Getting to Know Each Other in Ada Foah

Written by Alicia Crane-Kucinic, 2014 West Africa Grassroots Education.

Orientation: CHECK!Before we were even off the plane, we all knew we were in for an adventure. We couldn’t wait to get started and couldn’t even imagine what we’d be experiencing!

West Africa Grassroots Education welcome wagon!

After arriving in Accra, we wasted no time exploring the city. We had our first taste of the local cuisine (chicken and rice, of course) and even started to learn some of the language (still need some practice though)! Walking around Accra also gave us the chance to get to know each other a bit more while chatting with local friends showed us another side of Ghana most tourists don’t have the opportunity to see. It really helped us realize that we’re not just here to visit, but to actively learn.

Sonja, Michelle, Alicia and Claire enjoying the coastal town of Ada Foah

It was awesome to see how locals travel around, and how we would be travelling around Ghana. By trotro and by motos, we arrived in Ada Foah, a coastal town along the Volta River, and we all couldn’t believe how beautiful it was! We were all super excited to get to know each other even more. As we got to learn more about each other, we came to the realization that we’re not alone when it comes to our goals, expectations, hopes and fears for the next 6 weeks. It was comforting and brought us closer together than we already were. After a late night swim and watching a storm start to roll in, we ended up sleeping in little beach huts while getting soaked by the rain. It was quite the experience and we loved every minute of it!

We returned to Accra ready to learn more about Ghana. After visiting the Canadian Embassy, the Human Rights Advocacy Centre, and getting to talk to Shalu (a local child psychologist), we learned about the politics, social aspects, and of course, education in Ghana. We learned about the limitations for students, and why different genders face different obstacles in the education system. We all started to focus more on how we can help little by little. Even by just learning about their culture we are helping, by being aware and engaging in cross-cultural dialogue.

From getting comfy and close on the trotros to taking selfies while riding down dirt paths on the back of Motos, from playing with the local kids to having a scavenger hunt around Accra, we can’t wait to keep the adventure going. We are a solid group with a lot of different interests, but are getting along extremely well right from the beginning. We’re really enjoying learning off of each other!

Let the next 5 weeks be just as awesome!

Alicia Crane-Kucinic2014 West Africa Grassroots Education

To check out where else we go, check out our open programs!