Earlier today, the entire iSTEP team, with advisors Ayorkor Korsah, Nathan Amanquah and Astrid Larssen visited with the U.S. Embassy in Accra. Most of us took the Ashesi shuttle bus from Berekuso to the city.

At the embassy we had the opportunity to meet with Traci and an economics expert. Together they gave us a briefing about the embassy’s role in Ghana and some of the projects they work on, like USAID. We asked questions ranging from waste management and economics to biotechnology and exporting local goods (without taxes to help support the local economy and make Ghanaian goods more economically competitive). After the briefing and questions we then explained our project about water monitoring and management and waste monitoring to Traci.

Traci, thanks for hosting us (we know you read this now!!), answering all of our questions and letting us know that the embassy can be used as a resource to anyone (US citizen or not) for access to their library or an orientation to the e-library with a free password to access thousands of databases.

The embassy may appear daunting with the tight security, but Traci encouraged that anyone should feel free to come during library hours. And although we could not bring a camera inside or on the premises, she had permission to take our photo and we will post it here when it is downloaded.

After lunch we headed to Osu for Indian food lunch, where I got to try many vegetarian foods (naan, daal, navratan korma, aloo gobhi, basmati rice, and mangolassi)

The iSTEP team goes to lunch at an Indian Food restaurant in Osu, Accra!
From left to right: Julie (me), Sonia, Ronnell, Juliana, and Maame