One of the best organization's out there

Operation Groundswell (or OG as it is affectionally named) is one of the best organizations out there! The experience that OG offers competes with some of the bigger names out there and outpaces them faster than Usain Bolt. The trip leaders truly make their programs amazing; not only do they come with years of crazy life experience, but they are also real people that care about who you are and what you want to get out of the trip. When I was in Ghana, one trip leader in particular really pushed us all to get out of our shell's and make a connection with the boys at HCC! One of the most common critiques of programs like this are that they are over-glorified 'volun-tourism' trips and OG works really hard to get away from that by making sure that trip participants live like a local. Taking crammed tro-tro rides (basically a van that they somehow manage to fit 12 people in) and working alongside locally-created projects (rather than coming in as white saviours and messing stuff up). One of the craziest things I ever did in that country was to take a 45 minute motorcycle ride with three people (on one bike) and all of our bags and backpacks--so not only were the 'boys' hurting but also every other part of my body as I struggled to hold on to this speeding machine. But. That's what it is to be Ghanaian. You just go with the flow.