I was a student at McGill University when I participated in the Trent-in-Ghana program in 2007-2008. It was an absolutely fantastic experience. Trent's IDS Department has developed an unparalleled study-abroad program.
The highlight for me was the field placement. I spent 12 weeks working for Ghana's Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice. Working in a field office in Northern Ghana I worked with a team that was responsible for settling a wide array of disputes, varying fromreligious discrimination to the impact of witchcraft as well as working to promote government transparency.
The placements are as much about learning as they are about doing. Upon completing the placement, students present their findings to a panel of academics and development practitioners. Learning about human rights and development from a cross-cultural perspective forced me to appreciate the challenges of development and encouraged me to think deeply and broadly about how various actors ranging from the government to traditional institutions like chieftaincy systems might contribute to sustained progress in the region.
I returned to McGill with a full year's worth of academic credits, life-long friends, and an experience that helped launch my graduate studies at Harvard University.
I would recommend the Trent-in-Ghana program to any self-starter who is interested in a year abroad in West Africa.