Current TITAN co-director Drs. Joanne Davis and former co-director Lara Foley developed a summer study abroad course in an effort to educate students about issues of interpersonal, intercultural and historical violence in Ghana. During the most recent trip, Dr. Davis and her students engaged in a discussion with an impassioned group of teachers from Favour Preparatory School. The Ghanaian teachers shared with the class their concerns for their own students and they had one simple request. The teachers asked of the visiting class before them, “When you go back, please, remember us.”
Ghana is not a place one could easily forget. The class was taken by surprise during their visit to the school. The class had been expecting to paint the school they were visiting, but this proved problematic. When the students arrived they found nothing that resembled a school. In the place of a building, there were only temporary structures with walls made of driftwood and thin tin roofs held together by posts and rusty nails. Furthermore, the children at this school had barely any books, paper, or pencils, and there were no walls to separate the classrooms. What is more alarming is that these conditions exist throughout Ghana.
Upon returning home, Dr. Davis and her students were determined to help the school they visited. Dr. Davis and TITAN connected with local resources in Tulsa to fundraise for their cause. TITAN linked up with Bama Pie and Kairos 10 to begin selling jewelry that was handmade by Ghanaian women. Through this work, TITAN is able to fundraise for the school in a sustainable effort. The jewelry is made out of recycled materials (e.g., glass, vinyl, shells) and all of the proceeds go back to Ghana. These beautiful pieces helped TITAN raise enough money so that we will be able to build a playground and purchase much need supplies for the Favour Prep school. Dr. Davis and TITAN plan to continue this relationship with Ghanaian schools in the future. TITAN has teamed up with a TU student engineering group, Sustainable Engineering for Needy and Emerging Areas (SENEA), in order to design and build a water-pumping playground for a Ghanaian school.
Keep a look out for information on the next jewelry sale!
Photography Exhibit: “Witches of Ghana”
TITAN partnered with Circle Cinema to increase awareness about practices surrounding the treatment of women accused of witchcraft in Ghana. Circle Cinema screened a documentary entitled The Witches of Gambaga for the community as well as provided space for an exhibit of photos taken by a student who previously studied in Ghana. Pictured below are Q & A sessions about the documentary that followed each screening.
