Personal Narrative: Growing Up In Ghana

A community-focused, dedicated and accomplished Disability Support Worker, I am actively pursuing a challenging new career opportunity where I can utilise my qualifications, skills and demonstrated experience spanning 12 years. Proven ability to deliver activities to enhance the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of children, youths, adults, aged clients and families, with a strong emphasis on protection, understanding and support. Leading by example with compassion and professionalism, I possess strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to provide social and emotional support to wide-ranging clients whilst promoting independence and self-worth. I have demonstrated a high level of proficiency related

Throughout centuries gender inequality has been a crucial downfall to women’s education. Till this day women in multiple countries still such as Cambodia, Pakistan, and Morocco are denied the opportunity to pursue an education and are even persecuted if they attempt to. In other countries like Guatemala, poverty is the main factor as to why women are likely to not receive an education because families would rather send their sons simply because he is a boy. Many women in these countries are illiterate because boys are favored to receive an

When my high school years rolled around, I made a few Liberian friends. By my sophomore year, I was not ashamed to be seen with them. Slowly, I started saying I’m Liberian when people asked me my ethnicity. No more of, “My dad is black, and my mom is Liberian.” I started telling people that my favorite food was rice with stew and pepper chicken. To a young mind, it was quite liberating, but it was not full-fledged by any means. I still hung on to my Black associations. I would still hang around my Black friends, most of the time. Even though I was making progress with accepting my heritage, I was still attached to the Black community. I mean, I grew up in North Minneapolis; the Black epicenter in Minnesota. Growing up in the rougher neighborhood

We all have a special place that comes to mind but I wonder if I am the only one that still finds it beautiful.This place is significant to me because it is where I was born and raised. This place is Monrovia, Liberia in West Africa, bordering Sierra Leone to its west, Guinea to its north and Ivory coast to its east, also near the Atlantic coast. Most people do not have knowledge of Liberia but do not get it misguided for a small country, approximately 4.614 million people are living there as of 2016.

Growing up in Haiti has strengthen my survival instinct at an early age. With barely enough to eat, we was dying one by one. Medicine and treatment was very rare for us. Imagine dying from a simple cold due to the fact that aspirin and cough medicine was foreign to us. I recall walking around wishing for better days or looking for ways to help. And I remember being told I was coming to America. America, the place where even the most impossible dreams come true. America, where education is free and very beneficial. Regardless of how young I was, I knew with every fiber in my little body that I would try my hardest to be successful in America. Unable to speak english, school become a challenge. But to all my teachers surprise it took me less

I have always been energized by the opportunity to make a positive and tangible impact on my community. During my time at Georgetown, such excitement came from involvement in multiple activities ranging from student government to fellowships, and from on-campus advocacy to community service. Since graduating from Georgetown, I have continued my commitment to service through extensive involvement as a SERVE Leader at Fannie Mae. Still, I miss the opportunity to organize events and engage members of my community to the extent I did when I was in school. What’s more, I have found it difficult to continue involvement in the disability space since graduation, as my current employer has limited avenues for employees with disabilities to network.

In addition to working as a Residential Direct Support Professional, I am a senior at Queens College, majoring in Psychology. Currently exploring new opportunities, my objective is to further my career in an organization that offers the opportunity to assist those with developmental disadvantages. My desire is to bring about a difference in someone’s life, to aid and support them in their decision-making and daily life skills, and to facilitate changes in the community on their behalf so they can live meaningful lives.

While I was growing up in Haiti with a happy family. I was a happy child, bad at home but I was a smart girl in school. My family was there for me when I need them, whether in a bad or good situation, they never let me go. Also, my family always found a way to keep a big smile in my face. They always knew what was wrong and right when I maked a bad decision. One day, all the happiness went away. My life became harder, I was scared, and sad. On March 20, 2005, I thought I was going to die. I became ill and had malaria symptoms. I missed school for two months. I could not sleep, eat or enjoy my childhood. The only thing I was able to do was stay in bed all day. It was good that I did not have to do my chores, but I realized it was boring and

When Dr. Michele Devlin asked me to be a part of Iowa Center Health Disparities last spring, I was titillated and interested at the opportunities to provide a small server for who have barriers or non-English speakers to prevent a specific disease. On the other hand, I heard from one of my best friend that there is a student organization located at the campus called “PIERR” and I researched about it. I feel kind of similar what I am looking for. Therefore, I contacted with the director Dr. Catherine Zeman and she accepted me to be part of her team. Under the two opportunities that opens the door for me, I have been able to build and use my strength, discover my weakness and improve them, and provide me self-assured. I will highlight a brief summary of my experience and desires of my future career.

My passion for the rights and advancement of people with disabilities started after my son Jacob (name used with his permission) was born with special needs. I accepted this new life path and absorbed myself in knowledge. Management at his early intervention program recognized my drive, commitment, love and leadership skills and sent me to attend trainings, workshops and conferences on their behalf, in return, I created and presented in-service trainings for parents and staff. As a single parent, I embraced this method of acquiring knowledge, skills and resources in a journey I am still forging.

Consequently, this mindset, which is heavily based on tradition, prevented little girls from exploring their talents and capabilities because their fathers, brothers and sometimes even mothers decide 12 years is old enough to be women, force them to quit school and possibly even marry them off. Additionally, this form of discrimination, which is not practiced only by men but women as well, denied women certain academic opportunities. Therefore, a large number of women in those communities are hurdled from reaching their full potential and partaking in the improvement and development of our society and country.

As a girl, I was told that girls don’t need that much education. Just find a good man and get married and also become a stay home mom. Also, the elders think that women don’t need education because their role is to cooking food, doing chores, taking care of the baby, and other family members. In my memory, one day my grandfather was talking to my father. He suddenly he mentioned me and about my school. He wanted me to drop off of my school and they will looking for good man marry marry with me and I will become a housewife. Fortunately thing is my mother was from a big city and she received

I grow up in Congo, with an african culture where young men and women are exposed to alcohol and tobacco at a very young age. In family, parents and family members are very strict, no matter what is your age, you are not allowed to drink alcohol and to smook. By mistake, if you end up becoming a drinker or a smoker, it is a kind disgrace and shame for your family. Because a drinker is seeing as an unserious person, someone that you can trust or give responsibilities. Even myself, I grow up being afraid of drinking alcohol or smoking cigarette, because I didn’t want to dishonor my family. Furthermore, while talking about friends’ influences, it depends on whom you were spending your time with. As an example, if you were surrendering by bad friends,

Beautiful sunsets, salty air, sandy toes, and sun kissed skin is what you figure when hearing of exotic trips around the world. However, that was definitely not my case. June 22nd, 2015, I embarked for Lira, Uganda. Malodorous trash, red dirt, parasite infected waters, and giant mosquitos was the actuality I had. Unfortunately, this was the daily life of millions in Uganda.

I’m sorry that I haven't blogged regularly but as you can imagine I am still trying to get comfortable with my new life. Now that I’m here I’m really starting to realize that Haiti has no structure, my mom would have a fit! (Love you mom!) Work day hours vary constantly, you can start work pretty much at 7:30AM and then declare at 3PM that you are going home. With my line of work we are constantly depending on the wifi, which as you can imagine is not the greatest in a third world country, but we manage to get as much done as we can. I can honestly say that every day is different, there is never really a schedule or a plan as to how one should go about doing things. You simply just do them. Transition from the U.S. has