June Update

As of today, there are 79 days until I leave for my field internship. Time flies so quickly! Here’s a very quick update on what’s going on with my placement details:

•  I have received my plane ticket and am flying out on September 8, 2011 from Toronto to London, followed by a full day layover, then a flight to Accra. It’s a round-trip ticket, and I shall be returning the same way on April 21, 2012.
•  I have an appointment with a travel clinic to get all the necessary vaccinations: yellow fever, meningitis, typhoid, and boosters. In addition, I must learn about and choose malaria prevention methods, which will not be easy: some malaria prevention medications can cause depression, anxiety, mood swings, nightmares, hallucinations, and psychosis. Very pleasant!
• I need to extend my OHIP coverage and UW travel and health insurance.
• I need to set up a new bank account that will be accessible from my placement.
• I must apply for my travel visa (only once I get my yellow fever vaccine though).
• We have established a student group called INDEVOURS to fundraise for our placements. Please learn more about us and donate at the INDEVOURS blog or at our website here.

I think a lot of my nervousness will disappear after I talk to the travel clinic  about malaria, yellow fever, typhoid fever, dengue fever, and any other illness to which I may be susceptible. Illness could so easily ruin the experience that it is my biggest concern. Plus, I hate needles.

Where I’m Going and What I’m Doing There - Learning to Go With the Flow

Hello everyone,

Yesterday I met with the INDEV placement co-ordinator to discuss my placement. Who, what, where… Wow. 

Before I begin, I should explain: I love information. I love planning. I love knowing what’s going to happen before it happens. That being said, INDEV is a program best-suited for people who can roll with the punches and adapt quickly. I’m pretty good at adapting, but there’s always room for improvement. As I progress through this program, I’m learning how to relax and go with the flow, instead of demanding to know everything NOW.

The reason I need to explain this is that a lot of the details surrounding my placement are still undetermined. Work places operate differently in Africa than in North America. If we were establishing this placement with an organization in North America, 3 dozen emails would have flown between us, a detailed job description would have been developed, and I would already be researching the details. Information and planning, NOW. A Tallia specialty.

In Africa, as my placement coordinator patiently explained to me, things operate differently. Communications are conducted orally, between people who know each other, not strangers. My job description will evolve naturally once I’m in Ghana, working at the job. I will be tackling tasks as they come up. Adaption and going with the flow – not the most challenging thing ever, but when you’re heading to a developing country, not the easiest either.

So here’s what I do know. I’ll be working with A Rocha, a Christian not-for-profit environmental conservation organization. Yes, that is a lot of adjectives. Basically, A Rocha is dedicated to developing a healthy relationship between people and the planet by managing natural resources through sustainable actions. A Rocha is an international organization with offices in Ghana.

A Rocha Ghana has three locations in Ghana: in the capital city, Accra, the second largest city, Kumasi, and a small northern city, Damongo. I will be travelling between the cities of Kumasi and Damongo, residing predominantly in Kumasi. I will be working with both offices on various aspects of their reforestation projects. While my role will not be fully determined until I arrive in Kumasi, so far I know I will be involved in project documentation and record keeping, and communications between A Rocha and community groups.

I am both excited and nervous for this placement – it is going to be such an amazing experience, living and working in a new environment. In my next entry, I’m going to write more about Ghana and the area I’ll be working in – be prepared for elephants, hippos, and much more!

In the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more about A Rocha or A Rocha Ghana, follow these links:

A Rocha website: http://www.arocha.org/int-en/index.html

A Rocha Ghana website: http://www.arocha.org/gh-en/home.html

Below are maps of Africa and Ghana. On the Ghana map, the red circles indicate the locations of A Rocha offices – Damongo is too small to show up on this map, so it is label-less.