Written by United Planet Country Coordinator Ian Utley
Mekyia mo!
Born in 1972, I am originally from the farmlands of Lincolnshire in England (similar to rural Idaho), where I played a lot of rugby and trained as an elementary school teacher. I have one brother and two nieces in New York, and 22 million brothers and sisters in Ghana.
I have been in love with Ghana since 1998, when I worked as a teacher trainer with the charity Voluntary Service Overseas. I am fluent in the country’s main language, Twi, and occasionally entertain Ghanaians by appearing in Twi language TV and radio shows. I am also the author of Culture Smart! Ghana- The Essential Guide to Customs and Culture.
I left the classroom in 2007 to concentrate on travel writing, language teaching and ecotourism in Ghana. Working with United Planet is a natural extension of this, and I look forward to welcoming many United Planet volunteers to this wonderful country.
I like to relax with scrabble, walking in the rain forest and reggae music, and I make awesome jollof rice.
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.
