Training

Hey :)

My flight to Ghana has officially been booked on January 6... only 16 days, 4 hours, and 2 minutes until I leave! It is creeping up on me... but I am so excited!

One thing that I really like about going on an international internship through school is the mandatory pre-departure training. At first we were told we have to complete 30 hours of this training which sounds exhausting and overwhelming when you are trying to complete assignments and study for exams. However, so far this pre-departure training has proved to be extremely beneficial and in a way I feel more advantaged. We have discussed so many interesting things that I probably wouldn't have even considered or realized if I just took off on a trip. With that being said, this blog is going to be focused on sharing some of the thoughts and insights I have learnt through these training sessions!

During our first official training we discussed the concept of power in terms of sociology and how we are perceived in different places. I compared myself in Canada to how I will be seen in Ghana. So what we did was draw a "Social Power Flower" and each petal was a different concept to look at: education, ability, race, citizenship, age, language, religion, class/wealth, gender, and culture/ethnicity. So in Canada my education is seen as valued, however most people nowadays go for a Masters so I am still not considered the most "powerful". However, in Ghana I am extremely valuable because I completed high school and am currently studying in a university. Another interesting thing that we discussed was age. In Canada, my age is seen as valuable, but we concluded that around 30-50 you are most efficient because you are settled down and working at the best of your ability. In Ghana, children would most likely not be as valued but the elderly are usually very well respected. I found it very interesting to compare my social power in Canada to how I could be perceived in Ghana. It really opened up my eyes and got me thinking. I loved it!

Another interesting pre-departure training we had was on accountabilities and we discussed paradoxes:
1. You are in charge but not in control
2. It's all about you but it's not about you
3. You are on your own but not alone
4. You get out of it what you put into it
5. No pain, no gain
6. There are no good internships, just good interns

These were also interesting and kept me thinking, definitely something to reflect on and consider when volunteering or working abroad!

We still have two more training sessions to go in the beginning of January, but so far they have been extremely beneficial and I feel advantaged because of them. I feel like my eyes have been opened before I have even left! I am so excited to put everything we have discussed in training into practice when I am in Ghana! It will be interesting to go back and see if things made sense or worked out the way we had discussed them in training. It will be an adventure to say the least!

I cannot wait... departure is coming up so soon!!

Love Always,
Bianca :)