The Curious Case of the Fire Face

It all started with a squeak in the room. 

My roommate, Sarah woke up myself and my other roommate, Kate, because she was convinced that she could hear a mouse in our room. It was 3 o'clock in the morning, and the three of us were listening intently to a periodic squeaking noise coming from somewhere in the room. Sarah was freaking out, looking under the beds trying to find it. We were searching everywhere for this mouse, at least 20 minutes. Kate suddenly spoke, quietly and thoughtfully, "you know guys... I think that noise is the fan??" We unplugged all the fans and sure enough the squeaking stopped all together. After some laughter, we settled back into our beds under our mosquito netting. Just as I was about to drift back to sleep, Kate spoke and asked, "Is anyone else's face on FIRE?!" We had no idea what she was talking about. "I've got the fire face, oh my god it burns so bad!" Sarah and myself didn't feel anything so we laughed as Kate ran to bathroom to check her face, which had no rash or redness of any type. We decided maybe she was just hot so we thought nothing of it, but Kate was throwing out all types of possibilities, until she landed on this one: "It's gotta be windburn from the giant fan we put in our room". Our room was so hot that earlier that night before we went to bed, we grabbed the giant industrial sized fan from the kitchen and squeezed it into our tiny room. In our tired stupor, we reasoned that this was the most logical conclusion, so we turned off the giant fan to save our faces from the windburn and went to bed.

At 6 am, I woke up realizing that my face too was on fire! It burned so bad and I had no idea why. I tossed and turned for awhile to find a comfortable spot to fall back asleep but no such luck. At this point Sarah and Kate were also awake and rubbing their fire-faces in agony. We couldn't fall back asleep and so we tried to figure out what it could be. The change in humidity from the beach this weekend to back home?  Salt water irritation, maybe the sunscreen, a sunburn? We had no idea, but all this morning we've been in so much pain from the burning on our face and in our eyes. Christine, one of our Ghanian program supervisors knew exactly what was going on as soon as we told her about it. She said that it was from the mosquito netting in our rooms! They air out newly unpackaged, mosquito netting for 24 hours each time they put it up, but we think that because we had that industrial fan along with literally 4 other fans in our room, we were just blowing around the mosquito netting chemicals all up in our eyes and face. Lovely, right?? Either way, our faces are less inflamed now and we can rest easy - mystery solved :) 

Anyway, all of this was hilarious when it was happening so I figured it was blogosphere worthy. This afternoon will be learning how to Batik, which is the way that people here make all the beautiful cloths and fabrics that are then made in to clothing. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes! 

Akpe! (Thank you),

~ Sarah 

Cape Coast

This weekend was our first free weekend for us to travel and see parts outside of Hohoe! Our group of 8 decided to travel to Cape Coast for the weekend to go to the beach, visit Kakum National Rainforest and check out the third oldest slave trade castle in Ghana, Cape Coast Castle. Turns out it was only a 7-hour car ride instead of the 9-hour ride we had anticipated and we were able to pass the time with games and story telling. We arrived to our hotel (that looked straight out of a horror movie) late Friday night and went right to bed in order to be ready for the canopy rainforest walk! 

The canopy walk at Kakum National Forest was incredible. We hiked a bit up into the rainforest and then proceeded to cross 7 rope bridges that were suspended up in the canopy treetops! It was so exciting and thrilling, knowing that we were so high up above the ground. We were dripping sweat by the end of it, but it was easily one of the most exciting and hilarious things I have ever done. 

After the canopy excursion, we made our way to Cape Coast Castle for a guided tour of the third oldest slave trade castle in Africa. The castle was absolutely stunning: completely white stone with blue-ish, grey-ish stones intermingled in the architecture. It faced the ocean and had the most wonderful beach breeze flowing around every corner. Though the castle was stunning, it's history was extremely unsettling. Our tour guide informed us of how it passed hands between the Portuguese and the Dutch when it was just a colonization and trade site. He then explained in great detail of how it came to be a site for slave storage just before the slaves set off in ships to join the American slave trade. We visited the different cells where slaves who misbehaved were sent to die, the male and female dungeons where slaves were kept until shipment, and also the cell for female slaves who misbehaved and refused the advances of the Europeans. This part of the tour broke my heart most of all. We learned how the female slaves would be locked up in this terribly small, dark cell as punishment if they fought back against European men who would try to take them up to their rooms and take advantage of them. Our guide also explained how if women unwillingly became impregnated while on the slaves ships, the European crew would just throw them overboard, like unnecessary cargo. The cherry on top of the entire tour was when our guide showed us the dark, terrible male dungeon and then the church where the Europeans would rejoice in worship, which was located right above it. The slaves could hear all of the singing and music through a tiny opening in the floor that led to their cramped and filthy cells. Irony in it's finest. We've all learned of slavery in school, but being in an actual slave castle and seeing first hand the terrible conditions that humans forced other humans to live in was so incredibly emotional, but also something that I feel everyone should experience at least once in their lives. 

After the tour, we collected our thoughts and decided to the beach for lunch and swimming. It felt amazing to be swimming in the ocean, and the water was honestly like bath water. The waves were ridiculous through, in such a great way. They were HUGE and were breaking right at the shore so it was such a struggle to even remain standing before they swept you off your feet, rolled you around in the sand and washed you up on shore. There was a pretty big undertow that we had to be careful of, but we still spent so much time jumping and cascading around in the waves. While this was happening, there were several groups of pigs that would just casually be walking past us on the beach. When in Africa... 

All day today we just drove back home, had dinner, and have been resting up for the week ahead of us. One week down, and it went by way too fast. Until tomorrow!

Xede nyuie! (Good bye), 

~ Sarah

Health Education 101

This morning I gave my first Health Education talk at the hospital! I was told yesterday that each morning, the Out Patient Department (OPD) gives health education talks to their patients while they sit in the waiting room to be consulted. The staff in this unit said that I could do the honors of providing the health education talk this morning, and I was so happy to hear this! I've been struggling a bit with figuring out where my skills could be most useful in the hospital, since the staff really are in need of certified nurses, doctors, and physician's assistants. Being an undergraduate with no type of certification leaves me a little lost in terms of how make sure that the skills I do have are being used in the best manner possible. So last night I took the time to create some very basic pictures of ways to live a healthy day to day life. I was not sure how much these people already know or how difficult it would be to work through the language barrier so I kept it simple: 1) brushing your teeth for dental hygiene and overall body health, 2) eating healthy - having a colorful plate with plenty of fruits and veggies to outweigh the amount of white carbs that are so abundant in Ghanaian cuisine, 3) getting plenty of sleep to help keep your body and immune system strong, and 4) washing your hands constantly, especially here where they are handling goats, chickens, babies and any number of unsanitary things. I will say that I was definitely a bit nervous to present my talk. Though these people are incredibly hospitable (the most hospitable people I have ever met in my life), it is still intimidating to the only, and I mean only, white person in the entire hospital and then make a presentation to people who can barely make out my American accent. Courage, both internally and the name of the doctor who works in the OPD, helped me out immensely. He was my translator and was able to convert my words into Ewe so that it was certain that the patients understood what I was conveying. I saw plenty of nods, laughs, and smiles from the crowd, so I believe I can say that it went quite well. I'm hoping to have the opportunity to make these talks a regular activity, which will allow me to better plan for what I want to say and give much more educational talks as time goes on. 

The afternoon was much more laid back then it has been the past few days. We had a few hours of rest time after lunch and then proceeded to go into town to convert some money and do a bit of souvenir shopping. I am constantly amazed by the beautiful handcrafted goods that these people can make! Bags, carvings, knick-knacks, pillowcases, paintings, shirts, dresses, jewelry and anything you could possibly want is always for sale in town, and for cheap! I wish I could walk away with all of it. Again, as soon as pictures are able to be uploaded, I'll be able to give you a taste of just how authentic and stunning all of these goods are. 

Tomorrow we will depart for the weekend on a trip to Cape Coast, a beautiful old castle on the coast that was also the place where most slaves were held before their journey to America. Apparently it is extremely rich in history, so we will be making a 9 hour van ride to the coast, spending Saturday morning taking a hike through the Kakum rainforest and then visiting the castle in the afternoon. I am so excited! I'll be back in a few days to tell about how amazing it will undoubtedly be :)

Mia dogo emegbe! (See you later),

~ Sarah

When it Rains, it Pours

For volunteering today, I spent the better part of the morning in the Antenatal Clinic, interacting with pregnant women and observing the many ways that these women are cared for. Since it is Wednesday, the Antenatal Clinic began the day with a brief "church service". Besides just on Sundays, most Ghanians attend a church service every Wednesday at some point during the day. The service in the ANC this morning was mostly singing in chorus, with a few testimonies. It was all in Ewe, but I was able to clap alongside them and enjoy their beautiful singing voices. 

After the service, I visited different consulting rooms, in which nurses took vitals of their patients and palpated them for any abnormalities with their pregnancy. It is obvious to anyone from more developed countries that these departments are severely lacking in what the doctors call "gadgets", that we in the states posses in our health care system. Women's blood pressures were taken with manual BP devices and their heights were recorded from centimeter scales that were written on the wall with sharpie marker. It was also clear that they have different standards for physical examinations. The nurse just told the woman in my room to undress and lay on the bed, without giving her a gown or leaving the room for privacy. This was completely normal for the the patient and nurse, but it still left me taken aback and had me wondering if I should leave the room for fear of embarrassing the patient. She did not seem to be bothered by it though - just another example of the different social norms that I am experiencing. 

After the ANC, I moved onto the Out Patient Departments where I was of much more assistance. The nurses were extremely friendly and taught me how they take temperature and pulse rate of their patients and recored this info in their Patient Folders. I was able to record patient information and assist with taking their vitals, leaving some other nurses free for other work that was needed. This made me feel much more useful and gave me some skills that I can transfer between wards to make myself as beneficial to the hospital staff as possible.  

In the afternoon, we took the most beautiful 45 minutes hike through the rainforest to the Wli Waterfall. I have never seen a more amazing piece of natural beauty in my life! The waterfall is the highest in all of West Africa and were fortunate enough to spend the afternoon cooling off in its refreshing waters. I'm having trouble uploading pictures, but I will get them up as soon as possible because it was the most incredible sight to see. It was amazing too, because as you get closer and closer to the base of the fall, the wind from the cascading water is enough to knock you right off your feet. We all held hand and walked with our backs to the waterfall until we were able to touch the rock behind the fall. It was an afternoon full of swimming, laughter and fun.




I'm not sure if I've mentioned this already, but we are in Ghana during what they call the "rainy season".  Now this doesn't  just mean that they have scattered showers here and there. It means that when it rains, it pours. Tonight we had the most incredible storm I have ever heard. The electricity went out and it honestly sounded like the roof was going to cave in right where we were sitting. Normally I am not a fan of thunderstorms, but being out in the wild like this made the storm seem all the more powerful and incredible. The rain also helped cool things off immensely, so I believe that it will be extremely easy for me to sleep tonight and dream about all the wonderful things that this country has already done for me. 

That's all that I can say right now! Until tomorrow! 

Akpe kakakaka! (Thank you so much!)

~ Sarah 

Hohoe Municipal Hospital

Today was my second day of volunteering! Yesterday was our first day, but for me it consisted mostly of learning about the Ghana Health Services (GHS) and the hierarchy of the medical system. Hohoe is considered a municipal village, meaning it is of "middle population size". A district is the smallest and a metropolitan is the biggest, based on population. The Hohoe Municipal Hospital is the only major hospital in the area that can provided "specialized" (the term is loosely defined) medical attention to its patients. They have many different wards/units, each with their own head person in charge.

This morning's volunteering was three parts: 
Part 1 consisted of further orientation and learning the hospital's recently developed 5-year plan to enact their vision of providing excellent healthcare service while ensuring that their patients live the healthiest life possible. As I was being informed of this 5-year plan, I was awe-struck at how patient-oriented the hospital was trying to become. The doctor who was orienting me, named Courage, explained that two years ago, the hospital directors came together to revamp their program, with a vision of treating the patients with empathy, care, and compassion - ideas that were not enforced in years past. 

Part 2 involved a tour of the different wards/units in the hospital: dental, antenatal, labor, eye, physiotherapy (which I came to find out is the same idea as physical therapy), HIV testing/counseling and several more, including separate wards for males, females, and children. It was wonderful touring these wards because so much of getting around in the hospital involved going outside, walking down a path and then entering a separate small building. To me, half of the construction of the building was outside, with walkways and small roofs overhead. It did not come off as dumpy or unfinished constriction, but rather felt as if the constructors were both embracing the natural beauty within the hospital grounds as well as accommodating for the intense heat, which would no doubt be worse indoors. 

Part 3 involved observing/learning about the HIV counseling and testing ward, which was my favorite part of the morning. Every Tuesday, different members of the wards come to this unit to pool together their specialties and help test patients for HIV and counsel those who are positive. They also counsel those who are negative on how to continue to avoid contracting HIV and to help them lead healthy lives. Different areas that are addressed by each staff member include sexual safety, taking vitals, nutrition counseling/monitoring and helping women in the many stages of pregnancy with regards to passing HIV on to their child during both labor and birth. I have always known about HIV but today I was given the opportunity to ask upwards of a million questions about the stages of HIV, ways of contracting, the effect it has on the Ghanaian community members, etc. I felt like a sponge, absorbing every bit of information that I could. I was also given the opportunity to sit with Carl, a specialist in nutrition while he took vitals of patients and counseled ones about adequate nutrition when necessary. According to Carl, a telltale sign of a PLHIV (person living with HIV) who is going "down-hill" is their nutrition. As a specialist in malnutrition, he observes individuals who are suffering from malnutrition and counsels them appropriately. One girl came and sat down to have her vitals taken, and I was sure she was no older then 12 or 13 for how small she was. As he took her vitals, I came to find out that she was a PLHIV, 35 kg (77 lbs), and about 5’4. She was so incredibly thin, I felt such pain in my heart for her. It was a very sad sight to see, but one that also triggered a little light bulb to go off in my head: “Would I be interested in working with the link between HIV/AIDS and malnutrition in my Dietetics career?” Anything is possible at this point.

This afternoon was so incredible that I don’t believe I’ll be able to adequately put it into words. For starters, we went to the Tafi-Atome Monkey Sanctuary. Ledged has it that many, many years ago, a tribe of people worshiped an “idol” that they had stationed in the middle of their village. As these people began to slowly die out, different groups of monkeys were drawn by the power of this idol and began living together in the mass acres of forest that the tribe had resided in. To this day, the monkeys still inhabit the forest and are representative of the ancestors who originally possessed the idol that the monkeys were drawn to. The visit to this Monkey Sanctuary was beyond amazing. Absolutely no part of it was fenced in and the monkeys intermingled with us as they sat on our shoulders and ate bananas from our hands. One got tangled up in my hair at one point :)


After our visit to the monkeys, we walked across the street to have an authentic Drumming and Dancing lesson, given by a local church group that practices traditional African drumming. I had chills listening to the beat of the drums and seeing the passion of the dancers in their steps and body movements. We were able to join in at one point during the last dance! It was incredible. The dancers were so talented and we would each pair up with a dancer and do different dances and theatrics on the spot. The laughter and joy was the most wonderful feeling. 

I cannot wait to see the adventures that tomorrow has in store for me.

Fie! (Good Evening)

~Sarah

In God We Drum

I've decided that if I ever lived in Ghana, Sunday church services would become my most favorite activity. About 85% of the population in Hohoe is Christian, and they celebrate their Christian faith with astounding church services that stretch anywhere from 2-4 hours long. As we walked the main dirt road into town this morning, we began to hear festive drumming, dancing and singing coming from a large, run down stone building that was up ahead. I thought to myself "I hope this is the place!", and I was right! We entered a huge room full of benches and chairs that were completely empty, only because their owners were up dancing and singing their hearts out to an upbeat Christian song. I have never been in a room that was so full of life with such a passion for the words that were being belted from the depths of their stomachs. I received chills just watching these people and realizing just how important their faith is to them.

After the song ended, we were seated and several testimonies and stories were recited at the podium from locals in the church. One man's story stuck out in particular. I have paraphrased his story as best as I can: 

"Last week, a group of us were driving down the road, planning to visit a town nearby to share the word of God with their people. Suddenly, a car comes out of nowhere and hits us! We stopped, and just as I had put the car in park, a man jumps to my window with a gun and club, demanding all my money. Of course I did not hesitate and I grabbed the change that was one the dashboard - roughly 100 cedi (approx. $50) - and handed it to him. He asked me to empty my pockets and I told him that was all I had. He proceeded to open the door, pull me out, strike me over the head with his gun and demand for more! I emptied all my pockets and gave him my remaining 200 cedi. While this was happening, more men were opening the other doors and pulling out the other men and women, yelling at them to lay face down on the ground. They were shooting their guns as a way of scaring us, and none of us hesitated to follow their orders. Once we were all on the ground, they threw our luggage at us from out of the car and drove off with our van. Though these events were horrible, I know that God was at our side! I know this because none of us were killed or injured and none of our women raped! This is how I know God is always acting as our savior!" 

The entire church erupted into glorious cries of "Amen!" upon his last sentence. This story strikes me as extremely profound and puts into perspective the types of horror that these people expect to happen in their country. This man was so overjoyed that no one was raped and killed that he did not care at all that they were robbed, assaulted and left stranded. Just one example of how much we all can appreciate the lives we lead back home.

After the service, we took a beautiful walk of the areas immediately around our home base: 

This is a hut where we will eventually different weaving and pottery making crafts:

These are just some local houses of different community members. I've notice that many people almost share a central lawn or have their houses close together, almost like a small, condensed "neighborhood" type thing. There is such a strong sense of community throughout the entire village :) 

Chickens and goats flock the streets 

Tomorrow begins my official volunteering! I am extremely nervous about working with the hospital but excited at the same time. I have no idea what to expect yet, but I can't wait to tell you all about!

Fie (Good evening), 

~ Sarah

I've Arrived!!!

After 30+ hours of car rides, airplanes, and a less then smooth 4-hour van ride through the Ghanaian mountains, I have arrived! I am currently sitting in the Cross-Cultural Solutions home base in the African village of Hohoe, Ghana (pronounced "ho-hway"). It has been the craziest mix of emotions throughout my journey here, mostly consisting of nerves, anxiety, and an overwhelming amount of excitement and awe at everything I have seen so far and have yet to experience!

Upon arriving at the airport after a 10 hour flight, I met up with my program leader and two other volunteers that arrived on my same flight. We stepped out into the humid, 87 degree weather, packed our bags into a rickety old van and took off for the 4-hour drive across dirt roads and through the mountains to our home base. On the way we passed countless small villages that projected a completely authentic, traditional African feel. I saw countless goats, chickens and dogs running across the roads and intermingling with the locals in the markets and villages. There were different booths, stores and houses that all shared similar metal roofs, supported by stone, and sometimes mud, walls. Women everywhere were carrying enormous loads of clothes, fruits, and other goods in baskets upon their heads, while also carrying babies strapped in cloth around their backs. I am in awe of the poise and balance that these women must have to posses! Though the ride was long, my excitement and intrigue was only further heightened by these sights as the drive continued. To help pass the time, was also practiced speaking Ewe ("ay-way"),the native Ghanian language, with one of our native chauffeurs. We arrived at about 6:00 pm Ghanian time (2:00 pm back home), ate a delicious dinner with rice, special seasoned tomato sauce, chicken and fruit. I'll be going to bed early tonight, but tomorrow starts with a trip to a local Ghanian church service, orientation and a trip around our surrounding neighborhood!

My volunteering will begin Tuesday at the Hohoe District Hospital. I will be assisting in several areas including going on rounds with doctors, helping with cleanliness and upkeep, counseling in the HIV/AIDS Clinic and my predicted favorite, educating mothers in the pre-natal and post-natal clinics about good nutrition for them and their babies! I am beyond excited for my first day of volunteering :)

I'll have pictures up as soon as I can!

Mia dogo kpuie ("see you soon"),

~ Sarah