Advancing Career Exploration in Accra #HogsAbroad (Virtually) in Ghana

Honors College Fellow Megan Sattler, a math major from Bentonville, originally planned to spend the summer studying at the American College of Greece in Athens, but as with so many others, COVID-19 changed her plans. Honors College staff helped her land an internship with the Play and Learn Foundation, a non-profit in Ghana that empowers underserved youth. There, Megan helped to develop a new program, drawing on local connections to provide tools for career exploration.

Article from the Honors College blog

I wish that I were able to begin this blog with an entertaining anecdote of witnessing Jamestown’s famous boxing arenas or Accra’s highly symbolic monuments, but this sadly is not the case. I had landed an internship with a nonprofit based in Accra, Ghana, but the summer of quarantine caused this opportunity to be completely virtual. The University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) matched me with the Play and Learn Foundation (PAL), an organization that seeks to empower underserved Ghanaian youth to become leaders of their community through academic and athletic development. My role was to aid the development of a new program called Learning on the Go which aims to introduce kids to experiential learning and job shadowing opportunities within Accra.

Much of my work involved researching similar initiatives so as to further improve our current program proposal. I initially tried to tackle this project by coming up with strategic Google searches to produce promising results. It was difficult for me to find exactly what I was looking for this way, but I soon recognized that I had completely disregarded all the groups I had personal connections with. Despite this internship being my first professional endeavor, I realized that I knew many people that could be helpful towards my research. I was then able to contact my former school district, my current place of work, and the large corporation based in my hometown to gain insight on their academic programs. My limited experience in the professional world did not necessarily hinder my ability to be successful as I previously anticipated it would. I have gained a better recognition of connections that could prove useful in my future ventures, and I believe this awareness has also encouraged me to be more optimistic when going into new situations.

Through my research, I was able to create a partnership between the Play and Learn Foundation and the Myers-Briggs Company. The Myer-Briggs Company is now going to provide PAL with access to VitaNavis, a platform where students can explore vocational pathways. Before embarking on job shadowing opportunities, the kids will take VitaNavis’ SuperStrong Assessment to discover their top three occupational themes as determined by the RIASEC Model. These occupational themes will help educate the kids on careers that align with their interests. The platform can further be utilized to map an education path to a career by providing information about academic institutions as well as a feature for resume building. This personality/career assessment was a new idea I had proposed to my supervisor, and we hope that this addition will encourage students to make informed career decisions.

Though I was not able to gain any in-person experiences in Ghana, I was still able to learn about Ghanaian culture through my meetings with the Play and Learn Foundation. A cultural aspect that was difficult for me to navigate was the lack of deadlines. In fact, the program I was helping develop did not even have a target start date. It was stressful not knowing whether I was working too fast or too slow, but I was never criticized for my pace and eventually adjusted to this. My meetings also exhibited informalities in that my supervisor would dress very casually and be in and out of our meetings. I found that my organization was structured more lateral than hierarchical due to their leadership style, emphasizing consideration and sensitivity for everybody. This was very different from the style of corporate America, but I appreciated Ghana’s easygoing mentality.

Megan featured on PAL’s intern page.

I thoroughly enjoyed carrying out my internship through USAC, and I would highly recommend virtual internship seekers to look into their Global Perspectives Virtual Internship Program. In addition to my supervisor at the Play and Learn Foundation, USAC provided me with a couple of other mentors who were readily available for any means of support. USAC also complemented my internship with weekly seminar sessions that allowed me to deepen my understanding of my professional and cultural experiences. These seminars were completed by other students engaging in various virtual internship programs, granting me even more peers offering assistance and encouragement. Though I did not gain the international experience I thought I would when I originally planned to study abroad, this virtual internship still brought professional and cultural insights that further developed my character.

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This summer, although the COVID-19 pandemic suspended study abroad programs, students participated in a Study Abroad and Honors College pilot program to complete virtual international internships.

Mathematics major Megan Sattler completed a virtual international internship in Social Welfare with Play and Learn (an NGO based in Ghana) through USAC (University Studies Abroad Consortium), earning direct U of A credit and gaining valuable work experience. Virtual interns working with NGOs and other organizations on social service projects contribute to grant proposals and other fundraising activities, conduct research relevant to projects or campaigns of the organization, project management, and data entry and analysis.

Interested in pursuing a virtual international internship? This innovative program allows students to put accessibility and mobility concerns aside to develop meaningful professional connections with international companies, NGOs, health and education organizations, and so on. Although it’s not a substitute for a traditional on-site experience, these programs provide a project-based pathway for students to connect with international organizations. Learn more about options to internationalize your degree plan by adding a virtual international internship to your semester.

Virtual Internship in Public Health #HogsAbroad (Virtually) in Kenya

Honors College Fellow Meghana Chithirala, a pre-med junior double majoring in chemistry/biochemistry and economics, planned to spend the summer polishing her French skills in Perpignan, France –– but the COVID-19 pandemic forced a change in plans. She was one of the first honors students to sign up for a virtual international internship. Rotations through the HIV Clinic and pediatrics, critical care and neonatal units at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisamu, Kenya, proved to be an eye-opening introduction to public health – and the benefits of online internships.

Article from the Honors College blog

For the past year or so, I had been preparing to study abroad in France this summer. I often imagined myself exploring the beaches of Perpignan, eating all the pasta my stomach could handle, and being fully immersed in the language and culture. Unfortunately, the global spread of the coronavirus quickly dissolved those plans, and I was applying to the SIT Kenya: Virtual Internship in Public Health in the Tropics program thanks to an email Chelsea Hodge sent out to honors students before I knew it. While I was ready for a summer revolving around my French minor, I was excited to make the most out of my summer by focusing on my goal to enter the medical field one day.

This woman used a baby doll to demonstrate how to perform a physical examination.

I had many questions going into the program, especially about how much I would be able to learn through a screen. Couldn’t possibly be that much, right? However, I was quickly proven wrong. I was exposed to a multitude of issues in the Kenyan health care system and how third-world countries are trying to utilize their limited resources efficiently in the first week alone. Over the course of the internship, I rotated between the pediatrics unit, critical care unit, HIV clinic, and neonatal unit at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu, Kenya. I have learned about the legal concerns and social issues when taking care of children in Kenya, how to collect a patient history and perform a physical examination for both children and adults, and gained insight on the diagnosis of prevalent illnesses in the tropics through symptoms and signs. Highlights include being able to examine case studies of a patient with sickle cell disease to obtain a real-life example of appropriately-filled-out hospital forms and nursing care plans, and a patient with HIV who was experiencing treatment failure for unknown reasons. These case studies made me feel like I was in the hospital in person, working in the different departments, instead of participating in the internship virtually.

Even though I was thousands of miles away, the expectations placed on me were not lowered by any means. I was often quizzed on previous topics, given readings to discuss, and assigned topics to research. The amount of work this internship required was definitely not expected, which was initially stressful as I was not sure I would be able to juggle it with my other responsibilities. However, an honest interest in what I had been learning kept me motivated to stay on top of everything, even if that meant I had to wake up at 6:00 a.m. every day due to the time difference.

Sure, there are challenges associated with virtual learning, such as technical glitches, but the Internet provided many advantages to amplify my overall experience. I was able to swiftly research topics as they were being talked about or record important sessions to rewatch them at a later time if necessary. I was not able to have an immersive cultural experience like I would have if I was physically in Kenya, but I was able to pick up on some Swahili and learn about the environment through the staff’s perspective and videos. This internship was honestly one of the greatest opportunities I had been given, and a part of me is kind of glad my France study abroad program was postponed until next summer.

This screenshot shows online discussion of gender-based violence in Africa. Chithirala is pictured at bottom right.

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This summer, although the COVID-19 pandemic suspended study abroad programs, students participated in a Study Abroad and Honors College pilot program to complete virtual international internships.

Chemistry major Meghana Chithirala completed a virtual international internship through SIT (the School for International Training), earning direct U of A credit and gaining valuable work experience. Interns with the SIT program based in Kenya complete a five weeks placement at Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or other organizations working on public health related issues in Kisumu, deepening knowledge of public health promotion and management in the tropics. Learn more about Meghana's Virtual Internship in Public Health in the Tropics in Kenya. 

Interested in pursuing a virtual international internship? This innovative program allows students to put accessibility and mobility concerns aside to develop meaningful professional connections with international companies, NGOs, health and education organizations, and so on. Although it’s not a substitute for a traditional on-site experience, these programs provide a project-based pathway for students to connect with international organizations. Learn more about options to internationalize your degree plan by adding a virtual international internship to your semester.

Teaching Projects & The Basket Market #HogsAbroad in Ghana

My name is Paige Deffenbaugh, and I am a senior honors nursing student in the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing. I am currently studying abroad for three weeks in Ghana, Africa with 14 other nursing students and two of our nursing instructors. The first two weeks we are spending in the northern part of Ghana in a city named Bolgatanga. The last week will be spent traveling to a city named Accra in the southern part of Ghana and stopping at multiple places along the way, including Mole Park, Kumasi, and Cape Coast. I’m going to share with you some highlights and pictures from my second week in Ghana!

To begin our second week in Bolgatanga, we actually took a short ride in the van farther north to visit a crocodile pond! When we arrived, one of the workers took us down closer to the pond so that we could see the crocodiles better. A few men began trying to coax two of the crocodiles out of the water using a chicken so that we could take pictures with them. The crocodiles were a little slow to exit the water and didn’t appear to be hungry at all, as we had been told that a bunch of people had visited the pond the day before. After a little while though, both of the crocodiles had made their way onto the land near us. First, the men taught us a little bit about what to do and what not to do around the crocodiles so that we wouldn’t get hurt. Then, we began taking turns taking pictures with the crocodiles and touching them. They were pretty calm and barely moved throughout the whole process. You could tell they knew the drill and had been around humans in this setting many times before. 

Yes, they are both real! The crocodile I am touching is over 100 years old. 

Along with my teaching project on respiratory illnesses that I mentioned in my previous blog post, I am also teaching about women’s health with my friends Maggie and Hannah. This week we had the opportunity to teach at a local girls senior high school. Along with our women’s health topic, choking, wound care, anemia, and sickle-cell anemia were also taught by some of the other nursing students. All of the high school girls were gathered in a big auditorium, which was a little intimidating to us all at first. There were close to 500 girls in attendance we were told! Most of the teaching projects we do here in Ghana are either individual or small-group teaching, so we just weren’t used to teaching such a large crowd. However, we got more comfortable as the time passed and successfully educated the young women about the different phases of the menstrual cycle, feminine hygiene, risks of infection, birth control methods, safe sex, and consent. Many of the young women came up to us afterwards with great questions, so it was encouraging to know that they were paying attention and wanted to learn more about the subject. After the entire teaching presentation, some of the girls received cosmetic bags filled with toiletries and feminine hygiene products.

Maggie, Hannah, and I teaching about women’s heath to hundreds of high school girls. 

Here in Bolgatanga, there is a basket market held every three days. This week was our third and final time to go to the basket market. On basket market day, we always woke up earlier than normal and were on the van ready to leave by 6:45 am. This was so that we could be some of the first people there and score the best baskets. We were all a little intimidated on our first visit to the basket market, as the people selling baskets began swarming up to us immediately trying to get us to buy their baskets. Before we knew it, we were all surrounded by a crowd of people coming at us from all directions. We quickly learned the best way to tell them no and to move on though. The exciting part is the bargaining. You never simply pay the basket sellers the first asking price for the baskets, you always bargain with them for the best price. We quickly caught on and were pros in no time. It became a fun little game for us all to play - who was the best bargainer and could get their baskets for the best prices? Going to the basket market was definitely something that we all looked forward to and will miss, so we had to get our fair share of it in. Most of us have accumulated quite a haul of baskets during our stay in Bolgatanga, as they make great gifts for family and friends. Now we just have to figure out how to get all of our baskets home!

Showing off our basket haul at our first basket market. It was a little rainy, but that didn’t stop us from going!

Another entertaining part of our trips to the basket market was figuring out how to get all 15 of us + our baskets into the van for the ride back to the hotel!

Those are just a few highlights from my second week in Ghana! Stay tuned for more updates.

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Paige Deffenbaugh is spending the summer 2019 term in Ghana with our U of A Faculty-Led: Community Health Nursing in Ghana program.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Jambo! The tales from my African Safari #HogsAbroad in Tanzania

Hey there! My name is Emma Wiest and I am a junior Fulbright Honors Student who is studying Biology and German with the intent to pursue a career in human medicine. This summer I had the opportunity to travel to Tanzania with 12 other students to study ecology, evolution, and the peoples of East Africa for two and a half weeks! I’m the one in the back, by the way.

Prior to the start of the program there was a week of class aimed at educating us about the biology and anthropology of what we were about to see, including the East African Rift System, the various animals of Africa, the native tribes of the area, and tracking human evolution back to Africa. Throughout the program we had the opportunity to visit 12 different locations across the country and go on safaris, participate in traditional activities from the Datoga and Hadzabe tribes, examine dig sites, and explore the island of Zanzibar. While we were not able to spend long periods of time in any one of the locations we visited, the early mornings and abundance of traveling allowed us to experience each aspect of Tanzania.

Our cohort hit the ground running when we landed at Kilimanjaro, as we were all anxious to see the spoils of Africa. Our first day consisted of driving and hiking to Lake Natron, which is a shallow soda lake in Arusha that serves as a breeding ground for lesser flamingos. We were fortunate enough to be shown around by some Masai men who knew the area like the back of their hands.

While we saw some recognizable wildlife in the following days of safaris (giraffes, zebras, etc.), things really started to heat up once we arrived in the Ngorongoro crater. We were immediately welcomed by herds of gazelles and wildebeest, and even spotted Pumbaa and Simba as soon as we descended into the crater! The best part of this stop, however, was when my safari truck pulled over to stop and look at a rhino that even stood up and posed for us to take photos. And while I thought the crater was impressive, it was nothing in comparison to the Serengeti! From the moment we drove into Serengeti National Park, I was mesmerized. Upon our arrival, we were fortunate enough to see three cheetahs lounging under a young acacia tree, but the two cubs weren’t feeling too photogenic.

This was only the beginning. Throughout our time in the park our class was able to see hyenas, lions, the wildebeest migrations, leopards, and even a giant herd of elephants.

If seeing all of these incredible animals and how they coexist with each other wasn’t enough, we had the opportunity to visit the Datoga and Hadzabe tribes in the area and ask questions about their culture. The Datoga were split into a pastoral group and a blacksmithing group, meaning that one earned their livelihood from running cattle all day and the other from creating beautiful arrowheads and bracelets. The Hadzabe tribe is a group of hunter-gatherers and use many different types of arrowheads depending on the type of game being hunted. Members of our class were able to take part in various activities at each of the tribe visits and ask questions regarding daily life and culture.

Another highlight from the trip was our visit to Gombe National Park where Jane Goodall did her research with the chimpanzees. Normally, tracking wild chimpanzees would be exciting enough, however, while crouching down to take the perfect photo of a chimpanzee sitting ten feet in front of me, I was surprised by a gentle touch on the back of my arm. One of the chimps had walked up right behind me practically begging for me to take our photo, and when one of Jane’s chimps wants a selfie
with you, you take a selfie!

We were also able to see red monkeys and baboons on the beach, which wasn’t a bad way to wrap up our time on the mainland. After our trip to Gombe, all that was left was a quick trip to the island of Zanzibar, which was a great way to relax and reminisce on the past two weeks spent on the mainland. The amount of biology and anthropology that we were able to witness while in Africa was incredible, and we were able to see stuff that you won’t be able to experience anywhere else in the entire world.

I highly recommend studying abroad (in Africa especially) to anyone considering it. Not only will you gain vast amounts of knowledge, but you will experience things that you never thought you would be able to and create friendships that will last you a lifetime, as cliché as it all sounds. I now have an infinite supply of anecdotes to apply to the rest of my undergraduate education, and experiences that I’m sure have shaped who I am as an individual for the rest of my life.

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Emma spent the summer 2019 term in Tanzania with our faculty-led program, Tanzania - Ecology, Evolution, and Peoples of East Africa with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Afrikids & Community Health Fair #HogsAbroad in Ghana

Hi everyone! My name is Maggie Temofeew and I am also a senior honors nursing student in Ghana for a few weeks! I am going to share some different highlights from my time here thus far.

I was at Afrikids for the first week in Bolgatanga. It is a clinic here in Bolgatanga. I have enjoyed it so much. My first day was spent with my friend Gracie in the maternity ward learning to detect a heartbeat, assess the position of the baby, and measure the fundal height! I loved this day because I have not had my OB clinical yet, so I did not know any of this before coming to Ghana. The women are so kind and eager to teach us as well as learn from what we know.

This is a picture of me finding fetal heart tones with Porcilla, a nurse at Afrikids!

A baby who was handed to me in the maternity ward—so precious!

One of my other favorite days at Afrikids was spent in the pediatric ward. I want to be a pediatric nurse someday, so this was an amazing experience. The matron, or charge nurse, showed me all of the supplies they use when starting IVs, what specific medication they use as protocol for malaria and other common diseases. They make do with so little in this country. It makes me so thankful for the resources we have in the US.

Here is a picture of the pediatric ward!

My specific project on this trip was to test for and teach about anemia. We had a health fair for the community and I tested around 130 people with the help of my group. Many people were dangerously anemic and did not know it! I enjoyed getting to talk to them about how to increase iron in their diets and even had to refer some to the hospital. Besides the health fair, I tested almost 70 more at Amiah’s clinic.

Testing blood out in the community for anemia.

Testing blood out in the community for anemia.

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Maggie Temofeew is spending the summer 2019 term in Ghana with our U of A Faculty-Led: Community Health Nursing in Ghana program.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Afrikids & Home Visits: Highlights from Bolgatanga #HogsAbroad in Ghana

My name is Paige Deffenbaugh, and I am a senior honors nursing student in the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing. I am currently studying abroad for three weeks in Ghana, Africa with 14 other nursing students and two of our nursing instructors. The first two weeks we are spending in the northern part of Ghana in a city named Bolgatanga. The last week will be spent traveling to a city named Accra in the southern part of Ghana and stopping at multiple places along the way, including Molé Park, Kumasi, and Cape Coast. I’m going to share with you some highlights and pictures from my first week in Ghana!

While in Bolgatanga, we spend every weekday morning at one of the local clinics. This past week I have been at a clinic called Afrikids. Some parts of it that I was able to explore in depth included the consulting rooms, the maternity ward, the pharmacy, and the laboratory. In the consulting rooms, I was able to observe a doctor assessing patients and making diagnoses, as well as learn how to document the patients’ diagnoses in their computer system. In the maternity ward, I learned how to perform the different components of a prenatal assessment. In the pharmacy, I was able to see the kinds of medications that are used and prescribed most commonly in Afrikids. In the laboratory, I learned how to test for malaria and typhoid fever, as well as how they take blood samples from patients. While we were there, we observed the way their healthcare system works and how it is different from ours in the US. All of the staff at Afrikids were so welcoming and willing to teach us all that they could, as well as learn from our nursing school knowledge as well. I enjoyed getting to learn more about the jobs of many different members of the healthcare team, not just the nurses.

Abbey and I on our last day at Afrikids! This is outside of the emergency department waiting room. 

One morning instead of going to the clinics, my friend Meredith and I went on a home visit with one of our instructors Mrs. Agana. She took us to one of the local beauty salons, as the owner of the shop had a baby who wasn’t eating enough and was malnourished. Meredith and I performed a quick physical assessment on the baby and asked the mother questions about his behavior and eating habits at home. At the end of the visit, we gave recommendations to the mother about foods that she should try and feed him in order to provide him with the adequate nutrition he needs to grow up healthy and strong. While we had been assessing the baby, a woman who worked at the beauty salon had gone and pulled her son out of school and brought him to us to have a look at also. The little boy’s mouth and jaw had been hurting for a while, so Meredith and I did a quick physical assessment on him as well. With the help of Mrs. Agana, in the end we concluded that he had an infected tonsil and needed antibiotics. Each of the students will have an opportunity to go on a home visit while we are here. 

During the initial physical assessment, I listened to the baby’s heart and lung sounds. 

At one of our first study abroad meetings right after we were accepted into the program, each of us chose one or two topics to research with a partner that we would later present as a teaching project while in Ghana. One of the topics that I have been responsible for teaching about with my friend Rachel is respiratory illnesses. Many women in Ghana do the cooking for their families and are exposed to smoke via the pots they use to cook with. Therefore, that long term smoke exposure may lead to respiratory symptoms and illnesses over time. Some of the money our study abroad group raised through FundRazor went towards buying about 70 of a new kind of cooking pot that reduces the amount of smoke produced when in use. Rachel and I will present this teaching project multiple times while we are here, giving away cooking pots to each household that attends our teaching until we run out. Our first time teaching was this past week. We went to a group of family houses behind a bakery, so some of the women we were teaching were being exposed to much more smoke than usual because of their occupations as bakers. We taught them the effects that smoke inhalation has on their respiratory system, signs and symptoms of respiratory illnesses, and ways to prevent lots of smoke inhalation and the development of respiratory illnesses (like using the new cooking pots). Some of the other students on the study abroad trip occupied the women’s children so that they would not be a distraction while Rachel and I were teaching.

During our teaching project, Rachel and I taught a little bit about the anatomy of the respiratory system. 

Some of the women who received new cooking pots for their households. 

Those are just a few highlights from my first week in Ghana! Stay tuned for more updates.

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Paige Deffenbaugh is spending the summer 2019 term in Ghana with our U of A Faculty-Led: Community Health Nursing in Ghana program.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Living My Dream #HogsAbroad in Tanzania

My study abroad experience started as most peoples' do. CHAOTIC. The night before, I realized that not everything would fit in my traveling backpack so the day of my flight I had to pack in the REI store while buying a new backpack. After that problem was solved I then had to catch a 29-hour flight to Tanzania. Once landing, I realized that my brand-new travel backpack was nowhere to be found… the airline had lost it. So yes, I was in a foreign country, with no clothes, no tent, no sleeping bag, and basically none of the essential things that I was going to need. I WAS DEFEATED. However, the story does not stop there. After, the first couple of minutes of pure panic, fear, and even a little regret, I was greeted by 24 new friends and staff that over time would become my family… I KNEW THAT I WOULD BE OK. 

The other 4 months of my study abroad trip were a lot less chaotic. I was basically living my dream. I was able to study wildlife as close as possible. I got to see the big 5 of Africa (even the white rhino which is very rare), and through experiential learning, I got to grow academically as well as personally. There was nothing like camping in the middle of a national park, being able to look up and see the incredible night sky and hear all the animal sounds. It was truly an unforgettable experience. 

Although the start of my study abroad semester did not go as planned, it helped me come to terms with the fact that not everything is going to be perfect while abroad, and even if you plan something to a T, it still has the possibility of getting messed up. The biggest lesson I learned while abroad is to expect the unexpected and just roll with the punches because usually the things that do not go as planned make for the best stories! I think that no matter what program you choose for studying abroad it will have its challenges. However, it’s those challenges that allow you to grow and become a better version of yourself. There is truly nothing like studying abroad, so I am here to tell you if you are even remotely thinking about it JUST DO IT. There is no doubt in my mind that it will be the best experience that you will get in college. So if you are looking for a sign that you should study abroad, here it is…STUDY ABROAD!!!

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Junior Biology major Kayla Lane spent the spring 2019 term in Tanzania studying wildlife conservation and political ecology with SIT with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Meet One of Our Study Abroad Peer Advisors: Mallory Winburn

Hey! My name is Mallory Winburn and I’m a junior Marketing major, minoring in Economics. I am from McKinney, Texas and loved moving to Fayetteville! I enjoy hiking, yoga and reading. I have a comfort zone that I was not very good at stepping out of until I found studying abroad. I took a huge leap out of that comfort zone in the Summer of 2018 when I went to Mozambique and as you can imagine, I was met with a huge dose of culture shock. In that culture shock I met tons of amazing people, learned a lot about myself and so much about a part of the world that isn’t talked about much.

I met this sweet little girl and boy in the middle of the bush. They speak the native language of the area, Makhuwa. The coolest part of this entire trip was meeting them and even though we did not speak the same language there was so much love to give and things to learn. They were so happy to see us, and we were so happy to see them. Everyone in this area taught me so much about what it means to be thankful for what you have. I learned this from a toddler and a girl that wasn’t much older than 6. This trip was so impactful on how I carry myself to this day and it changed the way I think of every day things.

Not only did we work and meet amazing people, we got to see amazing views such as this one. This was at Ilia de Mozambique, an island off the coast where we spent a weekend. Places like this is where we spent our weekends. We went with our faculty leaders that took us and the families that were hosting us in country. We got to explore the island, meet the locals and shop around!

Overall, my experience in Mozambique is something that I will never forget. This trip has and will continue to affect the way I think about everyday life. It has ignited a fire in me that I hope never burns out. I will continue to pursue my love for traveling to developing countries in the (hopefully) near future!

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Come meet Mallory and the other peer advisors for a HogsAbroad 101 drop-in session at the Study Abroad House! Come to the office weekdays from 3-5 pm to get all the study abroad basics. Peer advisors are available to help you review your options for study abroad and start searching for a program.

Upcoming Study Abroad Info Sessions

Check out these upcoming info sessions for opportunities to learn more about some of our faculty-led programs!

Global Community Development in Vietnam

Click here for more program details, and to apply.

Read more about the Global Community Development in Vietnam.

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Global Community Development in Mozambique

Click here for more program details, and to apply.

Check out these independent student blogs to hear from students from the 2018 program in Mozambique:

Taylor Peabody

Jon Mahaffey

Video:

Mozambique: Making a Difference

Short Takes: A Life-Changing Summer

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International Business Seminar in Ireland

Click here for more program details, and to apply.

There are three upcoming information sessions about the Ireland 2019 program. Make plans to attend to meet the faculty leaders and ask questions! All will be held in Walker Hall (WJWH) 302.

• Monday, September 10 from 5:30 – 7:30
• Monday, September 24 from 5:30 – 7:30
• Wednesday. October 3 from 7 – 9

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Honors Passport to Sicily - A Mediterranean Mosaic

Click here for more program details, and to apply.

Make plans to attend the following info session in the Honors Lounge in Gearhart Hall.

• Thursday, September 6, 5:00 - 6:00

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U of A Rome Center Spring 2019 Semester Program

Click here for more program details, and to apply.

Living in a Water Crisis #HogsAbroad in South Africa

happy monday!

well, i have been in cape town for two weeks now and i’m honestly dreading the day i have to leave in four weeks. but, here is to another month of classes, papers, and fun adventures!

the city is beautiful, each district filled with different cultures, architecture, and history. while cape town itself is filled with a dark history, it has been a journey learning more about it; i believe this aspect has added an important layer of depth and complexity that has only benefited my time here. but that’s a story for another day.

onto the subject! the water crisis!

for those who do not know, Cape Town is in the middle of an extreme drought; it is the first city in the world to come close to fully running out of water. originally, when i knew i would be spending my summer here, “Day Zero” (the day the city was bound for completely being without water) was set for September 2018. Due to rationing and the current rainy season, “Day Zero” has been set for late 2019, or maybe even into 2020. bless the rains.

because of the need to conserve water, each person living in Cape Town has been rationed to use around fifty liters of water per day. to put this in perspective, the average American shower is eight minutes long and uses sixty-five liters of water. so, obviously, coming from a country that is not in a water crisis, there are a lot more habits to put in place. in our dorm, we are not monitored by how much water we use, but it’s kind of an understood rule: do not use all the water.

to be honest, i feel a definite awareness of being a foreigner using the resources of a country in crisis. i do not necessarily feel guilt per se, but this feeling of: “it is a privilege to study here and you must respect their circumstances. you are not entitled to the fullness of resources.” i mean, yes, i need to shower and drink water, but there is a certain level of respect i much have as a guest in this city.

day – to – day, i am conscious of my water usage. a lot of conservation is in the little things that you do not really think about. for example: not leaving the water running while brushing your teeth, washing your face, or washing dishes. a simple trick is also using hand sanitizer instead of soap and water to wash your hands. other things we are asked to do are only doing laundry once a week and when we do, to either have a big load or pair up with other people… and obviously, take short showers. and i am not talking five minutes short… i am talking like, two minutes. maximum. i am slowly but surely getting the hang of this one.

even in the shower, there is still conservation. in the dorms, we put buckets on the floor of the shower. while waiting for the shower water to heat up, the excess water that falls in the bucket goes into the kitchen sink for washing dishes. but while you are actually taking a shower, you must switch out buckets for the “gray water” bucket. this “gray water” bucket becomes filled with excess shampoo, body wash, and water. we use the gray water to manually flush the toilet as one automatic toilet flush uses anywhere from six to thirteen liters alone. yes, i know this is kind of gross to talk about, but we gotta do what we gotta do. again, as this country’s guest, there is extra responsibility to respect the city’s circumstances.

adjusting to the water crisis has been a little easier than i originally perceived it would be. a lot of times, the line between need and want is quite clear when you learn what you are actually capable of living on.

while the “Day Zero” situation is becoming more hopeful, it is far from being finished. while riding in an Uber the other day, i heard a water report over the radio. the radio host’s concluding words perfectly summed everything up: “yes, we are having rain. things are getting better. but we must keep going. the crisis is far from over.”

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International Studies major Layne Coleman spent the Summer 2018 term in South Africa.

Read more from Layne at https://lifeoflaynecoleman.wordpress.com/

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

I Thought This Week Would Be Easier to Sum Up #HogsAbroad in South Africa

well, as of tomorrow at 9:51am, i will have officially been in cape town for one week! i honestly thought that when i would write this post, all i would have to say was: “great first week! these are pictures of the people i’ve met and the cool touristy things i’ve done! yay traveling!”

and while all of those things are true and i will talk about the fun things i’ve done, that is only the surface. if we’re being completely honest, this week has been extremely stretching: emotionally, mentally, spiritually, insert adverbs here…

i guess before i explain a little how this week has been stretching, i want to clarify that i am in no way trying to gain pity. being stretched is good! being stretched is real! i also don’t want to portray this experience thus far as disappointing, or even unenjoyable because that is not the case: this week was a great start to what i will most likely call “one of the greatest journeys of my entire life.” i will also note that i prayed to be stretched and spent. when studying Jesus’s words, “ask and you shall receive,” i think i somehow disillusioned myself into thinking that He will not deliver in fullness at the time in which He declares…. which we all know is far from the truth. so, for these six weeks, i prayed for growth, understanding, and to be stretched like never before. i couldn’t help but laugh at myself when the middle of this week hit and i was wondering why i was feeling discomfort. it was in that moment when i could hear the Lord whisper, “this is when the real faith begins. don’t shove what you are feeling back down. push through the discomfort.” that statement is becoming a daily reminder, and sometimes even hourly, depending on the day. and i think ultimately at the end of the day, it is still a challenge from the Lord: “do you trust who I say I AM? will you choose Me?”

now to actually describe the discomfort. i don’t think i have actually told many people the classes i am taking here, but they! are! really! cool! i am taking a class on Poverty + Development in South Africa, as well as having an internship with a local non-profit organization (more on that to come!). in my poverty + development class, we immediately began tackling the hard conversations, topics, and even had to work through extremely tense moments as a class. i really won’t go into details about these discussions because it would take a lot of time, but i will say that, what i believe, what i think, and even how i think has been challenged — but all for productive means and long-term benefits that i can’t begin to fathom right now. and i am becoming okay with that.

moving on from my classes (which i will definitely write more about later on), on to the fun things! this week, outside of class, i have made/deepened friendships, written papers, explored different districts of the city, gone to the top of Table Mountain, toured a township right outside of the city which was followed by a traditional south african BBQ…

honestly, there’s not really a good way to explain what i’ve done through words so….

here is the view from the apartment balcony!

you can see Table Mountain National Park in the distance with the Rondebosch district below. I spend most of my time in Rondebosch because this is where our group lives + takes classes.

on wednesday after our first morning of class, our entire program took a walking tour of the Central Business District and the beautiful Company Gardens! here is another glimpse of Table Mountain from the Gardens: the entire city is basically centered around the mountain so it is never really out of sight!

wednesday afternoon/night, my friends and i took the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain since it was a clear and beautiful day! for those who don’t know, it is currently the winter season in south africa so it is a little chilly and rainy quite often! the best time to do anything outdoors is to wait for the clear and sunny days that are unpredictable.

i was in awe as we reached the top of the mountain. i honestly felt as though i was weightless at the top of the world… it was also a mesh of feeling small, but limitless. like, i have nothing to bring the Lord, but He still allows me to bask in His glorious creation? it’s humbling, yet empowering… actually maybe this is more of a “you had to be there” to understand kind of moment. idk.

i also made friends! wowowowow these girls are freaking fantastic. who would have thought that after only seven days, i would have created long-lasting friendships?? i definitely did not think so at first. kaitlyn, haley, becca, elizabeth, and mia, you all have surprised me in the best way possible!

i guess these photos portray the real aspect of why i am in south africa… taking classes. the picture above was taken at a hole in the wall coffee shop my friends and i went to in the Observatory District of Cape Town on Thursday night. not the most fun thing we could have been doing, but there was such a relaxing/peaceful feeling about escaping Rondebosch and drinking coffee/eating fifty percent off pizza in the local neighborhoods of the city.

Friday, we went to the Cecil Rhodes Memorial Restaurant for lunch and had class overlooking the city (photo above). not a bad view for a cold + rainy day with class in session.

on Saturday, our group traveled to the Langa Township and received a tour! the people of Langa were extremely kind and i am very grateful that they allowed us to enter their homes and communities. i learned a lot about townships and the various communities of cape town due to the apartheid era through this tour, but that merits a blog post of its own. soon to come. swear.

after this, we had south african bbq and it. was. delicious. i apologize in tenfold for not taking a picture of the food.

well, if you made it to the end of this, congratulations are in order and also thank you for reading what i have to say. i am definitely not an expert on anything i have discussed and will continue to discuss, but i am growing in knowledge and am trying my best!

upcoming posts (hopefully):

-what’s it like to live in a city that has a water crisis?

-how can i see the effects of apartheid twenty (ish) years later?

-the complexity of south african society

-leaving my christian bubble

-the adventures of twenty-somethings trying to do touristy things without being stereotypical american tourists

and the clock just stroke midnight! happy monday 

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International Studies major Layne Coleman spent the Summer 2018 term in South Africa.

Read more from Layne at https://lifeoflaynecoleman.wordpress.com/

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Snapshots from Community Health Nursing #HogsAbroad in Ghana

My name is Hannah Cogburn and I recently returned from my community health nursing study abroad trip to Ghana. Here are a few photos from my time in Ghana.

In a town called Paga, Ghana, crocodiles are considered to be sacred ancestors and are highly respected. This one was very patient and put up with our lengthy photoshoot!

A fun night spent watching the World Cup and eating a deliciously spicy meal with some locals in our custom-made outfits.

One of the local seamstresses in the craft market was kind enough to let us play with her beautiful daughter, Princess!

We were in awe of the overlook at Mole Park where we spent lunch watching elephants, antelope, warthogs, and monkeys in their natural habitat. 

On our safari at Mole Park, we walked deep into the foliage to watch some elephants snack on some roots.

One of our last stops was in Cape Coast in southern Ghana. We were able to spend some time on the beach and have some fresh seafood which was the perfect ending to a life-changing trip.

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Nursing major Hannah Cogburn spent the Summer 2018 term in Ghana with our U of A Faculty-Led: Community Health Nursing in Ghana program.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

New Perspectives #HogsAbroad in Mozambique

Hi! My name is Jon Mahaffey. I am a Walton Honors student studying accounting, and I am thinking about minoring in economic development. A few days ago, I arrived back in the United States after a month-long study abroad in Mozambique. I learned a great deal while abroad, and I shared so many fantastic experiences. So many, in fact, that it’s hard to sum up the trip in one blog post. Of all the incredible stories and memories from the trip, the most memorable will be the great experiences I had with the locals.

Going into Mozambique, I was certain that the language barrier would keep me from interacting with everyone there. I was quickly proven wrong the very first day. With the help of translators, I was able to share many laughs with both children and adults alike, and I was graciously welcomed into their homes. I feel comfortable saying that during my three weeks in the country, I did not meet a single mean-spirited person. In addition to their stunning positivity, I was also amazed by their strong work ethic. For many people that I met, their days start at around four in the morning, and they don’t stop until the sun is down. Be it physical labor, problem solving, or simply working diligently to keep their family safe and healthy, the Mozambicans work hard on any task they are given.

Being in Mozambique gave me a new perspective on citizens of a developing country. Even though they have fewer physical possessions than people in the United States, I firmly believe that they have so much more than we do. I gave a lot while in Mozambique, both work and physical items alike, but I think I took even more away.

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Jon spent the summer 2018 in Mozambique with our U of A Faculty-Led: Global Community Development in Mozambique program.

For more information about study abroad & internship opportunities within Walton College, visit http://walton.uark.edu/global/index.php