Projects Abroad Témoignages

Journalism in Ghana - Victoria Warr

Having studied African History in some depth, I embarked on my adventure to Ghana thinking that I had enough understanding of the country to allow me to slip quietly into the Ghanaian way of life without any trouble. How wrong I was! Issue number one: when you are white, you are bound to stick out like a sore thumb in any part of Africa. Issue number two: I was a young female travelling alone, which instantly led to turning heads and pointing fingers.

I was genuinely taken aback by the amount of interest I generated simply walking to work every day. However, I never felt threatened by it. I went to Ghana to learn about Ghanaian people's culture and their way of life. The way I saw it, they could not afford to come to my country, therefore to see and speak to me was such a novelty for them.

During my month-long stay in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, I worked at the Daily Guide, the country's second largest newspaper. English is the official language of Ghana. However, in reality it is usually people's second language behind the more traditional dialects of Twi, Ga and Ewe, among others. Quite often, therefore, I would have a stronger hold on English than many of my colleagues at the newspaper. As such, I was always being sent off on assignments.

On the night of my first day of working at the Daily Guide, I found myself in the suburbs of Accra covering a cultural exchange programme between Ghana and the United States! Another week, I was at the American ambassador's house for the 4 July celebrations when I found myself face-to-face with Ghana's former president, Jerry John Rawlings! Meeting him was a once in a lifetime experience.

Before I left for Ghana, I was told that I should take advantage of every opportunity that came my way while I was there. With every assignment I took and everywhere I went, this advice would be ringing in my ears. It could have been so easy not to have done the wonderful things that I did in Ghana. For example, I could have easily not walked up to Jerry Rawlings and asked for my photograph to be taken with him.

Also, I could have easily spent all my time in Accra. However, if I had not made the effort to travel outside the capital, I would not have seen any of what Ghana as a country has to offer. Visiting the slave forts at Cape Coast and Elmina was an incredibly humbling experience, but was something that I felt I had to do as a student of African History. I am so glad that I did! Reading about a place is one thing; actually standing there in the thick of it is completely different.

Ghana is a beautiful country with so much potential to flourish in today's world. Through my placement at the Daily Guide, my travels around the country, and just by talking with my host family, I learnt so much about Ghana and its' peoples determination to improve their way of life. Any preconceptions that I had about Africa as a whole were well and truly destroyed by my time in Ghana. I met some truly inspirational people and made some amazing friends, not only with other volunteers, but with many of the people I worked with.

Whether it is your first visit to Africa or your twentieth, I would certainly recommend Ghana to any potential volunteer as a vibrant and welcoming destination. If you go there with an open mind and a great sense of adventure, you will have one of the most spectacular and eye-opening experiences of your life.

Victoria Warr