Doing the Ambassadors Research Program: Hayet Rida (Ghana)
Doing the Ambassadors Research Program: Hayet Rida (Ghana)
This was a very eye opening experience and I saw my country in ways I would never have experienced. Most importantly I put myself in the shoes of a tourist. . .
I was privileged enough to be invited to the kingdom where Kente weaving originated, Bonwire. On this visit I was received by the Chief who held a durbar in honor of my arrival. I was also given a first class tour of all the sites and even interacted with elders who usually were very hard to come by. . . . [While here] I took off the tourist shoes and took part in their day to day lifestyles. This gave me a chance to get personal information about their way of living and the way by which they survive. Information I gained ranged from the education of their children, their family practices, healthcare and most importantly their monetary supplies. This information is what I used to make my presentations more personable - I did not just read information from a book or watch a documentary, I learned it first hand. . .
Going home and researching first hand changed my perspective, and today I speak about my country with great knowledge and pride, both as a native and a tourist.