Upon my arrival, I received a warm welcome from the staff at WUSC, as well as my supervisors and coworkers here at FAWE.  Getting into work was a little slow to start, although I didn’t mind as I had been warned about the relaxed approach to time: ‘Ghana Man Time’.   The calm atmosphere and relative insignificance of time has benefited me greatly, as I had previously been in the habit of continually planning, being busy, and anxious back in Canada.  You can be sure however, that when things need to be done that they will be, it just might mean working outside a normal working day or week.

Over the course of my time here I have been involved in several tasks, namely the analysis of education policies and assessing their degree of gender neutrality.  A report was drafted by a working group, to which I was a part of, and will be presented to the Ministry of Education as they finalize their Education Strategic Plan for 2010-2020.  Moreover, I have been involved with developing a staff policy for FAWE, that prior to now had not existed.  Also, with the help of a colleague, I have been involved in implementing weekly counselling sessions at the all girls Senior High School, with the aim to develop self-esteem and confidence in the young women.

Living in Ghana has been a wonderful experience, and one that I am sure will stay with me forever.  Ghanaian’s truly are some of the nicest people I have ever met – they are so eager to help you, especially as a visitor to their country.  I have managed to travel just about every weekend, and if ever I have been lost, or unsure of where to go, I am sure to find someone to help.  There is also no shortage of people who want to befriend you, and so I have yet to feel lonely – quite the opposite! My neighbours here in Fotobi are also very concerned about my wellbeing, as I am for theirs.  There truly is a sense of community here, which lacks in comparison to life in Canada.

I know that the last half of my time here will go by even faster than the first, and I feel bitter sweet about it.  I have come to appreciate many aspects of my life in Canada that I had previously taken for granted such as warm water, a cool night’s sleep, and my space being free of insects.  Life in Canada is full of conveniences and luxuries; I hope that I don’t lose sight of this once I am home.  On the other hand I have truly come to love this country, and its people.  Here I have come to appreciate living simply, and have realized that it truly is the small things for which we should be grateful.

Hello, my name is Leigh Spanner and I am so thrilled to be in the midst of preparing for an internship placement in Fotobi, Ghana. I hold a degree in political science and public administration from the University of Ottawa, and have been lucky to gain experience through work on Parliament Hill. I am now looking for new challenges and fresh experiences that may contribute to my educational, professional and personal development. There is so much to be learned from dialogue between people of diverse cultures and backgrounds, and I am so excited to have the opportunity to grow through my upcoming experience abroad.
Moreover, I have a desire to contribute to the development initiative and this stems from sense of duty as a citizen of the world. I am very aware of my fortunate position and have trouble accepting that a majority of our world’s people do not have half the luxuries, comforts, and security that I as a middle class Canadian have never been without. Because I do not feel any more deserving of this wonderful life, I embrace the opportunity to lessen the extreme disparity of wealth, security and comfort that exists throughout the world.
The placement I have accepted is as Project Assistant with the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), which is an NGO that promotes women’s education in sub-Saharan Africa. Operating in 35 countries in Africa, FAWE works with ministries of education, and education stakeholders to promote access, retention and performance of girls. Women’s involvement in the development process, a process that has traditionally been dominated by men, is of particular interest to me. Gender equality is one of the primary indicators of development and prosperity of a nation, yet women experience the injury of poverty on a much greater scale than men, thus rendering equality a difficult challenge for many Third World countries. The empowerment of women in the Third World is essential for humanitarian reasons as well as the success and sustainability of the development initiative. I am ecstatic to be able to contribute, in any way that to eradicating gender inequality in education.
I hope that I will come out of this experience with a new perspective on life and global relations, an increased awareness and appreciation of a different culture, and a feeling I have contributed to a cause that is dear to me. I am sure this experience will change my life, and be one that I will never forget.