Wrapping Up
Partnering with an NGO 4,968 miles away has not been an easy task. We’ve faced difficulties including time zones, scheduling, ideas and understandings, decision making, processing, and technology, but somehow, the time to concluded is here.
When my group and I first started working with Dr. Nana we had big ideas and great visions, some that were a bit too ambitious for our skill level and timeline. We had to work really hard to narrow down our ideas and laser focus on a main motif, which wasn’t always an easy task. With so many differing ideas and excitement circulating through our interactions online, it was hard to hash out our physical deliverable. But with a lot of communication and dedication, we finally arrived on a topic that we’re all excited about.
COVID-19 definitely added to the challenges that our group faced. It’s hard to communicate ideas with someone a flight away, it’s even harder to communicate ideas via Zoom with four other people. Because of the easy accessibility of Zoom, health concerns, and differing locations, my group never got the chance to meet in person. Zoom was great for connecting us quickly and giving us the opportunity to chat with one another and Dr. Nana in this tricky time of COVID, but it also proposed a challenge. Not being able to bounce ideas off of one another in person sometimes felt like a set back.
There were often times where it felt like we would never conclude and decide collectively on one final product. We had so many different ideas and topics that we could’ve focused on making it difficult to narrow down. Week after week, we would come to meetings with our heads full of ideas, some that clashed with others, some that were off topic, and some that were impossible to complete with our short time frame. We’ve had to give and take, toss and scrap, but regardless of what we’ve been through and what we’ve had to lose, we managed to make it through with a result better than we could have imagined at the start.
Despite the valleys, there were definitely peaks in this process. The ability to even say that I have now worked with a doctor in Ghana is incredible, and it’s been an honor to work on a design for Dr. Nana’s NGO. My group members as well have taught me important steps in research, leadership, teamwork and surveying, and I’m really grateful for all the knowledge that I’ve collected along the way. I’m also really grateful for the opportunity and I’ve definitely had some key takeaways during the process.
I’ve learned a lot about project design and implementations. I’ve learned that each step in a project plan comes with its own set of learning activities and objectives. I’ve learned about slowing down and not being too ambitious when it comes to a final result, and not throwing out the good by trying to be great.
Being honest with how much you can accomplish within a certain time frame is a major takeaway for me. I often fell into the pit of ambition by trying to accomplish too much within too little of time. I’ve learned to be honest with myself and my talents within a short amount of time, and that the result really can and should be quality not quantity.
Working with Dr. Nana and my group has been difficult and exciting. It’s been an adventure and an opportunity that I’m grateful for. I have enjoyed this process for all of its peaks and valleys and I am really happy with our end product. I am thankful for all the hard work and patience that Dr. Nana, myself, and my group members have practiced and executed.
