Service Learning

Story appeared in the 2014 issue of QMS Connections Magazine.

BY LEANNE SCHULTZ, OPERATIONS & HR MANAGER
ALUMNI EMMA BENSON (‘14)

Kotoka International Airport, Accra, Ghana: We were excited and a little nervous about the adventure ahead.

Emma Benson in Ghana

Partnering with Me to We, senior school students travelled to Ghana to assist in building a new school.

After getting an overview of the week’s activities from the facilitators, we couldn’t wait to get started. Was this trip going to be “life changing” as everyone said it would be?

Day two was spent at the Cape Coast Castle, one of the historical slave depots for West Africa. None of us were prepared for the emotions that erupted as we took the tour—slavery became very real. Evidence of our historical inhumanity was chilling and affected us all deeply.

Arriving in the village of Asemkow, our building project location, we were greeted by everyone around with “Akwaba”, or “Welcome.” Children surrounded us, tiny hands grabbed ours. People watched with faces of joy and curiosity as we hauled water from a nearby stream, mixed cement and carried blocks in 38°C. It was an honour to be part of building a school. Listening and participating in this new culture was so rewarding, even though we only had a brief time.

In just one week, we saw that we could not only help to change the lives of the children of Ghana, but our own lives as well. We formed friendships, gained insights into ourselves and the broader global community. The benefits were two-fold, we instilled the hope of education within the Asemkow community and proved to ourselves that we could “Be the Change.” Thanks to “Me to We” and all who made it possible!