Portland: Home Sweet Home
Noted on May 2, 2011 by Giustina Pelosi in
By Mandy Sladky: Portland State University student and IE3 Alumna, interned with Environmental Development Youth Movement in Ghana.
During my internship in Atorkor, I was able to accomplish a great deal. The majority of my sense of accomplishment stems from the simple fact that I was able to learn a lot about another culture and about myself. I also surprised myself by learning many useful phrases in the local language, which I used regularly, much to the delight of the locals.
I participated in many health promotion and teaching projects throughout the duration of this internship, the most notable being: child welfare clinics, school health, the house-to-house health survey, working in the village Medical Center, and co-teaching the computer class at the school.
I have learned a great deal from the people of the village, adults and children alike. Perhaps most surprisingly for me, I have a new-found appreciation of the US. But this has been a great experience and I am looking forward to pursuing further travel and public health adventures.
I have been home for over a week now. It wasn't as strange as I thought it might be, re-integrating myself into my normal life. I am certainly more busy than I was in Ghana however, and I haven't even fully resumed my normal life yet. I'm not working at the moment (I start on Monday), I have no classes to attend, and I haven't started up yoga or dance (but will next week!). All of those things will take a some more adjusting, but I am looking forward it!
It's certainly nice to be home. I couldn't wait to eat "normal" food again, but now I am just happy to have the convenience of eating essentially whatever I want- there is so much more variety than my diet in the village! I also don't have to plan every outing; it almost feels like a luxury to not worry about getting lost, to just be in a city I know. At home (where ever home may be for any person), daily life doesn't require constant problem solving.
Of course I already miss some things about Ghana. Although it was at times exhausting, I do miss the new experiences and almost constant learning that comes with living in a different culture. I miss the excitement of the children whenever they saw me, although I am very happy to blend in and not have constant attention because of my skin color. And although I was so happy to resume my normal diet, I do miss Ghanaian food. Some of the food was delicious! I plan on making Ghanaian meals on occasion, to get my fix of fried plantain and some of my favorite main dishes.
A lot of people have said, "tell me about your trip." I never know where to begin with such a broad question, so I normally follow up with, "did you read my blog?" I posted a lot of experiences and insights there, although there is so much more I could say about my stay in Ghana. Do I talk about the food, the people, the beautiful beaches, the market, or transportation? Or maybe the treatment of animals, gender roles, the contrasts of rural and urban life, sanitation, medical treatment, or common beliefs? There is so much to say!
I hope to return back to my internship site. I have actually been formulating some ideas for graduate research in that area, so that I may return and continue public health work there. Although I am also looking forward to seeing other parts of the world, as well as experiencing what the world of public health is like here in the US. 