Hey guys, I just spent the last 11 days visiting communities in Ghana's central region, primarily one 2.5 hours away from the capital. We "Global Brigades" are a college student based NGO with over 300 colleges that fund raise on their own. I was offered an internship for one year (too long, may do 6 months) leading brigades throughout communities and from the short time I spent there I may just make good on it. I have about 600 on my facebook that encompasses it all but here are some highlights:
Where we stayed
Before we got to work we were celebrated for going. Nothing but smiles and grateful people
They also wanted us to dance...a lot...
And I taught kids how to play baseball
And then some of what living in impoverished communities there is like
This is their drinking water. They didn't know what diarrhea and bloody stools was a bad thing. :/
Thankfully one of these was a beach community so they had fishing...the water wasn't as nice as the Bahamas but it was very welcome to see.
And now some fun pathodiseases. We saw plenty of leprosy, gangrene, and infections that were treated with dirt paste and leaves.
I didn't expect to see the following man. I opened the leaves and saw his infection and how it killed his skin. I used surgical scissors and a scalpul to remove the dead skin. As he was a farmer his palms were very calloused. Underneath was just necrotic muscle. I cleaned it up, bandaged him, gave him antibiotics and told him to go to the hospital or he would die of infection. He said "I have no money for a hopistal" where the drive was over 3 hours. I saw him 4 days later wearing the same gauze.
The people down here get osteoporosis and arthitis by their mid 40's and their hypertension is through the roof. One woman has a vasculature on her neck and a blood pulse of 270/190. Normal is 120/80. I told her she would be dead within the month and how surprised I was that she was still kicking. They all explained their life is constant agony and that their suffering will only be cured through God. Some of them will never adopt steps towards preventative health care.
This is E30 related because of this picture lol. I think this is Hartge? Too bad the heat ruinied it...and the muffler...
Oh, and a broken AC belt in a bus and a 1 hour drive in Africa isn't fun.
What I experienced really makes me grateful to live in America. It was eye opening and I was rewarded by helping over 700 people who needed our help on our clinic days. I intend on going again next year and then possibly staying on with that internship. If any of you like donating, I won't say no to any aid getting back there with more medicine and more doctors!
If any of you are in college and are interested in health care, see if your college has a Global Brigades chapter. You will love it.
Where we stayed
Before we got to work we were celebrated for going. Nothing but smiles and grateful people
They also wanted us to dance...a lot...
And I taught kids how to play baseball
And then some of what living in impoverished communities there is like
This is their drinking water. They didn't know what diarrhea and bloody stools was a bad thing. :/
Thankfully one of these was a beach community so they had fishing...the water wasn't as nice as the Bahamas but it was very welcome to see.
And now some fun pathodiseases. We saw plenty of leprosy, gangrene, and infections that were treated with dirt paste and leaves.
I didn't expect to see the following man. I opened the leaves and saw his infection and how it killed his skin. I used surgical scissors and a scalpul to remove the dead skin. As he was a farmer his palms were very calloused. Underneath was just necrotic muscle. I cleaned it up, bandaged him, gave him antibiotics and told him to go to the hospital or he would die of infection. He said "I have no money for a hopistal" where the drive was over 3 hours. I saw him 4 days later wearing the same gauze.
The people down here get osteoporosis and arthitis by their mid 40's and their hypertension is through the roof. One woman has a vasculature on her neck and a blood pulse of 270/190. Normal is 120/80. I told her she would be dead within the month and how surprised I was that she was still kicking. They all explained their life is constant agony and that their suffering will only be cured through God. Some of them will never adopt steps towards preventative health care.
This is E30 related because of this picture lol. I think this is Hartge? Too bad the heat ruinied it...and the muffler...
Oh, and a broken AC belt in a bus and a 1 hour drive in Africa isn't fun.
What I experienced really makes me grateful to live in America. It was eye opening and I was rewarded by helping over 700 people who needed our help on our clinic days. I intend on going again next year and then possibly staying on with that internship. If any of you like donating, I won't say no to any aid getting back there with more medicine and more doctors!
If any of you are in college and are interested in health care, see if your college has a Global Brigades chapter. You will love it.
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