5 Reasons to Study Abroad in Ghana
A post shared by Cody Anderson (@cdmn37) on Apr 25, 2017 at 7:03pm PDT
This semester I am in a hybrid course called International Storytelling. For two weeks we spent time abroad covering the arts and culture of Ghana. I must admit, two weeks was a relatively small amount of time to spend abroad to claim to know a lot about a place. However, during that time we did more than most study abroad students can fit into a semester abroad. Thanks to the help from some amazing staff members at Webster Ghana who built our itinerary, we traveled across the country meeting hundreds of people along the way who inspired me to write about why you should choose to study abroad in Ghana.
From locals on the streets to the prominent members of society, Ghanaians’ are among the most hospitable and friendly people you can find. From our experience, they work hard, pray often, and dance like nobody’s business. In the two week trip, I bonded with some really down to earth people that treated our group like family rather than the outsiders we were. Ghanaians reminded me that sometimes it just feels good to do things for others without expecting something in return. The youth is full of energy and life, which makes every encounter with a local one that you won’t forget. Below is a picture I took of our instructor at a drumming workshop in Accra.
Ghana is rich with culture and art. Today there is a beautiful blend of traditional and modern art. During our time there we met several performing artists, sculptors, painters, and textile artisans who taught us a lot about the traditional techniques used to make Kente and stamp Adrika symbols. A painter shared with us his inspiration for his paintings. A tree carver showed us how to give something that has died a new purpose. In a place with so much of its traditions and values intact, it's hard to miss the beauty in things all around you.
Safety is, of course, everybody's primary concern when traveling to a foreign country. Ghana is quite safe for Western tourists and students to explore. Granted, our hotel was in the East Legon district, which is considered the affluent area of the Accra. During the first few days of our trip, we stuck together and traveled in groups of four or five. But as we became more comfortable with the city, culture, and people, navigating our way around with one other person was simple and easy. To avoid haggling with taxi drivers over prices, we predominantly used the Uber service because it was a fixed price and was almost always cheaper than the lowest price a taxi driver would settle on. Our second week in Ghana, a friend and I heard that locals go running up the Aubri mountain in the mornings. We decided that we had to experience it, too. I highly recommend using the buddy system when traveling anywhere.
Accra offers a comfortable balance of food from all over the world so it is easy to find dishes that remind you of home. But, I highly recommend trying as many local dishes as possible. The wide variety of meals will surely satisfy all your taste buds. My favorite meal was the fufu and tilapia, fufu similar to the texture of bread dough is made by pounding cassava and unripe plantain together, mixed with water and goes well with just about anything. Another local staple that I really enjoyed was dried plantain chips which are delicious and great for a light snack.
One of my favorite parts of the experience was our visit to the Anane Memorial International School, a local nonprofit school for children in Nima, Accra. Many of these kids walk for nearly 2 hours to make it to class by 8 am every morning. As an American, I have been fortunate enough to have had opportunities that many have not, opportunities such as school buses and indoor classrooms. Growing up here has come with its privileges and it is easy to forget just how convenient life can be for us. When traveling to rural villages in Ghana, it is hard to miss kids walking to school early in the morning along the highway or the small passenger vans with windows down packed shoulder to shoulder making frequent stops city after cities to pick up more passengers. No matter the length of time someone spends in a place like Ghana, you quickly realize how hard people work for what little they possess. Every day I learned something new about myself from observing and interacting with locals. I was constantly reminded that it is important to be grateful for the simple things in life. Basic things like clean water, food, and shelter are not as easily accessible for a lot of people.
Cody Anderson studied abroad in Ghana Spring 2017 and is a senior majoring in public relations with a minor in international relations at the Webster home campus in St. Louis, MO.
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