Ghana, Africa

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Was it a dream???

It was a long journey, but I made it safely back to my parents' house in Roscoe, IL. I will be staying with them until I start my work in a month. I think it's going to be a long month. I postponed my start date to travel to Florida and S. Korea. The days in between those trips are going to be slow. While I haven't worked since mid novemeber, it's not like I just sat around all day in Ghana.

I am definitely going through a little reverse culture shock. I feel sort of numb. I need to be planning my next steps, but I enjoyed living in the moment in Ghana. I'm afraid if I start thinking about the future too much then I will be back to where I was emotionally before I left Ghana.

It's a little weird to be back in farmland USA with all white people. I keep looking around wondering where my Africans are. When I left the airport, I was amazed at the cleanlinest in the US. I didn't see any liter. The road was very smooth back home. I didn't have a sore bottom after an hour and half like in Ghana because of all the pot holes. I went to Walmart and was a little overwhelmed. I forgot to buy the one thing I needed. I left with a lot of stuff that I didn't really need. It sort of upset me when I got home because I realize how easily I will just go back to my American ways of instant gratification and wastefulness.

I feel a little guilty because I was able to escape poverty. I'm back to running water and good infrastructure. I feel so far removed from my time in Ghana now. I feel like it was a dream. Did I really live that way for a period of time? I keep looking at the different websites of the organizations I met, and realize how I can't ever let myself forget my time in Ghana. In my opinion after being in a 3rd world nation, most of their problems probably come from colonialism or westernization. Thus, I feel as a westerner, I owe it to Ghana and other nations to continue trying to help in a sustainable way. We need to train Ghanaians and Africans to take care of themselves. I think that is the only way we will end poverty.

I'm also really struggling with race relations. I keep reading the news about Trayvon Martin. It's hard for me to understand how we can continue to judge people on their skin color in this day and age. Their are so many amazing figures of African descendent that should prove that a black person is just as capable as a white person.

Also, I really appreciate experiencing Cape Coast Castle with Tiffanie. I got to understand the experience for a African American too. We can say racism doesn't exist in America and that's bull. It's not an outright public display, but it's little things like Tiffanie's patients being surprised that she is their therapist and not the cleaning person. Or Tiffanie being told to go back to Africa. I laugh at the next person that tries to tell her that. And then finally, the shooting of Trayvon Martin where the man that shot him is not charged of a crime yet because of a claim of self defense. I'm sure if the roles were reverse, someone would have been arrested.

I have friends of many nationalities and it is wonderful!! I learn so much about different cultures and religions. I don't understand why more Americans cannot take the time to open up and understand differences are a good thing. Without differneces, I think we humans would lose our creativity and innovation.

I'm so blessed for my time in Ghana. I got to experience life in a different way. I learned how to live in the moment. I learned to enjoy the little things in life, like stopping on the street to talk to people or sitting around the stove watching the women pound fufu. I think I provided Celestine and the other therapists I met with new skills for treating patients. I helped many of the patients I helped treat.

My mood is a little blah right now as I try to grasp the emotions I am experiencing. I am in the process of organizing photos. Once that is done I will post a link so you can all view them. I want to thank everyone for sharing this journey with me. I hope you learned something too! Please continue to check my blog over the next couple weeks so you can read more about my adjustment back into the US. Also, I will be providing more information on Therapists Without Borders and the other organizations so you can help me help them continue their wonderful missions!!!

Love, Kari

I guess I can put up one more post from Ghana!!!

I'm at the airport! We got here super early since Isaac was so worried about the traffic in Accra. I have never been at the airport 6 hours early for my flight! We killed 2 hours eating lunch and then I was finally able to check my bags. I'm so happy they were under weight!!! I thought I would only come back to the US with one bag, but I bought my mom a ton of fabric so I have 2 huge bags still. Oh well! My connection is in Brussels since it was too expensive to fly out of Atlanta or DC at Christmas time. I'm not complaining now though since they put me in the business lounge with free food, drinks, and wifi internet!!! Not a bad way to end my trip!

It hasn't really hit me yet that I'm leaving Ghana. I feel like I'm just travelling away from Kpando for a few days. Kpando started to feel like my home. I think because the people are so friendly here it is so easy to stay for much longer than 3 months. Well, I could stay longer if I had American food available at all times. I really think that is the thing that would keep me from coming back from Ghana for a long period of time.

I can't believe this morning was my last bucket shower. As annoying as they were, my routine here has been so low maintenance that to have to actually take time to get ready will make my mornings interesting again.

I think the little things when I get back are going to be the weirdest for me. I got so use to seeing poverty that I think it will be hard to see all of the excess we have in the US. One of my favorite things to watch in the villages was the little kids playing. They would play with a stick or an old tire and be entertained for hours. Wise and his friend created a soccer game out of bottle caps and a tiny little ball. It was sort of like bottle cap Foosball. When Wise is exposed to technology he loves it just like any American kid, but he isn't at a point yet where it's completely stifled his imagination or want to play outside. As much as I want Ghana to become a healthier country, I don't want it to lose its laid back nature. I'm afraid they are embracing the worst of American/European culture.

Tiffanie has started a blog too, so if you are curious about life in Kpando once I'm gone please read her blog. I think her perspective will be a little different than mine, so you can see Ghana through the eyes of another American.

TiffanieJordan.blogspot.com

I can't believe I said goodbye to Isaac, Grace, Wise, and Milli for good. I am going to try really hard to keep in touch and to come back to Ghana; however, I can't predict the future. Isaac seemed quiet today and he usually isn't. I guess they really like me. As a volunteer I sometimes forget the attachment the families may make with me since I know my life will change at the end of this. However, for them their life is the same, but the volunteer is no longer with them. I guess it's like how I missed the foreign exchange student a lot after she left us in 4th Grade.

I feel very discombobulated and so my blog post is also that way today! Bye Bye Ghana! Thank you for following my journey with me. Keep following the blog for at least a few more weeks!! Photos will be up soon.

Love, Kari

My Last Post From Ghana

This will most likely be my last post from Ghana. I can’t believe my 3.5-month journey has come to a close. There were nights when I could not wait for this trip to be over and then there were days where I felt like I could stay in Ghana for forever!

I think the hardest part for me in Ghana was not having American food. I didn’t dislike the food, but it was so different than anything I’ve ever had before that I just could not get use to it. Also, in the US, our diet is such a melting pot of varying ethnic cuisines, so I’m use to so much more variety. Vegetables, fruit, chicken, and eggs are more expensive here so I did not get a lot of fresh food. Everything was some type of soup or stew. The soup or stew was then poured over rice, yams, noodles, bamku, fufu, or kanke that are so carb heavy. I think I put on weight from all the carbs!

The people in Ghana are so friendly that I never felt unwelcome. Everywhere you walk in Ghana, somebody is saying welcome to you. They always meant it too when they said it to you. I missed my family, but not as much as I thought I would since Ghanaians quickly became my adopted African family!

I think I was a successful volunteer. Obviously, I had difficulties and setbacks trying to implement everything I wanted to accomplish. However, I know I touched certain people’s lives. I like to think they are better off from what I was able to offer them than before they met me. I hope I’m not being too cocky.

Yesterday, I wrote about what I’m most happy about at the hospital. I think the things I am most happy about for the entire trip was the opportunity I had to train fellow therapists with Step FaR and then the follow-up visits I had at the various hospitals.

I hope within 2 years I can come back to Ghana to help instruct more continuing education courses to the Ghanaian therapists. Also, I would like to go on a durable medical equipment outreach program with Patsy and Allan Fulton.

The thing I have taken away most from this experience is the importance of volunteer work being sustainable! Africa has gone through a lot since Europeans first settled on the continent. While slavery and colonialism is no longer present, Africa is still suffering from it. Africa still has a colonial mindset in that they expect foreigners to sort of tell them what to do or how to solve their problems. I am generalizing a lot, but I’m just trying to get my point across.

Africa needs to learn to not rely on foreign aide, and foreigners must provide aide, which allows Africans to become self-sufficient. Unfortunately, I think many organizations in the past just provided money or supplies, but did not teach the Africans how to properly maintain, use, or make more supplies. Thus, a vicious cycle was created. I think there are a lot of organizations that are recognizing this and trying to end the vicious cycle. Many foreign aide programs are now emphasizing the importance of “teaching how to fish”!

A fellow therapist commented on my blog when I first arrived in Ghana. She told me Africa would steal my heart. She was definitely right! There is a rustic beauty and charm to Ghana that I’ve never experienced anywhere else in the world. It’s hard to explain the feeling, but I think I will always be a little homesick for Ghana.

The people here want me to come back immediately. I really hope that I can, but obviously I can’t promise it will happen. The Ghanaian saying I’ve embraced is “God Willing.” Thus, all I can say is God willing I will come back to Ghana!!

Please continue to follow my blog over the next couple weeks. I will be posting photos or a link to a website where you can view my photos. Also, I will be doing a lot of reflection when I get back to the US. I want everyone to know how it feels to be back in the developed world. I have a feeling I will go through reverse culture shock for a week or so.

Love, Kari

Last Day at Marquart Hospital

Today was my last day at Marquart Hospital. There really were not a lot of patients today. It’s funny because usually Mondays were the one day of the week that it was actually busy for me. It was good though because I was able to say goodbye to the administrator and medical director. The administrator asked for suggestions on how to improve the physiotherapy department. He wrote everything down, which made me happy. Also, he said they are in the process of contacting the vice president of Ghana Association of Physiotherapy to try and get a trained therapist at Marquart! I really hope it works out. As of right now, the Volta region only has 3 trained physiotherapists. Marquart would really be establishing themselves as one of the best if they could follow through on this advice!

I am proud of my time at Marquart Hospital. I can’t say I was busy or that all of my time was spent efficiently. However, things were accomplished. Celestine is now better trained than she was 3 months ago. Obviously, I cannot train someone to be a physiotherapist in 3 months, but she does have some new knowledge to help the patients.

Now, Celestine understands the importance of transfer and gait training with the ward patients. Before I came to the hospital, she was just doing ROM and bed exercises for physiotherapy with the ward patients. Also, Celestine has seen the importance of physiotherapy with burn patients to prevent contractures. Also, the Cuban pediatrician has seen the importance of it! I think these two things are what I’m most proud of. Celestine learned more than these two things, but if she implements just these two things after I leave, she still is doing more than when I arrived in Kpando.

Ghana has such a need for well-trained medical personnel. Unfortunately, there has been such a brain drain with these professionals. Thus, Ghana becomes reliant on foreign help. Foreigners do not always understand how to set up sustainable programs and so a vicious cycle has started. I really hope I taught Celestine “how to fish” and did not just feed her for a day!

One more real day in Ghana. Bittersweet!

Love, Kari

Canopy Walk and Crocodiles

Saturday was our last day in Cape Coast. We spent our time at the Kakum National Park and Hans Cottage Botel. I’m still trying to figure out what Botel means. Kakum National Park is a forest preserve. Ghana has lost most of its forests to deforestation. This forest wasn’t considered a true rainforest since they do experience a dry season, but with the humidity it sure did feel like one. I guess the forest has elephants in it but it is extremely rare to see them. Also, many monkeys lived in the forest at one time, but most are now extinct or very endangered.

The main attraction to this forest is the canopy walk. We hiked about 30 minutes to reach the rope canopies. Then you walk through the treetop on 7 different rope paths. It was really neat. I’m not afraid of heights so even though the ropes swing you around at times it didn’t really bug me. They said 2 elephants could walk across it so I didn’t really have concerns about it breaking. Tiffanie and I had a great time laughing because Isaac and Steven were so funny when walking the canopy.

After the canopy we went to see crocodiles. I guess this place was once a farm, but the crocodiles were eating all of the chickens, so the owner decided to change it into a tourist attraction. He has managed to tame some of the crocodiles, as much as crocodiles can be tamed. They give the crocodile a piece of chicken and then the guide walks you up to the crocodile. You can then pet it. It’s mouth moved a little, but besides that it didn’t even flinch. It was scary, but since it was so still you forgot it was alive. I think Steve Irwin would have been proud of me! J

We had lunch at the crocodile place. It was pretty neat to sit around the pond and watch the crocodiles swim. They would get pretty close to the eating area. There was a wall so they couldn’t come up to you. I think it smelled my hamburger and French fries.

He wanted a bite too! I am not doing a very good job eating Ghanaian food right now! Unfortunately, most of the American food still has a Ghanaian flare to it so it doesn’t completely satisfy me. I keep fantasizing about opening the refrigerator at home and getting out a piece of cheese and eating a lot of salad! I know I only have a few more days, but I want it now!!! I think I did a decent job here trying to eat the local food considering how picky of an eater I can be, so I’m done trying. Haha!

After lunch Isaac decided he didn’t want to stay another night in Cape Coast. So we took a tro tro to Accra. That took 3 hours. Then we had to wait an hour and a half to load up the tro tro from Accra to Kpando. That tro tro was another 4 hours. We left at 3:45 pm and got home around 12:30 pm. We were exhausted. We didn’t even eat or bathe. We just collapsed into bed. I am so happy that my next tro tro ride will be my last! I’m trying to experience Ghana like they do, but I can’t say I will do this again on my next trip here! I think I will splurge on better transportation next time!

3 more days. My emotions are so mixed at this point.

Love, Kari

Cape Coast Castle

Today I went sightseeing and shopping! I sound like an American again.

Isaac, Tiffanie, and myself went on a tour of Cape Coast Castle. It was really neat, but it was also a very emotional tour. For those of you who do not know, Cape Coast was where the slaves were held before they were transported to Europe and the Americas. The castle was originally a fort settled by the Swedish, then it switched hands to the Danish, and then the British. The British used it until the slave trade was abolished in I think 1838. The power is out right now so I can't look up the exact year in the guide book I bought.

The tour consisted of walking through the castle with a guide who explained each area to us. The castle on top was a fort which housed the British Governor and soldiers. The dungeon part of the castle housed the slaves. The male area had 5 ~20x20 ft rooms which housed 200 men each. The woman's area had 2 or 3 rooms which housed 150 women each. The slaves were kept in the rooms for 3 months until the ships came to transport them. Obviously, the conditions were horrible so many people died. More died during the 3 months than survived. The slaves did not leave the room once they entered it. Each room had 3 teeny tiny holes for light. There was a tiny drainage ditch running along the floor which was suppose to catch their urine and feces. It was not adequate so by the end of the 3 months they were living in 3 feet of human waste.

When the ships came, the slaves walked through a tunnel in the dungeon through the door called, "the door of no return." Once slaves entered through here they never returned. They have labelled the other side of the door now called the door of return as a reminder that slavery should never happen again. I was really glad to go on the tour with Tiffanie. She got to return through the door for her ancestors!

On the tour they always talked about how when Obama visited the castle, he started to cry. I understand why. I would compare the experience to visiting a concentration camp in Europe. It is not an easy tour, but it is something that should never be forgotten. I very much appreciated one of the plaques on the wall from the Ghanaian Chiefs. It said, "In everlasting memory of the anguish of our ancestor. May those who died rest in peace. May those who return find their roots. May humanity never again perpetuate such injustice against humanity. We the living vow to uphold this." It was the Chiefs way of acknowledging the Africans' role in slavery. The African chiefs sold the slaves to the Europeans.

While slavery is not legal in any country, it is still a worldwide problem. It is something we all need to be aware of and try and prevent from happening. We are all humans. We all originated from Africa as far as we know at this time. Thus, lets quit playing the blame game and just try and help each other. I know it isn't that simple, but the pay it forward method is very effective!!

Tiffanie and I discussed the day in great detail. As much as we like to think that race is no longer an issue in the US, it still is. Tiffanie experiences it often in Texas. People judge her by her skin instead of her character. She tries to not let it get to her and instead treats people like she would want to be treated. She says this usually works, but it isn't fair! Also, the Ghanaians here have a hard time figuring out who she is here. While we are both foreigners trying to help, she has noticed how they approach me first since I am white. Again, it's so illogical. Just because I am white does not mean I have something better to offer Africa than her. We both have similar skills to offer the people.

I hope as we become more of a global world we will end these bigoted ways. I strongly believe racism is taught. Thus, I try to perceive the world as though I'm color blind! Although I am a shy and reserved person, I love experiences new cultures and people. I do not think someones race or ethnicity should keep me from interacting with them.

Okay enough preaching!

Love, Kari

Road Trip

Everything takes longer in Ghana, but....I finally made it to Cape Coast!!!

We woke up around 3:20 am to catch the 4:30 am bus to Accra. The traffic sucked in Accra so we didn't make it there until 9:45 am. From there we took a tro tro to the Cape Coast station. Then we had to wait an hour and a half for the tro tro to fill with people to head to Cape Coast. We finally made it to Cape Coast around 2:45 am.

We met up with Isaac's nephew who is a radiologist at the Cape Coast Regional Hospital. He drove us around. We first had dinner and then we stopped at various spots along the ocean. Each spot was so different from the next. The first place we stopped at was an African Beach Resort. I guess it's owned by an African American who married a Ghanaian. He had a lot of memorabilia up on the wall about African history, RASTA, etc.

Next, we went driving along the coast. We saw one of the old castle areas called El Mina. The Portuguese named this area. It's where the harbor is for the fishing boats if you could call them that. The looked like really large canoes. The waves are so huge here. I wonder how they don't capsize. The harbor was a little overwhelming. I know I've been here for over 3 months, but I don't think you can ever get use to seeing poverty at that level. These people are so hard working too. The men fish all day or all night and then the women are sitting around in the harbor preparing the fish and selling it. If this was the coast in the US it would be filled with million dollar homes. Instead, Ghana's most historic coastline is filled with shanty towns.

Our drinking spot was the Coconut Grove Beach Resort. This is a really upscale resort with a 18 hole golf course. We only drove 5 minutes down the road from the harbor to reach this place. It's so unbelievable how different the two are. Such a stark contrast!! There were so many foreigners hanging around and drinking. I felt a little confused and out of my element. I was wondering where all the Africans went. I think I'm going to be in such culture shock when I leave Ghana on Wednesday. I've gotten so use to being the minority that it will be weird to be in the majority again.

Tiffanie and I were cracking up at Steven, Isaac's nephew. For some reason here, all the Ghanaians think Tiffanie's name is Stephanie. So he was calling her Stephanie and then with me he thought my name was Claire. So I guess we are Stephanie and Claire from now on. Haha! I've decided that I would love to see Isaac in the US for a few weeks. It would be so funny seeing how he would react to everything. I think it would be a lot like the Eddie Murphy movie where he is an African Prince coming to the US. I know Isaac thinks I'm a silly American all of the time. :)

After the drinking spots, Tiffanie and I were exhausted so Isaac and his nephew took us to our hotel. It's a very clean basic room with hot running water and air conditioning! Yippie for running water! It's the first time since I left Patsy and Allan's! I wanted to write so much more, but I can't remember anything after this long day. I am so tired and exhausted after all that crazy driving! I can't believe how little it freaks me out now than 3 months ago. I will be ready for American roads and cars!!!

Love, Kari

Getting My Hair Did

Tiffanie is awesome, again!!!

She made an awesome splint for Richard today. I’m excited because I think he is going to make an almost full recovery. I think when he saw Michael go home the other day he really was trying to get his leg straight. Today, he was only lacking about 15 degrees from full extension! That’s the best it’s been in the past 2 weeks. Tiffanie and I just hope that his parents continue to take him to the clinic for dressing changes. Also, at that time Tiffanie will be able to modify his splint if needed.

I took a photo with Richard. I was smiling and he was glaring in it. Haha! His mother was so excited for a photo, but it cracks me up how they never smile in photos. It reminds me of old black and white photos from 100 years ago when they wouldn't smile. I always tell them to smile, but they never will show a toothy grin. I'm the silly American, I know!

A grandmother brought her little granddaughter to the physio room, today. The little girl who is 8 years old has epilepsy. Unfortunately, it has caused her to become severely disable both physically and mentally. The grandmother is no spring chicken, but manages to still carry her on her back to town and any doctor appointments. The grandmother is getting burnt out. Her daughter is ill herself and cannot care for the two children. What I’m going to try and do is get the grandmother in contact with some of the people I’ve met in Ghana to see if we can get her a wheelchair. Also, since Isaac is converting classrooms into dorm rooms, the little girl should qualify for his school.

The grandmother has to work during the day to feed her daughter and 2 grandchildren. The little girl is left in bed alone all day. The little girl is only going to be left alone more as she ages since she will become too big to carry. From a therapy standpoint, the girl really needs adaptive equipment. She maybe can make some functional gains if she had very involved therapy over the next 2 years, but that is just not realistic in Ghana. Anything we can do to decrease the burden on the grandmother will decrease the likelihood of future neglect and abuse.  

After work I went to get my hair pleated (braided). I’m an official African. Haha! My head is a little sore since I’m not use to having it braided, but it will be good hair to have at the beach tomorrow. I had them tie the hair with rubbers (rubber bands) in the color of Ghana’s flag! J

Before dinner we stopped to talk with the directors of Hardt Haven and United. They are 2 NGOs in Ghana trying to create sustainable programs. While I didn’t learn about them soon enough to really work with them, they will be a wonderful resource for future volunteers through Therapists without Borders! Also, I hope I can work with them on my future trips to Ghana to create more community based education programs on correct body mechanics, stroke treatment and prevention, exercise, etc.

We were watching the news tonight. President Mills (Ghana's president) was visiting the US. They showed his meet and greet with President Obama. It was so funny to me. Obama looks like a white man now. I guess he is just as white as he is black. It makes me understand how the Africans can't understand exactly what nationality Tiffanie is and sometimes call her white. Obama also looks old. When you can't see him on TV everyday, you really start to notice the difference. 

Tomorrow we leave at 4 am to go to Cape Coast! I finally get to do real touristy stuff in Ghana! I can’t believe I just have one week left!

Love, Kari

Goodbyes are tough!

Tiffanie is awesome! The End!

Haha! Today was a long hot day, but I think it was successful. Tiffanie did all the work, but I was happy to show her the correct way to go. We left around 9 am to visit one of my favorite Ghana PTs, Lewis. Tiffanie had her first experience on an old trotro. She realized how luxurious the one we took from Accra to Kpando was.

Tiffanie brought two huge suitcases with her to Ghana filled with OT donations. We spent about an hour sorting through the stuff to figure out what to bring Lewis. Lewis was so thrilled with all of the stuff. He especially was excited to use the splint material. There were two patients who needed splints.

The first patient was a 4 month old little girl. She suffered a brachial plexus injury at birth and has erb palsy, partial paralysis of the right arm. It is important to splint the arm initially to avoid contractures, along with good therapy. Lewis had been splinting with cardboard. Tiffanie brought him thermoplastic splinting material. It is neat stuff. The plastic is soaked in 130 degree water and it becomes malleable to shape it into a splint.

The next patient we saw was a 2 year old burn patient. She fell in hot oil when her mother was cooking. She suffered burns to her armpit area. It was important to create a splint to keep her arm from scarring to her armpit as she heals. This little girl was not a happy camper. She started to cry as soon as we looked at her. Poor little thing. Therapy is so painful when you have burns, but it is so so important if you want to have functional use of your arms and legs again!

After we left the hospital we stopped by Millie’s school in Ho. I wanted to say goodbye to her since I leave Ghana soon. She was so sad and started crying. I feel terrible. Her friend said I shouldn’t have come because I upset her. I thought it would be worse though to not say goodbye. I guess it’s hard for Millie. She has had volunteers stay in her house since she was a little kid. She gets close with them for a few months and then they leave. Often times she never sees them again. I tried my hardest not to make any false promises with her or the other people I’ve become friends with. I will try and call every few months on skype. I will try and volunteer again in Ghana. However, there is no guarantee to either. I know when I went to Germany in high school I kept in close email contact with many of those people for almost 10 years. I hope as Ghana becomes more connected to the internet, Millie and I will also be able to do that.

One more week. L Goodbyes are not easy. I’m trying to say see you later!! God willing (they say that all the time here), I will be back in Ghana!

Love, Kari

Burn Buddies

Michael gets to go home tomorrow! His burns are healing really well. Also, he has regained full ROM. He is still a little weak, but I know his strength will return completely once he’s running around like the little boys do in Africa! He was so proud of himself when he was doing the exercises.

Unfortunately, Richard is just not ready to go home yet. His burns are healing well, but they were more severe than Michaels. Also, the doctor is afraid that the family will not come for outpatient care if she lets him go home. Tiffanie went to the special inclusive school today so Richard’s splint will be made on Wednesday. Hopefully, the splint will help with knee extension. I think he has too much scar tissue now to effectively range his knee. Michael was such a cutie when i was working with Richard. He was giving him words of encouragement and trying to help me straighten his leg. It didn't help calm Richard down at all, but it was so cute to see the friendship that has started between the two boys. The boys are in the same room with about 10 other patients, so family and friends get to know each other very fast!

I had to say goodbye to many of the patients today. We are travelling later this week so I can do some sightseeing on Cape Coast. I may not be able to see them next week before I head back to the US. It is making the end of this trip seem so real. I’m ready to go home, but I’m sad to leave all of my new friends in Ghana. This country has been so warm and inviting. I think the US is going to be a little strange for a couple weeks. Also, I know my attitude to many things in the US will be changed. This trip has changed me. I don’t think I will take the little things for granted anymore (hot shower, flushing a toilet, electricity 24/7, etc. to name a few)

Tomorrow, I will go visit Lewis one more time in Ho. I’m excited to introduce him to Tiffanie. Also, when we are in Ho, I will have to say goodbye to Millie, my African sister. I enjoyed getting to know her so much. I will try to keep in touch with her, but a phone call to Ghana is not cheap. Millie isn’t quite in touch with technology yet so she won’t be able to read my emails regularly either. Boo!

I knew the end would come sooner than I was expecting. I wish Ghana was just a couple hours from the US. I’m taking donations for future trips. Haha!

Love, Kari

Lazy Sunday

Tiffanie was having a hard time sleeping in our hot, stuffy room so she bought a fan yesterday! I slept so well with it. I usually don’t like air blowing on me when I sleep, but in Ghana when it’s hot, it’s heaven!! The weather has changed so much in the past couple weeks so I'm thankful for Tiffanie's donation to Isaac's volunteer room. J

I can’t sleep in here. Part of the reason is I’m always in bed by 11 pm at the absolute latest. I woke up wide awake at 6:45 am. I read in bed for a while. Then, I had some breakfast. Next, Patience, Grace’s niece, helped me do my wash. I hope it was my last time washing clothes in Africa. It is hard work. African women are strong ladies!

Once Tiffanie woke up, we took our time getting ready and then walked to the market. Today was a market day. I wanted Tiffanie to experience it on a market day. It’s quite the experience. A lot of people were still at church so it wasn’t as crowded as usual. I have been buying a lot of fabric. It’s so beautiful, and it’s cheap by US standards.

It’s been interesting for Tiffanie, as we’ve been walking through town. Tiffanie is an African American. The Ghanaians stare at her because they know she isn’t white, but they also don’t think she is African. Many people have been asking her if she is a black American. Celestine called her a yevoh, the name for a white person. I think it’s the first time she’s ever experienced that. I told Tiffanie that she is going to have to lie in the sun with me at Cape Coast to get a tan so the Ghanaians aren’t so confused by her. J

It just makes me realize how stupid racial divides are. Yes, there are genetic differences between us humans based upon who our ancestors are; however, race plays no role in our intellect!! It’s the differences in our culture that creates conflict. I think if we spend time as a minority, it takes away your egocentric point of view. There are some great things about American culture, but there are a lot of bad things. The same can be said about Ghana’s culture. My hope as our world becomes more Global, we try and adopt the best of every culture and discard the bad. Obviously, that is very idealistic, but I will dream!

Love, Kari

Mona Monkeys

I did some sightseeing today! Tiffanie, the OT volunteer, Linda, the volunteer at Isaac’s school, and myself went to the Monkey Sanctuary about 30 minutes from Kpando. When I hear sanctuary, I had been picturing a enclosed netted area in the trees.  The monkey sanctuary is actually a protective forest area. There are about 400 Mona monkeys which live in this forest. This is there natural habitat. They became endangered over the last century so the people of this area and various NGOs made this a protected area. It is an ecotourist spot. Some of the monkeys have become very use to humans and so we were able to feed them bananas. It was so neat to have them climbing all over me. I was scared to death at the same time!

We were walking in the bush for awhile. Then we started to hear the monkeys talking. All of a sudden we could see them swinging in the trees making their way towards us. The papa monkey came to the guide first. The guide had to give him a whole banana. Once he ate his banana then the other monkeys were allowed to come and take bananas from us. Linda was the first to hold the banana and all of a sudden the monkeys jumped on her! Tiffanie and I were so scared. I finally became brave and held a banana. One jumped on my shoulder and then all of a sudden I had two on me. We got some pretty cool photos! It’s so crazy to think a completely wild animal was sitting on me. They are cute, but I still don’t trust the little guys. I enjoyed the experience, but I have no desire to have one as a pet. I will stick with my little Sadie instead!

I didn’t realize I haven’t posted since Thursday. The storms have made it hard to get to the internet café in the afternoon. And then last night, my modem ran out of credits. It was too late to go down the street to buy more credits to put on it. All phones and wireless modems are prepaid here. You purchase a little card with a scratch off number on it. I win every time haha!

I had two good days at the hospital. The second little boy with burns, Michael is his name, is doing excellent! He has been practicing the exercises when I’m not there. As long as he keeps it up, he should not have any ROM deficits once the burns heal. Tiffanie had a chance to meet Richard. She has a lot of experience making splints. She thinks she may be able to make Richard a splint to help him keep his leg straighter! Yippie for her help!!!

I’m trying to show Tiffanie around the town. I think she is doing so much better her first couple of days then I did. It really can be quite overwhelming for a first time volunteer! She said I’m an African now because very little gets to me anymore. Haha! I guess I’ve come a long ways in the past 3 months!!!

Love, Kari

3 Months!

I can't believe I've been in Africa for 3 months! I only have 2 weeks left. I am homesick, but I have very mixed emotions. I hope I can continue to do volunteer trips. I feel like I've just started. However, it is not easy nor cheap to come to Africa to volunteer so I have no idea when I will be back again. I think I can say with 90% certainty that I will be back again!!

I had to wake up at 3 am this morning. Isaac wanted to run some errands in Accra before we picked up Tiffanie, the Occupational Therapist volunteer. We lucked out and got to take the bus instead of the tro tro to Accra. I had enough room that only my bottom hurt from sitting to long. Haha!

I'm excited to have a therapy partner in crime! I can already tell Tiffanie and I are going to be great friends. She is very tired, but I hope I was able to explain some of the things so she doesn't get so overwhelmed by the culture shock. It really requires a very open mind. She definitely has it, but it still takes a few days.

We got to ride in a brand new tro tro on the way back to Kpando! It even had air conditioning. I froze my butt off since I'm not use to it after going 3 months without it. It felt good, but I also disliked it at the same time.

Tonight is a quick post since I'm exhausted from waking up early!

Love, Kari

Happy 55 years Ghana!

Today is Ghana’s independence day. Ghana’s history is obviously much longer than 55 years, but today is the day that they marked their independence from British rule. I have to say it felt much like our 4^th of July. The weather during the parade definitely felt like 4^th of July! The parade was much much longer than our parades. Also, there was no candy. The military schools marched around the stadium grounds and then the schools of Kpando marched around the grounds. Everything takes longer to get started here so I think it was around 4 hours total.

Isaac has a volunteer at his school right now named Linda. She is from the US. She has been helping with the construction of the dormitory. She is staying with the people who run Hardt Haven, one of the children’s home in Kpando. I was wrong to call it an Orphanage. Hardt Haven is very unique in that it is a home for children affected by HIV/AIDs. The children either have the virus themselves or have parents with the virus who cannot take care of them, or their parents died from AIDs.

AIDs is still very stigmatized in Ghana. If you have it people treat you like a 2^nd class citizen out of fear that they will get the virus themselves if they come in contact with you. AIDs is a very scary disease; however, it is not easy to contract the virus. It is transmitted through blood or sexual encounters. You cannot get AIDs from someone by sharing food, sitting on the same toilet as them, holding hands with them, etc. This is not common knowledge for Ghanaians; thus, they fear anyone that has AIDs. Many hospital workers refuse to treat people who have AIDs.

The cofounder of Hardt Haven is named Edom (I hope I spelled it right). He is a Ghanaian, but amazingly through his education has not developed the typical Ghanaian attitude towards the disease. The people of Kpando do not know Hardt Haven takes in children with AIDs. Edom doesn’t withhold the information from them. It is available on the website; however, he doesn’t voice it either. The children intermingle with other children in the community. Edom eventually plans to better inform the people of Kpando and Ghana of his organization to show them that AIDs is not transmitted through casual everyday contact.

Anyways, I spent the afternoon at the home with Linda. We played with the children and I learned more about how the organization runs. I wish I could have learned about this organization earlier. It’s such a good thing.  If anyone wishes to help sponsor a child let me know. I will direct you towards their website. They need 3 more children to be sponsored so they can have food and medical care for the year.

There are other orphanages and children’s homes in Kpando, but this one really tugged at my heartstrings. It is helping change the attitude towards AIDs in Ghana along with helping children receive medical care, food, shelter, love, and an education!

It was so nice to spend time with Americans. I know I wish I could have spent more time with them the past month since I’ve been sort of lonely. At the same time, I think it was good that I didn’t meet them until now. I know I would have latched onto the American volunteers for the friendship/company instead of experiencing the Ghanaian home culture. I’ve become so close with my Ghanaian family. I think it is one of the experiences many volunteers do not really get to have since they all live together in a volunteer house connected to their particular project. Everyone needs to experience their trip in the way that works best for their personality. As much as I complained the other day, I know how good it was for me to be alone and spend time getting to know my African family.

Happy 4^th of July! Kidding! Happy March 6^th! I wish Ghana many many more years of peace and prosperity!

Love, Kari

I'm much better today!

So this week I was a feeling homesick. I think I’ve had too much time on my hands recently. It’s probably my own fault for not seeking out more activities in Kpando once I’m finished at the hospital. I can be so reserved so I think last week I fell into my old ways where I just want to be a homebody. However, there isn’t HGTV or high speed internet to entertain me so I got a little blue.

Today, I am much better. The hospital was still slow, but I enjoyed all the patients I worked with today. I saw 2 interesting ward patients who suffered strokes. The lady will make a good recovery. The man, I was not aggressive in my treatment because his condition still seemed to be deteriorating. I don’t have access to good monitoring equipment so I don’t want to do anything that good increase heart rate and BP since I do not think he has stabilized yet.

The boys with the burns were both better today. The boy who came in last week has been working hard at straightening his leg over the weekend so he was almost able to get it all the way straight. Next time I see him I will start some gait training. He’s such a brave little guy. Richard, the other little boy who I’ve been seeing for a month or so is walking on his right leg. It’s not straight, but he’s learning how to get around well. He cannot get his heel on the ground since his knee is so stiff. If he does not fully recover, he still could get around pretty well if he had a built up shoe sort of shaped like a high heel shoe. I’m going to keep working with him, but that will be my suggestion before I leave in 2 weeks if he doesn’t start to get it any straighter. He’s still a lucky boy overall. It’s just hard to see him suffer.

I spent my afternoon with a new American volunteer. Her name is Linda. She is working at Isaac’s school and one of the Aids Orphanages here. She has helped fund the project to convert classrooms to dormitories at Isaac’s school. She is going to introduce me to the staff at this orphanage tomorrow. It’s different than the one I’ve visited a couple of other times. It’s closer to Isaac’s house so it will be easier to go to. It gets so hot here in the afternoons that I wasn’t very motivated to walk all the way to the other orphanage especially since the 2 times I went there on my own, Mama wasn’t home to show me around. I know 15 minutes walk isn’t long, but everyone comes up with excuses right. I’m only human.

Tomorrow is Ghana’s independence day. It should be fun. It sounds like it will be very similar to 4^th of July!

Love, Kari

Homesick

I am very ready to be home. I am starting to get very homesick. I miss American food so much. I can’t wait to be with my friends and family again. I miss my puppy, Sadie. Maybe, I missed my parent's monster (I mean dog), Dala, too a little. 

I’m trying to learn and grow from this experience so I’m realizing how lucky I am that I do get to go home in 3 weeks. I realize how hard it must be for immigrants. I understand now why they often only hangout in their own groups or neighborhoods. It isn’t easy to want to assimilate.

On this trip, I really haven’t interacted with other Americans or volunteers very much. There are other volunteers in Kpando, but I only really saw them in passing. It seemed weird and sort of wrong of me to want to seek them out. What, just because they are white I should try and friend them? That just seems illogical. It shouldn't be about friending foreigners. It should be about me making friends with Ghanaians. It's just hard because sometimes I don't feel like I relate to them.

I’ve enjoyed my talks with the other volunteers at the hospital, but I think it’s been good for my experience to have the host family stay. When I’ve been homesick, like now, I’ve been a little jealous of some of the volunteers who have a fast new-formed group of friends with fellow volunteers. However, I’ve gained a whole new family. I’ve experienced another culture completely. So, I guess it’s a little lonely at times because I don’t always understand the culture, but it’s given me such a great perspective on life.

It will be good on Wednesday when another volunteer comes to stay with Isaac. Her name is Tiffanie. She is an Occupational Therapist. I’m excited to have American company in Kpando, since I need it now so I don’t become a complete hermit the next 2.5 weeks. Haha! Also, I just want to talk therapy about all the patients in Kpando with someone who understands what I’m saying completely! Hopefully, I can introduce her to some of the people I met so we can continue the progress we therapist have made in Ghana!

I have been meaning to write down the name you are given for the day of the week you were born. They asked me what day of the week I was born as soon as I got to Ghana. I had to text my dad because I had no clue. They thought it was so funny that I didn’t know. Anyways, I was born on Saturday, so I am Ama. In Ebe, they spell most of the boys name with a “K”, but I’ve seen them spelled in other areas of Ghana with “Qu” if that gives you any idea how to pronounce them. Have fun finding out your Ghanaian nickname! A lot of people go by this name more than their given name!

Names for the days of the week in Ghana (Ebe spelling)

	Boy	Girl
Sunday	Kwasi	Akosua
Monday	Kodjo	Adjo
Tuesday	Komla	Abena
Wednesday	Koku	Aku
Thursday	Yao	Yawa
Friday	Kofi	Afi
Saturday	Kwami	Ama

I hope I haven’t offended anyone talking about how homesick I am. I am trying so hard not to check myself out of this trip just because I want to go home. It’s not easy being in another culture without friends and family; however, I recognize how valuable this experience is even if I’m terribly lonely right now. It’s sort of funny, I am so lonely at times, but I’m still so happy! It’s weird to think you can have both those emotions at the same time.

Love, Kari

Stormy Weather!

So the rainy season is starting! It is storming almost every afternoon. I sort of like it and sort of dislike it. It’s nice to have a little break from the heat in the afternoon, but then the mosquitoes are so awful afterwards! It’s funny I have yet to see a single mosquito bite me. I finally saw my first mosquito this morning, but I’ve gotten bites throughout this whole trip.

The hospital has been slow this week, but I feel like I’ve helped everyone I’ve seen. Unfortunately, there is another little boy with burns. I feel so badly. This little guy is so so brave every time I perform his ROM. It’s so painful for them and their families can’t afford pain medicine. Neither boy has national health insurance, so often they go days before the dressings are changed.

The one little boy that I’ve been seeing for awhile is really stiff again. I guess the doctor was a little too aggressive when she was trying to straighten the leg during a dressing change. He had a lot of bleeding and pain so now he is back in a bent position. I had to beg the doctor to still let me see him. She wanted to wait to start ROM until the burns were healed. I told her it would be too late by then. Today, we got his leg a little straighter so I’m hoping we are making progress again.

The new little boy, I can’t be very aggressive with because if I put too much pressure on his leg I will shear off his intact skin. It’s such a fine line. I want his leg to be straight, but he needs skin covering his body more! Skin is our first line of defense to infection.

7 or 8 year old boys do not understand the importance of keeping the leg straight. To top it off, their parents start yelling at them for not listening to me. I tried so hard to have Celestine translate to the family that the boys are not being bad. They are in a lot of pain. The families need to nicely remind them to keep the leg straight, not threaten to beat them.

Hopefully, these boys will heal with good ROM so they can walk on both legs again. Otherwise, they will need surgery to release the scar tissue. I’m sure the families cannot afford that. If they end up with a contracture, stiff knee in a bent position, then they will have to use crutches for the rest of their life without a surgery. I think the doctor now understands the importance of ROM for burn patients so hopefully she will make the PT referral every time a burn patient is admitted.

I can’t believe another weekend is here. This week went by so fast. I only have 2 full workweeks left in Ghana, and I will be travelling a lot so this was my last full week at the hospital!

Have a good weekend!

Love, Kari

Leap Day

So I ranted and raved about the "manana time" yesterday. Unfortunately, I will probably rant again today. I spent most of my day at the hospital waiting for Celestine to finish in her meeting so we could see patients in the ward. Since the patients are usually elderly, they do not speak English well, so I need Celestine to translate.

Her meeting was all the health care workers getting together to complain about the government not paying them on time this month. I don't think there was any actual purpose to their meeting other than to complain. She said they didn't come up with any sort of plan at the meeting.

By the time her meeting was over it was 3 pm. She was ready to go home. I wanted to at least see the little boy who has burns. By that time he was out of the hospital with his father so he did not get his therapy today. It made me a little upset. I should have just gone to see the boy by myself. However, the therapy is very painful for him, so I like Celestine there to explain to him what I'm trying to do to help calm him. I know he already thinks of me as the evil white lady so I didn't want to make that worse by coming alone.

I did see 3 patients in the gym today. That was good. I think they all found my treatments helpful. It's so hard for the patients to understand the importance of continuing exercise. That is a problem in the US too. I would say most people in the US understand the importance, but just care to ignore their doctor or therapist's advice. They always ask me if I'm going to give them a pill to get better.

I did work with a pastor today. He is 74 and had a mild stroke. His attitude is very different than many Ghanaians. He believes in hard work. He was also an entrepreneur when he was a pastor. He didn't believe in getting rich off his parishioners. He gave me good ideas to help promote health in Ghana. I do not think I will accompolish it on this trip, but maybe it can be a good project for future volunteers or on my next trip to Ghana. 

Rev. Mother, the medical director and head sister of the hospital, had a nice talk with me today. We discussed having the staff pay to use the equipment in the gym in order to maintain it properly. I'm glad some of the staff wants to use the equipment, but they often use it improperly. Throughout Ghana, they do not really perform maintenance. I think the idea of an oil change every 4000 miles is a foreign concept. Thus, if the hospital employees do not take ownership for the equipment it will break down and will not be available for patients either. I know they were not happy with this, but nothing in life is free, right?

I'm turning into a nagging mother. Haha! I hope everyone enjoys this leap day! I'm excited because it means I got an extra day in Ghana.

Love, Kari

Sitting Still

The end of my trip is fast approaching so I am trying to really enjoy life here. I think the hardest thing about this trip has been the pace of life. We, in the US, have gotten so use to the hustle and bustle that we do not realize what life would feel like without all of our distractions. Here in Ghana, I've had more than plenty time! Many Ghanaians are very content to just sit and look around. Me, I would have gone stir crazy if I did not have my Kindle and Laptop. Attempting to write my blog every night and reading the over 20 books have been a lifesaver!

I think this trip has been successful. I think I've started the ball rolling for future Physical Therapy volunteers, but I've wasted a lot of time too. However, the average Ghanaian does not think like that. There is no such thing as productivity or deadlines. Things get accomplished sometimes, on their own schedule. People at times seem frustrated with the lack of progress here, but they also seem very content with the amount of time they personally spend at work. I think the average work day here is about 6-8 hours; however, from what I've observed, they probably only spend 3-4 of those hours doing work related tasks. This may be true for most Americans now too, since we spend so much time answering emails or playing on our iphones, so I'm not trying to be critical.

I am a very laid back person so I don't always care for the rudimentary time schedule we have in the US. It's stressful having to be on time. Here, I'm suppose to be at the hospital at 8 am, but I usually get there at 8:20. I don't usually find Celestine until 9 am, so I figure, I might as well sleep an extra 20 minutes. In the US, most of my jobs had productivity standards of at least 80%. That means 80% of my time at work was suppose to be billable time spent with patients. I don't disagree with that idea. I'm a therapist, I want to be working with my patients. However, that never left much time to find the doctors or nurses to discuss a patient, document on each patient, or call a patient or family member if there were concerns. Here, after observing 5 hospitals, I can say that they barely spend 50% of their time treating patients. The government run hospitals are so busy, too. However, they just are very inefficient in how they spend their time. I guess that all stems from the fact that they get things done when they feel it needs to be done. I try not to get frustrated by this attitude, since it's a difference in culture. I don't really think that we can say it is wrong either. Needless to say, it has made my suggestions to the various departments very hard to implement.

I've enjoyed the slowness to an extent, but as an American we are use to seeing results fast! My volunteer packet explained a lot of these cultural differences so I understood I was going to have to deal with them. I guess, I'm just thinking more about it now that I only have 3 weeks left. I'm questioning my time here. I wonder, did I make any impact? Did I really help any of the patients I saw? Luckily, I have documentation. It's a little biased since I wrote it, but this blog will allow me to always reflect on my time here. I definitely did not transform the whole PT profession in Ghana, but I know I planted a few seeds here or there. Also, I know that there are great Ghanaian PTs, named Lewis and Cinderella, which will help those seeds grow. I will cast my insecurities aside. This trip was successful! I am just one puzzle piece, but I know a lot more will fall into place once I leave!

Love, Kari