Hi everyone! Hope all is well. I had a very busy second week in Ghana, and I have lots to tell you about. I spent this past week on a 5 day overnight outreach to Jasikan in the North-Central Volta region of Ghana. Our group included Ernest and Bismark (affectionately known as Bibi) from Crystal Eye Clinic and 4 volunteers: Karen, Ruju, Dan, and myself. I must say that it was of the best experiences I have had here so far! We set off last Sunday on a 5 hour trip to Jasikan, packed with extremely bumpy roads, a “hip-life”/reggae CD on repeat (we now know the difference between the songs “scary face” and “allow me to kiss your hand”…they originally all sounded the same to us), snail kabobs (Dan was the brave soul…and required several bottles of water after that), fried yams (SO TASTY!), and lots of back seat dance parties and naps. Our journey took us from Accra across Lake Volta towards Jasikan. As we got further away from Accra, we could see a significant change in the climate. It became very foggy and cold. It was very refreshing after the humidity in Accra! Lake Volta was very beautiful, and drive to Jasikan was very scenic (lots of tropical plants and trees, farmlands, animals..we even plucked cocoa beans off a tree and ate the seeds from inside!).
Upon arriving at the guest house, we were pleasantly surprised. We were initially expecting the worst because Ernest told us it would be hot, there would be no AC, there would be no running water, and that there would be lots and lots of mosquitoes. Surprisingly, it was quite the opposite! Although there was no AC, there was no need…it was so cold in Jasikan, that we woke up every morning shivering and piling on every piece of clothing we had. But the cool mornings and evenings were a huge relief after long days on outreach. Also, not having running water was not that bad at all. For the first time, I became very conscious about my water consumption for brushing, bathing, and even using the toilet (we had to fill up the toilet box each time in order to flush it…do you even know how much water goes into one flush?! It is INSANE!). I shared a room with Karen and Ruju which was super fun. Between the three of us, we shared a large barrel of water per day. I was actually very proud: despite being three girls and being mildly obsessed with bathing, we all managed just fine! In fact, we liked the bucket baths better than the drip showers at the Telecentre in Accra. But the best things about the hostel were that there was no internet, very little phone signal, an awesome living room area for us to chill in at night, and that it only cost 6 cedis/night to stay there (1.4 Ghana cedis = 1 USD). We all had no choice but to play Michael Jackson songs, attempt to do the moon walk, teach Ernest and Bibi how to bhangra, and to play never-ending Uno and Ghanaian card games. The only downside to the guest house was that there were, what sounded like, 50 roosters and goats around the building which started their symphony at the glorious hour of 4 am every day. I was not pleased. Not to mention Churches like to drum early in the morning. And sounds that carries.
During the next five days, we conducted outreaches in New Ayoma, Papaase (Jasikan), Asukawkaw, and Wuropong- Abotoas. During the outreaches to these villages, we broke some Unite For Sight records. Over the week, screened over 900 patients, and referred around 82 patients for UFS sponsored surgeries! It was a lot of work, but totally worth it. Hats off to the entire outreach team for working hard (as they say in Twi: “Ayeko!” meaning “a job well done!”). We saw an overwhelming list of eye diseases including cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, uveitis, conjunctivitis, corneal scarring, pterygium, myopia, retinopathy, retino pigmentosa, ocular hypertension, band keratopathy, toxoplasmosis, photophobia, heterpchromic iritis (non-lethal), pseudoaphakia, and corneal decompensation. Many of the people we saw had severe trauma to the eye and diseases common to impoverished areas in Ghana.
We could not have completed all of this tremendous work without the assistance of two stellar local volunteers. Mr. Akakpo and Mr. Boku of Jasikan are two truly amazing people. Mr. Boku is a farmer who has been volunteering in various healthcare settings for over 15 years. He used to have impaired vision, but his sight was restored through surgery, and he jumped on board with Unite For Sight. He takes the time out of his busy schedule to volunteer in primary healthcare settings as well as with Unite For Sight in villages around Jasikan. Both Mr. Boku and Mr. Akakpo recruited all of the patients for the screenings, assisted with the health talks, translations, and patient registrations, and will be responsible for bringing the referred patients to Accra for surgery. On top of that, they coordinated all of our meals for the week and made sure we had amazing food. Not to mention, Mr. Akakpo has the most HILARIOUS laugh on earth (it goes something like: “HA HA HA…..HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLO!”….I took a video of it, and I promise I will post it somehow). We really enjoyed their company and are so grateful for their help.
Traveling to the different villages allowed us to taste a variety of local Ghanaian dishes. Some of the things we ate included okra “banku” (a massive ball of cooked fermented maize and cassava dough eaten with by hand, dipped in okra or meat soup), jollof rice with pepper, “kelewele” (fried plantains with lots of pepper and spices), cocoa porridge in a bag, fried yams with pepper sauce, and “waakye” (spicy rice and beans). The food was so amazing, and was prepared by the local villagers for us. I’m glad I had a chance to sample so of the local cuisine. Eating banku with our hands was definitely a unique experience that we will all remember (in fact, it was so memorable that we mistakenly called Mr. Boku, "Mr. Banku". EEEEEEEK, he was not pleased!).
As you can tell, it was a very busy and exciting week, and I had tons of fun! I was really sad to leave Jasikan and return to the hustle and bustle of Accra. But hopefully on my next trip to Ghana, I will be able to go back there again. A huge thank you to Ernest, Bibi, and all of the other volunteers for making it such a special trip...I really enjoyed your company! Let's go back!!
This past weekend, Karen and I spent a lot of time in the Osu neighbourhood of Accra. We ate at an awesome Italian restaurant called Mama Mia, and managed to do some shopping both there and at the Accra Cultural Centre. I got a Ghana soccer jersey, an African print sundress, some beautiful handmade earrings, and lots of other beautiful ebony-carved souvenirs. I think I did pretty well overall with the bargaining! I also got to see my former week one roommate Naa-Lamley one last time before her flight back to America.
This is my final week in Ghana, and I’m really sad to be leaving on Thursday. I hope to make the most of my last few days here. I will be going on an outreach with North Western Eye Centre, and I will be observing surgeries at Crystal Eye Clinic. I am excited to meet Dr. Clarke, as well as the other staff at both clinics. Anyways, that’s all for now, but I promise I will be better with posting for these last few days, and that they won’t be as long as this one!! Cheers!
-Indu
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