There are many reasons I keep traveling. It’s not always easy. It can be expensive. And it’s a health hazard for sure (take a look at the long list of shots on my vaccine card and you’ll know what I mean). Nonetheless, the good always seems to outweigh the bad and I keep on packing Read More …
“But you can’t have development without information.” Emanuel Mwinila Yuori A week into our time in Ghana and we’ve already had the opportunity to learn from many communication scholars and media professionals. We’ve talked about the perils and rewards of undercover investigative reporting, discussed the state of Ghanaian women in journalism, and pondered the impact Read More …
As I sit here on our front porch, I am exposing myself to my first protracted encounter with potentially malarial arthropods in Ghana. A toxic cocktail of permanone, OFF! and garlic pills have warded off the evil skeeters up until now, but the promise of a (relatively) consistent internet connection and the lovely sound of Read More …
I faced my greatest fear in Ghana, and I survived. It wasn’t spiders, or getting hit by a taxi, or the language barrier, or the first day of my internship. It was a trotro.
We had some free time after our lectures today so Jake and I decided to go on an adventure. After cutting across a soccer field and down an extremely overgrown path we arrived at the American House Road Market. It’s amazing how popular you can be just from the color of your skin. We were Read More …
So our house is located in a middle-upper scale neighborhood in a section of Accra called East Legon. Since there are hardly any formal names for streets here, the locals have appropriately named the street we live on American House Road. Our “villa” is surprisingly large and spacious, especially compared to the majority of Ghanaian Read More …
The past few days I have definitely been seeing the darker side of Accra. When we went on the bus tour of the main part of the city, the smells were overwhelming (not in a good way). Seeing people passed out along the streets was a harsh reminder of the poverty that many in this Read More …
I was mesmerized by the baby sleeping in a sling against her back. Most Ghanaian babies are cute, but her child was particularly adorable with a slight bubble of drool resting against his purple lips and curly baby fro dampened with sweat. I stopped to take a picture of this baby and as I did Read More …
I woke up sticky, hot and overwhelmed by the smell of dankness or as Megan would say, the smell of the crocodile room at the zoo. After three days of uncomfortable breathing in our bedroom, Megan finally came to the realization that our windows were not open. This simple fix entirely changed our rooming experience. Read More …
It’s only the end of the third day and I feel like I know Ghana inside and out. However, despite the fact that I may or may not feel like one of the locals, I think I am still considered a tourist. I can’t help but compare our tour bus to one containing 14+ eager Read More …
Our day was filled with lectures, walks and crazy Ghanaian soccer (football) games. Tipped off by some locals yesterday, we heard about the “Monday Night Stars” football game that would be played by some of the members of the national Black Stars team at a local school yard. When we arrived today, we realized just Read More …
Today we listened to two lectures from very distinguished journalism professors at the University of Ghana. Professor Amokaohene, a PR specialist and former ambassador to Canada, spoke to us first and was followed by Dr. Gadzekpo, a journalist who has taught all over the world including at Northwestern University. While this doesn’t have much to Read More …
We spent a good part of our first Sunday in Ghana on a tour of Accra with Dr. Michael Williams, one of the program’s managers. Having spent seventeen years in Ghana, Doc knew exactly where to take us in order to experience the true sights and smells of the city. Photos by: Ariane Kunze, James Read More …
While on a quick tour of Accra today, we—a group of 18 jetlagged Americans—quickly realized that we’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto. Some differences are charming—say, the sheep walking two-by-two on the sidewalk and the God references in all the signage. Others, though, make our complaints about near-100 percent humidity and mosquito bites and weak Read More …