Torah and development in Ghana
Now in its 16th year, Tzedek’s overseas volunteer programme has become increasingly professional and successful in recent years, and this summer saw eight Jewish volunteers placed in Ghana and four in India. Ghana programme coordinator Josh Simons explains how the volunteers have benefited from their eight weeks in Ghana, and how they will continue to advocate Tzedek’s work over the coming year
As the sun rises to the sound of roosters and the wind begins to cover the earth with a thin red film of dust, the eight volunteers participating in Tzedek’s volunteer programme in Tamale, northern Ghana ready themselves for another day.
They come from a variety of backgrounds including law graduates, medical students, and those who have not yet started university. Living together in a small village on the outskirts of Tamale, the volunteers have formed a tightly knit and supportive group. While their only common attribute is a Jewish background and a dedication to social justice, the volunteers have bonded in a way that only living together as strangers in a strange land can facilitate.
Since early July, the volunteers have been partnered with different projects in and around the town of Tamale, spanning the entire spectrum of development activities. On any given day, they might contribute to their individual projects by teaching in schools, writing funding proposals, and performing advocacy work on behalf of communities and projects. Through their involvement in the day-to-day routine of their partner projects, the volunteers have become intimately familiar with the many different aspects of development in which Tzedek is involved. They participate in schemes ranging from a school for orphans to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) engaged in rural development projects. The common thread which runs through all these projects is the empowerment of people to help themselves and their communities.
The volunteer programme is designed so that participants develop an understanding of the benefits Tzedek’s partner NGOs are able to provide to their beneficiaries, and also so that they learn about the many challenges which these partners face in achieving their objectives. The volunteers have often found themselves simultaneously playing the role of observer, learner, and teacher. In addition to their daily duties at the partner projects, the volunteers contribute to Tzedek’s work in other ways by participating in evaluations of projects that receive Tzedek funding, conducting interviews with beneficiaries, and taking photos and videos to be used back in the UK.
Although the programme is mainly focused on enabling the volunteers to learn about and contribute to the projects they are working on, it also affords them opportunities for personal growth and reflection. While in Ghana the volunteers are exposed to many difficult situations that are commonplace in the developing world. Through Torah L’am, a weekly self-taught course on Jewish values, the volunteers address themes such as poverty and development by comparing the values expressed in traditional Jewish texts with the reality of poverty and sustainable development they are seeing first-hand. Through this educational structure they can gain a greater understanding of what it means to work towards social justice, and how in doing so they live out concepts present in classical Jewish thought.
The benefit of the volunteer’s time in Ghana is expressed not only in the direct support they provide to Tzedek’s partner organisations, but also through their continued involvement with Tzedek in the UK. For the ten-month period that starts upon their return from Ghana in September, the volunteers are expected to use the knowledge and experiences they have amassed to contribute to Tzedek’s advocacy and fundraising efforts. For those that participate, it is a fulfilling experience and an excellent way to gain an introduction to global development and social justice.
