Akwaaba (Welcome)! My name is Halima Mahdee. I'm a 39-year-old mother of three from Oakland, California. Growing up, I was considered very shy without much to say. As the youngest and only girl out of three brothers, I found it challenging to find ways to express myself. At the age of 14, I fell in love with the art of dance and physical movement. This gave me the freedom to learn, express and feel the power of dance to tell the stories of our past, present and future.
I'm now a transfer student at San Francisco State Uuniversity. I have been lucky to experience some of the most beautiful places through other study abroad programs. I traveled to Cuba in 2014 and Ghana in 2015, 2016 and 2018. I also took some independent trips to Brazil and India, and all of these experiences have taught me so much!
I'm presently pursuing my Bachelor's degree in anthropology and dance while studying abroad in Ghana for one academic year. I was so excited to not only receive the scholarships needed to participate in this program, but to have my six-year-old daughter join me on this journey! Ghana has become my second home. Nailah can now see, smell and taste all of the things I love about this country. We are currently living in Accra, Ghana at the University of Ghana campus. I'm excited to share our journey with you all!
