May 30:
As I sit at the JFK airport awaiting my connection to
Accra, I begin to reflect upon my trip to Ghana. Although I have yet to set
foot on this country, the past four months have been filled with great
anticipation and preparation. From booking flights, getting vaccines, sorting
paperwork for my two scholarships, writing proposal projects on youth
leadership research and execution, taking a 12 week online course on
international development, writing two papers on globalization and development
in Ghana, and getting acquainted with my placement agency, Sankofa school; the
amount of time I have spent in making sure that I am prepared and equipped for
this journey has been abundant.
Yet, one of the biggest lessons of this journey has
already been revealed: flexibility is a must! Last Wednesday, I was sent an
e-mail from ProWorld Ghana telling me that my placement agency had been changed
because the director of the Sankofa school would not be present during most of
time that I would be there. I must admit I was pretty shocked and upset about
this. I had already envisioned myself at the school, and had talked to the
PeaceJam headquarters in Colorado and the chapter in Ghana to see how I could
possibly develop a small group of PeaceJammers in that area of Ghana. I was
eager to work on this project and learn from the staff, and the youth at the
school.
My new placement organization is called Progressive
Excellence Youth Organization (PEYORG).It's goal is to "minimize hunger, poverty, ignorance, disease, and illiteracy in order to improve quality of life" through self-help especially for women and children. One of the things I will be doing is outreach on health
preventative measures with malaria and HIV. So, although this agency provides
me with a spectrum of opportunities that I have never encountered, I am hoping
that I will learn a lot on this issue. I have no prior knowledge or experience
with anything related to public health, but I will be expanding my horizons!
Who knows, perhaps I will find a new passion?
Needless to say, I am extremely anxious and nervous about
this experience, but I am sure it will be worth it and unforgettable. One of my
biggest concerns in soaking in the culture is the food; Ghanaian food is said to
be quite spicy…and well, I can barely tolerate pepper on my food! I will keep
you all posted on this! I will be arriving into Accra, Ghana at approximately
1pm GMT and from there I will meet other participants and a ProWorld Staff
member will drive a van to Cape Coast (approximately 2.5-3 hour drive). Next
time I write, it will be from Ghana!!!!!
Let the journey begin!
Maria--you're so right about the importance of flexibility! Though I am sure that is frustrating not to get to work with the original organization that you had been preparing for, hopefully this alternative will prove to be a good one! Perhaps you can still find a chance to implement some of the Peace Jam curriculum that you wanted to? Maybe in a part-time or smaller time commitment manner?
ReplyDeletePICTURES!!
ReplyDeleteThis is so exciting, and thus my summer of living vicariously through Maria has started :)
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ReplyDeleteThat chicken gizzard in your stomach forms a blizzard, unless you're a masterful food wizard.
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