Post written by Kate Dickman, a United Planet volunteer.
Exactly a year ago my trip to Ghana began. I remember everything like it was yesterday and my memories of that warm place are fond. I’d have to say that visiting that country was one of the best things I’ve ever done with my life. Although I was not there for as long as I may have liked, what I saw and experienced during my stay was simply amazing.
I was able to discover much of Accra (Ghana’s capital) as well as teach a summer camp up in the Volta Region in a small village called Biakpa. I knew that I couldn’t change the world with just one trip, so I made a goal – to befriend one child and make a difference in their life somehow. During my stay in Biakpa, I was able to help teach kids at a summer camp me and two other volunteers created as well as witness their culture firsthand. One of my favorite parts of the trip was being able to take these children on their first true “field trip” to Wli Waterfalls and the Monkey Sanctuary. This experience was not only a dream come true for myself, but more so for the children who got the opportunity to leave their village for the first time! The look of excitement and bewilderment on their faces was so fulfilling. I’ll never forget their expressions as we danced and sang on the way to the waterfalls –it was amazing.
While the first village was a great experience, it wasn’t until my even shorter stay in the next village – Putubiw that made my trip complete. It was a little unclear as to what I would be doing there as it was not quite on the itinerary initially and it was a new project for United Planet. I felt a bit lost upon arriving there as the people of the village were not as used to outsiders as Biakpa. However, I befriended a gregarious young girl named Bernice. This girl truly took to me as I did her and I taught her as much as I could in that short time. She really was something else and unlike any other villager I had met in Ghana. There was this spark in her and this desire to know more about the world and more about people outside of her culture. She also differed from the other children I met in a BIG way. She did not ask for one single thing. She never expected anything or desired much from me except for friendship.
By the end, she even insisted on buying me a soda and then attempted to give me the equivalent of two American Dollars for my trip home (which I graciously declined of course), but it showed just how selfless this young girl was. She taught me a lot about the kind of people that can have so little but give so much. I was grateful to be able to connect with another volunteer who was heading to the same village and sent with her a lovely care package to give to Bernice. We still keep in touch to this day with phone calls once in a while and I’m happy to say that my initial goal was accomplished. It is a trip I will NEVER forget, people I will never forget and a place I hope to venture back to!
Volunteer Abroad with United Planet
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ABOUT UNITED PLANET
United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
