Shereen Miranda on her new book that tells of her life-changing trip as a volunteer in Ghana

It was a quiet Saturday afternoon and I was having a conversation with one of my mothers’ friends, Masani. Little did I know that this conversation would change the course and direction of the rest of my life.

I always had the travel bug in me, leaving home in East London at 19 to spend a summer working as a holiday rep on the Greek island of Rhodes. At 25, I had bought a property, completed my Masters Degree in Law, while working full time in a law firm.  I then began thinking about getting married and having children but, before that, I knew deep within that there was more of the world that I wanted to see. It wasn’t about going on a two-week holiday. It wasn’t about staying in a beautiful hotel. It wasn’t about lying on the beach or going on excursions. It was so much more, I almost felt it in my soul – I wanted to immerse myself in life abroad.

As I explained my plans to Masani to return to holiday repping for ‘one last time’, she listened to me in silence before responding “there is something more you want to do in your life… and deep down, you know it”.  Obviously this was a huge statement, and yes there was something I wanted to do in my life but I found myself in a position where I didn’t know what it was. Like so many situations, all I needed was a slight nudge in the right direction.

She suggested that I volunteered in Africa and I explained that I had researched it, yet found the whole process to be an expense which I simply could not afford. In addition to the loss of salary whilst abroad and finding the cost for the flight, companies often ask for large fees to support the project. However this was different. Masani told me about the company in an area called Tafo, I researched it online, saw the fees were nominal. Within 48 hours I was booked and preparing to go to Ghana.

Being of Jamaican origin, my mother had taught me from a young age the historical significance and connection that Jamaica has to various countries, most notably those in West Africa. In addition to this, my mother has met many Ghanaians who upon meeting her, have spoken to her in their native tongue, believing she was Ghanaian herself. It felt right; and I am of the belief that if it feels right, it usually is.

My experience in this wonderful country was one where I was for the first time, immersed in a culture of people who supposedly had so much less than me materialistically, yet were willing to give, give and give some more. I found myself in extremely precarious situations caused by my own naïveté and, time after time, encountered people who simply wanted to help and nothing more.

I found an environment based upon personal development and growth which I hope to retain throughout my life and pass on to my own children. As a British-born young woman, I became so accustomed to seeing “Africa” in totality as opposed to the deeply different countries and states which operate on the continent and further became accustomed to media images of poor, weak, helpless individuals often under corrupt governments.

Now by no means am I saying that this does not exist at all in Ghana; of course it does. However, seeing really was believing, and I saw a people who were an absolute inspiration to me in terms of unity and tenacity.

My account is deeply honest and truthful. It wasn’t a bed of roses; I laughed, I cried, I didn’t take my medication, I became very ill, and so much more.

Completely irrespective of my experience, it was the experience of the children that I came into contact with that surprised me the most. Their project had been running for several years by the time I arrived, yet they had never seen a black person volunteering.

The children had no idea black people were in Europe. Therefore they had naturally become accustomed to the overseas acts of kindness, giving and international voluntary work as something exclusively provided by young, white men and women. I was astounded; why are we not volunteering? Why are we not reconnecting with our roots? The answer to those questions are subjective and personal to you, only you know why.

What I know is that I turned up in a Ghanaian compound completely unprepared with fake Louis Vuitton luggage, expecting hot running water, and with absolutely no idea of the experience I was letting myself in for. However, I left a changed woman with a whole new perspective of life.