Location: Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Level of Training: (Level II – 2019)

About:

For a while she concentrated mostly on academics, pursuing a dual major in Africana Studies and Political Science with a minor in Justice, Law and Society. As she learned about different cultures, she felt that studying abroad would add something to her experience, both personally and academically.

“I still had that passport, and it was still valid!” she says.

She selected a three-week winter J Term program in Cuba. “We left not long after the presidential election in the U.S.,” Africa says. “Fidel Castro had recently died, so it was an interesting moment politically, with a lot of change.”

The students spent the majority of their time in homestays, called casa particulares, a government-run program allowing Cubans to rent out whole apartments or houses to travelers. “The families were so welcoming,” she says. “We spent a lot of time just talking to our hosts about their perspectives and their hopes for their country.”

Africa was surprised at how much she connected to her own culture through the experience. “I didn’t expect to see so many people who looked like me,” she noted. “And it was interesting to see that they lived primarily in the poorer neighborhoods.” She enjoyed listening to the Afro-Cuban music and thinking about how different groups within the African diaspora express their culture. One of the highlights was a performance by Hibana Compas, a vibrant dance company who draw from flamenco, ballet, and Afro-Cuban styles of movement set to West African djembe and bata drumming traditions. – From URI in the World

Contact Information: Africa’s LinkedIn