Africa's Little People and Their Toys

Very few of the children in Sunyani have store-bought type toys or toys of any kind. That's understandable as most of their caregivers, parents or otherwise, barely have enough money to feed the family every day. Ghanaians do love their football (soccer) and on almost every dirt side street, throngs of little black urchins can be found kicking a ball (oftimes made of paper taped together or some other improvisation) between two rocks or sticks or invented goal of some kind. They are actually quite proficient at foot-eye coordination and are extremely entertaining to watch.

The smaller children are every bit as creative. We see many, many small boys (and sometimes girls) pushing an old tire or wheel of some kind along the road with a stick. One little girl huddled up in a corner stroking the matted hair of an old "barbie-type" doll with only one arm and no clothes. Another had tied a rope to a discarded trailer hitch and pulled it behind her.

One small child had made a miniature wagon out of an empty plastic cracker carton and others play with bottle caps in old plastic lids or hub caps. The most ingenious toy we've seen was a little car a small boy had constructed from an empty motor oil container.

During our game night, Face-Off, some of the events used the Coldwell Banker balloons Brittany sent us. The young children all huddle around after, as we give them the blown-up balloons to play with.

We were amazed when we first arrived, at the obedience and respect all the children always demonstrated. In Sacrament Meeting, they sit motionless, always reverent, never making a sound. We found out later that the African children are beaten severely for misbehaving or even doing anything an adult finds disagreeable. What a trade-of; I guess I'll settle for a few noisy kids.

With Christmas coming, I want to go and just purchase tons of little toys -- anything, but they actually are nowhere here to be found. But President Thayne reminds me that there is no place anyway to draw the line. I'm certain for many Christmases to come, when we watch the extravagant and expensive toys we all indulge our children with, we will think back on the simple and no-toy Christmases the Ghanaian children experience. The most amazing thing is that for the most part, at least outwardly, these little people are basically happy. They laugh and love to wave to the obrunis and if we even acknowledge them in any way, they laugh and get so excited. They are literally unspoiled by worldly things and it is amazing to watch how they look out for each other. We often see little children holding the hand and caring for even smaller children.

The government does encourage schooling and has free education for the younger ones. Many go to school; some do not. They all like school as it is better than sitting home doing chores. This is good because Africa's entire future rests in the hands of these little ones.