Help me get to Africa!
My Travel Story
The trip that I am planning on taking is to Ghana and Togo with the possibility of Nigeria following the conclusion of the trip, to see one of my best friends Levi, shown in the first picture, who I have not seen in nearly 2 years. Not only am I going on this trip to get to experience a unique culture, but to gain better knowledge on a vastly under represented part of the world.
My love for Africa started when I was a senior in high school. For many years, it had been my dream to go to Seychelles, a small island nation of the East coast of Africa. This trip was no easy goal, due to how much it cost. I had the dream of going on this trip had been engrained in my mind since I was 9 years old. I told my parents how badly I wanted to go, and they said we could work to save up. So for the next 8 years we put money into a jar. A lot of the money I made from working in that time went towards the trip. Eventually, we had saved enough money for plane tickets for my mom, dad, brother and I to go. What timing too, while we were there we got to experience Seychelles' independence day (second picture). While this trip was very different from the trip to Ghana, it sparked my desire to learn about Africa. Since then, I started my own jar for my next adventure! But my desire goes far beyond simply wanting an adventure...
There are many conflicts that are ongoing today in Africa that are killing and displacing many of the people's of those nations. While Ghana, Togo, and Nigeria aren't in states of turmoil, getting to experience them now will help me better understand the conflicts of other West African nations, so I could play a role in helping stop them later. This academic trip is designed to teach me about African cultures, peoples, and politics, making the trip way more meaningful than a vacation.
On top of being a full-time student with huge aspirations in my academics, but I am also a competitive long distance runner at the University of Idaho. Running has been a huge part of my life for a very long time, but recently I've experienced a bump in the road. Two weeks ago I was diagnosed with a stress fracture, one so bad that it required surgery. While I am beyond grateful that the surgery was a success, I will be out of competing until September of next year. As disappointing as that is, it opens the door for me to get to do an exchange, something that I wouldn't get to do otherwise. When one door closes, God opens another! This makes this trip a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something that I wouldn't have been able to do because of sports.
I am extremely passionate about learning about the world and not only would this trip allow me to experience a unique part of the globe, but it would also allow me to better prepare myself for the challenges I hope to take on in my professional career, later in life.
Most of the funding for this trip is out of pocket from money that I have saved up through working in the summers. However, it isn't quite enough. I will continue working through the school year to help get more money, but any support I can get on here is greatly appreciated! Anything helps, God bless!
More Travel Information
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Campaign Ended
$ 0 USD
Total Donation Received-
0%
Funded -
$ 6,900 USD
Goal Amount -
0
Days Left
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Cost Calculator
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Program Fee
$ 4,990
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Special Courses/ Language Programs
$ 1,260
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Local Travel Expenses
$ 300
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Application/ Deposit Fee
$ 150
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Passport/ Visa/ Residence Permit
$ 200
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