Ghana: Origins of African Identity

Homestays

Experience daily life in Ghana by living with urban and rural host families

During the course of the program, students live with two families in different geographic and sociocultural environments. Homestays directly immerse students in Ghanaian culture and provide a deeper understanding of life in Western Africa.

During the homestays, students become involved in their families’ everyday activities, practice their Fante language skills, and get to experience Ghana’s well known hospitality.

Cape Coast
Students spend five weeks living with a Ghanaian family in Cape Coast, a city of central importance to African Diaspora studies. Students investigate historical sites throughout the city to establish background knowledge of the socio-cultural issues addressed throughout the program. Because Ghana was used by colonialist powers as a staging area for the trans-Atlantic slave trade, its historical monuments and collective memory, particularly apparent in Cape Coast, provide a valuable resource for students.

Komenda (rural homestay)
The Komenda homestay provides excellent exposure to contemporary Ghanaian village culture. Some of the homestay families have been hosting SIT students for over a decade.

During this period, students learn to recognize a wide variety of cultures within a small geographical area. Although Komenda, a fishing village, is only 35 kilometers away from Cape Coast, the town has limited access to electricity and running water. Interactions with farmers, petty traders, and local teachers help students develop an understanding of the wide range of Ghanaian experience in different parts of the country. Students typically spend one week in Komenda.

Other accommodations during the program include hostels, private homes, educational institutions, or small hotels.