"If We Lose Our Earth, We Lose Ourselves"
Our blog today is written by Ethan Erickson, a Business 200 (BUS 200) student and Allison Shore, a GHR Fellow. Ethan and the BUS 200 students returned to the Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO), for their final day of volunteering as Allison and the GHR Fellows explored the University of Ghana.
Work began at the GAYO material recovery facility where our team of five assisted the informal waste workers organizing and sorting the plastic bottle waste stored at the site. We all agreed our sorting skills were more efficient after a day of experience under our belts. As we worked, Mabel, one of the amazing young leaders and sustainability pioneers at GAYO, challenged us to reflect on our experience and to brainstorm ideas on how they might improve the organization. We expanded our skills, got our hands dirty, and gained a new understanding as we were introduced to the composting process at GAYO. We each considered an important takeaway - the impact our plastic waste has on our communities. We were struck by the journey each bottle takes before it is exported and eventually used to manufacture a new product in the circular economy. We all agreed that working with GAYO exposed us to a different side of the recycling process and made us more mindful and conscious of the vast amount of plastic waste we create across the world.
The second part of the day included venturing into the community to speak with business owners about separating waste between plastic and organics. Mabel helped us with our conversations about the benefits of segregating waste and that GAYO provides shop owners with waste bins and retrieves the waste product. After collection, the organic waste is used to create a natural fertilizer that is returned to individuals and businesses completely free of cost. Businesses here are charged a fee based on weight for waste collection and by choosing to segregate waste, businesses can decrease their expenses which makes for a good business decision! Our composting conversations continued in a nearby indoor/outdoor market after we gained permission to speak with shop owners from the market queen. We were each stretched outside our comfort zone as we used our knowledge from the past two days of volunteering and a little bit of Twi to communicate with Ghanaian shop owners in the market. During our conversations, we learned that some organic waste like casava peel is already given to livestock and used to make Fufu or Banku, local Ghanaian dishes. We were all impressed to see the sustainability efforts already practiced here and the many people who were supportive of GAYO’s organic waste collection initiative.
Mabel left us with some final thoughts as we embark on the remainder of our trip and our journey home next week. She challenged us to continue sharing the knowledge we absorbed on upcycling, composting, and segregating waste. Most importantly, she encouraged us to put these concepts into practice in our homes and communities. We are leaving this experience as climate change activists, educators, and innovators, with a desire to continue learning and pushing the barriers of what is possible. She left us with a call to action because as she stated, “when we lose our earth, we lose ourselves.” I hope everyone reading this can reflect on this and fight for our earth because it will take all of us to make long-term changes.
We all appreciated the warm welcome and hospitality during this amazing experience. We wish GAYO well and are excited to hear about what they will accomplish in the future as they continue to further their mission to research and provide solutions to environmental issues through empowering youth and public education.
If you would like to learn more about GAYO, you can find out more about their organization at
And follow their Instagram at gayoghana
Medaase!
Meanwhile, the GHR Fellows’ day was packed full of learning and laughter. We began with a guest lecture featuring Dr. Ama Opoku-Agyemang, a pharmacology professor at the University of Ghana (and wife to our SIT Program director!). Dr. Ama gave a high-level overview of the history of healthcare and current practices in Ghana. She explained that prior to British colonization, traditional medicine was practiced and passed down among the women in many families. There was also a spiritual element that was directed by leaders or priests in communities. When the British occupied Ghana, traditional practices were demonized and those who learned or practiced non-western medicine were ostracized. Despite attempts to extinguish these traditions, 80% of Ghanaians today use some form of herbal medicine in addition to - or in place of- western practices. Dr. Ama told us that she advises her students to leave space in their medical practice for their patients’ beliefs.
While more medical centers and pharmacies exist in urban spaces like Accra or Kumasi, unfortunately, many Ghanaians do not have access to adequate medical care. Rural regions have few resources and for every 10,000 citizens, there is one doctor. Despite this ratio, there seems to be an abundance of students who hope to become doctors or enter the healthcare industry as medical professionals are well respected and comparatively well paid. Dr. Ama noted the application process is very competitive; 1 in 30 applicants are admitted to med school. Despite the fact that 70% of Ghana is covered by either public or private insurance, the national health insurance does not cover much leaving citizens to pay out-of-pocket. Many here cannot afford medical treatment and because of this, doctors often see patients who have waited too long before seeking professional help.
As Dr. Ama concluded her presentation, many of us had questions. One important question from Alec was how mental health is recognized and treated in the country. Dr. Ama responded that there remains a stigma surrounding mental health and many Ghanaians struggling with a mental illness do not seek help due to that stigma or because of difficult access to mental health professionals. Another question regarded care for those with a mental or physical disability. We learned it is up to the family to care for an individual who is differently abled and those with physical disabilities generally have a difficult time navigating public spaces.
Next, we drove to the University of Ghana campus where we toured the recently opened training institute for the University of Ghana Medical Center (UGMC). We learned about the research done by the institute, its response to COVID, and the role UGMC played in vaccinating the country. By far, the most engaging part of the tour was visiting the various classrooms set up to simulate a doctor’s office. Here we were introduced to the high-fidelity mannequins used to train students, including ones with ears that could be examined, arms for practice IVs, and a strikingly realistic 24-week gestation baby. The details that went into the mannequins and the testing rooms themselves were incredible and it was evident that the UGMC provides its medical students with useful, practical experience.
From here, we took a bus tour of the University’s campus with Kwabena, the program director, as our guide. In 1948, the University of Ghana was the first university opened under British rule in the country, funded by Ghanaian lawyers and cocoa farmers. Prior to its founding, many college-bound Ghanaians attended schools in the U.K. For the first few decades, most professors at the University were British or European and the curriculum was predominantly Eurocentric. This changed over time as President Kwame established the Institute of African Studies (in 1961) which drew in more African professors. Additionally, Britain stopped offering incentives for its professors to teach in former colonies which drained the university of many European faculty members.
Kwabena had a plethora of fun facts to share as we saw building after building of white walls and brown clay roofs (a design from a Scottish architect). The campus was huge, holding around 35,000 students and several different churches in addition to the typical classrooms and hostels. I couldn’t believe that certain class sizes could range anywhere from five to 1,000!
Our campus tour ended with my personal highlight of the day - a dance lesson with instructor Jacob! We learned Kpatsa, a recreational dance developed in Accra. The music was provided by Kwabena on cowbell (with the beat), and Jacob playing on Atumpan, a Ghanaian drum (carrying the rhythm). My closest prior experience would be line dancing; we lined up and learned four different dance moves, with some repeated a couple times. We also danced in a circle, after perfecting the dance moves of course.
Our evening ended with a trip back to the University campus, this time with the BUS 200 students in tow. We watched two performances by university students, including a murder mystery play written and directed by a student we met at a previous lunch!
Thanks for reading,
Ethan & Allison
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