I am going to spend three months in Ghana next semester through school and as a result I have to write blogs for the University of Ottawa website as well as for the Students Without Borders webpage. Here is my first posting for the SWB blog :) Enjoy
In less than two months I will be arriving in Ghana for my three month internship! I am currently in my third year at the University of Ottawa studying International Development and Globalization. I love traveling, playing soccer, and working with kids and therefore cannot wait to start my internship in Ejura, Ghana.
I chose to do an international internship because I believe you can gain so much from going abroad and learning from real life experiences. With everything I have learnt in class, I cannot wait to put it in to practice when I am in Ghana.
I am volunteering with the Girls Education Unit as a Gender Advocacy Assistant. I have always loved learning and felt education was so important; I cannot wait to share this with the people of Ghana. In Ghana, I will be promoting girls education through assisting with the Girls Clubs and helping with homework. I chose this placement because I truly feel that poverty can be eliminated by empowering women directly through education!
Through this internship, I hope to accomplish something different than what I am used to. After recently traveling with a non-governmental organization and building homes, I am really excited to gain a different experience. I am looking forward to seeing the ins and outs of a non-governmental organization and see how policies and programs are implemented.
During my internship, I am hoping to learn a lot about the Ghanaian culture including the language, food, practices, and religion! I am really excited for this experience to challenge me as a traveler and as a student. I have never traveled alone nor have I been away from home for three months so I am really looking forward to learning my way around, dealing with issues on my own, trying new things, and becoming a more independent person. I am excited to learn more about myself and cannot wait to approach and overcome new challenges! I currently have the typical nervous-excited mixed feelings… but more on the excited side! It’s so soon!
I am sure the next two months will fly by and you will be hearing back from me when I am taking my first steps as a Gender Advocacy Assistant in Ghana!
Also! Please note that this blog can also be found on the Students Without Borders (SWB) blog located at http://blog.studentswithoutborders.ca/bianca-staltari/pre-departure-thoughts/ which is also under Fun Links on the right hand side of my home page. Following this are a number of resources available all relating to my internship. I will be writing a blog for the University of Ottawa in months to come. Also feel free to check out Uniterra, World University Service of Canada (WUSC), and Students Without Borders (SWB) who are all supporting and guiding me on my international experience! Any questions, feel free to comment below, send me an e-mail or tweet me (@bstaltari - also on the right)!
Talk to you soon!
Bianca
