Ghana

Ghana is an equatorial West African nation with a moderate tropical climate and 334 miles of coastline. The geography features both savannas and forest habitats. The country is a haven for the African forest elephant, native only to the lush forests of West and Central Africa. More than 20 species of butterfly can be found only in Ghana and there are seven species of birds found here that are considered vulnerable.

The country features incredible cultural diversity with over 70 ethnic groups, speaking over 80 languages. These include the Ashanti people, whose kente cloth, worn traditionally only by their royal family, has become famous as a symbol of Pan-African pride.

UNC Charlotte Impact Academy programs in Ghana are stationed in the nation’s cosmopolitan capital of Accra.

Possible projects

Ghana holds particular significance in global history, due to its role in the transatlantic trade in enslaved persons. The country also holds a special place in the socio-political consciousness of the African continent, having been the first African country to gain independence from a foreign power in 1957.

As in many other countries, the gap between the level of service delivery in rural and urban settings is a challenge in Ghana. The country is also faced with environmental threats like effectively managing waste and illegal resource use like poaching and logging.

• Investigate how authorities are monitoring the effect of Accra’s green energy waste treatment plant on energy usage and the health of surrounding communities.
• Study the complex ways in which western and traditional medicine intersect to improve the health of the Ghanian population.
• Examine how a nonprofit is working to teach coding to young learners to aid in future economic growth.
• Analyze how the local population is being enlisted to combat one of the main environmental threats in Ghana—deforestation.