Greetings from Ghana!
The shipboard community has been vibrant during the sail from Spain. Voyagers have bonded over activities such as poetry writing sessions, trivia night, speed (friendship) dating, and of course, the first taco lunch of the voyage.
The MV World Odyssey arrived in the port of Tema Wednesday September 27 at 0800 and was greated with a welcome committee of local dancers and singers. Tema is only a hour-long bus ride away from Accra, the capital city of Ghana and home to many of the field programs and classes for Fall 2017 Voyagers. Students will spend their time in Accra exploring the city and learning about the importance of crafting in Ghanian culture, visiting local students and business leaders, and participating in different Impact programs available through Semester at Sea. For Voyagers looking to get outside the city, there are a number of homestays and township visits that explore a different side of Ghanian life and culture.
After two days in Tema, the MV World Odyssey will set sail for the nearby port of Takoradi, where she will remain at berth until the September 30. Then, Fall 2017 will begin the seven-day sail to Cape Town, South Africa.
Let’s hear it from Voyagers!
Blaise Kepple is participating in Torgome Village Experience, a field program from Semester at Sea where voyagers participate in a “naming” ceremony with local villagers, learn how townspeople create traditional Ghanian crafts, and participate in dances. She is also taking part in a field class for her Human Trafficking class, where students will meet with an NGO that is trying to prevent the practice of female mutilation amongst remote tribes in Ghana.
“We’re going to visit the Ewe tribe and we’re going to meet with an NGO that tries to stop this practice,” Kepple said of her field class. “It will definitely be an eye-opening experience. As excited as I am I am a little bit cautious about the field class just because I want to be respectful of their religious practices and why they do what they do. But at the same time I want to dive in and learn as much as I can. We’ve been learning it from the book so I’m really looking forward to learning as much as I can from the people [of Ghana].”
