NGOs, Education and the legacy of Colonialism in Ghana

Quinton Sherlock, MSc, next ThinkFest presenter (November 12, 2017 at the Bermuda College)

Quinton Sherlock, MSc, made a name for himself in Bermuda as a golfer. Now he is using golf to transform lives in the Republic of Ghana with his own youth development foundation.

And residents will have an opportunity to hear of his work, its impact and reflections on the legacy of colonialism in the West African country at the next ThinkFest* on November 12 at the Bermuda College’s North Hall Lecture Theatre.

Sherlock, who founded and runs Ghana’s Ace It Foundation a youth development non-profit and arrived in Bermuda on Thursday evening, will deliver a talk entitled “Cursed Tongue: A Reasoning on NGOs, Education and the legacy of Colonialism in Ghana”.

Co-hosting the event will be Ghanaian Nana Otu Turkson, the Secretary to the Honorary Consul of Ghana in Bermuda.

Nana Otu Turkson, Secretary to the Honorary Consul of Ghana chats with Quinton Sherlock at a courtesy visit on Friday

The discussion will center on the work of Ace It Foundation’s youth development program which tutor participants in academic and athletic activities and focuses on literacy and golf training in a semi-rural community called Gomoa-Fetteh.

We will take a look at the relationship between education and development and encourage our audience to reflect upon how education is delivered in Ghana. The discussion will naturally draw into focus British Colonialism in Ghana and some of its lasting impacts – and how these legacies play out in Ghana, and AIF’s role in encouraging ‘development’ in Gomoa-Fetteh.

Sherlock told ThinkMedia that he hopes the ThinkFest audience will engage in a constructive criticism of AIF’s work and results, which will inform possible program improvements upon his return to Ghana.

But the presentation also has potential benefits for Bermuda.

This topic matters because ‘development’ matters. We all have a responsibility to help others if and when we can. In helping one should remain vigilant so that the desired impact is being made. In addition, this discussion is relevant to Bermuda as we seek alternative solutions to addressing our own issues around ‘development’. In particular, when we think about the epidemic taking place amongst our young black male.