Study Abroad Journal: Interning with United Way Ghana

This summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to work with United Way Ghana through the Intern in International Education course in Accra, Ghana, under NYU Steinhardt’s MA in International Education. My experience in Accra was incredibly transformative, just in the short four weeks I was there I was able to visit three major cities outside of Accra and build meaningful connections with locals and students in the Ghanaian public school system. I quickly jumped into the routine at United Way Ghana by spending my second day on the job helping lead an environmental tree-planting event. My weeks in Accra were filled with even more local events like this at schools across the city, focusing not only on environmental education, but also literacy for the younger students and financial planning for those approaching graduation from senior high school. I ended my time in Ghana with two major activities with United Way Ghana. First, I led the Nyansapo Scholarship Project assessment in a region outside of Accra. Here, I sat down with students at three different schools and had open discussions about their educational experiences. By doing this, United Way Ghana is able to get a better understanding of the needs of these students and provide them with the resources needed to excel in their classes, whether it is textbooks or new shoes. My next, and last, activity with United Way Ghana was participating in the Improving Basic Education project launch in the Amoam Achiase community outside of the second-largest city in Ghana, Kumasi. This event included the launch of a new STEAM Lab, Reading Center, and Bakery for economic empowerment. I was incredibly honored to play just a small role in the launch of this project by helping design and set up the Reading Center. 

United Way Ghana provided me with unmatched hands-on experiences that allowed me to better understand educational initiatives in Ghana and deepen my understanding of education policy, humanitarian aid, and international development. Working on the Nyanspo Scholarship Project proved to have the most significant impact on my worldview and how I perceive education access.  Up until this point in my internship, I had only spent time in schools within Accra, which are arguably some of the best public schools in Ghana, and now I was experiencing the stark contrast of schools outside of the city. I spoke to around 20 students at 3 different schools, and each had a unique story to tell me. I learned about what they wanted to be when they were older and who they lived with at home. I learned how many siblings they had and what their hobbies were. But I also learned about the hardships they faced in their day-to-day lives and the fact that many of them could not afford to take the exams that would help them progress in their educational journey. The Nyansapo Scholarship provided these students with basic necessities for school: shoes, uniforms, textbooks, backpacks, or writing utensils. I found my understanding of what is required for academic success and achievement in the global context shifted by my conversations with these bright students.