By Charlie C
The final stop of my gap year was Ghana. After traveling to some relatively popular locations, such as Patagonia, the Galapagos and Israel, I was ready to take on a completely new experience. I signed up to volunteer for 6 weeks in Accra, teaching basketball and photography to kids. All I can remember when I stepped outside Kotoka International Airport was the intense heat. During my first few days, in addition to culture shock, the main challenge was adjusting to the heat. I was placed in a very basic volunteer house in Teshie (within the capital city), with no air conditioning. My first few nights, as I laid in bed covered in sweat, I wondered how I ended up in Ghana. However, with each new day, I began to love Ghana more and more. And with the smart purchase of a fan, I managed to get comfortable in my new environment. In addition to basketball, the program I joined also runs a youth soccer team for kids aspiring to play abroad. Most nights, these teenagers would stay with us in the volunteer house. Several of them, including Oneking, Emmanuel, and Martin, became my friends.
Outside of the house, my weekdays were very busy. Each morning, I would hail a taxi and head deeper into Teshie to reach Vyckmans School which was run by an amazing man named Frederick. At this small school, I would teach photography to the young students using 10 digital cameras I brought with me from the United States. The kids were so eager to learn this new art, and loved taking photos. Each day, I taught a new lesson and set up a fun activity, such as photographing shadows and putting together a photo scavenger hunt in the street. Teaching the students was extremely gratifying. It was also an opportunity to learn about the students’ lives and teach them how to express their creativity through photography. In anticipation of my final day with these amazing students, I printed two of each student’s photos for them to take home to remember their time with me. I also left the digital cameras with the school so that future students can be exposed to the art of photography.
In the afternoons, I hailed another taxi and went to another school that had a basketball court. My first day, I was thrown in without much preparation, and without knowing any of the students. By the end of my six weeks, this court was my home and helped me make many friends from young to old. Each afternoon I ran an after-school clinic for kids aged 12-16, many of whom were beginners. I would teach skills such as 2-on-1 fast breaks, or run fun shooting competitions. Many of the kids in Teshie had never experienced organized basketball coaching, and were even open to additional, individual help with dribbling and shooting skills even after practice was over.
As the sun began to set, some of the older kids around my age would come to the court to play pickup games. Initially, I was nervous to join in, but I quickly realized how kind and welcoming Ghanaians are. Soon, I was playing pickup every night, and through that I met my closest friends (Prince, Kofi, Na, Augustine, Donald and Peter). I also spent time with these friends off the court which gave me a unique perspective into their daily lives. Prince and I often ate dinner after playing basketball, sometimes across the street at a local restaurant overlooking the ocean. This is where I first tried Banku with tilapia, which quickly became my favorite meal. I spent time with Prince’s family, shared in their celebrations and also learned about their hardships. Prince and I also went to a Philadelphia Eagles event on my final day. My friend Donald took me to the big Makola market, where we shopped for clothes … a dizzying experience in the bustling market.
I can’t say enough about the wonderful people of Ghana and how much I valued my time there. I met so many amazing people with whom I am still in touch and can’t wait until the day I return!
