& Global Village

I was extremely excited to travel to Ghana this past March for many reasons.  After having been on a Habitat trip the year before in Chiapas, Mexico, I had a slight idea of what to expect work-wise.  What I did not expect was the wave of culture and emotions that I would experience while I was there.  I have never been to a place where I felt so at home.  The people I met were like family.  They showed so much affection and excitement that it made me want to be with them all the time.  I never thought that I would feel so comfortable in a place so different from my own country.  Every day was an adventure where we got to learn a few new words and see a different part of Ghanaian culture.  I can honestly say that every moment counted.  Africa was incredible: the people, the land, the music, and the way of life.  Would I go back again? In a heartbeat. 

Chelsea Fortin- Coventry, Vermont

Before leaving for Ghana, our whole group was asked what we expected to get from the trip. I answered truthfully that I had no idea what to expect. I knew few things: the people there were poor, dirty and diseased. Upon arrival, I realized that I too belong to a stereotype group of Westerners held by Africans.

The people in both the urban and very rural areas that we stayed in changed my perspectives of the African people as a whole. Assuming the natives to be hopelessly impoverished, I wondered what they expected of me. They knew all that they needed of me from my appearance. I'm white and have more money than they do.

It didn't take long, however, for me to get to know some of these people as friends, and the idea of diseased, starving Africans fell apart. The people I met were of all sorts. I met great soccer players, local criminals, hip-hop afficinados, comedians, town elders, and others you could find simply walking down Dufferin!

During my time in Ghana, apart from seeing touristy things and building a couple of houses, I overcame a stereotype that I held for people from Africa. And from that, I extrapolate that people really are similar all over the world. I hope that as these people changed my perspective of Africans, I was able to change their stereotype of Americans.

Eli Birge, Newport, Vermont

Ghana… What a great experience it was. I finally can understand what it’s like to live in the Third World, what it’s like to do everything by hand without machines or technology. This trip truly marked me in my life and on my outlook on the world. I had so many great experiences and learned to live in a community where everybody depends on each other. The people there were truly amazing and I learned so much from them about their lives and culture. I wish to go back in several years and see how the community has developed. This trip made me truly realize how much hope there is in some places and has made me want to get more involved in other projects to help humanity. I will never forget the friends I made. It is an experience I will treasure until the day I die.

Francis Williams, Stanstead, Quebec

Going to Ghana-When I was sitting on the plane and these thoughts ran through my head I couldn’t comprehend it yet. What am I going to see? Is our work going to be hard and are the people there nice and friendly? Of course, I was worried as well; you don’t go to Africa every day. But I didn’t need to be worried at all. Seeing the lovely smiles of all the people every day from morning to night, being able to help build a house for a family and making a lot of friends in Ghana outdid all my dreams! It not only changed my life but also my view and opinion of the world. Probably I won’t be able to have an experience like this again and I am really thankful to everyone who made it possible!

Judith Gollmitzer, Kaufbeuren, Germany

When I left New York on a plane bound for Accra, Ghana, I had no idea what to expect of the next two weeks. I had signed up for Habitat for Humanity, hoping to learn a little bit more about what was a “dark continent” to me. Living in the small community of Kofiase proved to be an experience I will never forget. The people of Kofiase opened their community to us and allowed us to experience Ghanaian culture in a way not many others get the opportunity to. The African people we encountered were extremely hard-working, kind, generous, and dedicated to improving their lives. I am very grateful for this opportunity. It changed the way I view the world and has inspired me to participate in more activities like Habitat, as I know first-hand the difference they can make in peoples’ lives.

Sarah Bailey, Youngstown, Alberta

I never would have thought I would get the chance to spend my March break in Ghana, Africa. Before leaving I was really apprehensive about the surroundings and what life would be like there. After the trip was over and we went to Cape Coast, away from the community I immediately wanted to go back. The people and atmosphere were so friendly and welcoming I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. It really opened my eyes and taught me how to live my life without the things I take for granted. I grew and changed a lot because of this trip and I’m very grateful. I think it’s important for students like us to understand and learn from people our age in other cultures. It opens your eyes to new and exciting experiences. I can only hope that more teenagers my age can have the opportunity to be as fortunate as I was to go learn from such amazing new people.

Stephanie Guyette, Newport, Vermont

I think that Ghana was a fun experience but even more it was a life lesson. When I got to Ghana I thought that the team and I were going to build a house for a family and then leave with a bunch of memories. It turned out that we built great friendships, great memories, AND had great experiences. For a person coming from a First World country to travel to Third World country, where people depend on themselves and their efforts to live, I found that maybe First World people are lazy in a way and find themselves stuck when they do not have the machinery and materials that they think they need. I loved the fact that in Kofiase I had to use my hands and my heart to build something that some people would say was simple, and be rewarded for the small efforts that we put into helping the families have a better home to raise and take care of their family in.

Now that I think about it, I think we should have thanked them more for all of the love they shared with us. I will never forget what they have done for me.

Victoria MacIsaac, Montreal, Quebec

Experience alters perceptions. My experience in Kofiase, Ghana altered my perception of what is important in my life and for the lives of the generations to come. My trip included laughter, tears, and honest hard work. It brought me face-to-face with the reality of life in a developing country; a reality that couldn’t be switched off or ignored.  As Mark Twain once wrote: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.”

Chris Kopar, Toronto, Ontario

"I regard it as the foremost task of education to insure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self denial, and above all, compassion." K. Hahn

I became the student, and the Ghanaians and my students became my teachers. The passion for life, excitement of the present and readiness for adventure on this trip was incredible. In leaving the field and classroom behind, we accomplished as much learning in two weeks as many can accomplish in a lifetime. We learned from our Ghanaian friends what it means to really live- and to be a part of a community that truly depends on you. They share without question, in resources, in spirit and in joy as in sorrow. I will be forever humbled by the experience of living in Kofiase and certainly strive to exemplify the quality of character we witnessed there, I know the entire group will do the same. As an educator I realized that it is paramount to never stop learning.

Eryn Hessian, Bedford, Nova Scotia