My journey with Projects Abroad was definitely one to remember! I decided to travel to Ghana to volunteer in the medicine field, and I definitely have no regrets doing so. At first, I was a little hesitant to travel across the country from the United States to Ghana being only 15 years old, but that changed quickly upon my first day in Ghana. I arrived in at the Accra airport in Ghana and was warmly greeted by the Projects Abroad drive, Nyame. He was extremely welcoming and friendly, making small talk with us along the way. My placement, however, was in Cape Coast, Ghana, which is 3 hours away from Accra. However, Projects Abroad was very helpful in sending along a staff member with me to taking the bus to Cape Coast.
Once I had arrived at my host family's house, I was met by my host mother, brothers, and sister. My host family truly felt like family to me by the end of the trip. During my 2 weeks in Cape Coast, Ghana, my schedule had filled with interesting volunteering works and activities. We were able to bandage wounds in leprosy camps, observe in the teaching hospital, as well as blood tests, checking vitals, and blood pressure at community outreaches. I enjoyed the community outreaches very much because it seemed like I could directly help the people in Ghana and get to know the culture of the people of Ghana more. The Project Abroad supervisors that took care of our groups played a huge role in making this journey even more memorable. The supervisors helped to guide us along our ways, but I saw them as more of friend than anything else. They were easy to talk to and even joke around with. Not only were my 2 weeks in Ghana very productive, but also filled with a lot of smiles and laughter.
Moreover, this trip brought me many new friends from all over the world, whom I would never meet unless I joined this trip. Everyday working with my new friends from different parts of world, as well as my new friends in Ghana was very enjoyable and we made many memories together that I will forever remember. I will also never forget my host family. Every evening after our volunteer work, we would gather in the dining room and just hang out with the host brothers and sister as if we were one big family. This trip has brought me so many teachings, friends, and new experiences. I definitely recommend Projects Abroad as a program to join!
