This article is reproduced courtesy of the Okeechobee News

African interns adjust to life in Okeechobee
By Christina Locke, Okeechobee News

River Acres residents Joyce and Jan Bussell (from left, with their dog Pooh Bear) regularly invite African farm exchange interns (left to right) Wonder Nunekpek, Nyoni Farijala, Nicholas Koranteg, Abel Ekiri and Emmanuel to dinner and other social outings. The men, who currently live and work at a local dairy, are participants in one-year agricultural exchange programs through the University of Florida and California Polytechnic University. Staff photo/Christina Locke

Although Nicholas Koranteng, 27, has only been in the United States a little over a year, the native of Ghana knows the importance of Wal-Mart in a small town.

"Okeechobee is Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart is Okeechobee," said Nicholas, who has spent the last 16 months living and working at a local dairy. Nicholas, who holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from the University of Ghana, is part of the University of Florida's International Farm Fellows Program.

"The students come here basically to get some hands-on experience," said James Umphrey, director of the program.

Nicholas is one of approximately 12 international interns in Okeechobee who are currently participating in UF's program.

"The students are gaining a wealth of knowledge about the dairy industry, American culture and get a chance to improve their English skills," Mr. Umphrey said.

Working six days of the week provides the interns with plenty of opportunity to learn about the dairy industry. Adjusting to the cultural and language difference has been a little tougher, according to Nicholas and four of his co-workers, also from Africa.

"Our social lives are very boring," said Abel Ekiri, 27, who earned a degree in veterinary medicine at a university in his home country of Uganda. Abel is working through a California Polytechnic University program that is similar to UF's.

When local resident Joyce Bussell first met Nicholas while getting gardening supplies from the dairy, she was stunned to learn that he and his fellow interns had seen so little of the area.

"I thought that exchange students always had a host family, and they don't," said Mrs. Bussell, a retiree who volunteers at the prison, the Kravis Center, Senior Services and a variety of other places.

"I think they had been here for many months, and the only place they'd been was to Wal-Mart and Vero Beach to the computer store," she added.

Since their meeting in August 2003, Mrs. Bussell and her husband, Jan, have taken some of the interns on a variety of outings. Over the holidays, the couple invited the men to attend Raulerson Hospital's Tour of Homes and to a performance of "The Nutcracker" at the Kravis Center.

"There's just so much to show them and tell them," Mrs. Bussell said.

Even dinner becomes a learning experience, as Mrs. Bussell struggles to explain foods like Jell-O and deviled eggs.

Adjusting to a totally different palate of foods has been difficult, said Emmanuel, a 26-year-old from Ghana who holds an agricultural economics degree.

Learning American English has also been a new experience for the men, who studied British English in their home countries.

"I also think in the back of some people's minds it seems the fact that you are coming from Africa, you are not speaking the correct English," said Nicholas of the difficulty that some people have in understanding his accent.

"It took a long time for most of us to adjust," said Wonder Nunekpek. Wonder, 27, hails from Ghana, and holds a degree in agricultural science.

Wonder would like to own his own farm upon his return to Ghana. The cultural, agricultural and language skills that he and his co-workers are gaining while in Okeechobee will prove to be big advantages when they return to their families in Africa.

Despite the vast differences between Africa and Okeechobee, some things remain the same.

"Back in my country, we have some big supermarkets like Wal-Mart. They're called Shop-Lites," said 30-year-old Nyoni Farijala, a veterinarian from Tanzania. "They also have the same slogan, 'Lowest Price'," Nyoni said.