Friday 30 September 2011

Only Africa

A final hello from Ghana,

If this is your first time visiting the blog, I welcome you.

It has always been a dream of mine to volunteer in Africa. The months of arduous preparation were most definitely worth the effort. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone for your support. Notably, I would like to thank Carol Pippy and the congregation at St. Andrew's United Church, Vernon Bridge for your kind donations. And I can't forget about Mom and Dad; I wouldn't be here without you.

I was partially inspired to volunteer in Africa by hearing the stories of other people. Local Islanders who have ventured South and shared their experiences, such as Kent Myers and Amy Somers, made me want to do the same. I would be happy to give a presentation to anyone who would want to listen when I return home in December.

We each contain the propensity to change the world for the better. You don't have to take drastic financial measures and travel to a far off land.  The simple action of donating money to a Non-Governmental Organization is a great way to make a difference. For instance, $50 can provide a vital sight restoring surgery to a person living in poverty. I can attest to the fact that these surgeries improve the lives of people! If you liked what you read this month, consider donating to Unite For Sight: http://www.uniteforsight.org/how-to-help.

If you want to make a positive difference to the lives of people living in poverty, educate yourself and do what you can. Somalia is one of the worst places in the world right now. Ten million people are devastated by the famine in the Horn of Africa. Be a hero and donate to The Humanitarian Coalition of Canada: http://humanitariancoalition.ca/.

This holiday season, why not buy a gift for a person in the Third World? Improving health and education are the best means of reducing poverty in developing countries. World Vision has a brilliant catalog of meaningful gifts you may want to consider: http://www.worldvision.ca/Pages/welcome.aspx.

This has been an unforgettable month. Africa will always be in the corner of my mind. I hope to return again someday, but in the meantime I have a flight to catch to London. I am excited to begin my second year of optometry training next week. Working alongside the eye care professionals in Africa reassured me that I made the right career choice.

Thank you again for following along, and I look forward to talking with you in the future.

Adam Drake

Thursday 29 September 2011

Three Villages, 1000 Eyes

Monday: The outreach team drove three hours to a village in the central region. The rain poured down as we screened 100 people inside a church. I knew I would be staying in the village for a few nights, so I was initially apprehensive about my accommodation. However, we lodged at a comfortable inn, and my fears of living in a mud hut were quashed.

Tuesday: I had an omelette with beans and toast for breakfast. It was an optimistic start to the day. We screened 150 people at another local church. Overall, my communication skills improved while I was in Ghana. Giving instructions to people who speak a different language was tricky at first, but I quickly adapted some efficient methods. We advertised the next day's outreach over the van's loud speakers on the drive to supper that night.

Wednesday: The announcements worked, and we screened 250 patients on outreach. What blew my mind was the amount of time people were willing to wait around to see the doctor. Could you imagine showing up to an appointment at 8:00am, only to see the doctor at 4:30pm? That's what most of these people did! The patience they displayed in waiting their turn illustrated how much they valued the service.

Thursday: We drove back to the city in the morning. Lian and I observed surgeries all afternoon. Unite For Sight graciously provided a drive to the eye clinic for the village people with ailments such as cataracts. Pictured below is the outreach team standing with some patients:


A major barrier to health care in the Third World is lack of transportation. Unite For Sight eliminates this barrier by travelling to the villages on outreach, and also providing transportation for those who require surgery. This way, health care is being delivered to those who need it most.

It was an enjoyable experience working with the people in the village this past week.

I am going to write a final entry tomorrow to sum up my month in Ghana. I appreciate you following along with the blog.

Sincerely,

Adam

Sunday 25 September 2011

Gearin' Up For The Week

Hello again,

I am packing my bags and getting ready for the village this week. Instead of going on outreach and coming back to the hotel at night, I will be travelling to the village for the full week. There won't be internet there, so I will be unable to update the blog.

I will provide some closing remarks on Thursday about my time in Ghana.

Hope you all have a good week!

Adam

Friday 23 September 2011

Two Busy Days

Hi everyone,

The past two days were quite busy. We were on the move for ten hours each day, and we screened over two hundred people in total. Yesterday, I did visual acuity for everybody, and today I worked at the dispensing table. The sun was hot and I was glad to be in the shade.

Before I came to Ghana, I had to do training for Unite For Sight. One of the modules taught me about caregivers for blind people in the Third World. All too often, blind adults are cared for by younger members of the family. When a child is given the responsibility of caring for an older adult, it makes it difficult for him or her to attend school. Pictured below is a child leading a blind adult by a walking stick:


Where will this child be in ten years from now? Will he be able to obtain a proper education to secure meaningful employment? If his sole responsibility is to care for his blind relative, his development will be hindered by the burden. By intervening and providing eye care to this woman, and other people like her, the hope is to break this negative poverty trap.

The week went by really fast, and I'm glad it's time to kick back and relax! I'll check in again soon.

Adam

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Pig Skin and Broken Vans

Howdy from Ghana,

I began the day with another plate of rice, noodles, and fish for breakfast. Then the outreach team and I departed for the village. We drove three hours through rural Ghana. I listened to my iPod and watched the palm trees and small communities pass by. Aside from the infrastructure, it's not that different from home. I still find comfort in seeing the red soil.

My job today was to operate the dispensing table. After the patients sat with the optometrist, they came to me to receive their medication and/or glasses. We saw exactly 100 people today, and it went quite smoothly.

Pictured below is the village we visited:


The van broke down on the drive back, and we sat on the side of the road for an hour. I barely noticed the time go by! Time is more fluid here, and less compartmentalized than at home.

Lian and I went back to that African restaurant where I had the scary crab stew last week. A word of caution: Don't order the cheapest thing on the menu unless you know what it is. I was unknowingly served a bowl of spiced pig skin for supper. Let's just say I was glad Lian got plantains and beans, because we were able to share.

Time to rest up for another busy day tomorrow.

Adam

Tuesday 20 September 2011

14

Hi everyone,

The outreach team had another productive day. We drove to a village three hours away and screened upwards of 150 people. There were only four people on the team today, so I was quite busy. They served us lunch, and we left at five or so.

The most memorable part of the day was waiting at an intersection for 45 minutes because of a traffic jam!

We're going to celebrate my birthday later in the week.

Peace,

Adam

Monday 19 September 2011

Jungle, Jungle

Hi everybody,

I went on a road trip through the jungle and visited a village three hours away. Upon arrival, the other volunteers and I were treated like celebrities by the community pre-schoolers. They excitedly swarmed around us and chanted, "Aubruni, aubruni, aubruni." (White person). Stephen, a fellow volunteer, gave the kids a soccer ball to play with, and they were quite happy with their new gift.


We screened upwards of a hundred people in the village today. I was the go-to guy for visual acuity testing. English wasn't highly spoken in the village, so communication was difficult again. Hand gestures and facial expressions go a long way though.

For supper, I had rice and fish. Fish here is markedly different from fish at home. Instead of being serving a fillet, you get the whole package: meat, skin, head, and bones!

After a long day of driving and volunteering, it's finally time to relax. I get to celebrate my birthday in Ghana tomorrow, so that should be interesting.

Have a great night.

Adam

Saturday 17 September 2011

Bojo Beach Resort

Today was the most relaxing day yet. The other volunteers and I ventured to a nice beach resort outside the city. We soaked up the sun, went swimming, and played beach volleyball. The beach wasn't crowded, and it was a great place to unwind.

I'll check in next week with some more stories.

Peace,

Adam

Friday 16 September 2011

Nima

Welcome again,

The outreach team visited a village within the greater Accra area today. Although Nima was within the city limits, it took upwards of three hours to drive there. Road construction is rampant in the city, and traffic just crawls along.

Not many people spoke English in the village, so it made for an interesting afternoon. My task was to take visual acuity. I had to rely on bilingual community members to translate the instructions to the patients.

Nima was not a particularly developed community. The people were warm but the conditions were uncomfortable.

Pictured below is the dispensing table:


The other volunteers and I are venturing into the city tonight. We are meeting up with some Canadians we met the other night. Should be a good time!

I'll write again soon,

Adam

Thursday 15 September 2011

Another Day in the OR

Hi everyone,

One particular thing I appreciate about Ghana is the concept of elastic time. Coming from someone who's chronically late for most things, it's nice to know that Ghanaians don't put a high emphasis on promptness. The driver said he'd be here for 9:30am, but he didn't arrive until 11:00am. Then we drove to the eye clinic and waited around for another hour.

We observed fifteen surgeries at a different eye clinic to last week, however the environment was less pleasant. Instead of the upbeat African music accompanying the doctor while he worked, the only thing we heard today was the shrill hum of the electric tweezers. The surgeries went at a slower pace, but I had more involvement this week. My task was to drop anesthesia into the patients' eyes, and patch them up after surgery.

I apologize for not taking pictures today, but I'll be sure to take more soon.

Have a good night!

Adam

Wednesday 14 September 2011

Rainy Day

Hi everybody,

I left the hotel at 8:00am and returned at 4:00pm only to see 17 patients. We drove to the Central Region, and although there weren't many people there, they certainly were grateful. One man couldn't get me out of the van fast enough to thank us for our services. He was practically dancing when he explained that he had eye surgery last month, which restored his ability to walk and enjoy life again.

It's difficult for people in the villages far from the city to obtain medical care, so it's important Unite For Sight travels around to see them; even if there's only 17 people in attendance.

The rain made it significantly less dusty today, and my head cold is starting to go away.

Pictured below is my hotel in all its glory:


I think we're gonna cab it to the city again for supper tonight. I'm finally getting used to this place!

Stay classy,

AD

Tuesday 13 September 2011

Tuesday's Gone

Hi everyone,

I took the day off yesterday because I wasn't feeling well. I guess the smog and dusty air finally got to me! I went on outreach today, and I was feeling a bit better. We saw 100 patients, and I shadowed the optometrist.

I escaped the developing world and went to see a movie tonight. It was a good break.

Just thought I'd write a quick note to update the blog.

Adam

Sunday 11 September 2011

Time Off

Good day,

I'm not sure if any of you ever got frightened by the meal you were eating, but it happened to me last night. I ordered some local cuisine, and the waiter became upset with me when I began eating with my knife and fork. He encouraged me to dig in with my hands, like a true African. So there I was, foraging through my stew, when all of a sudden I discovered something odd at the bottom of the bowl. I pulled it up to the top, and jumped back in my seat when I saw it was a crab. The other volunteers laughed at me, and we kept on eating.

I witnessed a world of difference this week, so it was good to kick back and relax this weekend. Seeing the living conditions in the villages took a lot out of me, and I experienced a small culture shock. I didn't think volunteering in Africa would be this challenging, nor this rewarding. What you lose in comfort and familiarity, you gain in perspective and experience.

Pictured below are me and the other volunteers: Kevin, Lian, myself, and Jacie. We were a pretty solid team this past week, but Jacie left yesterday.


I hope you all had a good weekend. I'll be sure to give more updates in the coming days.

Peace,

Adam

Friday 9 September 2011

It's Friday

Hi everybody,

When I said the villages were "run down and depressing" yesterday, I may have been over-exaggerating. My reaction to the refugee camp on Tuesday wasn't the greatest. The village we visited today was quite nice. It took two hours to drive there from the hotel, and it was the bumpiest road I drove on in my life!!

We screened 140 people today, and were served rice before we left.

Tonight, the other volunteers and I are taking it easy. This week was quite busy, and it's time to relax!

If you have me on facebook, I'm going to try and upload photos tomorrow.

Peace,

Adam

Thursday 8 September 2011

Starting to Make Sense

Good evening,

I had a What am I doing here? moment yesterday. The tasks I do on outreach are simple, the villages are run down and depressing, and it's difficult adapting to the "developing" environment. My mindset all changed today when I saw the following patient:


He was an eighteen-month-old child with congenital cataracts in both eyes. If it were not for the surgery he received from Unite For Sight, he would have eventually went blind.

I observed a total of forty eye surgeries today. Dr Clarke, the ophthalmologist, was kind, efficient, and open to answering all my questions about the surgeries. It's not every day you can sit alongside a medical professional and watch them work their magic!

Most of the people who came through the operating room today were elderly people with cataracts.

I definitely wasn't wondering What am I doing here? today, because I was too busy watching people have their vision restored. The money you donated and the 50/50 tickets you bought helped make that happen!

Adam

Wednesday 7 September 2011

Twelve Hours on the Run

Good evening,

I woke up this morning and had my regular cold shower, and ate a protein bar for breakfast. Jacie and I met the outreach team outside the hotel at 8:30am. We drove two and a half bumpy hours to a village called Krobo-Odumase. An odd thing struck me about Krobo-Odumase; the strangely high amount of coffin shops in the village. We later learned it was due to the higher prevalence of AIDS in the area.

Today was the largest turn-out of people I had witnessed yet. The team assessed more than 150 people, who each waited patiently for their turn to see the optometrist. My task was to enter the patients' information into the computer. We were there for seven hours. I was growing quite hungry until we were served rice and chicken for supper.


Tomorrow's going to be another busy day, so I'm going to sign off.

Peace out,

Adam

Tuesday 6 September 2011

Life in a Refugee Camp

Good day,

Today was slightly depressing. The team went on outreach to a Liberian refugee camp. The living conditions were poor, and there were many people there. I couldn't begin to imagine what life in a refugee camp would be like every day.

The people met outside a church, and we assessed them one by one. My task again was to take visual acuity. There were chickens pecking around the area where we were working.

The houses in the refugee camp were small and run down. I saw many young mothers with babies, and there were children running around playing.

Again, the only familiar part of the new scenery is the red soil! It's surprising how much it reminds me of home.

The picture below is of a young girl standing beside the visual acuity chart:

Last night, the other volunteers and I went for a nice meal at a Chinese restaurant in town. The meal was huge, delicious, and inexpensive! We're going somewhere again for supper tonight.

Have a good day.

Adam

Monday 5 September 2011

Outreach in Teshie

Good day from Accra,

The weather is awesome here; breezy and 30 degrees!

Today, the team and I went on outreach to Teshie. Teshie is within the Greater Accra area and it only took a half hour to drive there. The people were waiting for us in a church. It was a busy day today, and we saw upwards of 150 people.

The following photo is of Ennis (the optometrist), and a local woman giving an eye health talk to the people in two local languages:


My task today was to perform visual acuity tests and enter information in the computer. I was given lunch by one of the people there, and it was friggin delicious; jollof rice and fried chicken. It couldn't have came at a better time, because I was getting hungry.

Of the 150 people we screened today, seven were referred to the ophthalmologist for further assessment.  Many others were given eye drops and reading spectacles. It's amazing seeing the amount of people come through for assessments! The optometrist and his helpers are able to get by with minimal supplies.

Tonight, the other volunteers and I are going for supper in the city.

I'll write another update soon.

Cheers,

Adam

Travelling to Cape Coast

Hi everyone,

I'm beginning to get accustomed to my new environment. The first couple of days were difficult because I wasn't used to seeing poverty. Although I had an idea of what to expect before I came, it was still shocking to see it in real life.

I had a very exciting day yesterday! The three other volunteers and I took a van to Cape Coast. The drive was a bit over two hours, and we got to see the country side. Cape Coast is the former capital of Ghana, and it used to be a big slave trading port. We visited the castle where the slaves used to be held before they were shipped off to the Americas. The castle included a small museum which documented the slave trade. As a history nut, I found Cape Coast to be very interesting!

The following photo is of the view from the castle:


We left Cape Coast and drove to Kakum National Park. We went for a canopy walk 30 metres above the trees. It was kind of freaky because one of the walkways actually broke last week. We had a meal at the park and drove back to the hotel in Accra.

All together, the full day only cost roughly $45!

It was good to kick back for the weekend, because we are going to be busy with outreaches in the coming week!

Adam

Saturday 3 September 2011

Village Outreach and City Exploring

Greetings from Achimota,

My first day in Ghana consisted of travelling to a village in the Northern region and assisting the team with an outreach. There were fifty elderly adults waiting in a classroom when we arrived. Ennis, the outreach optometrist, gave a speech in the local language about eye health. After the talk, the people lined up outside and I performed visual acuity tests. Most of the people I tested didn't speak English, and we relied on hand signals to communicate. That was a bit difficult at first, but it became easier with time. Of the seventy people who were screened, five were blind or partially blind. It was sad to see, but they were offered future eye surgeries. Spectacles were dispensed to the people who required them. The village was busy with life, and there were many children running around playing ball. I'll be sure to take some pictures at the next outreach.

Today was a day off, and the three other volunteers and I went exploring in the city.

We took a taxi down to the beach and had lunch there. The beach was warm and relaxing, although it was littered with trash.

Accra is a huge sprawling city with many people. The streets are lined with dwellings and shops. It's like no place I've seen before. The only familiar aspect is the red soil!

I'll have more stories to share next week.

Cheers,

Adam

Thursday 1 September 2011

Akwaabe to Ghana!

Hello everyone,

In the past twenty four hours, I crossed both the Atlantic Ocean and the Saharan Desert, and I'm finally here!! The flights couldn't have went better. I begin volunteering in the morning, so I best get to bed. Hopefully I'll have some good stories to share tomorrow night.

-Adam