So. That’s it then. IBD done and dusted. In the bag.

So what was it all about? A “management consulting program offered through the Haas School of Business”? A Karaoke beach holiday with your mates ? A backpacking cultural eye-opener? An endless list of questionably mandatory deliverables (compulsory blog posts included)? A chance to work on a worthy, interesting project with some fantastic Ghanaian companions? A sociological experiment into group dynamics (Big Brother sans cameras with added diarrhea)?

Probably a bit of all of the above.

Without a doubt, the best moments of the last three weeks involved interactions with people. Visiting remote villages and being surrounded by excited school kids is perhaps the ultimate cliché for western save-the-world do-gooders, but the experience is pretty damn fun nonetheless. Working with the talented Ghanian business students was enriching too and I’m pleased to have made four good new friends whom I will definitely stay in touch with.

Low points? Hardly any. Working in a windowless, overly air conditioned team room (“The Asylum”) for hours on end is never fun (reminds me of audit rooms in grim UK suburbs), but a necessary evil. My team has been great and we have supported each other through the tough times. I think we all know each other pretty well as a result, for better or worse, including the intricate details of the illnesses we picked up (and the unpleasant results).

Thanks to IBD and GIMPA for a memorable experience!

—Sam Filer

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