jason, Author at Rural Health Collaborative

“So, was it a success?”

We’ve been back just over 24 hours and have been asked the following question many times already: “So, was it a success?” I’m finding that I think about the work less in these terms lately. Perhaps it is because the work is more complicated than I thought it would be, perhaps it is because success…

The program is finished – and so are we

Graduation was today, and we have twenty new Kekeli women! More on that in a bit. The last week has been quite busy. Monday we took a trip to Ho, the regional capital. It is larger than Akatsi, with several paved roads and sidewalks, multiple internet cafes, and it generally feels more like a city…

Teaching and Old Friends

We all arrived safely in Ghana on Jan 3rd. Steph and Jess arrived early in the morning, made friends with an American teaching couple, and had their first meal and shower in Ghana at the teachers’ home in Accra. Olivia and I arrived in the late evening and were greeted by the Bethel Clinic staff…

Ghana January 2011: Updates

Our departure date is approaching. We leave in 2 weeks! Here are a few updates regarding our trip: 1.Our 4 member team had our pre-trip meeting last Sunday where we discussed issues ranging from the teaching curriculum to lodging to Ghanian customs. 2.We are purchasing various supplies for our aid kits which will be given…

Our team has grown!

We just got word today that Steph Cadman and Jess Schulz will be joining us in Ghana! They have been friends of ours for several years and have expressed an interest in the kind of work we are doing. Both are registered nurses in San Diego and have traveled widely. They will be helping Olivia…

RDP Postcard Drive

With the help of friend and partner Sergio Salgado, we have designed postcards in an effort to raise funds for the upcoming VHW training in January. These postcards were given out at our wine and cheese mixer and have been sent to friends, family, and other interested parties in an effort to get the word out about the…

De-worming Program

The RDP has been presented with another partnership opportunity. The Bethel Clinic NGO has conducted de-worming projects in the past in an effort to treat intestinal parasites in areas the Ghana Health Service has identified as problematic. According to the proposal put forth, there are many schools in the district that have been identified as…

Kekeli T-shirts are here!

Through a generous donation from a local screen-printing shop as well as other friends, we now have Kekeli t-shirts! They are the same color and style as the shirts worn by the previous two Kekeli health promoter classes in the North and South Tongu districts, the second of which Olivia helped teach. The idea behind…

HIV/AIDS in Ghana

An article from February 2009 featured in myjoyonline.com describes recent efforts in Ghana regarding HIV/AIDS, including efforts by the government to coordinate programs between state and district governments as well as NGOs responding to the need for services throughout Ghana. The article also reports on a study conducted in late 2008 targeting lack of education…

Kekeli VHW Program

Kekeli means “brightness” in Ewe, the local language of east Ghana. It is also the name of a community teaching program in the North Tongu District organized by our partner, Seva Clinic. This is the same teaching program Olivia worked on during her months in Ghana in 2007. As our trip approaches, we have been…