Blog Article: A Year in Ghana – A Parent’s Perspective
As we close one chapter of our Volunteer year and eagerly begin the next, we’re reminded of the profound impact that volunteering with Project Trust can have, not just on the Volunteers themselves, but also on their families. Eddy and Caroline Pearce, parents of Martha, who volunteered in Ghana during 2023/24, offer a heartfelt reflection from a parent’s perspective, highlighting the transformative journey their daughter embarked upon and the lasting influence it had on their family.
“Martha Recently returned from 11 months teaching in Ghana with Project Trust. Her life has given me two emotional highlights. Her birth 19 years ago and then just a few weeks ago, when I was happy that she was sad.
It was her final week in Ghana, saying her goodbyes to the people, places, habits and emotions which had made it a home. Once left, it would never be the same. The bricks, mortar, tin roof, dusty yard, shady trees, and so many friends will still be there if (when!) she returns.
Her sadness lay in the thought of losing that intangible magic which makes a place home. True sadness can only exist once we have known true joy, and loss is so often a place from which growth begins. What Martha left behind in Ghana is not lost. It is a web of memories, of moments, of joy, now embedded in her as she continues to grow.
Having seen her there allowed me to be happy when I knew she was so sad, and to love that she had found a place which was home to her, but not to us. The most primal parental instinct is to protect their child, yet the strongest need of a child is to grow and develop the skills and resilience required to survive without the parental protection. Somewhere, sometime, somehow us parents need to learn to let go.
Whilst in Ghana, Eddy took portraits of the young people at the School. Martha then printed these out and one was given to each participant, many of whom had never had a printed photo of themselves.
Letting go is so hard, but indefinitely easier when there is a safety net. From day 1 we had the utmost trust in Project Trust to provide essential support but hadn’t anticipated how that solid foundation might nurture multiple safety nets. Lucy and Romilly, Martha’s project partners, have been soul mates beyond extraordinaire, and the wider group of Ghana PT Volunteers have been a fantastic and supportive network of friends, travel companions and social media commentators, keeping us connect to a home which isn’t ours. Our gratitude to that big gang, to those nets which enabled us to give the hardest gift and to let go, is endless!”
Ghana Volunteers at Heathrow upon their return to the UK in August 2024 (left) and at departure in 2023 (right).
Find out more about Volunteering in Ghana here.
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