This summer, four GlobeMed at Northwestern students are spending our summer at the H.O.P.E. Center. We are each conducting community surveys in addition to project tasks at the Center. Our work will be helpful in better identifying the health care needs of the community, how the current childhood nutrition program can be expanded, and other aspects that will strengthen the partnership between GlobeMed and the H.O.P.E. Center in the coming year.
Our first two weeks in Ghana have shown us what an exceptional place the H.O.P.E. Center really is. We have been able to work closely with the Center’s staff, all of whom are dedicated, passionate individuals who care deeply about addressing the pressing health care needs within the community. The projects such as the childhood nutrition and sexual health outreach program are continuing to run well and we are currently looking for ways to improve upon and expand them. We are deep in discussion with the Center’s head nurse, Margaret, as well as the regional health director and the community organizer about ways to increase the childhood malnutrition project to reach a larger patient population. Our meetings have discussed the possibility of tailoring the program to meet the needs of pregnant women in the community as well as expand the nutrition demonstrations to the men (who do not traditionally see the importance of healthy eating habits). We as students will be conducting individual interviews and community meetings to discover the most pressing health care issues of each of the four surrounding villages. We will try to determine if the Center’s current programs are meeting their needs and what can be improved. This summer promises to be both productive and exciting!
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This summer, four GlobeMed@Northwestern members will travel to Ho, Ghana on a GROW trip to work on projects that will continue to build upon the Center’s existing programs in a sustainable fashion. Here is what the students have planned to do at the H.O.P.E. Center:
“I will be educating young mothers in the village of Kodzobi on how to prepare soybeans and introduce them into their childrens’ diets. In addition, I will be working on the education material to make it more accessible to the villagers and the mothers. As a group, we will also be conducting a general health survey in the surrounding villages to gauge a better understanding of what types of programs and projects we can implement in Ho in future years.” - REEMA GHATNEKAR
“I plan on supporting GlobeMed’s main goal of expanding the nutrition project during our six week stay in Ghana. My individual focus will be on direct patient care, comparing what we are used to in the US to the state of medical treatment in Ho. I want to also compare equipment that relates to patient care, such as instruments that monitor patient activity and those that are used for treating infection.” - JOEY GILL
“I will be establishing a demonstration farm in Kodzobi, one of the villages closest to the H.O.P.E. Center. There, H.O.P.E. Nurses will hold educational sessions for mothers about the child’s nutritional needs and the values of incorporating soybeans into the diet. They will also be taught how to farm the soybeans. Additionally, I will be implementing a survey across several of the villages near Ho, Ghana asking questions related to sexual health practices to learn if people utilize the H.O.P.E. Center as a medical clinic and what they would like to see offered.” - KATHLEEN LEINWEBER
“I will be assessing the nutritional needs of expecting mothers in the surrounding villages. I plan on interviewing approximately 30 women, who are either patrons of the Center or have never sought health care services there before. My interviews will assess the nutritional needs, knowledge, and resources available to these women as well as gain a clearer understanding of the cultural beliefs and practices surrounding pregnancy. This project will provide a link between the existing nutrition program and the advent of maternal health services to be offered at the Center in the near future.” - ALLYSON WESTLING
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Hi there!
It's been a while since we have last posted, but things are going swimmingly at the GlobeMed at Northwestern chapter. We raised over $5000 for the clinic through campus fundraising events and individual donations for the H.O.P.E. Center, and sent $1300 to the clinic for security and utility payments for the next six months. Also at Northwestern, we are preparing the next team of students to visit and work at the clinic this summer, expanding the nutrition project and adolescent sexual health center, as well as conducting research on maternal nutrition and correlation to pregnancy and healthy childbirth.
At the clinic, the nutrition project is well underway, with three peer educators trained and working in their communities to monitor soybean crop growth as well as health of children under five. Our sexual health program has successfully trained 100 students to become peer educators and lead workshops in secondary schools across Ho town. An annual report is being compiled and will be uploaded shortly.
Thank you for all your support, and please continue to stay updated on our cause!
