Less than two months ago, I learned that I had been chosen by Lilly to serve as a Lilly Hearts Abroad Ambassador in Ghana. Wow....completely humbled and honored. I will embark on this amazing journey in just two weeks with a team of Lilly Hearts Abroad Ambassadors from around the world to serve as a compassionate corporate citizen partner in Hohoe, Ghana. What does that mean? – I will have the incredible opportunity to work together with my Lilly colleagues to truly connect with a global community and gain an important understanding of the real challenges faced by those in other countries.
I am so grateful and blessed to have the chance to give time, energy, and offer skills that can change the lives of others who are need of a helping hand – and as you may have guessed – I can only imagine the personal transformation that I will experience as I immerse myself in this cultural exchange. It is so easy to forget how fortunate we are to have access to medications, clean drinking water, and vaccinations at our local Travel Health Center. Common for us – not so common for many.
After my two plus week service experience in West Africa, I will be joining Brad in Tanzania for a two week safari. Our visit to Tanzania will start in Kilimanjaro and we will make our way through the Serengeti. This will be an amazing opportunity to enjoy the wildlife of East Africa and give back to the communities by spending time in village schools and/or orphanages.
Part of the preparation for my service experience in Ghana has been reading about the local customs and culture and researching the environment. Here a few facts:
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo.
Land Boundaries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, and Togo 877 km
Geography: Size 239,460 sq km, slightly less than Oregon, US. Ghana has a tropical climate; it is warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north. Ghana's terrain consists of mostly low plains with a dissected plateau in the south-central area. Its lowest point is the Atlantic Ocean at 0 m and its highest point is Mount Afadjato standing at 880 m. Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
Population: Just over 21 million people live in Ghana. 3.1% of the population is believed to have HIV/AIDS. Literacy rate is just under 75%.
Languages: English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe (main language of Hohoe, Ghana), and Ga.
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