I had a chance to fulfill my dream of going to Africa. I spent months arguing with my parents and defending my desire to study in Ghana for spring semester junior year. With the ongoing political unrest in West Africa my parents were concerned for my safety. But I repeatedly assured them that the program was through Tufts, and there was no way that Tufts would send me to a place where I could be placed in danger, right? Well, my parents finally caved in to my persistence and not too long after, I found myself sitting in my dorm room gripping my notification of acceptance in my hands. I was nothing short of ecstatic. I was scheduled to step on a flight with four other Tufts students (one of whom was a close friend) to go study, live, and experience the rich culture of Ghana. I remember wondering to myself how I ever got so lucky.
I went to the Ghana information meeting last spring, spoke to a number of faculty involved with the program, and leaped at the opportunity to speak with any student that had ever participated. What I kept on hearing from students was that studying in Ghana was difficult at times due to cross-cultural differences but wonderfully life-changing at the same time. At the Ghana information meeting we were alerted to all these cross-cultural differences, including sexual harassment, but I just kept on shrugging my shoulders. I knew it was not going to be the easiest of journeys, but I honestly felt that the experience would provide me with memories and knowledge of self that I could take with me forever. The thing is, after all that has happened, I still feel that way.
It was only this summer that I started to learn a bit more about the program. None of what I am about to say is completely validated. It is only what I have heard. I think that is the disturbing thing about all this, how completely in the dark I and other applicants to the Tufts in Ghana program are about specifics. As cheesy as it may sound, specifics, communication, the truth is all we want.
Over the summer, by talking to others who had participated in the program, I first began to hear about numerous allegations of violence, sexual assault, and rape directed at Tufts students in Ghana. I thought to myself, 'no, this could not be true because if it were the subject would have been mentioned at the meetings, by faculty... something.' So I shrugged my shoulders again, and turned my cheek. I think sub-consciously I was hoping it away as well as any other thing that came between me and going to Ghana, my experience yet to happen. I was not about to let anyone take that away from me.
It was mid-summer that I heard from another student about the spring '00 Tufts in Ghana students being sent home early due to campus strikes and other "complications." Around that same time I heard through friends that the Fall '00 Tufts in Ghana program was cancelled because of allegations of sexual assault that needed to be looked into. By then I had shrugged my shoulders stiff.
I was a bit frustrated to say the least. I withdrew my application. I have (along with three of the other students enrolled to participate in the fall '00 program) yet to receive any sort of a notification or explanation about the fall program being cancelled. If they (I'm not even sure who 'they' are) had only sent me a letter, email, or a fax. A couple sentences are all I ask for; it does not have to be a literary masterpiece.
'We have cancelled the fall '00 program because there are things we need to look into. We will keep you informed with any developments.' That would do.
We have received nothing. Only a week ago I spoke to another Tufts student who was scheduled to study in Ghana with me in the spring. She did not even know about the allegations of rape. I was just talking tonight with my friend who was also enrolled to go to Ghana in the spring about how if we had not looked into the program and found out all these things we would still be enrolled to go, completely oblivious. Should the program be cancelled for the spring, we would have most likely been unable to go abroad because we would have missed all the study abroad application deadlines. It is difficult for me not to mention the word "irresponsible" at this point.
I still think that Tufts has a wonderful Study Abroad Program that provides students with some of the most irreplaceable experiences of their lives. I am not writing this to point a finger at Tufts' Study Abroad or the Tufts in Ghana faculty advisory committee. I write this for myself and some other students enrolled (some previously enrolled) to study in Ghana.
I wanted to go to Ghana. I still want to go to Ghana. But there is a staggering lack of communication that needs to be addressed. I for one would like an explanation. I feel I deserve that much.
Sara Matsuzaka is a junior majoring in sociology and will be traveling to Florence, Italy this spring
