Students to spend semester in Ghana

In one week my hand luggage will be stowed, my seat will be in its upright position, my belt will be buckled, and my hands will be toying nervously with the emergency procedures brochure. The 747 will rumble and bounce down the runway, seconds later breaking through the clouds. Wheels up, adventure started, Ghana bound.

This is the first in a series of articles I will be writing from Ghana over the Fall semester. For the next 13 weeks I, along with my co-intern, will be living and working in Asamankese, Ghana as we take part in internships funded by the Canadian International Development Agency. I will be continuing the work started by last year’s intern, Erica Shelley (nee Miles) in the development of literacy among the women of Asamankese. This work is crucial in creating opportunities for the women to further develop their businesses and increase their effective participation in local government. Literacy is also vital for good health among the women of Asamankese as it provides access to knowledge regarding disease prevention and hygiene promotion. My co-intern, Desirée Hunse, will be focussing on business development as she works with the women in the market. She will be assessing the economic needs of the trade women in Asamankese with the goal of creating a plan to help the women successfully establish and grow their own businesses. While it is very easy for the two of us to state our mandates prior to departure, we are ever aware of how different things can be on the ground in a developing country. We are both anxious to get settled into Asamankese, meet our local contacts, and get to work.

Dr. Ashun, of the Redeemer faculty, will be supervising our internship. She is a native of Ghana and will be visiting her home country when we arrive, for which we are grateful. Our transition to life in Ghana will, no doubt, be smoother with Dr. Ashun as our host and guide to local culture and custom for our first week there.

As my departure date creeps closer I find myself feeling increasingly calm. This isn’t my first time in Africa and a part of my heart feels like it is going home. Africa is a special place. I’ve yet to encounter someone who has spent time there and hasn’t found themselves forever after longing to return. It is a land that invades your soul. My heart has never been happier than it is in Africa and yet I’ve never experienced poverty, illness, and heartache like I have in Africa. The continent is often rife with devastation, the people almost always full of joy. God has given me a heart for Africa; Redeemer has given me an opportunity to act accordingly.

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