I’ve made my decision. It’s a compromise. I’ll be spending about half my time on a building site in the Akuapem Hills, just outside Accra (Ghana’s capital city). The other half is up in the air, and I’ll decide after spending sometime in country. I’m working with a new organization: Projects Abroad. They look great, and instead of living in a communal volunteer house, I’ll be living with a host family in whatever village I’m working in. This is something I’ve never done, and am very excited. I have a feeling this will be a bit more immersion than previous ventures. Lima was great, but I felt a constant disconnect from people I was working with, hopefully actually living with them I can learn/experience a bit more about the culture. Can’t wait!
Author Archives: Jessica
Why I Volunteer
Somewhere Over Africa-Red Earth
It’s a question I’ve been asked a fair number of times. It’s also I question I find difficult to answer. In searching to articulate what drives me to volunteer, specifically, abroad I find a multitude of reasons. But I struggle to explain, fundamentally, why. I went to Africa for the first time for mostly selfish reasons. I would be lying if I said otherwise. Yes, I wanted to help, and to contribute in some capacity to those who were in need, but really I wanted to help myself. Specifically, find myself. I had grown up with a clear directive. Medical School. When I began to question my motivations and desire to be a physician my world was for the first time, completely uncertain. My goal, was to live abroad, to remove myself from the familiar, which often acts as a shelter-from ourselves, as well as the world. I wanted to get to know myself. This is what I thought anyway…
Debating Projects
I’m having a bit of trouble deciding what to do once in Ghana. In the past, I’ve volunteered through major international companies. The main problem with this is the cost. Program fees can run (for a month) into the $3,000 range. I was lucky to have a huge discount in Peru, this time however, that won’t be the case. There are many smaller organizations, operating at a fraction of the cost, but obviously have their own drawbacks. OR, I could just land in country and decide then! Thinking back to my time in East Africa, I would feel entirely comfortable just showing up and figuring it out. BUT, I don’t know West Africa, and it is less traveled, so meeting other travelers not tied to volunteer organizations is much harder. I DO need to figure it out soon though, 60 days is fast approaching and a very common cut off point.
If anyone out there has any advice, or suggestions, I would LOVE to hear them!
Ghana!
Ghana Sunset
Today was an incredible day. For two reasons, first Alex graduated from USC with a Master’s degree!! He’s worked incredibly hard, and I am extremely proud of him. And second…we booked flights to GHANA!!! We’ll be leaving at the end of July and staying through the end of August. A short 5 weeks, but I couldn’t be more thrilled. I can’t begin to express how excited I am, and how thankful I am to be able to make this trip. These international volunteer ventures mean a great deal to me, in some sense, I live for them. Ever since my first day in Africa two years ago, I’ve had such an insatiable wanderlust, something I hope never leaves me. This time, I’m not sure if I’ll use an organization for volunteering, or just find something once in country. I’m still unsure about how I feel about foreign aid in general. And, it’s an “easy” country to travel too, especially for Africa, and I feel comfortable now on my own, but we’ll see. I’ve found some great conservation/agriculture sites that I’d love to participate in. Alex will be doing a medical internship, so he’s set. Regardless, I’m sure it will be an incredible experience and I absolutely cannot wait! Already counting the days-73.
Colliding With The Earth 