Week 7 Update
Hello everyone! I have had a wonderful time and have learned much about life here this past week! It is a bittersweet post because it is my second-to-last post before leaving. I am excited to be home for the holidays, but I am going to miss the wonderful people here.
I had an exciting week. On Saturday, I went on a trip to finish my bucket list here. I went to Kakum National Park and Elmina Castle. The national park was beautiful. We briefly hiked through the forest and then walked on suspended bridges over the canopy. I enjoyed this and took the long path including seven bridges over the forest canopy. This was beautiful and very serene and it was great to see more nature here. Elmina Castle was also an important stop. This building has been used for multiple purposes throughout the years, including as a holding place for enslaved people before they got on boats to leave Africa. This was a somber site but also very important for me to visit and learn more about the history here.
The school has been fun this week as well. I invigilated a few days of exams and marked some papers. Because we are not teaching classes anymore, I had more time to connect with the teachers. I tried a few new foods and enjoyed my week at school.
I have some major takeaways about the school system here.
Students are held to extremely high expectations. They work hard and spend a lot of time studying.
The teachers spend a lot of time preparing to teach. Because they teach multiple classes that are typically only held once or twice a week, they prepare extensively for each course period.
Community is a significant aspect here. From the teachers gathering in the staff room to the lunch period where students and teachers alike spend time together, everyone works in a community.
Schools can function successfully without a large reliance on technology. Most of the students that I taught were in grades where they were not allowed to bring electronic devices to school, and it led to students being focused and ready to learn.
I also have some major takeaways about life here. Of course, I knew a lot of basic information about the country before coming here (the capital is Accra, it has a president, and the currency is the Cedi), but I learned so much more throughout my trip.
People are very kind. Everyone will greet you and be happy to talk to you. People gather in places such as churches and restaurants to spend time together.
They place importance on handmade goods. Although I saw mass-produced items in my time here, I also got to try handmade products and get custom clothes made out of hand-printed fabric. This attention to detail is one of my favorite things about Ghana.
I learned that languages hold so much significance in a culture. Even though English is the official and primary language here, other languages such as Twi and French are frequently spoken. Languages bring joy and pride to people and switching between English and Twi was done frequently as conversations progressed. I learned a few words and phrases but mainly just enjoyed listening.
One of my favorite takeaways is that joy can be found in the everyday activities that we do and should be celebrated. People here take pride in being happy and frequently go to places like churches that allow them to feel joyful with other people. Even funeral ceremonies are celebrations of the person’s life. Every day is a day worth celebrating and it is not uncommon to hear parties any night of the week.
Life is slower here. I am a very busy person at school, and it was nice to come here where time is more flexible. I spent a lot of time in the house just resting, and it was nice to slow down and play board games with my host family or sit on the stoop and watch the sunset. These are things that I would have felt guilty for doing in the United States.
Overall, I have loved my experience here so far and am excited for my last week in this beautiful country. I have a few fun plans this weekend and then will get to experience the last week of the semester at school next week. Even though I am looking forward to the familiarity of home, Ghana will always be a place close to my heart.
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