Trent-in-Ghana Participant 2010-2011
"I participated in the 2010/11 Trent in Ghana program, transferring from Dalhousie University. That year shaped me and my future endeavours to this day.
As an international development student I was eager to see what the field of development looked like in practice instead of only on paper. I had an experience of academic and professional interests combining that year. I was in Accra placed at a charitable therapy centre for children with speech and language disabilities called Awaawaa2. Having had some background working with children with disabilities in Canada, this experience significantly broadened my perspective on the culture and politics of disability in Ghana and also concerning similar issues back home in Canada. Working as a facilitator I had the unique vantage point of supporting a child in local Ghanaian school and working with their families as they struggled to improve their learning abilities, and overcome the persistent social stigma in their communities.
At the end of that work term I wrote a final report. This document forced me to broaden my understanding on the work I was doing, allowing me to see the larger dynamics at play in Ghanaian society, while still expressing my immediate day to day experience at Awaawaa2. The report helped me to merge my personal insights from working and academic ability into a single document that really spoke to my personal development that year. It is an experience that has created an ideal I continue to strive for today.
I learnt so much from the professors in Legon at the University of Ghana and up North in Tamale, many of them prominent members in their communities directly involved in development. In between classes we went on some amazing trips and outings, organized by the TIG program and on our own initiative around the country. We had the freedom to explore and enjoy the very diverse country, while having the constant support of our coordinator. I had the powerful experience of visiting slave castles in Cape Coast, to walking in elephant foot prints in Mole National park, and playing soccer on the tropical coastline beaches of the Western Region. In these many travels I met had the opportunity to meet great people, from hospitable Ghanaians to travellers from around the world.
Since then I have carried my experiences in Ghana with me, and they have heavily influenced my academic and professional pursuits. I have constantly tried to meld the academic, personal, and professional into my work for the benefit of others, and draw on the many memories and insights of living in such a diverse and exciting place. I would encourage anyone who wants to expand their horizons and themselves in the process to participate in this amazing program.”