I am a-Ghana.

Ghana, Ghana, Ghana I go...

I left Senegal in the summer of 2012. As soon as I left I felt like I was plunged in a strange, fast paced world. I had spent one full year perpetually 30 minutes late, drinking tea and discussing politics with friends, watching hours of Bollywood and Senegalese sitcoms with my sister, swimming, surfing, exploring... leading my girls empowerment program, watching social change take place, gaining inspiration from young politically connected hip hop artists, researching public health in a children's hospital... I left a country of easy going and loving people. I left friends and family.

I returned home to Oregon for my senior year of my undergraduate degree. I returned to rain, insulated lifestyles, and overwhelming environments. It took me a couple months to get adjusted to the pace, the social cues, and expectations of home. I eventually stopped trying to talk to people in grocery stores just because they were next to me. I stopped arriving to things 30 minutes late and vaguely blaming the traffic. I stopped getting excited when I walked out my front door because truly exciting and awkward situations were no longer daily fixtures. My language patterns changed when no one understood the sprinkling of French and Wolof words in my speech.

In short, I re-adapted to home reluctantly, still trying to hold on to the norms of Senegal. I completed my final year of school at the University of Oregon while working, leading the women's Rowing team, and working an internship. I graduated June 2013 and similar to other recent graduates I got a job for the necessity of self sufficiency rather than interest. I worked in various positions for another year and a half; retail while completing an internship at the World Affairs Council, a brief stint as a medical receptionist and a temporary position with Holt International. I sent my resume off to what felt like 1,001 organizations.

But when the moment was right, I got the call I'd been waiting for.

I heard of Exponential Education through a friend I studied with in Senegal. (If you're thinking of studying abroad - this is a reason why. You meet great people, who usually go on to do great things.) Their work mirrored my experience with CIPFEM, though their scope was much, much larger. As I contacted them and spoke with several people in the organization, I was cautiously optimistic. Ghana was high on my list of places to visit, and this position offered a great chance to build field experience on a 10 month contract. Long story short, I'm moving to Ghana.

Exponential Education's work is remarkable and I highly encourage perusal of their website. Partnering with Ghana's Department of Education, local teachers and community members, Expo's staff have created and run programs in Kumasi since 2010. It's a fast-growing non-profit, and I was not only drawn in by their methodology but also their multicultural, young staff. I'm looking forward to being surrounded by others who as passionate for education and empowerment as I am.

If you would like a full description of the organization, take a look at my fundraising campaign on Indigogo, here. A contribution would be wonderful, and it goes straight to the programs we administer in Ghana.

During my extensive preparations, word invariably gets out that I'm moving. The top 5 questions immediately passed peoples' lips are the following:

1. So, about Ebola?
2. Ghana... in Africa?
3. So, how safe is it?
4. Education, huh? Teaching English?
5. What language will you speak?

To which I reply:

1. No... Ebola is currently destroying the livelihood, infrastructure, and cultural norms in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia. While transmission has occurred elsewhere they have been, or are in the process of, containing those outbreaks. Senegal has had one known case and they were on that before it could spread further. Due to Ghana's regional proximity to the "hot-spots," they are of course vigilant and attentive to any outbreak in their own country. Hotlines are established and medical personnel are fully briefed. Ebola usually crops up on hospitals when patients present themselves with flu-like symptoms and as I'm working in the education field, my access to that environment will be limited. However, it is important to note the severity of the virus in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Health infrastructures already weakened with a history of social unrest have been split open. 

2. Ghana (not to be confused with Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, or Gabon) is located on the Gold Coast in Western Africa. It has a rich history of culture extending back thousands of years. It has a vibrant trade industry and was the seat of the Ashanti Empire before colonists claimed the land. Its primary exports are gold, coffee, chocolate and tourism. Thanks to these factors, Ghana has one of the fastest - growing GDPs on the continent.

Photo: GhanaHope Foundation

3. Ghana is one of the most stable countries in Africa. Independence from the UK was declared in 1957 and a republic established in 1960. It has a population of about 27 million and is roughly the size of Great Britain or the state of Oregon in square miles. It is a bastion of lively music, dance, and food culture.

4. Contrary to many first impressions, we do not necessarily teach at Expo. Some of us are tutors in specific programs, but most of the staff help to run and design programs supplementing the public education system. Close relationships with the government and local schools are essential as Expo responds to the needs of community.

5. While English is the administrative language, and will be spoken in most professional settings, I will be learning Twi as well. I am living in Kumasi proper where most people in the area speak Twi, though some of our program staff is learning Ewe as they are in a village just outside Kumasi. As I experienced in Senegal, there are dozens of regional languages. These are not dialects but completely different forms of language. It's not uncommon for locals to speak 4+ languages as they grow up surrounded by community members who speak differently from them. As we only have so much time on our hands, we're going with the one most used in our area.

Presently, it's T - 60 hours until I can set off. I couldn't be more excited! Please feel free to leave comments/questions and I'll do my best to answer in subsequent posts.

"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." 
--Miriam Beard