A Summer in Accra: Learning, Teaching, and Making Memories by Max O.

This summer, I had the opportunity to spend time in Accra, Ghana, working with the Yenko Foundation and the students we support. What started as a trip to help provide children with access to education, quickly became one of the most memorable experiences of my summer.

Getting to Ghana Early

I flew to Ghana with one of my friends, Adrian, a couple of days before everyone else arrived. Since we got there first, we immediately got to work. We dropped off books at the school and tried to create a schedule for everything we wanted to accomplish during our time there.

Of course, that schedule didn't exactly go according to plan.

We quickly learned that working with a school full of energetic kids doesn't always allow you to stick perfectly to a schedule. But that was part of the fun. We had to learn to adapt and figure things out as we went.

A few days later, two more of my friends, Alex and Henry, arrived in Ghana to spend a week with us. Adrian and I woke up early and got to the airport at 7:00 a.m. to pick them up. Once they arrived, we were ready to start our week together.

A Week of Teaching and Having Fun

We divided up our teaching. Alex and Adrian focused on math, while Henry and I focused on English. We spent a lot of time tutoring the students, doing group reading, and helping them with different assignments.

But it wasn't all about sitting in a classroom.

One of my favorite parts of being at the school was simply having fun with the kids. We taught them how to play Seven Up, and I taught them different tongue twisters. Watching them try to say the tongue twisters as quickly as possible—and hearing everyone laugh when they messed up—was one of the highlights of my time there.

We also worked on activities for the Yenko Foundation, including teaching the kids how to play frisbee. We even gave each of them their own Yenko Foundation frisbee to take home.

At first, teaching frisbee was complete chaos. There were so many kids trying to play at once that it was almost impossible to keep everyone organized. They were having fun, but there were definitely too many kids for the way I had originally planned the activity. I realized that if I wanted it to work, I had to change my approach. The next time, I knew I needed to organize the groups differently and make the activity easier for everyone to follow.

It was a good reminder that teaching isn't always about having the perfect plan. Sometimes, you have to see what isn't working and change your approach.

My Favorite Grades

My favorite grades to work with were definitely 4th, 5th, and 6th grade.

They were energetic, excited to participate, and incredibly cooperative when we played games. It was easy to get them involved, whether we were doing reading activities, playing games, or learning something new.

Every grade had its own personality, though, and getting to know the students individually made the experience even more meaningful.

Saying Goodbye to My Friends

After a week of having fun and working with Henry, Adrian, and Alex, it was time for them to head back to New York.

I stayed in Ghana.

Although it was sad to see them leave, staying longer gave me the opportunity to spend even more time with the students and become more involved with the school.

I would wake up at 7:00 a.m. every morning so I could be at the school by 7:30 and be there when the kids arrived.

It became part of my daily routine, and I looked forward to seeing everyone each morning.

Celebrating at Calvary Methodist School

While I was there, we also got to celebrate the principal's birthday at Calvary Methodist School.

It was another opportunity to see the school community come together and celebrate. Moments like that made me realize that the school was becoming more than just a place where we were providing educational support. It was becoming a community that I felt connected to.

One of the biggest projects we worked on was giving the students books that were appropriate for their grade levels.

We wanted every student to have something they could read and enjoy, so we selected different books for each grade:

Pre-K & Kindergarten: The Very Hungry Caterpillar and picture books
1st & 2nd Grade: Narwhal & Jelly
3rd Grade: Anna Hibiscus
4th Grade: Front Desk
5th & 6th Grade: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
7th Grade: New Kid — the graphic novel
8th Grade: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Seeing the kids receive books specifically chosen for their reading level was incredibly rewarding. It wasn't just about giving them a book – it was about giving them something they could take home and hopefully develop a deeper love for reading.

The Kids Who Stood Out

There were so many students I got to know during my time there, but a few really stood out to me.

Gifty and Cindy were both eager to learn. They were experiencing their first years of school, with Cindy being 5 and Gifty being 8. Seeing their excitement about learning reminded me why the work we are doing through the Yenko Foundation matters.

Then there was Matthew.

Matthew is now flourishing in his new school. He is kind, playful, and gradually getting more comfortable in his new environment. Watching him adjust and become more confident was one of the most rewarding parts of the trip.

These weren't just names on a list of students we were helping. They became people I knew, talked to, laughed with, and cared about.

More Than Just Teaching

As the summer continued, I started giving the students homework assignments and vocabulary words to learn each night. I wanted to make sure that the time we spent together wasn't just about having fun for a few hours. I wanted to challenge them and help them continue learning even after I left the school.

At the same time, I found myself learning from them.

I learned how important it is to be patient. I learned that plans don't always work. I learned that sometimes the best way to teach is to make learning fun. And most importantly, I learned how much of an impact something as simple as your time and attention can have on a child.

I also realized that education isn't only about textbooks and classrooms. It's about giving students opportunities, encouraging them, and making them excited to learn.

Until November

Leaving Ghana was difficult because I knew I wouldn't be seeing the kids every morning anymore. I had gotten used to waking up at 7:00, arriving at school at 7:30, and seeing the same students waiting to learn, play, and talk.

But thankfully, it isn't goodbye forever.

I am looking forward to returning to Ghana in November and seeing the kids again.

This summer showed me that the work of the Yenko Foundation is about much more than simply helping students get into school. It's about building relationships, creating opportunities, and helping kids realize what they are capable of.

I went to Accra hoping to make a difference.

I came home realizing that the kids had made just as big of a difference in me.