It’s 11:30 am in the U.S. and 3:30 pm in Ghana on a Thursday afternoon. Participants from “Through the Eyes of Youth” have just joined a session via zoom. As more and more youth enter onto the screen, the excitement and nervous energy is palpable. Eyes shift around the virtual room, giggles can be heard and some even fix their clothes and hair, wanting to look their best. One cohort in Oyibi Ghana has sheltered at a small restaurant, away from the rain, hoping to gain a better signal. 

It’s been some time since each respective cohort has seen each other on camera. These sessions take place every 4 – 6 weeks allowing youth a chance to interact and build deeper connections. In this space, the youth play games, enjoy guest speakers and engage in interactive learning activities. Today’s agenda includes a slideshow of pictures that have been taken over the past several weeks, “Get to know me” BINGO, Trivia and freeze dance. 

As the session commences, things start to get competitive. It’s Ghana vs the U.S. Youth are divided into teams and one representative comes up to the screen at a time to answer a trivia question. The categories are animals, sports, science/anatomy, geography, math and miscellaneous. The U.S. quickly takes the lead, knocking down 3 animal questions in a row, but suddenly, Ghana charges back as the category switches to sports. The score stays close as the questions become more challenging. “How many legs does a lobster have?”. “How many ribs does a human have in their body?”. “What is the closest planet to the sun?”. In the end, the U.S. sneaks away with a win, but the score was close. Ghana is definitely ready for a re-match next session. 

The last and final activity is one the Ghanaian youth are most excited about: dancing.

With no shyness or hesitancy, the Ghanaian youth form small circles and as soon as the song Monica by Kwame Eugene comes on, everyone begins to dance. The U.S. students watch in wonder at first, and then hesitantly mirror some movements while adding their own. Soon, everyone is involved and having a good time. The facilitators decide to let the music play, forgetting the freeze component. And sometimes going off course is okay because you never know what adventure could be awaiting ahead.

With all of the activities completed, it’s time to say goodbye. Waving exuberantly, the youth make their last funny faces, thank each-other for coming and with that, another session is complete. 

~ Kyla Farquhar
Director of Programs and Operations