From Participant to Activist: What I Learned in Ghana
I recently had the honor of traveling to the Volta Region of Ghana with nine of my fellow 2U employees to experience the work of 2U’s corporate philanthropy partner, Pencils of Promise (PoP), firsthand. In reflecting on the trip with our team, one person summed it up best — “How is it that we could all experience and change so much in just one week?” The answer is simple. It begins with a great mission.
2U believes that great educational outcomes can and should take place anywhere in the world. This is why our partnership with Pencils of Promise, an organization that lives out that vision every day, is so powerful. PoP supports high quality primary education in Ghana, Guatemala and Laos by building incredibly strong local teams with intimate knowledge of the region and culture. They work hard to establish a sense of community entrepreneurship so that their impact transcends the school structure.
We started the trip by participating in a scouting visit. This is where the PoP team travels to a school to assess and determine the needs of the community in question. It was here that we began to see the real need. Students sitting on dirt floors, 50+ children crammed into a thatched hut, and extremely limited materials and textbooks. Despite these conditions, one thing was constant: the will of students and teachers to pursue educational opportunities.
During our trip we were welcomed by an entire community as we broke ground on a new school. Local leaders shared their passion and commitment to the project and expressed how our support is helping them realize their dreams. There wasn’t a dry eye among the 2U crowd as we clearly saw how transformational the school would be for this community.
That same day, we worked and sweated together in the hot and humid African weather. After a few short hours, we had hand-dug the entire foundation and hand-made several hundred concrete blocks. Accompanied by the community leaders and children, we were taken on a tour of their village. The visit concluded with sharing fresh coconuts and traditional Ghanaian dancing. We became a part of the community that day, a feeling that will last our entire lives.
When I reflect on our trip, another special moment that comes to mind was was the opportunity our group had to inaugurate two of the specific schools 2U funded. Several thousand community members welcomed us and the children swarmed around, thanking us for helping make the school a reality. We planted trees at each of our school locations with the help of the children, the perfect metaphor for what we were doing. The new school building was the start of so much more. Beyond the building, the school community would grow and expand, providing opportunity and empowerment for the entire community.
Over the remainder of our visit, we saw firsthand the breadth of support and services provided by PoP. The facilities are just a start. Through these schools, PoP is able to improve English literacy among their communities by nearly 20%. They are able to teach communities best practices for sanitation and provide clean water filtration systems. This is passed on from the children to the elders of the community — showing the true impact of educating a child.
Over the course of our travels, a few things stood out above all else. First and foremost, the unconditional sense of joy and love in these communities was unparalleled. We all learned a great lesson on that point and came home with a much broader appreciation of the world around us and the joy in every day.
Secondly, true global impact requires local commitment, knowledge and expertise. From Freeman (PoP Ghana Country Director) and Anthony (PoP Ghana Construction Manager) to all members of the Ghana PoP team, I was incredibly impressed with each and every one of them. They so obviously have a passion for the PoP mission and work their hardest every day to fully realize its potential. Without this local team, the PoP endeavors would not be as successful. I can’t say enough incredible things about them!
In closing my observations, I made the transformation from a participant to an activist. I was so impressed by the Pencils of Promise Ghana initiatives that I have made a personal commitment. I entered the trip considering it, but wanted to see the potential and the outcomes firsthand before making a decision. My key decision point was around the level of community partnership and the ability to drive outcomes well beyond the physical structure of a school building. Simply put, I wanted to make sure that the impact was active and lasting.
As a result of this trip, I have launched a personal matching campaign to help fund two additional schools. I am working to fundraise for a school and will match all contributions up to $35k which will fund the construction, educational and sanitation support, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation for two communities. Having seen the impact firsthand, I am honored to join the promise keepers, community leaders, and PoP team to continue the noble work they are doing. Knowing that it leads to transformational and sustainable outcomes makes it inspirational.
I know that I speak for the entire 2U team who joined me on the trip when I say we are incredibly grateful for this experience and are all better for it. As we were leaving one of the communities, a man touched my chest and said “now you have Africa in your heart.” He couldn’t have been any more correct.
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Check out #PoPFieldTrip on Instagram to follow our adventures in Guatemala, Ghana and Laos.
To learn more about PoP’s work, visit pencilsofpromise.org or click here to learn more about 2U’s work with PoP.
Visit Brad’s campaign page: https://fundraise.pencilsofpromise.org/fundraise?fcid=707555
About 2U:
2U partners with leading colleges and universities to deliver the world’s best online degree programs so students everywhere can reach their full potential. Our Platform, a fusion of cloud-based software-as-a-service technology and technology-enabled services, provides schools with the comprehensive operating infrastructure they need to attract, enroll, educate, support and graduate students globally. Blending live face-to-face classes, dynamic course content and real-world learning experiences, 2U’s No Back Row® approach ensures that every qualified student can experience the highest quality university education for the most successful outcome. To learn more, go to 2U.com.
