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Ghana

Program Overview

A Kwaaba.
Hear the talking drums of the marketplace and feast your eyes on colorful kente cloth. Traverse walkways suspended 400 feet above the rainforest floor. Travel down castle stairs into dark dungeons where slaves were held captive along the infamous Gold Coast of Africa. Ghana and her people will touch your soul.

Orientation in Accra
Your Ghanaian Experiment begins in the capital of Accra at the University of Ghana-Legon. During your four-day orientation, study Ghanaian dance and music, participate in Twi language classes, and attend lectures on Ghanaian history, culture, and economy. As you and your group explore Accra, with its vibrant markets, beautiful Aburi Gardens, and warm Atlantic beach, you have ample opportunity to experience the richness of Ghana's arts and crafts—such as wood carving, drum making, and weaving—and to observe skills and techniques that have been passed down for generations.

Community Service
Travel to a rural area in central Ghana for a 10-day community service project. As you work together with local people, you will be amazed at how much can be accomplished. Past proj¬ects have included helping to dig wells, painting community buildings, and assisting in the con¬struction of schools. At the farewell ceremony, celebrate your achievements, the friendships you have developed, and lessons learned about life in a rural Ghanaian community.

Homestay
Living with a host family, you see firsthand why Ghanaian hospitality and generosity are renowned. Experience Ghanaian life as you help to prepare meals, assist in traditional ceremonies, or accompany family members to work or school. Your host family is eager to share their lives and learn about your background, culture, and beliefs.

Sample host communities: Accra, Kumasi, Akosombo, Takoradi

Travel and Discovery
Throughout the program, you and your group journey into Ghana's rich past, explore its exciting future, and get lost in its natural beauty. Visit the dramatic coastal slave castles of Cape Coast and El Mina to see how slavery operated and profoundly impacted both West Africa and the Americas. Discover Kumasi, the vibrant traditional capital of the Ashanti Empire. Walk through the canopy high above the Kakum National Park rainforest. Take in a traditional dance perfor¬mance at the Dagbe Center in the Volta region. Journey to Akosombo for a day of canoeing and relaxation on Lake Volta, the largest man-made lake in the world.

When we arrived at the village there was a huge celebration. We walked to the town square, as tradition goes, and were accompanied by a group that sang and chanted to the beating of drums. That night, we had a feast of delicious fish and rice with yams and vegetables because early the next morning we were going to start work on our service project! We helped build a new school, taught the children math, and painted a mural of the world.

-- Jonathan Tien, Flushing, New York

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