Trent-in-Ghana Participant 2011-2012
I was a student at Dalhousie University when I participated in the Trent in Ghana program in 2011-2012.
The Trent in Ghana Program is organized in a way that gives flexibility to students to explore areas of their interest through fieldwork in Tamale and an internship during the second semester. I was given ample time to see the whole country, with classes in Accra and Tamale. Our classes in Accra and fieldwork in Tamale gave us the background knowledge needed to find our place in our internships and be able to successfully take on different projects.
The most valuable thing about my nine months in Ghana was doing an internship with Challenging Heights (CH). James Kofi Annan started Challenging Heights in 2003, and it became a registered NGO in 2005. CH is a child’s rights organization based out of Winneba. Currently they have a number of projects with the primary emphasis on protecting and rescuing children from child trafficking and forced child labour in the cocoa plantations and fishing industry on the Volta Lake. Their main projects include the Challenging Heights School, The Hovde House Shelter, Child Trafficking Survivors Support Network, a Remedial School Programme, and Child Sponsorship. Challenging Heights has a dedicated staff that was always willing to go above and beyond to make an impact on improving the opportunities of children and youth in Winneba. During my time at Challenging Heights I was given the opportunity to work on several different projects including monitoring the remedial school classes, assisting with child sponsorship, planning and organizing a youth empowerment conference, and helping the programs manager with office tasks. Through this experience I have made lifelong friendships and have gained so much perspective on life and children’s rights.
My time in Ghana has been by far the most beneficial experience I could have had as an undergraduate student. This year has also helped me find my place in the field of development studies and has given me the building blocks needed to start my future career.