Katelyn Kerrigan of Mountain View taught at a primary school in Ghana, Africa.

Veering from the well-worn tourist path, Katelyn Kerrigan of Mountain View recently embarked on a journey of hope and goodwill to a small fishing village in Ghana, on the west coast of Africa.

For three weeks in July, Kerrigan, a recent graduate of St. Francis High School, was part of a team of volunteers who lent a helping hand on educational, medical and construction projects in the Ghanaian community of Prampram, located near the capital city of Accra. St. Paul, Minn.-based Global Volunteers, a non-profit organization that offers short-term service programs in more than 20 countries coordinated this program.

Katelyn was assigned to teach at a primary school in Prampram and in the village of Danwenya.

“I became very close to all my students and other teachers. Prampram is a very welcoming community. I found all the people to be warm and friendly,” said Kerrigan, who attends the University of San Diego.

The experience was a sobering “reality check. I gained insight into what poverty is and how fortunate I am to come on a volunteer program and share my talents, time and love with those who need it the most,” she added.

“The most fascinating moments were watching a local family prepare local foods for us and going to village funerals and engagement and graduation parties. And I’ll never forget walking out of my classroom on the last day and looking back and seeing kids crying as I was leaving,” she said.

Global Volunteers was founded in 1984 with the goal of building bridges of understanding and respect between people of diverse cultures. For more information, contact Global Volunteers at (800) 487-1074 or logon to: www.globalvolunteers.org.

email@globalvolunteers.org.