A Day of Random Events - Jan 17th

Today was our final full day in Ghana and we made sure to keep it very busy. We started off the day with visiting Amrahia junior high school. Through a reciprocity project, this school was chosen for us to bring gifts. On the ride over our bus was filled with toilet paper, cleaning supplies, sanitary pads, and soda as a sugary treat for the students. Due to a supply chain delay, SIT will deliver school supplies and books as an additional gift to the school. 

Visiting the school was a memorable experience for all of us. As our bus approached, children of all ages, ranging from 7-17 gawked and gathered in excitement. The teachers brought us into a large room with open windows on all sides. Close to 300 students filled the the desks, stood in corners, and looked in through the windows. To our surprise, we were given seats of honor at the front of the classroom. Chris, a member of the the Ghanaian parliament and partial organizer of the visit, welcomed and introduced us. He spoke about the importance of education and the support the gift would bring to the students. Students in the school's cultural club performed a dance and welcomed us to join along. Laughter and smiles erupted from the students as Nick, Jake, and Sarah joined the dancers. 

At the end of the presentation, we talked and interacted with the students. As they outnumbered us about fifteen to one, it became fairly chaotic. It quickly became "every man for themselves" as the children gathered around us in a glorious mob :) Many of us were amused as they reached to tough our hair and ask us questions about the US. As we left for the bus, the students followed us in waves, wanting fist bumps, hugs, and pictures. As the bus drove away, it was humbling to see the smiles and excitement that came from a simple visit. 

As we made our way to the next event, we experienced more of Ghanaian culture in the form of traffic. Running late, Reginald jumped out of the bus and run to the nearest Pizza Hut. With five pizzas in one hand and drinks in the other, he jogged along the busy road to deliver our lunch to the bus. Pizza always tastes better in a moving bus and with a speedy delivery. With our stomachs full, we made it to the next stop with one minute to spare.  

Rewind this adventure to our first day of the trip, back home in the Minneapolis airport. Adrian had put his networking skills to work and made a friend while in line. With just our luck, this mysterious man happened to know someone who worked with the wife of Ghana's Vice President. After various communications back and forth, the Second Lady of Ghana, Samira Bawumia, agreed to meet with our group. As we walked into the location, military personnel welcomed us, confiscated our phones, and led us to a conference room to wait. 

Awed by her presence (and her flawless skin care routine), we stood in respect as she walked into the room. She spoke about her seven active years in the role as the the Second Lady. As the youngest Second Lady in Ghana's history, many of her goals are to inspire young individuals - particularly girls - to pursue their passions. The role of the Second Lady is never officially defined, so Samira says "the rules are what I make of it." Her goals are to use the position of privilage that she is in to make a difference and be more than just a title. 

One of her largest passions is her project toward maternal mortality. The Samira Project works toward decreasing the mortality rate of mothers and newborns. The organization provides sterile deliver kits and gets women access to clinics and staff before health complications can occur. They have focused on the northern area of Ghana where many women have to travel days to get to the nearest medical facility. Samira stated that "saving lives has been her most proud accomplishment."

In addition to medical needs, much of Samira's focus also goes towards education and literacy in Ghana. One initiative that she created was installing water safe boxes for school offices to store books for students and serve as libraries. This library-in-a-box gives students the opportunity to have access to books and find a love towards reading. 

As a final word of advice, she told us to take away from this trip a sense of empathy and to use the empathy and what we have seen around us as we focus on our future as business leaders. She mentioned that every business starts with a problem, and we need to remember to ask ourselves how we can form the solution.

After a relaxing afternoon of $4 manicures and naps, we headed off to our final dinner at Ayewamu. We dressed in the highest Ghanaian fashion in our amazing pieces designed and sewn by local seamstresses. At dinner we reflected on our memories and experiences. Reginald even teared up a little as he said goodbye to his "favorite group." With a long busy day behind us and a longer travel day ahead, we returned to the hotel for our final night in Ghana. 

~Alicia