My internship has been working out very well! On Friday, I went in a private vehicle to the Eastern and Volta regions of Ghana which are places I would have probably never seen had I not had this opportunity. I went along with one of the branch managers, a credit officer, a driver, and another intern from Chad. We drove around to meet different group executives and collected payments.
I offered to take photos for APED for marketing purposes so they went out of their way to introduce me to many of their clients. A group of woman took out loans from APED for their rice production. I was able to visit their tiny village (complete with mud huts) and take a tour of the rice mill. They showed me the whole process of producing the rice and I was able to take a ton of great pics. I actually bought about 10 lbs of rice from them but I don't think it would be wise to pack that to come home given my 50 lb limit. Lame!
We went to another small village and went to a few meetings with the groups of women. Some of them had just finished paying off their loans and were submitting proposals to start a new loan cycle. All interactions were in Twi (one of the local languages). I had thought that most people spoke English but I have found that the only people that speak fluent English are those that are pretty well educated. Fortunately, I was getting the play by play from our Driver, Kofi. He filled me in on the disputes and interesting dynamics of the group. I was able to speak to some of the clients and ask them about their personal story and how village banking has impacted their lives.
I am looking forward to getting some more field experience...not to mention getting out of Accra for a few days. This city is a bit overwhelming at times.
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