Now that I have established some distance from the Trent-in Ghana program I feel I can comment, with much more clarity, on the entire experience. I had mixed feelings during my entire stay but now I can say with confidence that this was an invaluable academic, spiritual and emotional experience for me.
During my stay in Ghana, many students, myself included, were frustrated from time to time. However, I have come to realize that we were unaware of how much learning we were engaging in, and that this learning, for me, was far superior to anything I could have acquired in a third or fourth year classroom in University.
In my opinion, any student planning to attend the Trent-in-Ghana program must be ready to live and study like a Ghanaian student. This means sporadic access to the Internet and computers and limited access to current academic and other publications. It also means living and operating within a culture that is so different. Everyday, every breath is a learning experience that cannot be underestimated. Not to mention the paralyzing heat of the hot season…
I think the Trent-in-Ghana program requires each student to take a tremendous amount of initiative. Conversations with University Professors, NGO leaders, community development workers, friends, other students, children and strangers should be pursued and examined as rigorously as one would comb through an academic publication. I believe that this is what work in the field of community development is all about.
My experience in Ghana gave me the confidence to apply for and win contracts aimed at community development in Canada. Oftentimes it was this experience listed on my resume that sparked the interest of employers. Interviews often started with questions surrounding life in Ghana, my reasons for going and the focus of my studies there.
I am currently working for a Women's Centre for Immigrants and Refugees. The approach of the centre is wonderfully feminist and progressive. I run 6-week workshops that provide women with an introduction to the Canadian labour market. The approach is participatory (it's popular education!) and I actually use many of the methodological ideas of participatory research presented by Sulley's group in Tamale.
In the fall I will lead a “train the trainer” leadership program called “Facilitating Inclusion” for women of underrepresented multicultural communities in Hamilton.
Last month I completed a one-year contract with the Association of Women's Rights in Development (AWID) in Toronto. I compiled weekly bulletins that announce issues of interest (conferences, news, new publications, resources, etc.) for those working within a human rights framework.
In short, there is work in Canada for people who want to focus on community development. Much of it, according to me, needs to be pieced together from different organizations, at least in order to get started and to figure out what you want to do. The Trent-in-Ghana program was a great way for me to get my feet wet and make some decisions about the work I wanted to pursue. I highly recommend it!