Student Reflections On A Trip To Ghana

By Shelly Hubertus on September 12, 2012

Everyone should go to another country at least once. Seeing life through the eyes of a different culture can teach you many things that can’t be learned any other way. This past summer I traveled with my sister to Ghana, Africa, where my entire life was turned upside-down in a crazy whirlwind of different smells, clothes, foods, and people. To write about all my experiences would require much more than one story, it would have to be developed into a book or a TV series; however, here are some of my reflections:

Being different can be frightening.

We were warned to avoid wearing clothing with graphics that pegged us as tourists, as if the fact that I’m so white I practically glow in the dark isn’t enough to make me stand out in the Gold Coast of black Africa.  People stared; they tried to grab our bags and I thought they were trying to steal them. They called out to us; they spoke about us in a language I had never heard and I was terrified. Later I learned that it was out of genuine curiosity and excitement, but at that time all I wanted was to go home. If you ever experience a similar situation, give it time. We soon found that people were always willing to help us find our way and they never expected us to understand Twi (the native language) because, no matter how hard we tried to blend in, they somehow knew we were tourists. I blame the T-shirts.

Foster an open mind.

Embrace the culture. Even if that means having people stare at you during church until you break into dance along with them. Believe me, it’s not as awkward as you think it is and those are the moments that you will remember, not the time when you opted for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead of the traditional fufu or sat in your room instead of going out to play with the local children.  So dance in the church, eat the rice, and try the language; it makes for great stories when you get back!

I love America. Say it with me, “’MERICA!”

I have always loved America, but I think I was more in love with the America of the past, thinking we have become more self-centered and greedy in recent years. However, walking around the cities and villages in Ghana I saw American merchandise everywhere: basketball jerseys on boys and men, Hannah Montana notebooks in schools, Disney Princess t-shirts on little girls. Why was it there? Because we gave it to them.  Many people get things they need because American companies and individuals care enough to send them. Heartwarming isn’t it? Also, after seeing the poverty and problems faced by developing countries like Ghana, I realized that while our economic problems are substantial, we don’t have a monopoly on hardship. The phrase “starving children in Africa” has become so cliché that I sometimes forget that it’s true. We are much better off than many parts of the world, whether we remember it or not.

There is so much more I could say and infinitely more stories I could tell, but it’s best to live a story than read one anyway. So go ahead, research the place you would like to visit and see if it’s right for you. Learn what to expect but expect the unexpected. Get outside your comfort zone; maybe you’ll find it’s not as frightening as you imagined. 

The students at a poverty stricken village where I taught loved taking pictures and trying to teach me Twi.

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