Kelsey Vala has been updating her family and friends through Facebook of her latest adventures. The college student at New York University, mostly taking Africana Studies classes, is not on the east coast right now.
She's currently taking classes at a small college in Ghana, Africa, and completing an internship for college credit at at non-governmental, non-profit organization called SCHEF, which stands for Shelter Clothing Healthcare Education Food. The organization seeks to provide those items to the communities within a Buduburam Refugee Camp, according to the website www.schefo.org.
Vala posted dozens of photos from the camp making batik cloth, posing with the children at the camp and making rice balls with her host mom.
Ghana Independence Day was last Saturday.
“For lunch today I made a pina colada cake complete with coconut, Mary's pineapple, and rum. Best Independence Day ever,” she posted on Facebook.
The camp is located 27 miles west of Ghana's capital city Accra. It opened in 1990 to accommodate refugees from the First Liberian Civil War.
Vala said she is staying in Accra and traveling on a two-hour tro tro ride, which is like a van public transportation system, to the campsite to assist in their programs and overall gain experience at a non-governmental organization. In addition, she wishes to begin a pen pal program between children in the camp and in America.
“I wanted to start this pen pal project to increase cultural awareness,” Vala wrote in an e-mail to the Gretna Breeze.
“The lives of kids in Gretna are so different from the lives of the children on this camp. There are thousands of kids on this camp that can't afford school fees. The kids that know how to write are very fortunate, and I want to help them understand the importance of reading and writing.”
Vala is getting some assistance in Gretna from Amy Jensen, a longtime family friend of Tim and Jan Vala and their children. Jensen met Kelsey Vala through their church too.
But through the power of social media, Kelsey's sister Kyla had connected with Jensen's daughter. Kyla asked if she would want to be a pen pal with a child at the camp where Kelsey is working at in Ghana, Africa. Jensen learned about the camp and Kelsey's latest adventure and decided to help connect Gretna youths with Ghana youths.
“[My daughter] said, ‘I was going to do it anyway, mom,'” Jensen said.
Jensen's mission is the seek children to participate in the pen pal program. Those interested would give their name, address and gender preference to Jensen, who will give the list of contacts to Vala. Vala would help the children in Ghana write to the American children first, who would write a letter in return to his or her pen pal in Ghana.
Jensen posted the project on Facebook and in a few days received a few inquiries. She said she wasn't sure how many young writers should be collect, but would accept as many as possible.
“I'd love for every middle schooler to participate,” Jensen said.
How many letters written back and forth is also unknown, but Jensen hoped a relationship could continue into their young adulthood. The knowledge gained is also undetermined.
“They learn some things in school, but I would like for them to develop a greater respect for another culture and a lifelong friend,” Jensen said.
Those interested should e-mail Jensen at amyandjeffjensen@cox.net.
Vala said she plans to be in Ghana for about two months and will return to the United States and Gretna in mid-May.
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