GHANA

What We Did, What It Meant, and What Is Left Behind

We love hearing stories of volunteers making a meaningful impact on the ground, and we're happy to present the reflections of volunteer Laurie Sutherland of her experience with CCS in Ghana.

My two weeks volunteering in Ho, Ghana, was spent doing vision screenings at schools in 2 villages, 30 minutes from our home base. During that time we (5 of us the first week, 4 the second) screened:
- 331 people, including a half dozen or so teachers
- 21 failed the test, 2 of them teachers.

High School Volunteer Abroad: Ghana Experience

Our High School Volunteer Abroad program is a way to be immersed in a new and exciting culture while making an impact in a community abroad. Not only is it practicing English and forging bonds with local students, but you’ll also get to go on weekend adventures while building friendships with other teens.

Jessica Rios Explores Physical Therapy in Ghana

Jessica Rios, a Physical Therapy student, from Illinois Central College (ICC) was always interested in traveling internationally, but hadn’t had many opportunities to do so. She wanted to find an experience that offered her first-hand insight in the field of healthcare so that she could have a firm grasp on how different countries approach and overcome systemic challenges in the healthcare system.

Empowering Girls in Ghana

In Ghana, girls are often provided with fewer opportunities than their male counterparts. With little economic opportunities, women are often caught in the cycle of poverty, and unable to find jobs. For the past 20 years, CCS has worked to fight for girls education and combat rural poverty.

Salisbury School's Visit to Ghana

“I didn’t really like eating American salad when I came to Salisbury. I thought it was kind of weird,” eighteen-year Theo Quartey admits. Theo, an international student at the Salisbury School, has had to adjust to many aspects of life in the Northeast, from the bitter cold winters of Connecticut, where the campus is located, to the choices for school meals.

A Photo Worth More than a Thousand Words

CCS alumna Courtney Hudson recently won CCS' 20th Anniversary Alumni Storytelling Contest with her photo of a Tanzanian boy who communicates through his smile.

While other kids dream about becoming vets or doctors, since Courtney Hudson was eight years old, she dreamt of going to Africa to help other people.

Medical Internship - A Life-Changing Experience

At age 20 I flew to Accra, Ghana with the hopes of completing my undergraduate internship requirements. My young, naive self had no idea what was really in store for me. I volunteered at a rural hospital and learned how to do blood tests for Malaria, Yellow Fever, and HIV. As I dreamed of becoming an American Medical Doctor, this was an exciting learning opportunity. Still, I was unaware of how much I was truly learning.

Kirkwood Community College's CCS Adventure in Ghana

Is it June already? A lot has happened since my last blog post in September 2013.

Kirkwood Community College completed a campus-wide application process for the Cross-Cultural Solutions program. We selected seven outstanding students and one faculty member from the English Language Acquisition (ELA) Program.

Ghana: Food for the Soul

I have three young kids at home and getting away for 10 days is a big deal that doesn't get to happen that often.

My trip to Ghana was just the soul food I needed.

How I went from backpacker, to international volunteer

Here's something that just about all of my friends and family know about me: I'm a backpacker. I love waking up in the morning, pointing to a spot on the map, hopping on a bus and ending up somewhere new. In fact, I've backpacked through 42 countries and counting. When I had the opportunity to volunteer in Ghana with Cross-Cultural Solutions in November of 2013, I could hardly believe that I'd be making my very first trip to the African continent.