Building a Better Working World

I could not have experienced a bigger contrast in working than the one I have encountered in the last two months. Four weeks ago I was wandering around the Clean Team office in Kumasi, where there were only 5 working rooms, where I was directly communicating with the CEO of the company, where the pineapple/mango lady came to my desk and provided me with the best fresh fruit every day and where little girls from the neighborhood came to the office ‘to meet the obroni (white lady)’. Now, back in The Netherlands, I have started my new adventure with around 45 other starters in Amsterdam, in a large shiny office, with numerous colleagues, great coffee, and with knowledge from my Ghanaian experience that I will never forget.

People ask me what the most memorable part of my Ghana experience has been. My answer, without doubt, is the people that I have met along the way. It takes a little while to grow into the hearts of Ghanaians, but once you are there, they will do anything for you. Even though I have visited Ghana for only a month, I was able to get a glimpse of the actual Ghanaian hospitality. From the first moment I stepped into the office, everyone was welcoming and curious about who I was. Besides this, they trusted my opinion and gave me the freedom to make a small change in the month I was there. I was able to create an implementation plan for new toilets, build a improvements for the cleaning site and create an efficient tool for reordering supplies. These were all tasks that have been very different from the work I will be doing in the Netherlands, and therefore, I have been able to gain completely different learning experiences than when I would have stayed in the Netherlands. My period in Ghana has increased my confidence and had shown me that if you have an idea or a dream: you should go and try to make this dream come true. Don’t dwell, just go for it!

I have been able to add a little brick to building a better working world. Now, it’s your turn.