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

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

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

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

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

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