So you want to go to Ghana?

My Atorkor Volunteer Experience

I can only speak from my own experience and hope that it provides you with the information and/or reassurances that you need in order to make the decision that best suits you.

When I first thought of going to Africa as a healthcare volunteer, my family was concerned. This is understandable. You see and hear many negative things on TV and unless you have opportunity to interact with someone from the region, you have nothing to provide balance. I too had concerns, more because I had never done anything like this before and I was worried about being able to make a significant contribution.

Safety - Atorkor is a rural community in southern Ghana. It is pretty quiet and stable. While it is important to be careful when travelling, as you should be wherever you go, I never felt unsafe or threatened. Of course, you should remember that compared to US standards, this is a poor region and one should not be flashy or ostentatious. I did not encounter much begging as compared to other places I have been but it can happen. If so, just politely turn them down and state that you are here to help the entire community, not just one person. I encountered one older gentleman who tried by telling me his "pocket was light." I replied "Well… that's a good thing! It is much too hot to be carrying anything heavy!" He knew that I had deliberately misunderstood him but no one lost face and the interaction ended pleasantly. This however, was an isolated incident – the only one I encountered during my time in the village.

Clothing – Cotton, cotton blends, and more COTTON! You will be miserable in anything else except perhaps for some of the special sports microfibers that are designed to wick perspiration away. I have a peasant blouse that weighs next to nothing but could not wear it for more than 5 minutes – I had not realized that it was 100% polyester. Full T-shirts and tank tops are ok, as are long shorts. (no Daisy Dukes please) Bring a swimsuit (no bikinis) just in case you go somewhere you can go swimming in a pool or salt water – but not the river. You will need long sleeves and pants or skirts for the evening to protect against mosquitos. Pack light, washable items. Please be prepared to handwash your undergarments but for the rest of your clothing there is someone who does the laundry twice a week for a reasonable fee. You don't need a huge wardrobe – bring items that can be washed easily, mixed and matched. Don't forget to bring SUNSCREEN.

Food – Sometimes the food can be spicy or hot – if you like pepper or hot sauce, you will be fine. However, the cook is very good about accommodating the Western palate and it was all good. Love the jaloff rice!! That was my favorite! When you first arrive, avoid salad and make sure all fruit is washed & peeled. I found that after a couple of weeks, salad was ok for me but by then I was more accustomed to the environment. If you have any special needs, just let them know and every effort will be made to accommodate you. They are very concerned about your comfort and well-being. Bringing some granola bars or a box of your favorite cereal is not a bad idea. There are little shops along the main road where you can purchase soft drinks and snacks. Make sure you ask about the policy regarding the bottles – many places don't charge a deposit fee and even if they do, they want the bottle back! I had someone come to the residence seeking their bottles because I had not realized that I was expected to return them.

Water – stick to bottled water for drinking. Tap water in the residence was ok for cooking – I boiled water for tea and coffee with no problem. You may have heard of Guinea worm. Fortunately this is not a problem in this part of Ghana but that does not mean you should not be cautious about the water.

Mosquitos, Malaria & miscellaneous health info – You will need to have your YELLOW FEVER CERTIFICATE to enter Ghana. There are other immunizations that are recommended for travel to developing countries. This is a good time for you to get your immunization records in order – the International Certificate of Vaccination booklet also has pages for current medical history, blood type, eye glass prescription and allergies. Refer to the US State Department's website to check for any travel or safety advisories. Also see the CDC's Travel pages for recommendations regarding vaccinations and meds to carry. You should be able to get most of this through your local Department of Health travel clinics. This is usually more economical than going to a specialist or private travel clinic. Make sure you carry adequate amounts of any required medications and copies of your prescriptions. I also brought Tylenol, Benadryl/allergy meds, Immodium-AD and the recommended antibiotics for Travellor's Diarrhea which fortunately I did not have to use.

Don't forget to bring SUNSCREEN. The more fair you are, the higher the SPF should be. Chances are however, you won't be lying around on the beach getting a tan. The beach at Atorkor is a working beach and you will see the fisherman pulling their nets. It is worth taking an early morning walk to see.

As for the Mosquitos – I was pretty lucky in that I didn't get bit. Usually I am a favorite meal for them. I brought DeepWoods OFF 98% Deet – this comes in a small, convenient travel size container and worked well for me. Unfortunately, Malaria is a major problem in this part of the world. Therefore, you must take prophylactic Malaria medications starting 1 to 2 weeks before you go and continuing for a few weeks after you return. I took the weekly medication (Larium) and did fine . Consult your doctor to see which one is best for you. Again, the CDC has information on malaria and chloroquine resistance that you should read.

Volunteering your services – Depending upon what it is you came here to do, your experience will be unique to you. Age is not a barrier as long as you are reasonably healthy. Maybe you are a nurse and will be doing basic health assessments or teaching. Or you may have construction experience and will be helping to build something. Or perhaps you will be spending time in the school, teaching a craft or conversational English. Whatever it is that you choose to do, ADF will work with you to make it an enjoyable and satisfying experience for all. I have no regrets and thank God that I was able to come here to work with these wonderful people. I made friends and some will be lasting relationships. It was the experience of a lifetime. One which I plan to repeat.

More on My African Adventure – June 2008

I am afraid I was not able to keep up with blogging as I wanted to but I do need to make special mention of all those who helped to make my trip a success.
I had solicited donations of medical supplies and was able to acquire almost $2000 worth. I had 4 large containers full of sterile dressing materials, sutures, wound care items, single use thermometers, stethoscopes, blood pressure meters, a Johnson & Johnson Medical Mission Pack which was full of over the counter meds and more. My friend Frankie Flynn purchased an autoclave/sterilizer which was on the clinic's wish list. My co-workers @ Jacobi Hospital collected $ to purchase a baby scale and make a cash donation. Stephanie Reynolds, NP was most generous and provided me with several useful nursing texts. Ms. Livermore provided a CPR book and instructional DVD. Ms. Hannah Nelson and Mr. Peter Lucey helped make it possible for me to get some additional items. Gregg Tossi deserves special thanks.

In addition to private individuals, several companies played a significant role in providing me with supplies to bring with me. 3M/Littmann Stethoscopes was very generous with providing a good number of quality stethoscopes. 3M Health Care, Nexcare, Medical Indicators, Bayer, Genentech were also generous in providing items for me to take. My apologies to anyone I may have forgotten. Please know that all you did was most appreciated by me as well as by those who were the recipients. The nurse and health care workers were thrilled with everything, especially the stethoscopes. I have always considered my stethoscope to be a personal piece of equipment and part of my uniform, but this idea was foreign to them. They never dreamed of having a quality stethoscope of their own. The healthcare workers appeared to stand taller when they were given their own to keep. The nurse was also very happy with the pocket protector loaded with pens, penlight & bandage scissors. It was nice to be able to do something to foster a sense of importance and ownership in the healthcare workers at the clinic. Shown here is Nurse Suzzy and one of her aides, Eric standing in the entrance to the clinic. I really enjoyed the time spent with them. Eric proclaimed himself to be my "son in Ghana" and would carry my bag whenever we went out into the community. However, I did promise the bag would be left for Joyce, the other healthcare worker, when I left Atokor. It was a Jacobi/NBHN tote bag and they all had their eyes on it.

I have been in communication with my friends in Ghana and ADF. I hope to be able to return in the fall. The nurse and I would like to put together some special educational outreach programs. Possibly something to coincide with the annual beach and community clean up day in late September. In the meantime, I would invite anyone reading this and interested in learning more to visit ADF's website at www.adfatorkor.org. ADF's focus on providing a solid infrastructure for the village to develop and progress. This includes a strong emphasis on healthcare and education. There is so much work to do and every little bit helps.