The Girl Who Can Workbook Ans : ICSE Treasure Chest ( Evergreen )

Adjoa, a seven-year village girl
Adjoa hails from a very big village Hasodzi in the Central Region of Ghana having fertile soil as compared to other places in Africa. She is a seven-year old girl conscious of the constraints of living in a patriarchal society. Her grandmother, her mother’s mother Nana, is a dominating woman in contrast to her own mother. Maami or Kaya, as she is called. Thus she is placed between the two constrasting persons in the household a strong dominating grandmother and a humble mother who has hardly any say in the household. Adjoa’s father is just given a passing reference to as just being bad, and who has probably abandoned his family for good.

Adjoa’s main problem
Adjoa’s main problem is that her Nana keeps on saying that Adjoa does not understand what life really is. She feels that such an issue is too big to be intelligible to a girl of her tender age. Her Nana, being very authoritative, never fails to impose her will. She feels that a woman should be physically strong enough to bear healthy children. Adjoa is conscious of the fact that if she speaks out her mind and heart, she will be given a rebuke or called an insolent girl. She swings between expressing her feelings frankly and keeping quiet. She opts for a safer course, not to cause distress to her Nana and keep herself away from becoming the subject of jokes and rebuke. Her physical problem of having very thin legs adds to her conflict with Nana. Her going to school is a sheer waste of time. Adjoa can’t understand how getting education can be a waste of time. Nana’s repeated commands to Adjoa not to do this or that confound Adjoa.

Adjoa’s thin legs topic of heated discussion
Both Nana and Maami would keep on discussing about the thin legs of Adjoa. Nana is of the considered opinion that a female child must have strong legs. She never gives any weightage to whatever Maami says. Maami is helpless to express her point and 50 resorts to tears. Adjoa feels sorry for Maami and regrets Nana’s attitude. But Nana strongly affirms that a woman should have legs that have meat on them, with good calves. Only such legs can support solid hips to be able to have children. She regrets that her only daughter, Adjoa’s mother had married a good-for-nothing fellow, and had given birth to a daughter with very thin legs.

Adjoa haunted by Nana’s views about legs
Adjoa is haunted by the words of Nana that girls should have legs that have meat on them with good calves to support solid hips Workbook – to be able to have children. So she wishes to survey the legs of any woman who has reared children. But the problem is that women in her village remain wrapped all around and it is not possible to check their legs. Adjoa has seen legs of her Nana. Maami and other girls, all almost similar.

Adjoa has no problem with legs
Adjoa’s school is at a distance of five kilometres from her home. Other boys and girls may have some problem with this distance, but she herself feels that walking this distance is nothing for her. Her Nana thinks that going to school for girls is useless and it is only a waste of time. Maami herself remained illiterate but now she wants her daughter to get the benefits of education.

Adjoa, an athlete
Despite her thin legs. Adjoa participates in school sports and wins each time, though she never takes pride in her achievements. Her teachers select her to represent the school in the district games. Not believing this, Nana goes to the school to confirm it. She is pleased to share the news with Maami. Although Nana stares at Adjoa’s legs, she spares no pains in preparing Adjoa’s uniform. She washes it thoroughly and irons it several times to give it a shining look.

Winning the race
It’s a great moment for Adjoa to wear this shining dress at the school parade. Her uniform is stiffly starched and shines brighter than those of others’. Adjoa wins the cup for the best all-round junior athlete. The excited Nana is proud of Adjoa’s distinction and carries the gleaming cup on her back, like they do when they carry the babies. She shows it to Kaya before returning it to the Headmaster.

Change in Nana’s attitude
Nana is now a different lady. She does not have any problem with Adjoa’s thin legs. Muttering repeatedly, she says, “that ‘Saa’, thin legs can also be/useful. Thin legs can run then who knows?” Though Adjoa feels the same thing, yet she avoids saying it openly in order not to cause annoyance to Nana. As far as Adjoa’s mother is concerned, she remains speechless as usual.