Scholar's Final Report

Ambassadorial Scholar Final Report
Brandon C. Gast
28/04/2009
My year-long experience in Ghana, West Africa as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar has been absolutely phenomenal. I am deeply humbled to have been awarded such an amazing opportunity. Certainly weekly and almost daily I would think to myself "How do I go back to District 5100 and explain this adventure to all the Rotarians who sent me here?" This scholarship period has impressed upon me a deep-seated appreciation for Rotary and their many efforts to make this world a better place. I'm sure the words "life-changing" are used by many Rotary scholars to describe their experiences abroad. Well, at the risk of sounding cliché, I would have to agree with all of these past scholars and describe this year as truly life-changing. The sights I've seen, the relationships I've built, the lessons I've learned, these are the 'African souvenirs' that I will cherish for a long, long-time to come.
When I turned my back on familiar Portland soil and stepped onto my flight headed to Ghana, I had many ideas of what this year would mean to me, what I would learn, what I would take away from the experience. On so many levels these perceptions proved to be so far off the mark I wonder at how I could have been so naive and presumptuous. For example, prior to leaving for Africa last August - for a duration of several years in fact - I had thought that I would have a career doing economic development in Africa or working in a closely related field. Maybe I would be a Peace Corps volunteer for a few years, probably go back to school for my masters in International Development, and then likely work for an international NGO or perhaps even the UN. This year in Ghana, though, has caused me to seriously reformulate my professional ambitions.
It would take far too long for me to describe where my head is at now or to talk of the many conversations and experiences I've had that have brought me to this place. But one notable discussion I had with an older Ghanaian gentleman bears repeating. I asked this man what Ghana needs from the US, or more specifically, what I should be doing with my life in a professional sense to help Africa. He didn't respond by saying that Ghana needs more on-the-ground personnel working for non-profit organizations or that I should try to gain employment with UNICEF or the UNHCR. Rather his response was that Africa needed better-informed leaders in the US who would utilize their positions of authority to make smart policy decisions in regard to Africa. It's not just about throwing money at the problems he said; it's about understanding the cultural, social, and political dynamics found in each African country and responding wisely and holistically. It's these kind of interactions that have radically shifted my perspective of Africa and, in a larger context, the world.
The wisdom that this Ghanaian friend imparted is very similar to the kind of revelations I've had through my classes at the University of Ghana. To be honest I've been rather disappointed by the academics at the university but nonetheless there have definitely been some nuggets of value that I've gleaned from the classes. One example of this is the lessons I've learned from a Political Science class called “US Foreign Policy and Africa.” In this class we critically analyzed various US initiatives and legislation geared toward Africa: the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), the Africa Crisis Response Initiative (ACRI), the African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program (ACOTA), and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). One of the most shocking aspects of these acts and initiatives is the lack of input from Africans or, in some cases, even qualified African experts. My professor and our readings frequently pointed to the fact that Africa is treated as a 'back-burner' issue when it comes to US foreign policy. Such oversight and negligence within the US government reinforces my conviction that I can affect more change at home than abroad.
Another unexpected outcome of this experience has been the soul-searching I've done as relates to my outlook on race relations. I suppose the fact that racial issues striking me as an unexpected outcome is just another indication of the depth of my naivety and hubris prior to leaving for Africa. Of course race is going to be a huge issue on this trip - I'm a white man living in black Africa for a year! But the soul-searching extends much further than just how I, as a white American, interact in black Africa. Ghana has actually brought me to a place of much introspection about race relations back in the United States as well. There are a number of black American students here on study abroad trips and I've benefited from and been challenged by the conversations I've had with these friends. One example of this is when a friend pointed out that so many American young people are eager to run off to Africa and help poor and destitute black children. Good for them she tells me, but where is this same eagerness when hundreds of thousands of children are living in just as poor and destitute conditions in our own country? Where is the outrage and moral indignation when people are forced to live by African standards in the richest country of the world? And all this soul-searching has made me realize that I am actually much more qualified to address the disparities in my own country rather than to try to help in Africa where I will always be the outsider.
So I've come to appreciate that there are many Africans who are much better qualified than myself to address the day-to-day realities found here in Africa. I've recognized that there are many supportive roles that I can step into voluntarily or in my professional life that are necessary and sometimes essential for the work being done in Africa. And that's one of the beautiful things about Rotary. Rotary addresses grave and complex world problems by using both locally-devised and locally-driven solutions but all of the projects are supported by an international membership. It is the members of Accra Airport (my host club) and the 19 other clubs in Ghana who best understand the issues facing Ghanaians. Thanks to the interconnectedness of Rotary though, the Clackamas club (my sponsoring club) has the ability to get behind the Accra Airport club and support important projects in Ghana. This kind of horizontal diffusion of humanitarian work means that Rotary's efforts are largely sustainable and benefit a greater number of individuals.
One example of the supportive role I see myself playing came to me thanks to the relationship I built with a young man named Philip Achinake. Philip is working toward attending business school here in Accra and then he wants to fulfill a life-long dream of going to university in the US or the UK. But the odds are stacked against Philip and his modest ambitions. His father is perennially unemployed due to health issues and his mother sells yams at a local market. Philip spent a period of his youth crushing rocks at a local rock quarry to help his family make ends meet. Despite the difficult circumstances, Philip was accepted to a local business college and I had the opportunity to help him register and pay his initial school fees. I whole-heartedly believe that education is the key for Philip (and other young Africans like Philip) to have a bright and successful future. This conviction has stirred up a desire in me to one day create a foundation that would provide scholarships to young Africans to study at local African institutions as well as pursue higher education abroad. The vision for a foundation may not come to fruition for some time but, in the meantime, I can still help support Philip to follow his dreams.
As I said at the top of this report I have a profound respect and appreciation for Rotary now after this scholarship experience. Even before I left home for Africa I was experiencing the benefits of my connections with Rotary. Soon after I found out that I won the scholarship, it seemed as if a floodgate had been opened and opportunities began pouring in. It gave me such a huge boost of confidence to know that there was a group of people who wanted to back my personal and professional ambitions. Contrary to conventional sense, I am actually quite thrilled to be given an opportunity to speak publicly at Rotary clubs. I'm excited to return home and share with the Rotarians of 5100 all of the amazing experiences I've had. These presentations are a great chance for me to network and I can think of very few places where I have an opportunity to cross paths with so many interesting and like-minded individuals. I have every intention of staying connected with the organization and I can't wait to see what other doors are opened to me thanks to Rotary.

Brandon Arrives home June 27th and will be available for club programs and presentations.