Prof Dandy was a guest lecturer at the Universität Hamburg during the winter semester of 23-24. Last week, he returned home. We are all super excited to meet him here in Winneba. He came back to Ghana over the weekend, but he went to see his family in Cape Coast. Before going there, he spent some time with some of us in Winneba. We sat at the Club House at the UEW, had a beer, and enjoyed some nice barbecue. The conversations and discussions with him are always fruitful, insightful, and refreshing like the Ghanaian Club beer.
After two weeks in our host families, most of us feel at home. Living with them in their houses and taking part in daily lives feels like being part of the family. But also, the other Group of Students from the Universität Hamburg are great.
The time is running and the days are over just as quick as the snip in the Ghanaian handshake. But before we are ready to realise that our second week is almost over, we are about to start our first educational trip. The Ghanian clock is ticking differently so we are not surprised that we start our trip 2,5 hours later than expected. A three hours drive through the crowded streets of central region brings us to our first destination, the Aburi Botanical Gardens. A guide has prepared a tour and shares all the impressive information about the trees planted over one hundred years ago. We are continuing our trip to Accra to visit the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. Kwame Nkrumah was the very first President of Ghana and played a main role in the independence gained in 1957.
On our way home we are all tired as a trip with 40 teachers can be as exhausting as with 40 students.
Sunday we have the chance to recharge our energy and reflect on the last two weeks. We are meeting up with only the German students to talk about our impressions and thoughts. The open room for communication is very important from time to time as one experience so many new things in a short amount, it’s hard to process. Exhausted but full of excitement for the upcoming two weeks we are ending our half time in Winneba, Ghana.
The hesitation from the kids in the beginning becomes less and they are starting to talk to us and ask a lot of questions about our language and our country. We are getting used to the differences in the educational system and we have the chance to learn from one another. We are all making different experiences from good to bad, but all are a lessons we can learn and develop from. The students are warming our hearts with their beauty from inside and out and their never ending laughter. We already know that their faces will be missed when we are heading towards home again.
Emma & Felix