Putting up a Structure

A mantra she often repeated in her time as education minister
Was about the great importance of putting up a structure
For there was a poverty in our development that had to be fought
And so she made the rounds of the donors for the funds we sought

It was hardly conducive to have classes gather under the sun,
   a roof of clear sky
Exposed to the vicissitudes of the elements,
   where it was hard to keep dry
With dust everywhere, tropical rainstorms, and other misfortunes
And the dissonance of so many learning in those outdoor classrooms

She would contrast with the comparatively well-appointed chambers
She beheld in her time at Volta Hall at the University at Legon
Let alone the high tables at Wolfson College in Cambridge
When she would drink port after dining with the dons

Yet this covidious affliction has caused quite the turnaround
Causing upheaval everywhere and making the once sound unsound
Ventilation is the order of the day if you want to avoid viral strife
Classes, as a best practice, would do well to gather outdoors,
   under trees of life

True, an elephant which is lean is still fatter than a cow
But it turns out going al fresco is all the rage everywhere now
I read of many western universities pondering outdoor tents
This upheaval is a rather bewildering turn of events

Still, it wasn't a wasted effort to construct those schools,
   indeed it's a miracle
There's always more to do,
   but I altogether think that we've come full circle
That in our village we now have not just a primary
   but even a secondary school
And the girls have dorms.
   The trees in the village commons keep things cool

A cast of high flyers who believed they were nigh invincible
Now have to abide, as it were, with the mosquito principle
Brought back to the ground to gather under trees of life
As ever, irony is the key register of African life

Putting up a Structure, a playlist

A soundtrack for this note. (spotify version)

• House of Wood by Mandrill
• The House of the Rising Sun by Nina Simone
• To Build A Home by The Cinematic Orchestra
• Play in the Sunshine by Prince
• Putting up Resistance by Beres Hammond
• House of Cards by The Foreign Exchange
• Housequake by Prince
• The House of the Rising Sun by Meshell NdegeOcello

This note is part of a series: In a covidious time

File under: development, infrastructure, education, coronavirus, pandemic, Ghana, Africa, irony, culture, observation, perception, humour, schools, public health, covidious, family, poetry, Observers are worried, toli

Writing log: April 29, 2021