Ready for takeoff: Ghana Study Trip

The Study Trip Ghana has officially taken off with the Dutch participants arriving in Accra on Tuesday evening. After a 6-hour flight, they set their first steps in the buzzing capital of Ghana. For many of the Dutch participants, it was a first time in Ghana. Welcomed by a cool breeze and a friendly bus ride to the accommodation, the adventure of the Study Trip Ghana has really begun!

Reconnect
The day after, the Study Trip really started with the reconnection of the teams. The Ghanaian and Dutch participants reunited at the University of Ghana Guest Centre, in the middle of Legon Campus. After some practical announcements, the teams were reconnected by the coaches with a ‘cross the line’-exercise and a quiz about… Ghana! Team Allianz was the proud winner of this quiz with their striking knowledge about the rich Ghanaian culture and its booming capital, Accra. After a typical Ghanaian lunch, the teams continued the day with working on their business case – as the final is getting closer and closer. In the afternoon, the teams were challenged with a scavenger hunt. All the teams set off to Madina Market to fulfill their fun assignments.

Formal welcome at the Embassy in Accra
On Thursday, the New Business Challenge group travelled to downtown Accra to a formal welcome by the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Accra. They were warmly welcomed by Gladys Ofei, Senior Trade & Information Officer. She introduced the participants to the work of the Netherlands Embassy in Ghana and how the two countries are ‘growing together’. After this, the outcomes of the scavenger hunt were shared, and the teams presented their progress so far in a carrousel setting. Being able to see each other’s progress and asking critical questions, fosters learning amongst the participants within the New Business Challenge.

Company visits
Last Friday, the teams visited their company representatives in Ghana. Many of the companies took them to the field, to see the work of the companies in a day-to-day setting. The team of Closing the Loop went to Agbogbloshi, an e-waste dump site in Accra, to see where the mobile phones are gathered. Allianz Insurance invited many stakeholders to their headquarters to introduce the participants to all the elements concerning insurance. For all the teams, the company visits were insightful, and they got many more answers – as well as new questions! They will need to solve all those before the final on the 8th of August.

Want to follow the teams in Ghana? Check the Facebook page to stay up-to-date!