Notes from the Field

(University of Minnesota public health students are writing about their experiences abroad this summer.)

By Ele Scherman
Environmental Health Sciences
Writing from Ghana

Hey everyone!! Wow, sorry it's been so long since my last email. I've found a town that is a little bit closer to get email than the capitol, but with a slower connection, hey, I'll take it.

The organization that I'm supposed to be working for is the District Health Management Team. The country is divided up into regions, then districts, then sup-districts. It's a government organization that is also linked with the hospital here in my town, Asamankese (the West Akim district in the Eastern region). Unfortunately, government health care workers in the entire country have been on strike for better pay from the government. This is completely justified by the health care workers who make a VERY small salary. As a result, people have not been paid for a good 2 months (some longer than that) and sick people are suffering, mostly because many doctors and nurses have not been working. There is not much for private health care here. Where there is, the facilities have been completely overwhelmed with the most ill of people seeking treatment. It's all very frustrating for everyone involved. So, you can understand that I haven't really started the work I am supposed to be doing. This week, the strike has been called off and people have been slowly returning to work. So hopefully, things get worked out, people start getting the care they need, and I can start doing whatever it is that I have come here to do! I have learned a little about what the group dose. It mostly focuses on nutrition monitoring in children, infectious disease control and surveillance, child welfare, and sanitation. I'm very eager to start!!

The food here is fantastic! The central diet is based mostly on carbohydrates such as plantain, yams, cassava, and rice and some protein, mostly fish and chicken. Most of the dishes are in stew form and almost all food is eaten by hand, i.e. no utensils! It's really fun to learn this way of life. Oh, and the fruit is amazing!! I also have learned to do my laundry by hand. It's hard work and takes a long time, but I actually enjoy doing it. Almost everything gets done here by man power. There are very few things produced or processed in an industrial manner. All foods are bought in their raw form at the market and cooked from scratch. There are a few processed and packaged snacks, but that's about it.

I've traveled to a couple other places near-by. Kumasi is another large town, inland of the country about 5 hours away. I got to visit the palace of the Ashanti tribe, the TB/HIV ward of the hospital, a military museum, and a crater formed lake. Today, I was at the Boti falls, about 2 hours from my town. I got to hike to "umbrella rock", a rock formation that looks more like a mushroom and very impressive. The landscape here is very beautiful. The area I live in is very hilly and lush (mostly due to it being the wet season now).

Most importantly...the USA vs Ghana match!!! People are so passionate about soccer here! Everyone was asking me who I would support and how I felt about the match being here in Ghana. After I got to watch both teams play against their respective opponents, I realistically had to predict that Ghana would best the US, but I still supported my homeboys all the way. After the Ghana victory, it was complete mayhem. People flooded streets and were celebrating like nothing I'd seen before. Car horns honking, people dancing and yelling, mobs of young people running through the streets. I got playfully harassed endlessly. Good times I tell ya!!

Health wise, I had a Dengue fever scare. Thankfully, I don't think that's really what I got sick with because I was only really sick for less than 24 hours, but I was feeling pretty awful. Other than that, I've been very healthy!

Well, if you read through this whole thing, thanks for tuning in! I miss everyone very much and hope you're having a great summer!!

Much love
Ele