Ranita Opoku-Sarfo ’21 helps provide solutions to poverty through internship in Uganda

Ranita Opoku-Sarfo wearing her Sawa World T-shirt

Ranita Opoku-Sarfo ’21 aspires to one day have a career in which she can help solve global problems. This summer, she’s doing her part to address one of them—poverty—through an internship with Sawa World in Kampala, Uganda.

“Sawa World transforms the lives of vulnerable youth living in extreme poverty within Kampala by giving them access to simple, locally-created skills and solutions that can help improve their livelihoods,” Opoku-Sarfo explained.

Ranita Opoku-Sarfo

A global studies and biology major at Randolph, Opoku-Sarfo is assisting the outreach, administration, and media teams for Sawa World. Some of her responsibilities include helping prepare and facilitate bi-weekly workshops and community workshops, reviewing and drafting supporting documents and procedures, assisting with social media communications, drafting beneficiary stories, and researching and recommending possible partners for the organization.

“This internship incorporates many issues that I’m passionate about,” Opoku-Sarfo said. “There are certain things in life that are taken for granted, and this role further reminds me of that.”

In addition to working at Sawa World Monday-Thursday each week, Opoku-Sarfo is enrolled in two international relations courses at Makerere University every Friday.

“I have only been here for a month out of my three-month stay, but so far it has been great,” Opoku-Sarfo said. “As of now, I have seen a fair share of what it takes to keep an NGO such as this one up and running, and since my first day the organization has been very welcoming and inclusive. Seeing how devoted my coworkers and other individuals are to improving the lives of others in the community is truly inspiring.”

At Randolph, Opoku-Sarfo is double majoring in global studies and biology. She has also participated in the College’s Davenport Leadership and Emerging Leaders institutes is a member of the women’s tennis team.

“I have a few career paths in mind for my life after Randolph, but I’m hoping that this internship and other life experiences will help me to better figure out the right path for me,” she said. “I’m really thankful for this opportunity.”