GHANA

Village Stay

Learn by doing! The heart of the trip will be three days of immersion in a traditional Ghanaian community. Lead a community planning effort and present your results to the village Chief and elders.

Your Guide
Christina Corley spent a year studying and researching city and regional planning in Ghana, West Africa as a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar and currently works for Southface Energy Institute in Atlanta managing the southeastern sustainable community development certification program -EarthCraft Communities.
She invites you to join her for 9 days in Ghana, West Africa for an up close look at sustainable development opportunities and the chance to give back and learn by experiencing hands-on community planning in a traditional Ghanaian village. Please email or call Christina if you are interested and would like to be kept informed as the details of the itinerary and cost are confirmed.
ChristinaLCorley@gmail.com 404-604-3617
Take a Closer Look…

Photos
Program Highlights
The heart of the trip will be three days spent living in Adasawase, a Ghanaian community facing rapid growth from their developing eco-tourism industry. The group has been welcomed by the Queen Mother and Chief to initiate a community planning effort. Our challenge is to understand the community’s needs and resources and present the assessment and, potentially, recommendations of how the growth can be managed to best benefit the community. During the planning exercise we will live with community members, helping to create the first local homestay industry in the area. We will begin to unravel the development opportunities and challenges of the dual governmental system, intricacies of life in a rural community of 3,000, & prospects for unique forms of sustainable development. Our host community, Adasawase, is the gateway to the Tini waterfall located in a lush green forest about one and a half hour walk through the mountains from the village. The Tini waterfalls is a spectacular cascading volume of water falling about 60 meters; arguably one of the biggest known falls in Ghana today. Nearby, is the community of Abompe where we are sure to find the finest Bauxite beads in the country and watch the men weave the traditional kente cloth. Back in the capital city we will begin to unravel beliefs about death and explore its impacts on city planning by visiting a local casket making shop to see a collection of caskets carved in the shape of different objects. These “Fantasy Coffins” of Teshie Nungua have been featured in National Geographic and can be found in museums and galleries worldwide. A local land developer will lead us on a tour of the suburbs surrounding the city to view, first hand, the latest housing trends in Ghana’s capital. In Kumasi, the traditional capital of the Ashanti region, we will be taken on an architectural tour of the city by a nationally known architect and professor to learn about the British influence on Ghanaian urban form and discover the traditional Ghanaian culture existing within the urban fabric. During our trip we will strive to understand the various aspects of sustainable development as it reaches out from the Ghanaian culture
Safety and Health
There is little political violence in Ghana and there have been no terrorist acts specifically targeting American interests or U.S. citizens in Ghana (OSAC). Robbery and theft are growing trends in Ghana but violent crimes are rare. You will find Ghana to be a welcoming country with friendly citizens. Prophylaxis against malaria is recommended when travelling to most African countries as are vaccinations. Please contact your medical provider early to learn about required vaccinations and their schedules.

Akwaaba

Ghana, a sub-Saharan country of over 100 ethnic groups and 24 million people, is bustling with cultural diversity, rich musical, culinary and artistic traditions and astounding opportunities for economic development in accord with the natural environment.

Come learn by doing! We will explore the development history of country through guided walking tours & experience the unique cultural and natural beauties of the country through hikes and hands-on lessons in cooking and dance. The heart of the trip will be three days spent living in a Ghanaian village focused on developing an eco-tourism industry. The group has been welcomed by the Queen Mother and Chief to initiate a community planning effort.

During the planning exercise we will live with community members, helping to create and establish local homestay industry. We will begin to unravel the development opportunities and challenges of the dual governmental system, intricacies of life in a rural community of 3,000, & prospects for unique forms of sustainable development.

Meals & Accommodations

The basis of many Ghanaian dishes is plantain, millet, cornflower, yam, rice or beans and served with spicy soups or sauces. Fufu (a mixture of cooked cassava

and plantain carefully pounded into a ball) is taken alongside flavorful palm nut or peanut (‘ground nut’) soup. Other popular dishes are Red Red (fried plantain with beans) and Jollof rice with grilled tilapia. Roasted plantain and peanuts, fresh coconut milk, fried yams and sweet oranges are sold at colorful stands alongside the roads. Don’t forget to try traditional palm wine served in gourds or, if you prefer something stronger, try Takai (32%, made from cocoa and coffee) or Alomo Bitters (42%, taken as an aperitif).

The program includes all meals in the village of Adesewase and all dinners throughout the adventure. Most days will be structured so as to have a relaxing dinner and discussion of that day’s events and observations.

The program also includes all accommodations. Rooms are double occupancy at hotels in the cities and with homestays in the community.

Travel and Transportation

The adventure begins in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. We will meet you and leave you in Accra. During our trip together, we will do considerable walking to explore the village and cities we visit. We will also hike through to the Tini waterfall. The main form of transportation will be a private bus chartered specifically for this adventure.

Preliminary Itinerary
The trip is scheduled to take place the last weekend of July through the first weekend of August.

Please email Christina for exact dates.

Day 1- Arrive and relax in Accra

Day 2-Visit Teshie Nungua Coffin Makers, explore urban agriculture and take a guided tour (by a local land developer) of new developments surrounding the capital.

Day 3- Leave for Adesewase. Meet elders and home stay families. Dinner with community.

Day 4-Hike, palm wine making demonstration and planning exercise with community. Dinner with family.

Day 5-Visit Abompe and planning exercise with community. Dinner with family.

Day 6- Leave for Kumasi. Guided architectural and development history tour of city. Site seeing. Nice dinner in town.

Day 7- Dance and drum lesson. Explore University campus and West Africa’s largest open air market.

Day 8 -Leave for Accra. Visit Aburi Gardens. Final dinner.

Program Fees

2010

The program fees are expected to be approximately $1,550 and include all meals, accommodations, in-country travel and entry/educational fees.

Travel to and from Accra, Ghana is the responsibility of individual participants.

Please email Christina for updated information because exact pricing will depend on the number of participants registered.

A registration fee of $400 is required.

All trips are subject to registration of the minimum number of participants. Typically, this is six registrations. For trips that are cancelled because they do not meet the minimum number of participants, the reservation fee will be refunded.

The program is designed to be an allowable tax-deductible expense. Please consult your tax professional to determine the tax treatment of this program for you.

For more information please do not hesitate to contact: Christina Corley

404-604-3617

ChristinaLCorley@gmail.com

Overview