- Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.
For my STEP project, my group travelled from July 22nd to August 6th in 2023. We met at the Ohio Uni
on and took a flight to Accra, Ghana on July 22nd. We arrived in Ghana on July 23rd. We were located at a children’s orphanage called Engyankwa wo enyiadad. We were working with the children there through Buck-I-SERV and the Akumanyi Foundation. Most of my time spent in Ghana was in rural communities near Accra which is in the central region of the country. However, for one weekend we went to a town called Cape Coast as well.
While working at the children’s orphanage, I had multiple tasks to complete. The orphanage also has a school attached to it where about 100-200 kids attend. The orphanage and school are funded through outside donations and are sustained by a local farm for food. Some of my tasks included but are not limited to helping the children prepare for their day in the morning, helping with cooking meals, cleaning the orphanage, assisting kids with their schoolwork, teaching about women’s empowerment, and anything else the organization needs us to do. Towards the end of the trip, through many donations we were able to fund the reconstruction of their dining hall. It has been too dangerous to use for awhile but after our support and help the dining hall will be usable again.
- What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.
I went on the trip very excited to visit another country and experience their culture. I was a little bit nervous about going to Ghana because I did not know how safe the country was or if I would enjoy my time there. After returning to the United States safely, I can say that it was not only the best time of my life, but I never once felt in danger. Every single person we met was excited to see our group and say hello. The kids at the orphanage absolutely adored us and we built a very strong bond with them over our visit. I came to understand Ghanian culture and how beautiful their lives are in Ghana, Africa.
- What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.
Since my group was working at an orphanage in Ghana, we obviously got extremely close with the children because we spent so much time with them. However, I also had the amazing chance to gain a friendship with some of the older kids that worked at the orphanage. They were mostly boys from the age 16-29 years old. One was named Isaac and he accompanied us on the tour of the village on the first day of our being there. He taught me so much about Ghanian culture. Us and a couple others also hung out after the little kids went to bed, and during that time Isaac taught me phrases in Twi (the main language spoken in Ghana) and told me stories about his life.
We also had an impromptu activity during the kid’s break time in school. We all gathered on the field outside the school, and we played some classic American songs on a speaker. We played the Cha-Cha-Slide and many other dance along based songs. It was so much to teach the little kids the different dances. It was even more meaningful because this was our time to teach the kids a little bit about our culture. In America everyone knows these dances but the kids in Ghana had never heard of them. It was nice to finally give back, since they had been very helpful in teaching us about Ghanian culture.
I was concerned about my safety in Ghana before attending the service trip. I knew I would be safe in the enclosed orphanage, but I was unsure about our excursions to other towns/cities if my safety was still ensured. However, after my trip I was blown away by the friendliness. In Cape Coast, we visited the city’s market and stayed in a hotel one night. We were warned about pickpocketing and verbal harassment before the trip (as most cities are), but no one came close to pickpocketing any member of my group and people were much more interested in just having a friendly conversation with you. Even if you didn’t feel like talking, as soon as you expressed that feeling, everyone was super respectful of it. It truly was an amazing experience.
- Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.
My service trip to Ghana, Africa very much impacted my life. I enjoyed working and bonding with the kids. They were all so joyful and full of life, and they really inspired me to take that kind of viewpoint on life to my own personal day-to-day experiences. In Ghana, a cultural belief is that every person comes from the same human which makes us all brothers and sisters. Ghanaians treat every stranger the same as they would treat a member of their family. The people in Ghana are incredibly happy and more than willing to teach foreigners about their culture. This ideal really inspired me to be more forgiving. Waving hello to a stranger or talking to someone new everyday has made my life much more meaningful, and the people I have talked to in America say how happy they are that I decided to be friendly towards them.
I also am now thinking about working with a non-profit organization that is abroad for an internship. This way I can learn more about the industry and have a chance to travel to other countries that would benefit from my help. I’m very interested in learning new cultures and languages, so that I can fully understand other people’s lifestyle. I am currently specifically looking into internships based in African countries as well. A few family friends have reached out to me with more information on different non-profits, and I am so excited and thankful to continue my learning of other cultures.
