Paula Narvaez: Ghana Fellow, USC

Halfway through the program and I am still discovering new things on the daily. Life in Ghana has been so humbling and intriguing. I can honestly say that I feel fully immersed into the lifestyle here.

As I edit a few photos that I have taken, I reminisce on the past few weeks and all of the memories attached to these photograph stills. I still have to hold my jaw up because I can’t fully grasp the fact that I am actually here, in Africa. I have had nothing but lovely encounters and positive experiences.

Focusing on art education within the Ghanaian school system, my research has led me onto an eye-opening route. Having a background in visual arts and majoring in architecture, I have always found a passion for creativity. Art is a universal language; the form is a leeway for alternative expression. Incorporating a form of art into a curriculum is vital in a student’s academic career. It helps students find an outlet for freedom of expression as well as utilize different forms of thought and learning skills. I have been focusing on all levels of academia from lower primary school through the tertiary level visiting a handful of schools throughout the Central Region and speaking with headmasters, professors and students. Their interviews have allowed me to not only gain knowledge on their outlook and position on the arts but also share a common passion for the arts. My most gratifying interviews have been the unexpected ones I come about casually on the streets of Ghana with young individuals who have successfully taken their creative skills into the work force as working artists. To be able to physically see their work and techniques obtained through exposure to creative arts throughout their school years provides a reassuring feeling that the incorporation of art education into the curriculum has its advantages. 

Overall I am happy with the information I have gathered for my research. Being able to research something that I am passionate about makes the whole process extremely rewarding.

Besides researching, the whole experience of Blue Kitabu has been fantastic, this I believe is solely due to the fact that the other 7 fellows have been nothing but inspiring and a joy to thrive in growth of our close friendships. I have never been so impressed by a group of such mature students with such different ideas, come together and click so harmoniously. Spending each day together may it be squeezing together on the claustrophobic tro tro, enjoying tea time at our favorite café in Cape Coast, discussing high lows around a lantern during our daily family style dinners while the electricity is out, or high up in the canopies of the Kumasi National Forest, has only been one of the most delightful experiences I have had. As these last two weeks in Ghana trickle down, I am really looking forward to making the best of each day.