I am sure you are all eager to hear about my trip to Ghana and I am excited to share my adventure. I am going to give a little summary of each day so you can get an idea of what I did while I was in Ghana. Day 1: This is the day I left for Ghana! The flight from Philadelphia to England was about 7 hours and the flight from England to Ghana was also about 7 hours. Overall, with lay over, I was traveling for about 20 hours. When we arrived in Ghana it was around 1:00 am and we were exhausted so we went straight to bed! Day 2: We went to the village today. When we drove into the village the children started crowding around the buses and screaming hello. We got out of the bus and the whole village welcomed us and led us to the community center with music and singing. It all felt like a dream, I couldn't believe I was actually there. Day 3: Today we went door to door throughout the village. We meet the families and to them about the clinic and invited them to come tomorrow. We also talked to a group of teens that were friendly and welcoming. They said the would come to the clinic. Also there were baby chickens and goats all throughout the community. Day 4: We started the clinic today! In the morning I did doctor consultation which is when the patients come to be evaluated by the doctor. We saw many cases of malaria and allergic reactions to the water. In the afternoon I helped the dentist. I saw many dental procedures such as teeth being pulled. Day 5: Second day of the clinic. I was in pharmacy all day, which was hard work! We counted medications and filled orders of medications prescribed by the doctors. The pharmacist would oversee our work and was very knowledgeable and helpful. Day 6: Third clinic day. I did OB/GYN today. It was very interesting and we saw many cases of yeast infections. I also learned many things about the Ghanaian culture and its affect on women's health from the obstetrician. Day 7: Today was the last day of the clinic. I was in public health in the morning where we educated the villagers about health insurance and hygiene. In the afternoon, I was in dental again where I saw many more teeth extractions. Day 8: Today was our last day in the village which was very sad. We did door to door visits once again to see how the community enjoyed the clinic and if there were any improvements we could make. The villagers were very grateful for our presence and the clinic. I also held a newborn goat today! We bought some toys for the kids and handed them out at the end of the day. It was amazing to see how appreciative the children were for a simple soccer ball or jump rope. It was really hard saying bye to the village, the kids, and our new found friends. Day 9: Today we went to a crocodile farm, where I pet an crocodile. That was terrifying. We also went to an ostrich farm where I feed an ostrich. That was awesome! In addition we went on a tour of Cape Castle which was a slave trade center. It was interesting to hear some of the history of the slave trade in Ghana. Day 10: Today was our last day in Ghana! Before we left we checked out some of the markets which were hectic and exciting. The markets were full of jewelry and beautiful fabric. We also traveled to the city,Accra, and went to the mall there. This was a very interesting experience. The Ghanaian mall was just like any normal American mall. It was so hard to believe that only two hours away people lived in poverty and poor conditions, while in the city people lived normal comfortable lives. It was definitely a shock. It also reminded me that not all of Africa is in deep poverty as we often believe, but some parts of Africa are well off. This trip was so incredible! I am extremely for the opportunity I had to go to Ghana. I learned so many things about this unique culture. I also learned that I have so much to be thankful for and that I should never take anything for granted. This trip was an experience I will never forget!
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I am back from Ghana and I had a great trip! Ghana is such an awesome country with amazing people. The clinic days were very successful. I am grateful for the incredible opportunity I had to serve others. Thank you for your prayers and support! Here is a video that gives an overview of my trip Thank you for watching! More trip details are soon to follow :)
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December 2018
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