Our first day started with a “Tech to Teach” session for children attending the local primary school in Abenta. The scheme uses tablets to support literacy and numeracy learning in a more engaging and interactive way for the students. We then spent time touring the village with local VbV workers who live within the community, learning more about daily life and the challenges faced around infrastructure, water access, and sanitation. At the same time, it was clear to see the strong sense of community and positivity throughout the village.

The following days focused on practical project work within the communities of P Junction and Nankese. One of the main projects involved constructing a new handwashing station for a local primary school. We installed pipework, excavated trenches for the rainwater supply and drainage pipework, and dug out a soakaway system to support the long-term use of the facility. It was rewarding to contribute towards a project that will directly improve hygiene and access to sanitation facilities.

VbV have also been constructing a new junior high school building within the village. Previously, many students stopped attending school after primary education due to the distance required to travel. We supported the construction works by helping prepare and lay concrete for classroom floors, as well as constructing an accessible ramp into the new school building to improve access for all students.

We also travelled to Nankese to help paint a newly constructed toilet block for the local school. The school had operated for over 50 years without toilet facilities, meaning children often had to leave school during the day to return home. Seeing how grateful the school and wider community were for these new facilities reinforced the importance of projects like these and the impact they can have on education and day-to-day life.

One of the biggest things the trip highlighted for me was how important relatively simple construction and public health engineering solutions can be when they directly support a community’s everyday needs. I was able to see first-hand the positive impact that access to clean water, sanitation, drainage, and educational infrastructure can have within a community.

A particularly memorable moment from the final day was creating a “Clean hands, save lives” banner with the children from the village, who added their own handprints to it. It was a simple but meaningful way to end the week.

As our final day in Ghana fell on a public holiday, we also had the opportunity to visit Boti Falls – another highlight of a beautiful part of Ghana.

The trip was an incredibly rewarding experience both personally and professionally, and I am very grateful to Village by Village, SoPHE, and everyone involved in organising for the opportunity. It is definitely an experience I will carry with me throughout my career.