As we conclude week two in Ghana and our first official week at work, it has been quite the journey to say the least. Last weekend, we were fortunate to have a weekend trip to Elmina before the start of our internships. As we departed our house in East Legon bright and early venturing out for the four-hour bus ride west to Cape Coast and Elmina, I never imagined that the trip would conclude the way it did. That very special weekend was one of the most powerful and heart-wrenching experiences that I have ever been a part of.
As soon as I stepped off the bus to enter the Elmina Slave Castle, I sensed immediate uneasiness. I felt the presence of suffering as I walked the same path as the hundreds of thousands of slaves that passed through that treacherous place over centuries. I had this knot in my stomach the entire time as Ato, our tour guide and superior scholar, gave us a beautiful tour, and we all felt the impact of his stories and descriptions.
The tour began with the women’s dungeons, as Ato began to narrate the inhumane treatment and conditions that these women endured. I will never forget the smell accumulated over 400 years and the descriptions in Ato’s stories. The whole tour was profoundly unsettling, and all of us experienced emotions of anger, sorrow and helplessness. I do not think anyone will be able to understand without experiencing it firsthand.
These feelings remained as all of us gathered later that day at the hotel to share topics and feelings we were reflecting on. The room felt low and some of us were breaking down in a way that showed more than vulnerability. It was genuine sorrow and feelings of remorse that were extremely powerful and brought us much closer together. It made me realize so much about humanity and how important it is to do all we can to prevent such evil from happening. Our stay in Elmina ended on a high note as we went to the beautiful Kakum National Park and got to walk across the tree house platforms. It was an amazing sight to see and we definitely enjoyed the views. Later that day we were able to experience Bakatue, which is a festival celebrating the town. It was lively, colorful, and extremely crowded, but definitely a sight to see and experience.
That Monday, we started our internship. It felt like my first day of elementary school as all of us were ready, dressed to impress, and getting dropped off at the door. Our treat for our first day was basically a monsoon storm as we could barely see the road with flooding streets and wires getting electrocuted. The drive itself made all of us in the car anxious and ready to start. I was the last one on the bus to get dropped off as I stepped through the pouring rain into an office that was too air conditioned. I was immediately impressed with my co-workers and the working environment that I was placed in. My first official internship in the advertising industry and being in Ghana felt surreal in the moment. I was immediately brought in to client meetings and assisting my supervisors. It felt good to be in a position so early on and diving into a heavy work load. My first day was a little rough to say the least, but it reassured my mindset that this is the industry that I want to get into and that’s the sacrifice that must happen sometimes. My first week has been good so far and I really like all my co-workers as they are all so nice and welcoming. I’m hopeful that these next few weeks will be good and transition nicely. I do not think I could ever get used to Accra traffic, driving or the commute, but it all comes with the experience. My favorite part so far has been coming home after a long day and having the weekends to be free. We experienced our first night out in Accra last night (Saturday) and it was a lot of fun. We stepped out to Osu which is the partying district of Accra and went to Bloombar. It was a great night and highly recommend! I hope that the experience that we are currently having continues as we are building stronger relationships, having a great time and learning together as one.