The Trent-in-Ghana program is the only reason I attended Trent University. When applying for other International Development Studies related programs in Ontario, I noticed some offered internships in addition to the degree, but none had anything like the Trent-in-Ghana program. Not only did I get to spend an academic year in Ghana, I also spent time learning about Ghana’s history with development and Africa at large. A lot of what I had spent two years studying at Trent finally made sense, seeing it first hand in Ghana. Being a Ghanaian woman going on a year abroad to Ghana did not make sense to a lot of people, but it was very important to me and helped to understand Ghana’s place in the developing world.
While at Trent we discuss issues related to the continent and tried to brainstorm solutions, it all seems easy and structured from the classroom. But once in Ghana, I found out that issues were a lot more complicated and that simple solutions would not work. The courses we took at the University of Cape Coast and in Tamale were very informative and engaging. Each professor had their own way of ensuring that we understood the course materials by having debates, presentations, bringing in guest speakers, even taking us outside the classroom! My personal favourites were the gender debate on affirmative action and the mini-placements in Tamale where we assessed the effectiveness of a few pro-poor policies in Ghana.
I wanted to do as much as possible with the little time there. I enjoyed the many excursions that we would take as a group outside of the classroom. These groups trips were not only fun, they also presented the chance to travel and see a lot of what Ghana had to offer. With my desire to travel and see as much of Ghana as possible, I did my internship with a local NGO in Tamale called NORSAAC. NORSAAC focuses on providing knowledge of gender rights, governance, economic independence, sexual and reproductive health, and skills training. With my time there I interacted predominately with young women and children in their various communities and gained a greater understanding of how important it is for NGOs to have extensive knowledge of the communities they work with.
All in all, my time in Ghana as a participant of the TIG program helped narrow down my understanding of development and make meaningful connections that will continue well into the future. I would strongly encourage anyone interested in development and is considering participating in the TIG program to go! The amount of knowledge and growth this program equips you with goes beyond the classroom.