I have been in Ghana for over one month now and so far the internship and the research is going really great! I am learning a lot academically, socially and culturally. The latter learning experience is quite interesting because I was born and raised in Accra and coming back after all these years reveals to me how truly things have changed! I have also met a lot of interesting, enthusiastic and positive people in the course of this internship.

The dreaded harmatan (dry) season has remained elusive this year, prompting environmentalists such as myself to make a nexus to global warming. I will not touch this issue now due to time constraints. Rather, I will like to share with you my journey toward waste management and the environment.

I have always been interested in environmental issued especially, as it pertains to developing countries. To many, Rachel Carson’s « The Silent Springs » was the spring board on which the environmental journey began. For me, it is the sight of heaps of waste (some call it garbage, refuse thrash etc) polluting marine and freshwater ecosystems in Accra. The need to further understand and find tangible and realistic solutions to this problem accounts for why I chose environmental studies over international relations in Grad School. For my Masters thesis, I investigated municipal solid waste management practices in Accra and its impact on the environment. This research laid the foundation for my current research on biomedical waste management.

So far the biomedical research is going well. I have been able to interview some high profile personalities including the mayor of Accra. I will share excerpts of the conversation with the mayor in my next blog! Many thanks to AUCC/CIDA for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

I will keep in touch!

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