When students from Georgia Southern University entered Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, the impact was immediate. “They feel it,” said Professor Worlanyo Eric Gato, Ph.D. “You can see it in their faces.” The castle, a historic site where enslaved Africans once stood, is a central part of the university’s Study Abroad Program in Ghana.
The three-week program combines public health research with cultural engagement. Faculty from the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health (JPHCOPH), the College of Science and Mathematics (COSM), and the Institute for Water and Health (IWH) lead students through fieldwork and local partnerships.
Founded by the late Evans Afriyie-Gyawu, Ph.D., the program has grown under JPHCOPH faculty Bettye Apenteng, Ph.D., Samuel Opoku, Ph.D., and Gato. Their goal is to build cultural awareness and help students address global health issues relevant to Ghanaian communities.
This year’s group worked on a research project examining occupational and environmental exposures in illegal mining areas in Ghana’s Ashanti Region. Funding came from Georgia Southern’s Internal Seed Funds, IWH, and the Office of Research and Economic Development. Students investigated links between contaminants in water and soil—such as arsenic, lead, copper, mercury—and chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension.
“This wasn’t a simulation, this was the real thing,” said Nick Guerra, a graduate student. “We were in the field, collecting water samples, interviewing residents and working side by side with Ghanaian students.”
Tests found fecal bacteria in well water and high levels of heavy metals in soil. Medical surveys revealed widespread hypertension that often went undiagnosed or untreated.
Collaboration was key to the project’s approach. Students from Georgia Southern partnered with peers at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). “We taught each other,” said Tia Taylor, another graduate student. “We shared techniques, ideas and stories. They were just as curious about us as we were about them.”
Gato emphasized that these partnerships are essential: “It’s not just about coming to Ghana and collecting data,” he said. “It’s about mutual exchange — of knowledge, of culture, of purpose.”
Students also learned outside formal settings—sharing meals with host families and participating in community life deepened their understanding of local customs. When their van got stuck on an unpaved road one night, local young men helped them out without hesitation. “There was no tow truck, no roadside assistance,” Gato recalled. “Just kindness. The kind of kindness that stays with you.”
“These interactions humanized the experience,” Gato added. “Ghana became more than a destination — it became a network of relationships.” Taylor agreed: “Their warmth was overwhelming,” she said. “Their faith, constant. It made me want to pray more, to be more grounded. It changed the way I see people — and myself.”
The academic work drew on biochemistry, environmental science and public health expertise from three university units.
Asli Aslan led environmental assessments during research activities involving both KNUST and Georgia Southern teams: “Thirteen years ago when I began my journey at Georgia Southern as a new faculty member we launched a water quality and health assessment with the late Dr. Afriyie-Gyawu,” Aslan said. “That project produced an impactful research paper with students — one that still receives high citations today. Now years later to be collaborating with an exceptional team of new research partners from KNUST on such a cutting-edge project is beyond exciting. This project is a testament to IWH’s commitment to advancing global water initiatives as our center continues to make a meaningful impact in Georgia and around the world.”
For Guerra this meant seeing how poverty affects health outcomes: “Some of the people we interviewed looked decades older than they were,” he said. “It hit me — poverty and limited access to health care age you.” Taylor noted how direct interaction changed her perspective: “It’s one thing to read about global health challenges in a textbook,” she said.” It’s another to sit with someone hold their hand and ask about their blood pressure.”
Looking ahead Georgia Southern plans to expand participation across its Africana Studies Program as well as partner institutions throughout south Georgia broadening access for underrepresented groups while developing new collaborations with universities such as University of Cape Coast or University of Health & Allied Sciences in Ho.
“This is more than a trip,” Gato said.” It’s a launchpad.”
Institutional support comes from Director Asli Aslan Ph.D., Dean Stuart Tedders Ph.D., Vice President David Weindorf Ph.D., reflecting Georgia Southern’s ongoing commitment to international engagement even when faced with logistical setbacks like missed flights or slow internet connections.
“We adapted,” Gato said.” We smiled through it.And we came back stronger.”
He advises colleagues interested in similar programs: “Let your local partners lead,” he said.” Listen more than you speak.And always thank the people who make the experience possible—from bus drivers to tour guides to students themselves.”
For some participants like Taylor,the trip connected them with ancestral roots.For others like Guerra,it shaped future career goals.Faculty members saw it as part of long-term educational change.“Everything we teach in a lecture hall comes alive in Ghana,” Gato concluded.
