SODIS

Picture 1. Sharing SODIS with the Kiteek village in Saboba.

SODIS

Soaring On Drugs In Saboba

Seriously Open Drainage Input Sewers

Some Odd Drumming, Incessant Stomping

Spying On Dogs, Infinitely Sly

Sunshine Over- Dose Information Session 

Actually, SODIS= SOlar water DISinfection

Typhoid and malaria are the two most common causes of disease and death here in Saboba. This week we tried to prevent Typhoid fever by sharing a solar water treatment method (SODIS, for short) at schools and villages. We talked about preventative health and the water treatment method (leave a 2L bottle in the sun for 6 hrs, UV kills 99.99% bacteria) to over 300 junior secondary students and 40 villagers. We learned about their local water sources and that there are some boreholes around Saboba with clear and relatively clean water.  

We walked to the nearby Oti River that separated Ghana and Togo. The water was a cloudy green, but people were using it to clean clothes.

In the OR, this week we have seen more hernias and emergency surgeries. We helped organize tens of boxes of donated supplies. Today, we watched a C-section and tube-tying surgery on a young woman today. It took a mere 5 minutes to get the baby girl out and she immediately cried and looked very healthy. The baby was sucking on the blanket waiting for the mom to recover. It took her a couple of minute to latch on but then she started to have a strong suck and you could hear her swallow. Mmm colostrum.  

Bri got malaria. But she’s better now.

We danced at a funeral. When old people die, they drum and dance for two days and nights outside the persons’ home to celebrate their long life. When a young person dies, however, the funeral is small, quiet, and mournful. The person is buried immediately, but the funeral celebration can be up to a year later so that the whole family can come together. Anyone can come to the funeral- even us visitors were invited to dance at one here in Saboba. And funerals can reoccur to continue the remembrance of the person- for one person, they can have a celebration at day 40, 60, 80, etc. 

Thanks for thinking of us. We will be leaving Saboba, NR, and going to Mole National Park for the weekend. Then Accra next week. Home for classes by the 5th.

At the theatre...

Picture 1. Ready for the operating theatre! James, Courtney, Bryn, Dr. Morris.

Picture 2. The peritoneal sac from the huge hernia of a patient of Dr. Morris' this week.

          Our first week at the Saboba Medical Centre (SMC) has been exciting. The six of us have spread out to different sections: the OR (theatre), consulting, outpatient wound care, wards, lab, accounting, etc... And have tried to watch, learn, listen and be useful around the hospital.

          The resident doctor here is the Iowa-trained, Gustavus alumni, pediatric general surgeon with training in tropical medicine- Jean Young. She is always on call. Dr. Nick Morris, a general surgeon from Wyoming, is visiting with an intern, Bryn. These three have been very busy with keeping up with the patients’ needs in consulting, rounds, and surgery. In the "operating theatre", we have seen some interesting cases. Some large, complicated hernias, some tumors, a severe and messy gut perforation, and a large scrotal hydrocele. Courtney and Kendra have both scrubbed in on surgeries as the first assistant!

          Alex has become a lab expert. Bri and Alex ran the lab today single handedly this afternoon- Bri took the blood, Alex ran the tests (ex. Widal typhoid test, TB test, MPS (malaria), HIV, Hep B and C, HCG, hemoglobin, HCV, blood typing).

          Today we joined the Public Health Team from the SMC on an outreach to Sobiba- a small village made up of mud huts and concrete structures with lots of pigs, goats and chickens running around. Over 60 women with babies came to the clinic for a check-up: the babies were weighed and vaccinated. We helped with the vaccinations (ex. Measles, Polio, yellow fever, HIb) and distributing vitamin A.

          The Ghanaians we have met so far have been very friendly. Chatting with the hospital staff has been informative- we learn about their education system, social customs, government, and how the hospital works from their point of view.

          At night we play cards, listen to music, read, journal, and practice eour surgical and clinical skills on each other (drawing blood and suturing, mainly on Brian due to his massive veins).  We are looking forward to the coming weekend activities: soccer, market, cleaning the OR with bleach, and meeting people.

          In more important news, according to Brian, the Minnesota Timberwolves have still only won one game in the month of January. 

"'Muricans think their time is so important!"

Picture 1. The group with the Kiteek chief Tidoh Manany. (James, Kendra,Dr. Morris, Chief, Brian, Courtney, Alex, Bri, Jean Young, Brin)

Our first three days in Saboba have been interesting. The scenery has changed- we are closer to the desert so it is more dusty, the rolling jungle turned into a red/dust flatland with shurbs and fewer trees. It is the dry season so some of us are getting bloody noses and sore throats in the morning. Luckily it cools down from 95 to 70F at night.
But beyond the physical changes, we have stepped into a social setting where greetings are not to be rushed and visitors are not supposed to ask too many questions about the water shortage/ contamination problem. Our first two days were spent meeting the local leaders- a Kiteek chief, the District Chief Executive, and others. For each, we could not speak directly to the chief- we spoke to a spokesperson who told the chief's spokesperson our messages who translated them to the chief. A group of elders surrounded him for the meeting, and the chief's feet could not touch the floor so they were propped up on a stool or fur rug. One gave us a guinea fowl as a welcome present.
Our hosts tell us that the impression that locals have of Americans is that we think our time is too important. The meanest thing a person can spread about you here is that you 'dont make time for people'. The one local doctor finds it hard to balance local PR and her workload.
Our living conditions are palatial in comparison with the locals, so we can't complain.

At the hospital, we have been overwhelmed. The cases are all advanced, supplies are limited, and the staff are sparse. Some of us were trained to do a basic workup- cardio, abdominal, respiratory exams and how to consider the lab results and the common complaints. We often join the medical assistants or the doctor on rounds in the morning, and watch hernia or lump reovals in the afternoon.

Kendra, James, and Bri visited a local tailor and seamstress to be fitted for dresses and srcrub tops. US$2.50 per shirt, $6 per dress.
Brian and Courtney were able to watch the birth of a baby girl today- the labor and delivery lasted a whooping 20 minutes! about 2 minutes of pushing and it was over.
Bri and Kendra cleaned and replaced the dressing of an advanced bone infection- osteomyelitis in the thigh of a 20 year old today. We poured hydrogen peroxide into side of the thigh and watched it foam out the other side!
Alex learned about how the laboratory is set up and functions- he was running tests most of the day for typhoid, meningitis, malaria, and TB. Many were positive, luckily no positive TBs today.
Brian worked with the financial officers- asked about the insurance policies and how they bill people and what sort of budget the hospital is running on. He learned that the hospital was essectially losing money- they charged hardly enough for supplies for procedures such as a hernia removal (US$90).

Thanks for thinking of us!

City life is bananas!

Picture 1. James at the market.

Picture 2. Brianna and Kendra shaking hands with a baboon at the Kumasi Zoo.

After a tiring day at the orphanage, Joseph brought us to the Kumasi Zoo. There were ostriches, peacocks, camels, monkeys (Mona, baboon, gorilla, Callithrix...), turles, snakes, birds, lions, hyenas (huge and adorable!), porcupines, crocodiles, warthogs, duikers, bats (huge!!). The diversity was incredible. It was sad to see them in small cages, but they were very interactive and lively.

The Kumasi market is a zoo of its own. Congested. Polluted. Busy. Fast-moving. But we were successful in both trips. Brian bought some Gucci sunglasses and Lacoste shorts. James, Kendra and Courtney bought some soccer jerseys. Bri bought a watch and looked at some purses. Kendra and Courtney bought some fabric to make some skirts. We had an air-conditioned lunch at the Sanbra Hotel downtown and watched as bags of cash were exchanged at another table (VISA is still a new thing here...).

We are leaving for the rural town of Saboba on Saturday. We will have limited access to the internet, but we will try to update asap. Thanks for thinking of us!

Mother Theresa Orphanage

Picture 1. Our helper dresses at the orphanage day 1.
Picture 2. Kendra and a toddler, Tommy.

In Kumasi, we are playing hard at the Mother Theresa Orphanage. With approximately 60 habitants, we split up into pairs to work with babies, youth, and adults. There are many needs here, and our time with the residents is precious. With the babies in the morning we feed them breakfast, play with them, then feed them lunch. Then we change their diapers and put them to bed. Sometimes the sisters are hard to find, so we name some according to their personalities: P. Diddy, Charlie, Frank the Tank, Michelle. Many crave attention so they love our games and hugs. The nuns appreciate us being there, but they tell us that the kids are getting attached and will be sad when we leave.

The adults and youth need special care. Many are sick or disabled. Each has an interesting story. Bri made a good friend with a 7-year-old girl, named Abwina, who speaks English and is bright but is a bully to the other kids. She loves when Bri reads her Cinderella or Repunzel books.

*Today Alex was pooped on by a toddler and had to make an emergency visit to the market for new clothes.
*Brian was kicked in the groin by a youth while trying to help him eat lunch.

We survived the walkway!

 Picture 1. Kakum National Forest canopy tour. (Brian, Courtney, Bri, Alex, Kendra...James took the photo)

Picture 2. Bri on the rocks. Gulf of Guinea.

Joseph drove us from Cape Coast to Kumasi (5 hours) on Sunday. We stopped by the Kakum National Forest for a canopy walk. They sold t-shirts that said, 'I survived the walkway.'

Our first night in Kumasi we were asked what we would like to eat for dinner. An hour later we returned from the market with a big, live chicken ($17). Our hosts kindly helped us prepare it. From start to finish. (See video later.)

Today we started volunteering at the Mother Theresa Orphanage. We worked in teams with babies, children, and adults. Many were sick or disabled. James changed his first diaper.

We stand out. We often hear, "Buroni! Buroni!" (White man, white man!) So we reply respectively, "Bibini! Bibini!" (black man! black man!), which is what we were instructed to say by our friend/driver Joseph to be respectful and light-hearted.

In Kumasi, there is more dust, but more vegetation. This is a bustling city with a big market and teaching hospital downtown.  We look forward to seeing more of the hospital and serving more at the orphanage this week.

**We are putting together a video and interviewing some people we meet. If you have any questions please comment or send us an email!

Cape Coast

 Picture 1. Eating mangoes for dessert. (Brian, Kendra, Bri, Courtney)

Picture 2. Cape Coast slave castle with our friend and driver Joseph ("Big Man's" son). (Kendra, Bri, Alex, James, Courtney, Brian, Joseph)

The Cape Coast slave castle was used by the English, Dutch, and Swedish until the 19th century to keep hundreds of slaves in capitvity until they were sold and shipped to the West Indies, Carribean, or the Americas. The holding cells were poorly lit and ventilated. 16 x 32 foot spaces held roughly 150 people, 5 cells per gender. They were fed food and water during their stay and were bathed once a week. Most died of malnutrition and disease before their shipments and were brought out to sea to prevent the disease spread on land. Ironically, the male dungeon was directly below the church space. It was at least 90F in the sun.

We are in the Ghanaian Times!

Picture 1. The group in Washington DC ready to go!
Picture 2. The group with host Vivian in Accra and friend Collins outside the Sight for Africa Eye Clinic.


We made it! We stayed with friends, Kofi and Vivian Ghartey, in their lovely home in Accra. They were very welcoming and fed us a lot. On the first day in Accra, we visited the central Sight for Africa Eye Clinic, which provides ophthalmic services (optometrists and opthalmologist on staff) for half the price of the private clinics in Accra and has branches in rural and hard-to-reach areas of Ghana. We spent the rest of our time in Accra exploring- exchanging money, bartering at some markets, trying new foods, meeting local people. In the market, James and Brian were given 'tiger nuts' by a stranger. Our host Kofi told us that they were given to men when their wives were not pregnant after one year of marriage...

One special experience in Accra put us in the news and local paper (The Ghanaian Times, we all got copies the next day)!! We spoke about our trip and our lives to 200 students in a government-sponsored youth employment program.After they all wanted our pictures and our email addresses or our hands in marriage (especially James!). We met with national and local directors of the National Youth Council and student unions in Ghana- all were interested in partnering with us in future trips so we exchanged contact info.


We met up with the local Gustie senior, "BF", Baffour Appiah-Korang, at a beach resort to appreciate the Ghanaian nightlife.We are now visiting the Cape Coast slave castles and staying in the Anomobo Beach Resort, where we have had the opportunity to boogie board and swim in the warm ocean water. Some of us got up for the sunrise... but the chronic haze prevented us from watching it.

The traffic is awful. Few roads are paved, and all roads are congested and have large potholes that are unavoidable. Our drivers have been impressive- fast and aggressive in the heavy traffic. And it usually takes between 1-5 hours to get anywhere.


We all have been sick. Textbook traveler's diarrhea, despite our best efforts to avoid contaminated food and water. But we're all in this together. James got bit by a fish and has a nice bite mark in his foot.

We have some new nicknames. James= Prince. Brian=Glitter-burger.Alex= President Pretzel. Bri= Beth. Courtney= Stripes. Kendra=Kenjer.

We have all had to be very patient. At restaurants, regardless of what you order you never know what you are going to get. Spaghetti= french fries. Typically we wait about an hour for our food.

Some of our friendly driver/guides/friends includes- David, Collins and Joe. We are often in the left side of the road...

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. We are having much fun.