Halfway Home

As you all may know, Ghana defeated the US in the soccer match last Saturday. About 14 of us headed to Citizen Kofi (a very classy sports bar/club/restaurant) in Osu to watch the game. We got some interesting reactions to our presence at such a heated match. Some of the locals joked with us about who was going to win the game. They laughed when we stood up to sing our National Anthem, but they also invited us to stand when they sang their own. Overall, it was a good time where I was sitting. However, some of my friends had some other less than pleasant experiences at the bar. Some of them said that they received some hostile looks from the men and women nearby and overall just didn’t feel welcome at the bar. I’m beginning to think that it’s a good thing that Ghana won because I can’t imagine what would have happened if the few Americans in the bar were cheering in the face of the over 100 Ghanaians in the bar who just lost to the U.S. and was now eliminated from the World Cup. It would not have been good. After the game, we walked on the streets of Osu and watched hundreds of locals celebrating, hanging out of cars, blowing whistles and vuvuzelas constantly, and just having a good time. We stopped to grab some food and then headed to another bar to see if we could join in on the party. Some people got some drinks, but almost immediately after we were served, two of the guys in our group had their wallets stolen! Some locals apparently just grabbed their wallets out of their pockets without them even noticing. We were all pretty disturbed at that point, so we decided to head back to the Telecentre. I think this was the only time I’ve ever felt somewhat unsafe since I’ve been here. Even though it is certainly safer to travel in groups than alone, I think the large size of our group made us an easy target for locals without the best intentions for us. We were easily distracted by the music, the vuvuzelas, and other locals randomly talking to us, so they were able to take advantage of this. Nothing else happened to me or to anyone else, and we all got home safely. Now we will all just be a little more careful anytime we go out in big groups like that.

In other news, I started work this week at Northwest Eye Centre. This is another UFS-sponsored clinic in Accra that volunteers go to. The staff there is a group of young professionals who are great at what they do but also like to have a good time while they’re at work. We traveled about two hours today to a community near the beach. We saw about 60 or 70 patients, and I really got to talk to Charlotte, one of the nurses, since there were only a few of us at this outreach. Overall, it was a pretty good day.

Many of the volunteers who arrived with me on June 1 are leaving within the next day or so. It is an interesting time for me because as so many are ending their journeys in Ghana, mine is only halfway done. I’m careful to listen to all of the things they wish that they had time to do so that I can be sure to have as few regrets as possible when I am preparing to leave. I’m very glad that I decided to stay for two months instead of only one because I am just not getting the feeling that I actually know this place fairly well. While I don’t feel completely at home yet (I doubt I ever will no matter how long I stay!), I’m glad that I have another month to live here and explore more things, see new places, and meet new people that have yet to come my way. It’s been a great ride so far, but I believe that there’s much more to look forward to. :)

It Feels Like Home to Me

I never thought I would be so happy to get back to Accra and my room at the Telecentre. We left Adansi on Thursday afternoon after outreach. Overall, the trip was OK, but I will say that we were pretty bored at the hotel after outreach was finished. We didn’t really see that many patients, so that meant we got back to the hotel pretty early in the afternoon (around 2:00PM). We spent the remainder of our days reading, playing cards, watching hours upon hours of soccer matches, and turning in for bed pretty early. I won’t say that the trip was a failure, but I definitely think it could have been more productive had the local volunteers been more organized and if they had planned ahead a little bit more. Despite the setbacks, it was a good chance to see another side of Ghana.

Since this village is so far removed from any other villages, most people in the town don’t see many White people or Westerners. We received a lot of attention as we walked down the streets of Adansi. Many children asked us for money and were so excited to see us at the outreaches. They looked with amazement at the White skin of my fellow volunteers. It was hilarious to watch. However, not all the children were so excited to see us. Several children appeared shocked, frightened, and even began to cry when they saw some of the White volunteers. This just showed me how remote and far removed this community really was. Sadly, I didn’t receive as much attention from the children as the White volunteers since mine and the children’s complexion were so similar. However, I did spark some interest with an adult patient who was so confused when I didn’t understand her native language. I tried to tell her that I was from the U.S., not Ghana, and that I could not speak her language, but she just kept pointing at my skin and then back at hers with a look of confusion and shock on her face. It was pretty funny, and in the end she said that we were friends so I guess it all ended well!

We had an outreach scheduled for the Friday when we returned from Accra, but the tremendous amount of rain that the country has been receiving prevented us from going. Apparently, there was a lot of flooding in the place where we were supposed to be going. So instead of heading to work on Friday, we all headed to the market! More shopping and sight-seeing was done, and it was a great chance to explore some more areas of Accra that hadn’t had the opportunity to see yet. That was a great start to a great weekend.

If you haven’t heard yet, Ghana and the U.S. will be playing in the World Cup this (Saturday) evening! I can’t even describe how excited everyone is for this epic event. How cool is it that we are here in Ghana to watch the game?! We are all so excited and will be heading downtown to Osu to watch the match! I don’t really know who to cheer for, but I’m wearing my new Ghana jersey and I’ll probably cheer whenever both teams score a goal! It’s going to be great!

Give Us the Money!!!

We arrived safely in Adansi on Sunday evening. The road getting here was very long and very bumpy. I think we all looked like gigantic bobble heads in the backseat as John tried his best to avoid the never-ending potholes and bumps. The place we are staying is basically just like an American motel. The doors to our rooms open to the outside where there is a cover patio. This is where we have all of our meals and watch the soccer matches (Ghana has a big game on Wednesday against Germany, and the US plays on Tuesday!). This is a very small village with very limited entertainment options, but we are trying our best to have fun anyways. Also, there are some serious communication issues within the community that could prevent us from reaching all the patients that we had planned to see. Today, traveled to a community about an hour and a half from our hotel, and no one was there waiting for the clinic. Apparently, many men and women leave their homes early in the morning to head to the farms for work. There was also confusion in which day we would be coming for outreach. Consequently, we only saw about 30 or 40 patients today. Ernest was especially disappointed on the low number of patients present. On the bright side, there were five cataract surgery referrals, which is a lot for such a small number of total patients. The need for eye health clinics is obvious in the communities we have visited. One man who came today was very close to being completely blind from advanced glaucoma. There is of course no cure for glaucoma and its damage is irreversible. There was really nothing we could do for this patient. However, if he had been seen earlier, his vision could have been saved or at least preserved for a little bit longer. It was a heartbreaking scene when the man started to cry because there was nothing we could do for him. There are undoubtedly more patients just like this man who need the help of eye doctors who can diagnose and treat conditions like glaucoma before it’s too late. Tomorrow we will be working closer to the hotel, and we are hoping for a better outcome.

Some of us decided to take a walk into the town after work. On our way, we came across a large of group of boys playing soccer in a big open field. Some of the other volunteers actually had some soccer skills themselves, so they kicked the ball around for a little bit. I have to say that the local Ghanaian boys were not too impressed with our moves, but we were in awe of theirs! We hung out for a little bit, and as we were leaving one boy shouted, “Give us the money!!!” Another boy asked one of the other volunteers for a pair of sneakers. The assumption that all White people and those from the United States are wealthy has definitely held throughout my time in Ghana. Children, especially, are in awe when they see the White and Asian volunteers casually walking through their villages. It’s quite a funny sight!

Adansi is great so far, and we’re all looking forward to a great week here!

Goodbye Accra, Hello Adansi!

So today we are heading to Adansi, a small region at the southern tip of the Ashanti region. Six of us will be there for 5 days, until June 25. We will basically be doing the same thing we've been doing here in Accra - going to local churches and schools and having outreach clinics. I'm excited to go to another part of Ghana for a while. I think this place is supposed to be pretty rural, so that will be interesting to see how well we can manage out there. I don't think there will be any Internet access, so I won't have anymore posts for a while :( But, I'll be sure to keep track of everything that goes on so that I can update you when I get back!

To my dad and all the fathers in the world, Happy Father's Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To my mom and dad, Happy 29th Anniversary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To Kojo, Happy 22nd Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you guys! Talk to you soon!

Oh, How I Love Cheese!

Yesterday was a clinic day for me. Two other volunteers and I arrived at Crystal Eye Clinic around 11:00 AM and waited to be called to observe surgery. At least one Unite for Sight volunteers has to observe all UFS-sponsored surgeries that Dr. Clarke performs at Crystal Eye Clinic. The volunteers take turns rotating through the operating room. We get to ask questions and learn about the eye and cataract surgery from Dr. Clarke and the ophthalmic nurses. Today, Dr. Clarke also showed us a video on couching. Couching is a traditional way to remove cataracts and is still performed in rural parts of Africa today. The procedure involves inserting a thin blade into the sclera (white part of the eye) and then shaking the cataract loose from the behind the lens. The operation involves little anesthetic and very limited sanitation measures are taken. The whole process looked very uncomfortable to me. Serious and irreversible damage can be done to the eye when couching and other traditional techniques for cataracts are being used. One of the goals of Unite for Sight is to educate locals on the dangers and limitations of these traditional practices and encourage them to look into Western cataract surgery.

We had an unusual weeknight excursion last night to Reggae/Salsa/Some kind of dancing night near the beach. Seven of us arrived at Coconut Groove (sounds fun, right?) to take part in some fun dancing and a few drinks. This was an outdoor bar and club that was attached to both a hotel and a radio station! I also got a chance to meet up with some of my fellow Dukies who are also here for the summer! It was about 11:30 PM and we were just starting to get in the groove when everyone suddenly left the dance floor and headed to the beach! Apparently, the party at Coconut Groove was just the pre-party, and the real party was waiting a couple miles down the road. Of course, we didn’t know this so we were pretty disappointed when everybody left. We thought about heading to the beach ourselves, but I had a better idea! I suggested we head downtown, go to Frankie’s again, and order some PIZZA! We have all been desperately craving cheese for a while, and some good pizza would be a perfect end to the evening. Everyone agreed, so we headed to Frankie’s! Needless to say, we all stuffed our faces with bread, cheese, and various toppings. We headed back to the Telecentre with our bellies full and ready for bed. This was, by far, the best Wednesday night yet!

I was back on outreach today, but unfortunately we had a disappointing turnout. The place we traveled to was about two and a half hours away, and our outreach clinic was happening simultaneously with a large village gathering and performance show. Many of the locals were not there for the clinic, and those who did come did not bring money with them to buy medication. The ophthalmic staff, especially Earnest, was really disappointed and weren’t sure if we would be returning to this village in the future. This was definitely a logistical planning error on someone’s part, but hopefully it can be fixed so that Unite for Sight can still serve the people of this region.

So Game 7 is tonight, and I can’t wait to see what happens. Nothing would make me happier than to see Kobe Bryant sulking in a corner after the Celtics blow away the Lakers! It’s gonna be a tough game for both teams, but I’m rooting for the Celtics all the way!

The craving for American food has already hit the next level. I’m craving chocolate cake like a mad woman, so I want to go ahead and put in my request for a very large chocolate cake (preferable the whole thing for me) when I return home. Also, anything with a lot of cheese in it would also be nice. There’s no cheese here! It’s crazy!!! I’ve made it to the two-week mark successfully, but I can’t believe these past 14 days have gone by so quickly. I’ve seen so many new things, and I still have ¾ of the trip left to go! It’s gonna be great!

Eight of us traveled to Bojo Beach again on Sunday. It was another relaxing day with a warm sun, huge waves, chicken and sausage kebobs, and a 5 cedi plate of French fries. We got to the club house just in time to see the Black Stars of Ghana score the winning penalty kick against Serbia in their first World Cup match! Let me just tell you…the sheer joy, excitement, and pride exhibited on the streets of Ghana after this victorious win is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. Even my fellow Cameron Crazies would have been outdone by this crowd (and we all know that’s saying a lot since we basically almost set ourselves on fire when we beat Carolina/win the National Championship!)! It was just crazy. Fans had painted themselves red, green, yellow, and black and proceeded to parade down the streets of Accra with those obnoxious horns everyone hears on TV, screaming, and just general chaos. We saw one man, and literally 60% of his body was hanging outside of a car that was speeding down the street!!! People were undoubtedly under the influence of some kind of drug, and I was a little worried that someone might actually get hurt; but in the end, all was well and we were all as excited as we could be over Ghana’s big win! We had dinner at Town and Country, a restaurant right around the corner from the Telecentre (Sunday is our big eating out day!). I ordered Red-Red, a traditional Ghanaian dish of fried plantains, beans, and friend chicken. You’re supposed to use the plantains as the “dipper” for the beans, if you will. I think the goal is to use your hands as much as possible and get as messy as you can without scaring the people at the other table. I went against the traditional eating methods and used my knife and fork in the proper American way, but the meal was absolutely delicious! I’m pretty sure the beans were black eyed peas with some kind of red pepper sauce mixed in. I’m not the biggest fan of fried plantains, but they were also very good. And the friend chicken was good, too! We stopped by a little supermarket around the corner on our way home, and I grabbed an individual serving of vanilla ice cream and some apple juice (yes!). Then we called it a day. I think the food we ate today was the best I’ve had so far. I could still use a piece of chocolate cake, but I guess I can wait.

We examined about 50 patients at the outreach clinic today (Monday). It was such a long drive up a winding mountain to the Church, and I wasn’t feeling to good for a while but we eventually made it back alright. This group of locals was very gracious to everyone, and all of the cataract surgery referrals were very willing to answer questions for the research study. My study is supposed to be identifying female barriers to cataract surgery and how Unite for Sight can get women better access to care. However, I have noticed that women are represented more at outreaches and at the clinic for surgery than males. I wasn’t expecting this at all, and I will be taking more data throughout the time I’m here, but that’s what I’m seeing so far.

I’ve had a lot of time to be by myself while I’m here, whether it’s during the long car rides to and from outreach, to relaxing by the shore at the beach, to lying in my bed before I go to sleep. I think part of me still hasn’t realized that I’m in Africa! I’ve been here for two weeks, and I’ll be here for seven more! I’m so thankful for this opportunity to see another part of the world and to take a step back from the daily worries of being a Duke undergrad. Life is so much bigger than college, or what internship you get, or your GPA, or your starting salary as a pediatrician or an investment banker. We live in so much luxury and excess in the United States that we don’t even understand how little we actually need. To return to the topic of food, I was very concerned about my diet when I first arrived in Ghana. I wasn’t sure if I would like the local dishes, so I felt like I should eat every meal that I enjoyed as if it were my last! Sometimes we get lunch during outreaches, and then sometimes we don’t. On those days when lunch is not provided, I cherish my Fiber One bars and my fruit snacks as if I won’t be eating for weeks when in reality I just have to wait a few more hours until dinner. Even though I know I’m overreacting to my “hunger” pains, sometimes when I’m here I feel like I’m eating just so that my body can function and survive, rather than because I’m bored or because the food is just so good. When I’m at home, I really don’t think of eating as the way to make sure body has energy and can keep working. I really don’t need three plates of collards, two servings of macaroni and cheese, and an extra large slice of sweet potato pie to keep my body working (in fact, all that food probably does the exact opposite!). I eat it because it’s available and it’s SO good! This isn’t exactly a profound concept, but it’s something I’ve thought a lot of while I’m here. I am so careful to not waste any food because I feel like either myself or someone else may really need it to make it through the day. It’s definitely a different way of thinking. Momma, I don’t want you to think I’m not eating at all here, so you don’t have to send two boxes full of food over here. I’m OK!

Tomorrow’s another outreach day. I’m thinking that one day I’ll do a mini documentary of a day in the life of a Unite for Sight volunteer and then post it for you all to see! I’ll let you know when it’s coming!

"Escuse me, my sistah!"

It's the Weekend!

On Friday night we went to a club. Club Aphrodisiac. We arrived nineteen deep, and we were the first ones there at about 10:30 (I should have known better). We were waiting outside for a long time while our drivers/chaperones/party buddies tried to get a bulk deal for the cover charge. However, there was one small problem. We weren’t exactly dressed appropriately for Club Aphrodisiac’s standards. You see, the regulars at this club always dress classy, sexy, and ready to impress with girls wearing their high heels and skimpy dresses and the guys in their clean cut shirts and nice shoes. All nineteen of us showed up in t-shirts, sundresses, flip flops, and (get ready for this) dirty SNEAKERS!!! The ten very large security guards and bouncers were not really feeling our casual look. For a while, I didn’t think they were seriously thinking about not letting us in; no one else was there! They desperately needed are business, and we provided an instant nicely sized party. But they were serious. We did not fit the dress code, and they had an image to maintain. However, after some talking and negotiating from our lovely Ghanaian hosts, we got in (for only 6 cedis each I might add!). Club Aphrodisiac definitely has an image; it is both a bar, lounge, and club all in one. We hung out on the couches with the sequined throw pillows and the chandeliers with LED lights that changed colors all night. I may or may not have ordered my first drink from a bar, and it may or may not have been a rum and Coke. It may or may not have been pretty tasty. We all just kinda hung out, lounged around, and eventually took the dance floor for a while. I couldn’t help but notice a large number of middle-aged men who were seated in the private lounge areas located just off the dance floor. Several young women dressed in appropriate Club Aphrodisiac attire took a seat in their private lounge areas, and began having their own private dance parties. I couldn’t help but think I was witnessing several businessmen who were on a “business trip” and were also hours away from cheating on their wives with these women. I felt just a little uncomfortable, but I tried to just ignore that area of the club. We had a great time, danced until about 1:30 AM, and then came back and crashed into our beds at the Telecentre. It was the end of another great week.

I have a little announcement to make. For all of the Americans who believe that they are highly persuasive and successful salesmen, I invite you to come to Ghana and travel to a market. There you will find the most persistent, slick, persuasive, and successful salesmen that are in existence (at least in my opinion). We went to such a market today, and I have never received so much attention in my life. Every salesman from every booth in the market begged for me and my fellow shoppers to enter their shops and take a look at their merchandise. Some simply would not take, “No!” for an answer. When they first see you, they may say, “Escuse me, my sistah! Come have a look in here…I have da best prices in da whole market… don’t you need a Ghana t-shirt? What about your motha? This! This is da perfect gift for your motha!” I know that if I had not been warned many times about how to bargain with these salesmen, I would have probably spent about $200 on 5 items today. The pressure is so intense in this little outdoor market, and while IL don’t want to overpay for an item, I feel as if I’m insulting them by suggesting a price that’s less than half of their initial offer. But that’s how it works here. They try their hardest to get the tourists to pay as much as possible, but we have to be smart and realize that most items can be purchased for half of the initially offered price. I could be there for long. The pressure was just too much, not to mention the extreme heat and lack of food in my stomach. We headed back to the Telecentre and relaxed until the England vs. USA soccer match. Currently, the score is 1-1. I really hope it isn’t a draw. They’re already over the 90-minute mark, and I think everyone will be highly disappointed if it ended in a tie. My knowledge of soccer has steadily increased since the beginning of the World Cup. However, I still can’t get over how these men run around this huge field for an hour and a half with the hope of scoring one, maybe two goals. I mean I would think there would be a better strategy for getting that little ball in that huge net more than once in ninety minutes. But hey, what I do know about soccer? These are the best players in the world, so I guess a couple of goals for the game is as good as it gets. So, the match ended in a draw. How anticlimactic is that? Oh well. I think we’re staying in tonight; everyone is either exhausted from work or the late night we had last night. I think tomorrow we’re headed for the beach again!

Just Some Thoughts...

This is for Lolo! Here's the alligator we saw at the restaurant last weekend. I'm pretty sure it was plotting it's attack to eat all of us as we were watching it, so I think it's best if you leave alligators in the wild instead of in your house! I don't know if they have domesticated alligators, but maybe a nice pet lizard or a garden snake would work better than an alligator! :)



We drove about two hours to our outreach clinic today. It was super hot inside the Church, and I was really hungry all day. We saw about 70 patients and had 5 referrals for cataract and pterygium surgeries. Everything went well, but the staff was so eager to get back so they could watch the World Cup! The games started today, and I'm watching France vs. Uruguay as we speak! I think France is favored among the group I'm in, but we'll see what happens! I wish I knew more about soccer and the World Cup so that I could somewhat follow along, but I'm learning as we go I think. At least I'm trying!

I just finished my second book since I've been here. First I read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and then I finished The Firm by John Grisham this morning. Both were just great! I can't believe I've read this much in just 11 days! Next on the list is The White Man's Burden by William Easterly. I definitely think this choice is appropriate for the kind of work I'm doing and the experience I'm going through right now. So far (as in the first 20 pages), the book offers a very interesting view on why certain efforts to end poverty, hunger, and other social injustices in the developing world have failed despite $2.3 trillion given to these causes. I'm very interested in ready more about what this man has to say on such a controversial subject.

I think we're going out to a club tonight and hitting up the market tomorrow! Sounds like a fun weekend! Can't wait to tell you all about it! :)

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

On Monday evening, one of Kojo’s cousins, Kofi, called me on my Ghana cell phone and asked if he could meet me and take me out to the Accra Mall on Tuesday. Evidently, Kojo’s father had given him my number and had asked their family in Ghana to kind of look out for me while I’m here. I’m so grateful that I am connected with people who have such loving and kind hearts. So on Tuesday evening, Kofi and his girlfriend picked up me and Rachel (another volunteer) from the Telecentre and took us to the Accra Mall located about 45 minutes from our hotel. The mall will remind you of a typical American mall with fewer stores and a grocery store that is attached to it. There are several restaurants and a bar/club that I’ve heard is really fun on the weekends. Kofi took us to a Chinese place where a lot of his and Kojo’s cousins work. After the wonderful meal, he told us that we could eat here and charge the bill to his account when we come back to the mall! Talk about generous, right?! I felt nothing but appreciation and gratitude for the warm welcome that the Owusu-Akyaw family has shown me since arriving in Ghana. Thanks everyone!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday and Wednesday were both outreach days. On Tuesday, we went to a medical center about 45 minutes from the hotel and saw about 50 patients. There was an extremely loud Church service going on beside the clinic and there was so much noise and traffic inside the clinic as well. Needless to say, it was a very chaotic day. This was the first outreach where we had the assistance of local volunteers helping us dispense medication and handle the money. While I’m sure these ladies had the best intentions at heart, I couldn’t help but feel extremely frustrated once the work began. The women kept shoving papers in front of my face, snatching glasses and eye drops from my hands, interrupting my conversations with patients and other volunteers, poking me and tapping me on the shoulder unnecessarily (I don’t know why, but that bothers me soooooooooooooooooo much!), and just overall adding to the chaos that was this clinic. Not to mention the loud shouting enhanced by a microphone that was coming from the Church next door. My head was beginning to spin, and for a while I just wanted to get out of there! But I stuck it out despite my frustration and growing headache. Luckily, we had periodic breaks when patient traffic was slow and the day ended relatively early. I don’t know what would have happened if it had been a longer day…probably hid myself in a corner. Wednesday, however, was much better. We saw a similar number of patients and had a very organized assembly line type thing going on at the dispensing table. I was able to interview two cataract surgery referrals, and we got home around 8:00. It was a long drive to the outreach, about two and a half hours. Then it started raining quite hard on the way back. The car rides never get boring though…not with Dennis and Earnest in the van. They are pros at telling somewhat dirty jokes that keep us laughing the whole time. Earnest always checks to make sure that we’re old enough to be hearing such vulgar jokes, and then he tells a few jokes and we all start bellowing over in laughter. These guys have hearts of gold, are extremely intelligent, and love to have a good time. Once we arrived back at the Telecentre, we weren’t in the mood for wading through the growing puddles to find dinner, so we just snacked on granola bars and peanut butter for the rest of the evening.

Today, four volunteers are leaving and several more will be arriving today and tomorrow. I think it’s going to be interesting to see how the dynamics of the outreaches and living at the Telecentre change when certain people come and go. I’m very glad I decided to stay two months so that I will have the chance to meet as many volunteers as possible, explore Ghana as much as I can, and make a lasting impression on this organization and the people that work for it all year. I’m observing surgeries at Crystal Eye Clinic today. It’s still a little wet outside this morning, but I’m looking forward to a bright and happy day!