Sandra Amoah. She is to thank for getting this blog started.
Sandra Amoah’s full name is Sandra Yafi Agyapomaah Amoah. She is thirteen years old and is in the eight grade. She lives in Obuasi, Ghana.
Sandra is the reason this blog exists in the first place.
Sandra made me feel right at home in my new neighborhood. She is a very warm, friendly, intelligent and generous girl, and very eager to learn new things. She places a very high value on education.
Sandra approached me one day and asked if she could be my friend. I of course was very happy to meet new people who wanted to be my friend.
The next day, Sandra and three of her friends paid me a social visit.
Within a few hours, there were no less than 11 children at my house.
Sandra told me she wanted to learn many things. She had never used a camera before and asked me if I would teach her how to take pictures. I did, and she learned very quickly (you can see the photos she and her friends took that day here).
Sandra also told me she wanted to learn how to use a computer and the internet. I told her that I would be happy to teach her and her friends. I told her if she would bring me some stories of her life or other things that she and her friends had written, that I would put them on a blog on the internet, where the whole world could read their stories.
The next day, I was handed over ten hand-written stories, poems, riddles and biographies. I spent the next several hours typing them up and posting them on this blog. That is how this blog was born: from the request of one young girl in Obuasi, Ghana, asking me if I would teach her and her friends how to use a computer and the internet.
Sandra attends the St. Thomas Catholic School. Her first contributions to this blog were short autobiographical pieces, which you can see here and here.
Sandra understands the importance of a good education, and she has big plans. She wants to be either a pilot or a doctor when she grows up! She also wants to help orphans everywhere after she finishes high school.
Sandra has one younger brother named Eugene, who is also a contributor to this blog. Her favorite sport is football. She also helps her mom at home after school.
“KiNKy FOo-FoO”: Stories by Ghanaian Children 
Hi Sandra,
I live in Blacksburg, VA. in the US. It’s nice that we can share messages back and forth on the internet. It really makes the world a much smaller place. Maybe you could take some photos from your eyes of your daily life, and write a story about what’s in the photos?
Thank you for sending this comment. May god bless you. I think some day I will be on the internet sharing comments with you.
I will write more stories about my life soon and share them with you and others on this blog.
Sandra.
Awesome. I look forward to your stories Sandra!—Peter
Sandra, I am so glad that you have made friends with Anja. I have never met Anja myself but I consider her an “internet friend”. We have friends who are friends; friends who laugh at the same jokes, appreciate the fellowship of like-minded people who believe a day without laughing is a wasted day, a day without telling someone something nice and loving is a missed opportunity and a day without counting your blessings is a day of overlooked gifts.
I would love to hear about a typical day for you.
I will tell you a little bit about mine. I work as a nurse, something I received a 4 year education and training in and have practiced for 28 years. On a day that I work I get up early, eat a breakfast of fruit, cereal and coffee and drive my car 15 miles to the clinic where I work. Everyone is driving in a hurry and drinking coffee in their cars. Some people talk on the telephone while they are driving. Once I dropped my telephone in my cup of coffee so I don’t do that anymore.
I have worked in hospitals for most of my nursing career assisting women in labor and teaching them to care of their newborns and themselves after birth. In the United States of America most women deliver their babies in a hospital assisted by nurses, doctors and midwives. Their partners are usually with them and many choose to breastfeed but some do not. Almost all women see a doctor or midwife regularly while pregnant and are careful with what they eat and what they do. Some are not. Most stay in the hospital for two days and then go home with their new baby. Lots of mothers have 6 or 8 weeks away from their job after they have a baby and then they return to work. They will have to pay someone to take care of their baby while they are at work. Most do not have family available to care for the baby. Babies can play with together and learn together at day care centers and parents pick them up when they are done with work. Some mothers or fathers stay home with their babies but most families need both mother and father to work a job to pay for their house and their car and their food and other expenses.
Now I am working in a clinic drawing blood, educating women and washing and sterilizing instruments we use for small surgeries. I wash my hands a lot. When I get home I cook dinner for my husband and the two of us eat. It is just two of us living in our house now. Our children have children of their own and have their own houses nearby. They come to visit to spend time or eat a meal together. My husband is a fire fighter. He puts fires out, helps people who are hurt and teaches people how to prevent fires. We are looking forward to growing a vegetable garden next summer. We both enjoy writing. I enjoy photography and cooking. I enjoy reading your writing. You have beautiful teeth and a very friendly smile. Keep writing. Practicing almost anything will make you better at it.
Kristin
Sandra,
Thank you for being so kind to my friend Anja. It’s never easy to be the new person in the neighborhood, especially when you come from somewhere so far away and everything is new and different. I think she’s very lucky to have you and all of your friends to bring joy to her heart, and I’m very glad she met you. I can’t wait to read more of your stories, poems and jokes!
Hi friendly Sandra,
Gosh I don’t know what happened to my comment I thought I had posted last night… I will have another go at it now.
I am so glad that you reached out to Anja in friendship. Talking to her has made your wish to know more about the internet come true. I have found that in life when I have spoken to people about my wishes and dreams that it has helped them to come true. Never forget to dream and wish in big ways.
I have sometimes been quite poor, but you know, I have never let this be my measure of richness. A need to understand life has always been my big wish, but its friendships and being close to my family which I use to measure how rich I am. From what I have read about you I can see that you are your Mothers richness. 😉
I wish you well with your studies and goals for life!
Best wishes from Cheryl, Switzerland.
Thank you for your comments. I wish that God will help you and that my dreams come true.
Sandra