Service Learning for Education and Healthcare in West Africa
- Ghana
- Accra
- Cape Coast
- Kumasi
- Togo
About Program
In the hectic tro-tro stations of Accra, Ghana, vans weave through the market and spill onto the streets. Behind the castles of the ancient Gold Coast, strong ocean currents crash against colonial fortresses that once were the center of the Atlantic slave trade.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Togo is jam-packed with a diversity of terrains and landscapes, from coastlines edged with coconut trees to rolling hills and savannahs full of wildlife. Togo also has a diverse and colourful population with roughly 40 different ethnic groups – a true melting pot.
At Operation Groundswell, we journey to these two diverse countries to experience their rich cultures but also to untangle the pressing issues of access to healthcare and education. These vital and expansive topics are so intricately intertwined with many other arenas of daily life in West Africa. So get ready to widen your perspective on the world, international development, and what it really means to usher change.
Video and Photos
Program Highlights
- Get the big picture on rural and urban health issues, and examine the underlying conditions that cause them by contributing to local health initiatives.
- Walk the dusty red paths in the Upper East of Ghana and learn about how environmental sustainability impacts health in remote areas of the region.
- Connect with local educators and activists pushing for innovative teaching practices in various settings and against different constraints.
- Hike to Agumatsa falls, the highest waterfall in West Africa, and stay in the breathtaking mountain village of Wli Todzi.
- Explore the Vodun markets of Lomé, Togo and see how one of the oldest religions in the world fuses traditional and modern practices.