Blog #4 — Socializing
Throughout my stay in Ghana, I have had many interactions with many intriguing people, and have made a lot of new friends. The folks residing in the community I’ve been residing in are very cordial. I literally find myself befriending strangers on the street often times, and make it a routine part of my day to greet them as I pass them while on my morning and afternoon commute. I’ve also been warmly accepted by the staff of the clinics for which I volunteer, as they show me the inner workings of their facilities, and have assisted me immensely in embellishing my comprehension of the medical field. I enjoy learning from them, and share lots of laughs with them while doing so. For me to call this experience amazing would simply be a huge understatement.
However, the most notable and riveting event which I have partaken in would have to be the Omprakash Annual Partner Conference. Omprakash is a nonprofit organization which serves as an online platform for students who wish to travel abroad and work with NGO’s abroad. What Omprakash does is basically serve as a forum for students who are searching for local organizations based in countries of their preference, and helps in connecting the students with these organizations. From then on, the student applies for a volunteer position for any organization he/she would like to work with, and once the application is accepted, he/she can contact the organization and make arrangements. It is through this website that I found the NGO I am currently working with, World Partners For Development. This year, Omprakash hosted its fourth Partner Conference, and held it in Accra, Ghana for the first time. Since I was conveniently in Ghana during the time of this conference, I was invited to attend despite the majority of the participants being directors of NGOs or partner organizations rather than students or volunteers.
This year, Omprakash was able to have partners from fourteen different countries attend its conference. I was able to meet many different people from countries such as Kenya, Togo, Cameroon, Tanzania, Nepal, and Italy, and I learned of the amazing work that each and every one of them were doing in their respective communities. It was a wonderful experience and an absolute pleasure to be able to meet and befriend so many people from different parts of the world all working to achieve a common goal. During the conference, Omprakash arranged for all of the participants to gather around and have long and intricate discussions on some deep, complex issues found over many parts of the world. Throughout the four days of the conference , we would all gather around to have long conversations on matters such as the benefits and negative reinforcements of social services compared to social changes, cultural differences, inequality, and environmentalism. Some conversations were calm and amicable, while others were a bit more heated. These discussions were extremely fascinating and eye opening, allowing us to dive deep under the surface of many global issues and explore the different layers and complexities that are actually associated with them.
By the final day of the conference, we had all. grown pretty close to each other, and felt as though we had become one large family. It was a bit sad parting ways with each other, though we did exchange contact information and agreed to keep in touch. But I certainly felt privileged to have been able to meet so many wonderful people who all work to better their communities, and definitely will cherish this experience. My time in Ghana so far has truly been spectacular, and I hope to continue meeting lots of new people and endure a lot more unforgettable experiences.
