hope in Ghana

Valders grad working to construct student dorm

By Amy Weaver
Herald Times Reporter

Curtis Saueressig was sent to West Africa about 18 months ago by the Peace Corps to make a difference in people's lives as a high school teacher.

Besides teaching math and basic computer skills at the Akuse Methodist Secondary Technical School in Akuse, Ghana, he is trying to build a hostel for the 121 girls at the boarding school.

Saueressig, a 2000 Valders High School graduate, was amazed at their living conditions and wanted to do something to improve them.

"They slept on the floor. There would be a number to one bed. They would cook on their beds. There was stuff everywhere," he said in a recent phone interview. "Their clothing, stoves, coal pots, everything was in a closed, confined area."

Even without an adequate girls' dormitory, the female boarders made do and found ways to study. The academic standard improved so much last year, Amest, as the school is known, improved its ranking in all of Ghana from 352nd to 99th, Saueressig said.

"They are educated people but they have been trying so hard with so little," he said. "That's what's motivating me."

Construction has begun on an adequate facility, while Curtis' parents, Nancy and Greg Saueressig, coordinate fund-raising locally.

Saueressig mentioned his idea to build a hostel at his brother's graduation party in May and received a warm response. His parents have been talking to members of their church, Faith Lutheran in Valders, about helping fund the project.

The existing hostel, a 1,250-square-foot room, is meant to hold between 60 and 80 people. Bathroom facilities are in another small building. Many girls told Saueressig they have to wake up between 3 and 4 a.m. to use the bathroom and shower for everyone to have a chance before school begins each day.

Construction plans call for four 30-by-32-foot rooms for 22 to 26 girls each, five toilets, six baths and two storage rooms. Buildings in Ghana are concrete structures reinforced with iron, he said.

"There's a real wave of emotion running through the students right now," Saueressig said. "They are excited not just for the hostel but because the school is being recognized. They have a lot of school and community pride here."

The project would be completed in three phases with two bedrooms and a storage room erected by March. The toilets and showers would be next. The other two bedrooms and storage room will complete the project.

"It's going to get done," he insisted.

Saueressig's stint with the Peace Corps is done in late August or early September.

"If I take away only one thing from this experience I feel like I can go anywhere for a job and adapt culturally, socially and professionally and be successful," he said.

Lifetime experience

The 24-year-old Valders native joined the Peace Corps after he earned a math degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2004.

"I just wanted to do something different with my degree, something that would challenge me in some different way," he recalled. The corps was appealing because it gave him the opportunity to travel and "help out in a radically different environment."

Although Ghana has been his only assignment, he feels he has been in a position to help. Akuse, located in the southeastern corner of Ghana's eastern region, is a village roughly the size of Valders. It was the main seaport on the Volta River for Ghana until 1961. Without a bustling seaport, business opportunities became scarce and the population decreased. It continued to decline after many residents relocated when the construction of a hydroelectric dam in 1981 flooded the Volta basin.

Saueressig said he quickly learned the Akuse people have a history of resiliency. They didn't have a high school until the government constructed Amest in 1991. It may still lack the proper facilities and teaching staff to provide quality education to its students, but the people take education seriously.

Students are admitted to Amest based on exam scores from their previous school. Many of Saueressig's students have aspirations for careers like nursing, accounting and journalism.

His biggest adjustment may not have been to the primitive living conditions but Ghana's tropical climate. The country is typically 90 degrees, whether it's rainy or dry season.

"It's like a vacation in paradise, but that gets old after while," he said. "I miss the change of seasons."

The Valders native seemed homesick to learn of the recent snowfall in Manitowoc County and below-normal temperatures.

"Oh, I wish I could feel snow right now," he said.

Nancy and Greg Saueressig and their other sons, Daniel and Scott, will experience the difference themselves when they head to Africa for the holidays.

"I can't describe in words what they will see, but it will be neat to see everything I'm used to now through fresh eyes," Curtis Saueressig said. "I'm excited for that."

Amy Weaver: 920-686-2968 or aweaver@htrnews.com





When this story was posted in December 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:


Contact PCOLBulletin BoardRegisterSearch PCOLWhat's New?

Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Top Stories and Breaking News PCOL Magazine Peace Corps Library RPCV Directory Sign Up

Top Stories: December 5, 2005 Date: December 5 2005 No: 764 Top Stories: December 5, 2005
Joseph Opala's story of Priscilla in major NY exhibition 23 Nov
Palau President creates Peace Corps Advisory Panel 3 Dec
Cathy Skoula returns from Pakistan relief 1 Dec
Matthew Patrick writes about Wind Power 1 Dec
Bush recognizes Director Vasquez on World AIDS Day 1 Dec
"The Ugly American" helped inspire Peace Corps 29 Nov
Thirty-four Congressmen co-sponsor PC/Military bill 27 Nov
The Nordins push Permaculture 27 Nov
President Bush meets with PCVs in Mongolia 25 Nov
John Smart says Vasquez "less than qualified" 25 Nov
Peter McPherson promotes study abroad 25 Nov
Harry Baltzer honored by peace center 24 Nov
Chris Matthews' has controversial appearance in Toronto 24 Nov
Harry Reid says Bush out to ruin Peace Corps 24 Nov
David L. Dolinger was eyewitness to Gwangju Uprising 23 Nov
Russia imposes more controls on NGO's 23 Nov
Kinky Friedman is a tough Jew 23 Nov
Murphy calls his pension planning 'bittersweet' 23 Nov
Dodd says start bringing troops home soon 22 Nov
Bill Moyers: The Texas Observer at 50 22 Nov
The Best Year of My Life by Paul Theroux 14 Nov

Military Option sparks concerns Date: September 13 2005 No: 731 Military Option sparks concerns
The U.S. military is allowing recruits to meet part of their reserve military obligations after active duty by serving in the Peace Corps. Read why there is opposition to the program among RPCVs. Director Vasquez says the agency has a long history of accepting qualified applicants who are in inactive military status. John Coyne says "Not only no, but hell no!" and RPCV Chris Matthews leads the debate on "Hardball." Avi Spiegel says Peace Corps is not the place for soldiers while Coleman McCarthy says to Welcome Soldiers to the Peace Corps. Read the results of our poll among RPCVs. Latest: Congressman John Kline introduces legislation to alter the program to remove the Peace Corps as an option for completing an individual’s military enlistment requirement.

Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in danger Date: October 22 2005 No: 738 Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in danger
When the National Call to Service legislation was amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002, this country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged military engagement in the Middle East, as it is now. Read the story of how one volunteer spent three years in captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of danger. Latest: Read the ongoing dialog on the subject.

Top Stories: November 19, 2005 Date: November 19 2005 No: 751 Top Stories: November 19, 2005
President Bush meets with PCVs in Panama 7 Nov
PC Trainee Wyatt Ammon dies in accident in Zambia 18 Nov
Congress appropriates $322 Million for Peace Corps 17 Nov
James Walsh on the crisis in Nepal 9 Nov
Pam Musk climbs Mount Kilimanjaro 6 Nov
David Morsilli awed by havoc in Mississippi 6 Nov
Tierney Davis in Tsunami Relief Work in Indonesia 1 Nov
Julie Harrold says "Don't change the Peace Corps" 31 Oct
Jacqueline Lyons shares her poems about Peace Corps 28 Oct
Peace Corps returns to its roots in Michigan 28 Oct
David Peterson serves in Katrina Response Team #1 25 Oct
Director Vasquez Travels to Tonga and Fiji 24 Oct
Laura Vanderkam says "Peace Corps needs makeover" 24 Oct
Shriver Center and Maryland RPCVs host C. Payne Lucas 21 Oct
Don Mosley to receive Pacem in Terris honor 17 Oct
Mary Cameron Kilgour writes on abuse 16 Oct
George Packer writes about Iraq for the New Yorker 16 Oct
Richard Celeste says Colorado higher education faces peril 16 Oct
Kevin Quigley says Keep Peace Corps, military separate 16 Oct
Christie and Eric Nelson say no to cars 15 Oct
Isaiah Zagar creates mosaic in Oakland 14 Oct

PC establishes awards for top Volunteers Date: November 9 2005 No: 749 PC establishes awards for top Volunteers
Gaddi H. Vasquez has established the Kennedy Service Awards to honor the hard work and service of two current Peace Corps Volunteers, two returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and two Peace Corps staff members. The award to currently serving volunteers will be based on a demonstration of impact, sustainability, creativity, and catalytic effect. Submit your nominations by December 9.

Robert F. Kennedy - 80th anniversary of his birth Date: November 26 2005 No: 757 Robert F. Kennedy - 80th anniversary of his birth
"Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change the world which yields most painfully to change."

Peace Corps at highest Census in 30 years Date: October 22 2005 No: 745 Peace Corps at highest Census in 30 years
Congratulations to the Peace Corps for the highest number of volunteers in 30 years with 7,810 volunteers serving in 71 posts across the globe. Of course, the President's proposal to double the Peace Corps to 15,000 volunteers made in his State of the Union Address in 2002 is now a long forgotten dream. With deficits in federal spending stretching far off into the future, any substantive increase in the number of volunteers will have to wait for new approaches to funding and for a new administration. Choose your candidate and start working for him or her now.

'Celebration of Service' a major success Date: October 10 2005 No: 730 'Celebration of Service' a major success
The Peace Corps Fund's 'Celebration of Service' on September 29 in New York City was a major success raising approximately $100,000 for third goal activities. In the photo are Maureen Orth (Colombia); John Coyne (Ethiopia) Co-founder of the Peace Corps Fund; Caroline Kennedy; Barbara Anne Ferris (Morocco) Co-founder; Former Senator Harris Wofford, member of the Advisory Board. Read the story here.

PC apologizes for the "Kasama incident" Date: October 13 2005 No: 737 PC apologizes for the "Kasama incident"
The District Commissioner for the Kasama District in Zambia issued a statement banning Peace Corps activities for ‘grave’ social misconduct and unruly behavior for an incident that occurred on September 24 involving 13 PCVs. Peace Corps said that some of the information put out about the incident was "inflammatory and false." On October 12, Country Director Davy Morris met with community leaders and apologized for the incident. All PCVs involved have been reprimanded, three are returning home, and a ban in the district has since been lifted.

The Peace Corps Library Date: March 27 2005 No: 536 The Peace Corps Library
Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000  strong Date: April 2 2005 No: 543 Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong
170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community.


Read the stories and leave your comments.






Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: Sheboygan Press

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Ghana

PCOL24102
96


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: