I write this post from my home back in Canada a week after my return from Ghana. I write from a place of comfort of familiarity and of anonymity. I was based in Accra from May until August; I was placed with an organization called Legal Resources Centre, Ghana. The LRC is a non-governmental, human rights organization that was established in 1997 with the simple yet powerful vision: to achieve human rights and dignity for all. The LRCs initial policy objectives were to promote human rights awareness, to link victims of human rights violations with institutions established by the state, and to serve as a centre for legal research in human rights and development. The LRC later expanded its objectives to include governance and grassroots participation, public advocacy and the promotion of key economic and social rights.
In practice this translated into a range of projects: Human Rights Cities, the Advocacy and Research Project and Legal Aid. As part of the internship program I worked primarily with the first two projects. Under the Research and Advocacy Project the LRC researches Human Rights issues and produces a database of research papers documenting the findings; topics ranged from Female Property Rights to the Rights of Prisoners. The Human Rights Cities is a project that LRC began in areas of Ghana where there exists almost a complete lack of social services or government presence. The LRC, using a rights based approach (RBA), provides workshops and training seminars educating people on their rights. They focus specifically on citizen-government engagement and empower people to hold authorities and government officials accountable. The LRC also acts as an intermediary between Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and funding organizations such as CIDA/USAID/EU etc. The work I was involved in was varied. I created a two-year time line for a Campaign to Combat Human Trafficking, sponsored by the U.S. State department. I conducted interviews, site visits, and focus groups with multiple stakeholders for an EU funded evaluation project. I researched and produced status reports, papers and speeches on various areas of law with little access to resources. I also drafted a grant application proposal for a project on parliamentary reform.
But we all know that the work is not the most memorable part; I met so many amazing people and shared so many amazing moments. It was an experience I won’t soon forgot.
Since I have returned home I have truly begun to appreciate the small things I often used to take for granted. I do find myself taking things a bit slower now. I am not in such a hurry to get things done.
These are only my thoughts 1 week later I guess. I probably need more time to digest everything; who knows upon greater reflection I may see things clearer, whatever that means.
Thinking about what to title this post was probably the most difficult part of writing this blog; there were so many catchy, witty un-original names I could have called it: WAWA “West Africa Wins Again”, TIA “This is Africa”, The African Experience, or “Working in West Africa” so OBVS I had to choose Ofica Lou – Why? That’s just for me and not for u!

Category: Ghana, Upon return // Add Comment »