Jasmine volunteered as a Teacher in Ghana
I have just got back from Ghana where I have been teaching for the last five months. I can honestly say that it’s been an incredible, insightful and life enhancing experience.
I worked as a teacher at Western Royal Montessori School for five months. I taught English, Creative Arts and helped in the library. One of the best parts about being a teacher was thinking up new ideas for each lesson, I would use all different resources that were available to me, including the items that I had brought with me from home as well as the items I bought whilst I was there. I taught Creative Arts including Drama, Poetry and Music. I worked with my drama class in groups to put on a performance. In Music I taught the class popular western songs and then the classes performed these songs with the dances we taught them. My volunteer partner and I were able to join in with the teaching committees and contribute our own ideas for the school. I was able to create, organise and advertise a creative arts competition for which all students in classes K.G. to J.H.S.2 joined in. My partner and I also repainted the letters in front of the school, took photographs for advertising and created a class poster for the graduation day ceremony.
Whilst I was in Ghana I learnt a lot, not just about myself but about another country, another culture, and most importantly another way of life. Heading off to a new country and doing something completely different is admittedly quite surreal but I managed to avoid the panic by building up a support network of good friends. Among these friends I counted my fellow volunteers and volunteer partner, whom I could always bounce ideas off and talk about anything with, our hosts and the teachers who would always lend support and guidance if we asked and the students who were quick to teach us about Ghana, their language, their customs and how they wanted to be taught. I’ve learnt how to build up a good network of friends, how to communicate with people and that it’s easy to not feel lonely simply by joining in the community. I rarely experienced homesickness simply because I was home. It was not the case that my life was on hold back home or that I was counting down the days to go home because now I consider Ghana as my second home.
Whilst being a teacher I learnt patience, how to keep an entire class occupied and the infamous but useful skill of having eyes in the back of your head! I have also learnt how to live on a budget, pack efficiently but sparingly (usually for travelling at the weekends or during the Easter holidays) and working and making decisions as a team.
Two of the best things about being a volunteer in Ghana were opportunity and community. I completely felt part of the community whilst I was there, both the school community and the community of Ghana. While teaching at the school I truly felt I had a place there, being “Madam Jasmine” was a wonderful role to step into. With the constant barrage of questions, the never-ending inquisitiveness, the friendliness and the constant company it was difficult to be lonely. It was truly wonderful being able to go anywhere and having a welcoming and friendly face to greet you and the chance to learn something new. The kindness of the teachers and students who would always invite you to join their meal, buy or make you the odd present or sweet from the tuck shop made it truly difficult to leave. There was also so much opportunity to see Ghana, both at weekends and during the Easter holidays. Our volunteering group visited each other’s placements both in Takoradi in the Western Region and Achiase in the Eastern region, giving us an opportunity to learn about the other schools. We travelled to various places in Ghana including Cape Coast, where we saw Cape Coast castle and embarked on the Kakum Canopy walk in the National Park. We also visited the capital Accra multiple times, Ho Hoe, Tamale (where we visited Mole National Park), Kumasi, Techimen and lots of other places.
There were always people willing to help us, with directions, finding goods, letting us know a fair price for things without us even asking them. Ghana truly is a community and an incredibly inclusive country; this was wonderful to be a part of. I often compare this sense of community with my community in England, I am aware that waving to strangers whilst walking down the road in England is usually regarded with mistrust, but after being in Ghana for 5 months I am definitely less self conscious and uptight about simply being friendly to people I don’t know. My experience has also made me realise the importance of not only creating your own community but being part of the greater community back home.
I am going on to study history at university in October. When I first started considering which universities to apply to I took some consideration over distance from where I am living now. This seems ridiculous now as in comparison to Ghana the distance seems miniscule. While I still have the awareness of that distance, my time in Ghana has eased a lot of the fear that might have come with moving away from home. I now know that I am able to live somewhere completely different and feel completely at home there. Mostly the experience has encouraged me towards independence and self sufficiency and taught me that it is possible to form your own community anywhere you go.
I truly have learnt a lot from this experience and I have had so much fun. I have really enjoyed my time in Ghana and I am incredibly happy that I had the opportunity to go- I would recommend it to anyone.
