halfway mark of my volunteer internship in Fotobi Ghana.
Posted by Leigh on November 6th, 2009
It’s hard to believe that I am now past the halfway mark of my volunteer internship in Fotobi Ghana. Time sure has flown by. Since September, I have been working at the FAWE Ghana Chapter, which is an NGO that advocates for the education of girls, as a Project Assistant. I had been told how quickly time would go by, and this could not be truer. I am only now starting to feel fully settled, both in my work, in my role and within the organization itself.
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.
