My time in Ghana always felt fleeting. Time had no consistency. It either raced by or was stuck stagnant — usually while I was stuck in traffic on a trotro. My emotions jumped from one extreme to the next polar opposite. At any moment I experienced a deep longing for the comfort of home or felt in pure awe as Ghana Read More …
I’ve spent the past few weeks painting various scenes around Accra. Here’s a glimpse into our daily lives, via watercolor. This is the Aya Center, our home for the past six weeks. One house, eighteen people. We wash laundry by hand and hang it to air dry in the backyard. It’s difficult to get things Read More …
As we enter our final hours in Ghana, I’m forced to consider the things I will miss here. As well as the things, I am excited to return to in Portland. It’s hard to encapsulate the emotions and experiences I’ve had on this trip in words. I want to say so much, and write with Read More …
It feels nearly impossible to compile a single list of takeaways from my time in Ghana, because in all reality this place has changed me. Profoundly. Every aspect of my existence is different now: the way I see the world and what I really consider to be important have been molded by my experiences here. Read More …
I have spent almost six full weeks in Ghana with a group of unforgettable people. This is the first time I have traveled outside of the United States and it has been nothing but one new adventure after another. I have had an absolute blast, but I am so excited to step foot back in Read More …
For the majority of my internship, I attempted to give off the appearance of composure, exhausting my mouth muscles with wide smiles and offering help while knowing my contributions would likely do more harm than good. It’s like a child who bravely and boldly offers to wash her dad’s car. Half an hour later, she Read More …
In an episode of The Office Andy Bernard once said, “I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.” This can be applied to my Ghana trip and pretty much everything else in my life. I knew coming in to this that we only Read More …
The state of primary health care (PHC) in Ghana rests in policymakers’ hands. Previous leadership has consistently failed to implement promises made during campaigns and has left Ghana to suffer through years of inadequate primary health care funding. Although the 26 African Union countries passed the Abuja Declaration in 2001 and pledged to allocate at Read More …
It’s weird that this is our last week together in Ghana. As I look back on this experience, it’s trippy to think about what my outlook on life was like before coming here. It seems like forever ago that we were all sitting in Leslie’s house talking about last minute logistical things, performing our Twi Read More …
Before leaving for Accra, six weeks sounded like an eternity. As we near the end of our stay, I can’t help but wish I had more time at my internship. Leslie encourages each of us to post our professional work on the blog, and many of my peers in the newsroom and at radio stations Read More …
On our trip to Kumasi, the group stopped by an Adinkra making facility in the Ashanti region. Adinkra is a traditional style of print making in Ghana- that uses the bark of trees, turned into a dye by pounding, heating, then straining the liquid. The symbols convey ideas, aspects of life, beliefs, and commentary on Read More …
Last week I had a very interesting day at work. It started just like any other, I showed up wondering what banal task I would be set up to (I’ve been loving my internship experience, but not necessarily for the excitement of the work) when my fellow interns and I were offered the opportunity to Read More …
During my time in Accra, I have watched for cultural differences between the U.S and Ghana. It’s something I can’t help as I make my way up and down the streets of Accra, reflecting on what is and isn’t different from my reality at home. I think it is important to note the word “difference” Read More …
Working at Radio Univers over the summer has been a great experience. It was fun being able to meet and connect with people your age from a different part of the country who have same or similar interests. At the beginning, it was a little awkward because everyone had their own assignments and I just Read More …
This week was exciting because I got the opportunity to work on my own feature story that was aired on TV last weekend. I got to choose my topic, write my script, do the voice over, conduct the interviews, and film. I chose to write my story on the informal sector of the economy in Read More …