Why I Want to Go to Ghana

I asked the students to write the reason why they wanted to go to Ghana and what, specifically, they intended focus on for their cultural studies independent project. Here is one students response:
The word equality is commonly tossed around in our privileged state of existence. It’s an easy thing to discuss when a person is sitting in a warm, comfortable house after a hearty, satisfying meal. “All men are created equal.” People strive to make that statement the truth or pretend like it is, but it is not the reality. In going to a place like Ghana, Africa, I would hope to break down my limits and immerse myself in a place where I see first hand that life isn’t so easy and life isn’t so equal. I mean here I am typing on a computer trying to understand what it would mean to go Ghana and become intertwined within their culture. This trip would be a huge learning experience where I would get to work and study in a hands on situation. Instead of giving the money to an organization where I don’t know exactly how that money is used, I could be able to see the complete extent and affect the money and work has done. How amazing something like that could be. I am very open to being completely out of my element and working with people I know nothing about. I would hope to learn phrases from their language so I could converse and express how excited and happy I am to have an opportunity to be with the people of Ghana. I would be honored to get the chance to make a difference and start the beginnings of giving the youth an equal opportunity to succeed in school and in life. For me, I feel lucky to have the prospect of going to Ghana. And for me I believe that this experience will open my eyes and change my life.
I have a seven-year-old sister who turned my family’s life upside down. My mom will even say, “I thought I had parenting all figured out until this little one came along.” I watched my parents struggle in raising my sister, Estella. Not only did my parents have to give her the tools and supportive hand to learn to walk and talk, they had to prepare her for school and the rest of world. For an independent project, I would like to see how families in Ghana prepare their young to be successful in their lives and teach them how to thrive in such a harsh world. In doing this, I want to compare and contrast the similarities with Ghanaian families and my own. This project would be important to me because I was shown what it is like to bring a life into the world and not only teach them things but learn from them as well. It would be not only interesting, but possibly helpful and telling if I could observe how families in Ghana function and raise their children. Our cultures, I’m sure, are very different, but the affection between family members is universal. It would be exciting to learn and get to see the differences and similarities between families from two very different places. In addition, being able to relate the things I am discovering right to my own home would make my project that more personal and motivating.