Building a Community Center in Ghana

Its hard to imagine that people who are just trying to make the world a better place can be criticized, especially by people who are also serving to create a better global community. Nonetheless, it happens in Ghana just like it happens all over the world, in communities grateful for the service being provided.

So why should I bring this up? Well volunteer elitism even happens in the tiny village of Abrafo.
Over the past 14 years Miami representatives have been coming to the village to build everything from houses to schools and community buildings. The buildings seem well used, the reports of students helping in the village and the community’s warm welcome of us seem like Miami’s work has played an important part of the development of the village.

Peace Corps volunteers dedicate two years of service to working in off-the-beaten path villages all over the world. They grow use to living without electricity and their families. They are often tasked with creating development or education programs out of nothing and with very little support. While it seems like a very difficult lifestyle, these volunteers become deeply engaged in their communities. They develop meaning full relationships, feel like part of that community and naturally become protective of that community.

So why does this matter when it comes to volunteer elitism and our building project?

Well, we have had a very rocky relationship with the Peace Corps volunteer stationed in Abrafo, who is living in the Miami built guesthouse. As much as the conflict, which really has nothing to do with the students, is about protecting our “territory” (the guesthouse), it is also a feeling of protecting our service territory.

Today some of the student and I had a really great talk about the differences between the service we are doing and the Peace Corps volunteer’s work. As someone who works with a lot of volunteers this was not a new conversation for me and I think I was better able to reflect with the students because of my own personal experiences.

The debate was the following. The service Miami performs, the construction of community buildings, seems incredibly important. After all it contributes to infrastructure, the economy (the market place), improved education facilities and community interaction (the community center). Sure we are only here for a few weeks every other year, but what is left last for a long time.

The Peace Corps volunteer was working in the nearby national park trying to create business practices to increase revenue and working with teenage girls to address the issues that effect them (I will be the first to admit I am not totally sure this is what the volunteer was doing, but this is what I think the gist of it was). While she had been stationed in the village for a while (and was also signing on for an additional commitment), her work did not seem as tangible or lasting.

What do you think? Is one more important or better than the other?

After the conversation, where I explained often volunteers who become deeply engaged in their service become protective of their community and work, the students seemed to understand that the conflict between Miami and the Peace Corps volunteer was only natural. If anything the students’ protectiveness (or elitism) is a sign that they really feel connected to the community and feel a tremendous pride in the work the do.

Since writing this one of the students came up to me the other day. She told me one of her friends who was also in Ghana for some form of service had made a comment about how the work she (the friend) was doing was more important. After all Miami was only in Ghana for 6 weeks while she was going to be there for 8. The student immediately recognized this as the volunteer elitism and could only smile at her friend’s comment.