There is so much to consider when choosing the right international experience, but Mei believes that the type of volunteering YCI offers is invaluable to creating a more just, equitable and interconnected world.
Fellowship Alumni Spotlight: How Mei Found Community and Connection
By Mei Elander | Ghana
Written by: Mei Elander
Finding Her ‘Why’
Going into her third year of undergrad in International Development and Globalization, Mei was seeking an opportunity to put the knowledge and skills she’d gained into practice. After her study abroad plans changed, she sought another opportunity to gain international experience and contribute meaningfully. Having recently completed an internship in Malawi where she collaborated with an organization supporting women who had faced gender-based violence, she was eager to volunteer with another opportunity focused on women’s empowerment.
That’s when she found out about Youth Challenge International and the HerStart International Fellowship program from a professor in one of her courses. While she had heard of social entrepreneurship through her classes, she was still fairly new to the sector and was eager to explore it more. She had no idea how impactful it would be.
Mei (on the left) with a HerStart entrepreneur and another International Fellow in Ghana!
Joining the Program
Mei joined the YCI Ghana team as a Program and Partnerships Fellow in January 2024. As part of her role, she collaborated with one of the HerStart partners ,Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU), which provides career-focused and skill-based education, research and training. You can learn more about BTU and YCI’s partnership here.
While this was not Mei’s first internship abroad, it was one of the most meaningful, where she felt truly connected to the programming and participants.
Growth Through Challenges
The experience was not without its challenges and she had to adapt to both the climate and cuisine. Days could reach past 40 degrees celcius with frequent power outages, while the spicy food made her sweat even more. However, these outages were sometimes when the most bonding occurred – conversing with her roommate, riding in yellow yellows, and taking walks around the area. She also got used to the food and joked that one skill she gained coming back from Ghana was a spice tolerance.
“The people I met in Ghana were so warm and welcoming. I miss the constant greetings as you passed strangers on the streets. I would say ‘Dasiba’ at least 10 times in the morning and ‘Aniwula’ at least 10 times at night. It was such a friendly environment that made me feel a part of the community.” — Mei
Creating Connections
Developing relationships with the women entrepreneurs in the program and the country team staff were the highlights of Mei’s placement. It was inspiring to see so many women defy cultural expectations to start their own businesses and become changemakers in their communities. Through the HerStart program Mei watched women develop confidence and gain a network of support while becoming mentors and role models for others.
“The innovation, talent, and passion amongst these women is extraordinary. When given the right resources and opportunities, these businesses thrive, creating ripples of impact beyond one woman. It’s also incredible to see the involvement of men who support their daughters, wives, and sisters in their dream of starting a business.” -Mei
Mei and a HerStart entrepreneur at the International Women’s Day Market showcase event.
One of her favourite highlights was the International Women’s Day Market which Mei co-organized to showcase women entrepreneurs and their businesses, increase public awareness, and foster engagement. 15 women entrepreneurs were given the chance to present their products to the community with attendance of over 20 NGOs and governmental organizations including Plan International, Ghana’s Department of Gender and Ghana Enterprises Agency.
“To see these women present businesses that they’ve spent years working on to prominent organizations was such an amazing feeling. You could see the pride and accomplishment in the women’s eyes as they displayed their businesses to the community.” – Mei
It was particularly emotional to watch the Catalyst Fund Pitch event where the entrepreneurs present their business ideas to a panel of judges in hopes of receiving up to $5,000 CAD to fund their ventures. Mei supported the women in preparing for their pitches and writing their proposals, watching them spend hours perfecting their presentation. That day she saw them confidently present with all signs of past nerves gone. Mei shared how “being able to witness the culmination of their hard work, and to know that you were a part of supporting them in their dreams, is an incredible feeling.”
All of this work wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible YCI team in Ghana who worked tirelessly to run the program and whose efforts fueled its success. They were role models for the women, encouraging, motivating, and guiding them throughout their journey. Without them, this work would not have been possible, nor the program as incredible. It was motivating to see a team so passionate about enabling others to reach their goals.
Ethical Dilemmas and Reflections
Mei understands the ethical challenges and critiques of international volunteering. Many of her peers have felt morally torn on this, wondering if there is a way to volunteer abroad in an ethical way. There is so much to consider when choosing the right international experience, but she believes that the type of volunteering YCI offers is invaluable to creating a more just, equitable and interconnected world. A critical part of volunteering in an ethical way, she says, is the knowledge-sharing, the deep reflection and the relationships you develop.
Ultimately, she believes that these volunteer experiences strengthen cultural awareness, humility, and flexibility — key skills that make you a better development practitioner and a more empathetic individual.
“This placement was critical in helping me develop soft skills, and I believe it’s crucial that placements like these continue to exist to allow youth the opportunity to understand local realities, have the opportunity to work with local organizations and help mobilize Canadians into action.” – Mei
Never a dull moment in a HerStart Fellowship placement!
What’s Next?
This fellowship helped solidify her interest in the development sector particularly working with women. This led her to work as an Operations Associate with Propel Impact, a nonprofit that provides youth with opportunities develop skills in the social finance and impact investing world while also supporting local enterprises to grow their impact. After graduating in 2026, she went on to work with the YCI head office in Canada for the summer as a Research & Communications Officer!
Now she’s looking forward to travelling more and exploring other international volunteering opportunities. She is grateful for YCI’s HerStart Fellowship program which showed her just how much of an impact one person can make, especially when supported by the right people.