I fell in love with mission trips back in 2011 as I worked on my MPH degree. As a part of my practicum requirement, I had the opportunity to travel to Accra, Ghana with the Ghana HIV/AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation (GHAME) Project. The GHAME Project serves to capture and report cases of HIV/AIDS and cases of mother to child HIV transmission among Ghana’s inhabitants. With an especial emphasis on HIV+ pregnant women, I examined the loss to follow-up so that the prevalence of mother to child HIV transmission can continue to be accurately represented. I also administered questionnaires to assess participants’ data collection practices surrounding HIV+ pregnant women, conducted interviews with maternal and child health specialists, and managed site visits at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital antenatal clinics. I loved providing services to those truly in need. “Underserved” took on a completely different meaning for me. I also developed a greater fervor for extending my {future} health care services beyond the corridors of the United States.
Since this was my first time out of the country, I was absolutely adamant about site seeing. I visited W.E.B. DuBois’ home, the Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana’s first president and prime minister) Memorial Park, and Cape Coast Castle. The Obamas had visited Cape Coast Castle that same year. Visiting this historical monument was life changing for me. Cape Coast Castle is where slaves leaving the shores of Ghana were placed in holding before being loaded on ships to America in shackles. I was able to walk through the holding dungeons. The incredibly small size of the dungeons was absolutely stifling. I closed my eyes and imagined all of those beautiful people just stacked on top of each other in anguish. I then had the opportunity to walk through the “door of no return.” Boats used to wait right outside of this archway and once the slaves walked through, they, quite literally, never returned. I still get chills when I think about that visit. Cape Coast Castle represents a very unfortunate, yet relevant part of our history. I strongly recommend that all who visit Ghana take a visit to Cape Coast.
Lastly, it would have been so unlike me if I didn’t shop…so I did! My professor had friends in Ghana and arranged for them to meet me and take me around. So grateful! They taught me how to bargain at local shops and I was able to bring home some really great gifts for my family! My younger brothers requested a cheetah skin lol. I told my preceptor about it and he laughed it off, saying that Ghana is not a jungle and I would not likely find this siege. He said that as if my family and I are completely misinformed about the beautiful and diverse continent of Africa. But guess what I found {and purchased} at one of the local shops I visited. Yep!! HA! Enjoy the pictures!
xoxo – Me!
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