Seniors Abroad in Ghana Share Their Explorations
With fellow students at the Kakum National Park near Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana
As our time in the PEA Ghana Exchange Program comes to a close, we wish to share with you all some highlights from our trip. We left for Ghana in mid-August, and were surprised to find that at 81 degrees, it was cooler here than back home. Over the past three months, we have been attending SOS-Herman Gmeiner International School, an International Baccalaureate (IB) boarding school in the industrial city of Tema, some 20 miles along the coast east of the capital city of Accra. Here we’ve been doing the IB curriculum, an international diploma program. Along with our schoolwork, we also tended to the gardens outside of our hostel, participated in many of the school’s activities, and developed a love for jollof rice and kebabs.
Aside from schoolwork, we’ve had a wide range of experiences. Genesis attended Humanities Day at Tema International School, Gwendolyn competed in the ISSAG track competition, and we’ve both participated in the school’s very competitive singing competition. We also took part in a mid-semester adventure to experience other parts of Ghana. We went to the beach, did an aerial canopy walk through Kakum National Park, learned how to weave kente cloth in Kumasi, toured Elmina Castle’s slave quarters and bartered for earrings and art in the Accra Art Center. In Kumase we had the opportunity to visit the Asantehene’s palace and caught a glimpse of the king of the Asante kingdom, Osei Tutu II Otumfuo.
Last week, we represented America in the school’s National Day. We woke up bright and early to cook enough apple pies and bacon cheese fries for the school. During the event, we sang the national anthem and recited a poem about America. This week, we’ve been saying our goodbyes in preparation for our return to the states. We wish we could stay another semester, but are excited to see our families and get back to cold weather.
See you back in New Hampshire!
Gwendolyn and Genesis