Stellenbosch University (SU) International’s Centre for Collaboration in Africa (CCA) afforded three SU students the opportunity to participate in the Ghana to the World (GTW) summer school hosted by the University of Ghana (UG) on 30 June and 1 July 2022. UG is one of SU’s comprehensive African bilateral partners.
The GTW programme allows students to learn about Ghana and West Africa while they participate in fun activities hosted on the UG campus. Telling West Africa’s story from the perspective of Ghana, the programme promotes cross-cultural immersion and engages students from across the world in conversations on Africa-centred issues.
Activities were divided into three components: an elective course or research project to spark conversation on Africa-specific topics, volunteerism to expose students to the Ghanaian community setting, and a cultural experience with visits to historic sites and attractions. This year, the volunteerism component took the form of a collaboration with the non-profit ActionAid Ghana, which works to reduce poverty and advance social justice and gender equality in the West African nation. GTW participants were able to assist at a workshop that supported community leaders to end violence against women and girls in their immediate environment. The students also attended a special Children’s Parliamentary session to mark the International Day of the African Child.
GTW lectures covered topics such as African history, the diaspora and Ghanaian public health care, as well as Twi language classes. Experiential learning experiences included visits to cultural sites such as the Assin Manso Slave River site, where participants learned about the infamous trans-Atlantic slave trade, and the Elmina Slave Castle, which was one of the most important stops on the slave trade route.
Students also got to visit the bustling Makola Market and Kakum National Park, explore the Ghanian capital city of Accra and sample the local cuisine.
“Ghana to the World was a fun, enriching and intellectually stimulating experience, and I would recommend it to anyone,” says one of SU’s participants, Stefni van der Walt. “The organisers made sure that we got to know the Ghanaian culture through food, dance and many other valuable experiences, which made the trip an unforgettable adventure!”
For more on other summer programmes that SU participates in, visit:http://www.sun.ac.za/english/SUInternational/current-students/attend-a-partner-summer-school.
