Life and Work in Ghana: Reflections After Three Weeks
It has been just over three weeks since I began my humanitarian mission in Kongo, Ghana, as an advocate for gender equality and women’s empowerment. This is something I had been considering for a long time, and finally being here feels both meaningful and challenging.
Friends and family often ask me: “How are you doing?” and “What is the hardest part?” The truth is, the most difficult part has been starting a new life from scratch — learning how to live and work in a community where everything feels unfamiliar. From transportation and food to cultural norms, nothing resembles what I was used to before.
But with time, people adapt. Almost every day I learn a few new words in the local language, ask countless questions, and slowly realize that my life is changing in ways I hadn’t imagined.
This experience has made me appreciate even more the things I often took for granted at home in Latvia: reliable electricity, safety, access to different needs and services, the ability to plan my time, respect for personal space, and equal treatment.
When people ask me again how I am doing, I often answer: “Interesting.” Then comes the follow-up: “Is that good or bad?” And I reply: “It’s different.” Because life here cannot be compared to anything we know.
Is it easy? Definitely not. I am surrounded by good, kind, and hospitable people, but there is also another side. Some people see you as a source of money and try to take advantage of your emotions, hoping to gain something. That is part of the reality as well.
Will it be okay? Yes. I know why I am here. I know that in five months I will return home with experiences and lessons that will stay with me forever.
Work here follows a rhythm of its own. Time feels different — there is no strict plan or schedule. I wake up in the morning, go through my routine, and only then find out what the day will bring. Some days I spend from morning until evening making shea butter. On others, I join different activities — like meeting with students, visiting women who weave baskets, or speaking with scholarship recipients. When I first arrived in Kongo, I was taken to meet various people, such as firefighters, hospital staff, and traders. I also learned about the local culture at the museum, visited a slave camp, and saw a crocodile pond.
Another important part of my daily life is learning the Nabt language. Although English is Ghana’s official language, in this region nearly everyone speaks Nabt. To truly connect with people, I need to learn it — word by word, sentence by sentence.
This journey is far from easy, but it is real, valuable, and full of lessons that I could never learn anywhere else.
Making shea butter
Making shea butter
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