VIU student studies community-based ecotourism in Ghana

Vancouver Island University (VIU) student Lori-Ann Shibish lived at a monkey sanctuary in Ghana, West Africa for three months this summer while studying community-based ecotourism.

As part of her third-year Bachelor of Tourism Management program, Shibish undertook an internship with Nature Conservation Research Centre (NCRC), a Ghanaian non-profit organization which implements conservation initiatives to promote greater awareness of and protection for the natural, historic and cultural diversity of Ghana.

Her tasks included assessing the current ecotourism enterprise at the monkey sanctuary, investigating potential new tourism products and services, and recommending ways to link the nine rural villages that are included as part of the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary.

“Living in a monkey sanctuary was a rich and rewarding experience,” she said. “I will not soon forget the exotic forest sights, sounds, and smells which helped to expand my knowledge and understanding of the natural world.”

“The internship provided me with an incredible opportunity to put into use the new skills I have been acquiring through my formal education at VIU. The research techniques I employed included participant observation, personal interviews, and a focus group. I was able to learn the principles of community-based ecotourism and I also had the opportunity to explore remote areas, looking for potential new tourism products. I was excited to have found fascinating geographical features in the Ghana landscape that could be developed as tourism attractions. In essence, I was the first tourist to be seeing these sights. I felt very privileged.”

When asked about how it was to adjust to living in a different culture, Shibish said, “It was a challenge, for sure. I had no running water, and few modern appliances. To shower, I had to take my buckets to the community well, hand pump the water, carry it back to my room and pour the cold water over my head. The first time I used two buckets of water to wash with, but quickly I reduced that to one, and then I got so I could shower with half a bucket of water when I realized how much effort I was exerting, pumping and carrying all that water.”

“I was lucky that some of the local villagers could speak English, so communicating was easier. The people I spent the most time with were very kind and welcoming, and helped to show me around the area, which was mostly done on foot and by bicycle on dirt tracks. I spent many hours in the old growth forest watching the fascinating Mona and the black and white Colobus monkeys.

“I was also surrounded by butterflies, with a new type seen almost every day. I tried to capture images of all the butterflies with my camera, but it turns out there are around 375 varieties of butterflies in this sanctuary. Equally fascinating were the exotic birds, and the trees which included giant Odum, Baobab, Wawa, Kafodidi, Strangler Fig and 300-year-old Mahogany.”

“I was inspired by the ‘community-based’ conservation model and I can see how other countries, including Canada, would benefit from understanding the principles involved. Who better to be directly involved in nature conservation then those whose lives are directly affected by it?”

Shibish expressed thanks for the support she received from her VIU teachers Dr. Rick Rollins, Dr. Ken Hammer, Dr. Aggie Weighill and Dr. Maggie Kennedy, as well as the VIU’s Centre for International Education Study Abroad program, the Morvah Award for International Development, her host organization NCRC, the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, and Runners of Compassion, Nanaimo Chapter.

“Runners of Compassion provided a cash donation for the purchase of sporting items and I was able to purchase 10 soccer balls to supply the local primary schools,” said Shibish.

“The children were over-the-moon excited when I arrived with the soccer balls as the country was in the grips of football fever, with Ghana having advanced to the semi-finals at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.”

Now back at VIU completing the last year of her Bachelor program, Shibish is experiencing a little bit of a reverse adjustment.

“I got so used to living very basically, I now find myself feeling burdened by all the stuff that surrounds me. However, I must admit I was very happy to have a warm shower the day I arrived home, but now use considerably less water. I am very fortunate to have had this opportunity, to be immersed in this experience, and the result was a rich learning environment. I highly encourage other students to seek out opportunities for experiential learning to complement the classroom experience.”

Just prior to her internship, Shibish participated in a one-month field school as part of VIU’s Canada-Ghana project, an initiative to reduce poverty and improve living conditions in rural Ghana. The project has received funding from the Canadian International Development Agency for the past five years.