Ghana

Four days was not nearly enough time to spend in a place like Ghana. I am so thankful to have been exposed to Western Africa previously this summer. You need an extensive amount of time to process what you see.

The people of Ghana, and I believe it’s similar throughout West Africa, are just amazing. They are the kindest, most welcoming, happiest people you’ll ever have the pleasure of meeting. I’m always astonished by how quickly I form relationships and bonds with the individuals I interact with. It’s always so difficult to say goodbye.

On our first day there, I was signed up for a faculty-led overnight trip to Winneba, the sister city of Charlottesville, Virginia. The first portion of the trip involved University of Winneba students coming onto the ship with us for a tour and lunch. It was so nice to just sit and talk with these young people as opposed to running around trying to check every major tourist site off our lists. We got to ask any question we wanted about their education, their culture, their families, anything. And they asked us similar things in return. I absolutely loved it.

Then we traveled to Winneba and spent more time with the students at their university over dinner and music and dancing. African food is just too delicious. And the fruit, OH MY GOODNESS. I’ll never be able to eat pineapple again. The university was extremely impressive. I have been using Gambia as my form of reference, and Ghana is quite developed in comparison. The poverty is still extremely evident, but their education system seems great – for those that can afford it. It was unfortunate to have to leave the students, but they’ve definitely left their mark. It was a great way to be welcomed to the country.

The next day we spent the morning visiting six schools, a mixture of both public and private, to deliver books from the Charlottesville Public Library and toothbrushes from an organization called Global Grins, started by two SAS alumni. It was incredible. We basically got to run around with children, sit in our their classes, and speak with teachers. My experience in an English Composition class was the most memorable. They were learning how to write argumentative essays, and I had an extensive conversation with a young girl sitting beside me about how she thought teachers were more important than doctors. Incredible.

Later that day we visited the beach to see the fishing boats before we went to meet with the chief fisherman. The fishermen were a little bit rough on the outside, but they were very receptive to our questions. They lead a difficult, strenuous life. Then we visited a local market. It was a bit overwhelming but nice to just walk around and take it all in. It was the least touristy, most legitimate experience I think I’ve had so far. This was the place everyone would go to pick up food for dinner; snails the size of my fist, any type of fish imaginable, vegetables, random animal parts, anything. We weren’t given any type of special attention, and that was the best part.

My next trip was to Kakum National Park to do the canopy walk. It was incredible. A little freaky at first – its just boards bolted to ladders hanging from very tall trees. The view was unreal. Afterwards we attended a performance by a bamboo orchestra. Their ‘theme’ for the show was forest conservation. Along with the music, a little skit was performed by dancers that supported the theme. Of course, we joined in dancing at the end, and that just always makes my day.

The last day I had a SAS “service visit” to a school. I was immediately disheartened when we pulled into the parking lot. It was the most beautiful school I’ve ever seen in Western Africa complete with a computer lab and a big screen TV in the library. I was astonished. We couldn’t have picked a more well-off school. And then to top it all off, we didn’t do one ounce of service. We did a school tour. We got to sit in on a few classes and speak to students, which don’t get me wrong, was great, but definitely not want I was expecting to do. I had a great time with the kids during lunch period playing games, but other than that, I was extremely disappointed. In my eyes, my last day in Ghana was wasted.

It sucked to end on a bad note, but I had an incredible time in Ghana. I will most definitely return. All of my experiences, both good and bad, have sparked a lot of thoughts and feelings that I’ll hold with me forever. I don’t know what difference I can make now or ever, but a girl can dream.