I had said goodbye to the server at the restaurant where I used to have my daily lunch. As I walked back to the office after lunch hour, I tried to attentively observe the streets, the restaurants on the way, the mothers carrying their babies tightly tied on their back, the distinct questioning honk of Read More …
I wasn’t expecting to get paid for my internship at Emerge Ghana Ltd. I had accepted this idea before I came to Ghana. I was only going to be there for a month, I wasn’t going to be working nearly as many hours as some of my coworkers, and the experience alone would surely make Read More …
During the last week of the trip I have reflected on what I will miss most about Ghanaian culture. Without a doubt it will be the effervescence and vibrance of the people. America is just not the same. People are often caught up in their day to day lives. I too have realized I do Read More …
The food in Ghana is delicious but very spicy. Almost all food has some form of spice on the plate or mixed in the ingredients. The main dish that every Ghanaian restaurant serves is joliff rice and some form of meat; either fish or chicken. The local food that I enjoyed the most is called Read More …
At the 27th Summit of the African Union, Ghana was awarded the 2016 African Gender Award. This award recognizes Ghana as leader in promoting the economic and social rights of women. Reading headlines about this surprised me at first, and inspired me to finally blog about my observations of gender in this country. I was Read More …
Another intern and I were sent to the Wreath Laying Ceremony for Emancipation Day last Thursday, a celebration of African culture and freedom. The ceremony lasted for almost six hours and took place in three separate locations. The ceremony started at the W.E.B. DuBois Center. A symphony played music as everyone walked in. I was Read More …
We had been walking through the trees on a long path, across nine small bridges, passing many strangers, seeing many strange bugs, bats, and even a snake, before we finally reached the waterfall. I was tired and defeated from the walk, but the second I saw the waterfall it did not matter. I had never Read More …
Six weeks in Ghana has come and gone and the feeling is bittersweet. On the one hand, I am ecstatic to return home to clean showers and free water. On the other, I know that once I hit ground in the United States I will immediately miss Ghana. I think most of all, I’m going Read More …
The past few days at work have been quite eventful. On Wednesday afternoon I went to the Accra Sports Stadium to watch the home team, Accra Hearts of Oak, take on AshantiGold. This was the third match I have attended, but it was by far the most exciting. From kickoff it was physical and the Read More …
While never working at a newspaper outlet, I didn’t know what to expect and wasn’t sure what I would be doing since I wasn’t a journalist. On the first day of my internship at The Finder, I sat in the news room and listened to all the reporters argue over which stories they would publish Read More …
The number one lesson I have learned while interning with Ghanaians is that work is pretty laid back. Ghanaians love to converse while simultaneously working at their leisure. While this lifestyle is relaxed and a change of pace from the hectic American work schedule, it has left me to seek out other means to keep Read More …
I, like most people, relish the end of a workday. However, I have an added incentive to clock out and make my way home. After taking the tro tro home the first day, I was elated to find out that Metro TV had company cars that drove workers home. This was truly a blessing, as Read More …
Ghana and the United States are both in the midst of a heated election season. I start work every day by reading the newspaper, and it’s filled with articles regarding the presidential race. It’s interesting to see how the elections here are both similar to and different from the campaign trail back home. I’ve started Read More …
While attending the pre-departure orientation of the program, I had vaguely heard that we would be visiting a Monkey Sanctuary in the Volta region of Ghana. Since that day, I had been dreading this visit and the inevitable encounter with the monkeys. When I was 11 years old, I was attacked by a monkey. I Read More …
Before I came to Ghana, my mom sent me on a mission to find her beaded jewelry. At first I thought this was a strange request; however, after spending the past few weeks in Ghana I’ve developed an obsession with West African beads. There is an overwhelming amount of beaded jewelry here. Modern bead makers Read More …