A group of six Elizabethtown College students and two faculty members recently traveled to Pirang, a small village in The Gambia for a short-term study abroad trip. The group learned about the area’s culture and the challenges facing the country with faculty and students at the University of The Gambia (UTG) and other community leaders.
“We learned so much from those we met both in the village and the people we visited from various communities and organizations,” Elizabethtown College Professor of Engineering Kurt DeGoede said. “I trust the experience will shape the personal and professional lives of the students for years to come.”
DeGoede leads the biannual 10-day trip as part of his Non-Western Cultural Heritage Core Course and invites colleagues with him on the adventure. This year, Associate Professor of Biology Anya Goldina joined DeGoede along with six students across various majors: Rena Rankin ’25, Ava Lammersen ’25, Thomas Urrunga ’25, Nolan Pettit ’25, Isaac Reichenbach ’26, and Haley Bishop ’26. During their trip, the group explored the history of the country and the lives of Gambians, as well as learned about the religious life, economics, and politics of the country.
The trip is preceded by a course in the fall semester during which students learned about the importance of West African cultural heritage, explored the historical context of living in The Gambia, and understood how knowledge can be subject to a variety of interpretations. Students also learned a few Mandinka greetings and phrases, a local Gambian language.
During the course, weekly guest presenters shared insights and expertise across the topics studied: history, music, religious practice, economics, and politics. Additionally, three students elected to take the course for honors, for which they conducted additional research on a focused topic. Students also wrote a travel journal capturing their reflections on the experience.
During their time in The Gambia, the group stayed at the Mennonite Educational & Horticultural Development Associates farm and training facility in the Pirang Village. As part of the Mennonite Churches of The Gambia, MEDHA is a Christian Non-governmental Organization (NGO) whose efforts focus on initiatives like community crop gardening, child education, adult literacy, health and nutrition, and family care.
“This trip reinforced the importance of being thoughtful about service,” Urrunga said. “As Westerners, we often assume we are more advanced and that our way of helping is the right way. But we rarely consider whether the people we aim to serve actually need our help. This experience has made me more conscious of ensuring that service empowers rather than unintentionally undermines communities.”
During their time, the group led an En-ROADS Climates Solution Simulator at the Gaining Research Experience in Africa for Tomorrow (GREAT) Institute. Students from UTG also participated in the simulation, and the groups were able to debate climate policies informed by their different experiences in their countries.
The Etown group also met with students from UTG to discuss the healthcare needs that The Gambia faces as a country and potential solutions and actions being taken.
The group also visited the Startup Incubator in Gambia, a space for young entrepreneurs to grow, and sat in on a lesson on how Gambian entrepreneurs can handle challenges with suppliers.
“Service isn’t just about providing aid – it’s also about learning from and engaging with others in a meaningful way,” Bishop said. “I believe that going with the intention to learn and meet people made a bigger impact on my life and allowed for authentic relationships to form. This experience reinforced my passion for improving healthcare access and showed me the importance of truly understanding a community’s needs before trying to make a difference.”
DeGoede spent the 2010-11 academic year as a visiting professor of physics at UTG and developed the study abroad program after his experience. He plans to continue to offer the trip every two years to Etown students.
