One of my favorite things about Ghana Act is chatting with our chef extradonnaire Linda. Linda not only cooks our daily dinner, but she also makes us groundnut paste (peanut butter) and other treats like sliced fresh fruit. I call her "Linda The Business Woman" because she is putting herself through preventative medicine nursing school with her skills in the kitchen, both with Ghana Act and by selling breakfast porridge on campus to pay for her transportation fees to and from school everyday. Needless to say, she works very hard and commands my respect as a person. But beyond that, she is one of the few Ghanians, especially women, who is my age and who I come into meaningful contact with on a daily basis. Most of the people I've met through Ghana Act projects are kids, parents, or male, so Linda is special to me. During your time in Ghana, try to find the Lindas, the people you relate to in the real relationship way -- find them and talk with every day that you can. If it weren't for Linda I'm not sure that I would leave this summer experience having a decent true understanding of a woman's life in Ghana, most particularly one who is balancing tradition with her own mental modernity. From an intellectual standpoint, it makes me extremely appreciative of the women's lib movement back home, but from a human standpoint I am finding the motivation to pursue graduate studies in public health -- the type where not only health but also human flourishing are crucial, and where human rights and capabilities guide our actions. Linda has become a friend, a teacher, and a motivation. When you are here, you must find your motivation.
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