Meet Matt, Tamzen, Jenna and Clinton!

(From left: Matthew, Tamzen, Jenna, Clinton)

Hi everyone, and welcome to our summer blog!

We would like to start out the blog by telling everyone a bit about ourselves and what we will be doing this summer. We are a tight-knit group of four Cornell University students interning for Voices of African Mothers in Tanoso, Ghana. The main focus of our internship is working at John William Montessori School (JWMS), where we teach a variety of subjects spanning from English to reproductive health to mathematics. We also work with teachers to help develop the school's curriculum. Some of us have even began to develop our own independent projects to help benefit the school today and in the future! This internship is also a service-learning experience, where we get to live and work alongside native Ghanaians and expose ourselves to Ghanaian culture on a daily basis. We will be in Ghana for a total of 7 weeks, and are so excited to share some of our journey at the school with you. But first, let's introduce the interns!

Matthew Jirsa

Major: Biology and Society

Minors: Nutrition, Health Policy, Global Health

Rising Junior

My time with VAM will fulfill my field experience requirement for the Global Health minor, but I decided to do the internship for much more than just a requirement. I have never spent more than 10 days outside of the U.S. and I wanted a chance to truly immerse myself in a culture unlike the one in which I grew up. At John William Montessori School in Tanoso, I have the opportunity to culturally immerse myself in Ghanaian culture, as well as a chance for professional development through teaching students about my passion for mental health advocacy. This program also allows me to intern for the local Maranatha Hospital near the school. I'm incredibly thankful and honored to have this opportunity this summer!

Tamzen Naegele

Majors: Africana Studies, English

Rising Junior

I've always been passionate about traveling and community service, particularly within Africa. I was attracted to the VAM program because of its promotion of a service-learning experience for American students as well as its dedication to the empowerment of West African women and mothers. Thus far this summer, I have been working at the JWMS creche, assisting the Madams wiht caring for and feeding the school's smallest students. I have also assisted the junior high school English teacher, Sir Thomas, with his lessons and homework grading; my hope is to eventually become an English teacher at a community primary or secondary school somewhere in Africa. Combining my love for English language and literature and my devotion to children, I have been really pleased with the work our group's involved in here in Tanoso.

Jenna Zitomer-Team Leader

Major: Near Eastern Studies

Minor: International Relations

Rising Senior

Last semester during my study abroad experience at SOAS (The School of Oriental and African Studies in London), I developed an interest in Africana Studies and later discovered the Voices of African Mothers internship program in Tanoso, Ghana. The ability to serve roughly 800 JWMS students during their academic development greatly appealed to me, though what ultimately hooked me was VAM's deep commitment to promoting and creating gender-equality and peace-initiatives through the means of a comprehensive education. At JWMS, I teach English and reproductive health to upper primary students (grades 4-6). I am also in the process of developing a project to ensure that JWMS will have a sustainable supply of washable, reusable sanitary pads for all its female students, as such a necessity does not currently exist at the school. I hope to extend this project to the future VAM Girls Academy in Sogakope. I am so grateful for this amazing opportunity, and am very proud of the work this team has done thus far and will continue to do this summer!

Clinton Ikioda

Major: Biology and Society

Minor: Education

Rising Junior

I am very passionate about educational inequality and advocating for equal access to resources, especially for minority students in high-need areas. I am volunteering with VAM this summer because I am very passionate about being an influence in the culture I was brought up in as a West African immigrant, and I want to be able to give back to my very own community and let them know you can always ready to the top with hard work.