Sustainable Development in Ghana
As I write, we are crossing the beautiful Black Volta river and shall arrive at the NEA compound in Carpenter in 10 minutes. It has been an amazing journey and this team has held up so very well.
More to come later but we just wanted to let our family and friends know we have arrived safe and sound!
PS: Anyone want to hazard a guess as to how long it will take us to unpack 10,000 pounds of equipment and meds???
Welcome to Ghana!
If what just took place at the Accra airport is any indication of how this team is going to function, we are in for quite an incredible mission. I’m thankful to God to report that all 61 team members and ten thousand pounds of medical equipment have arrived safely in Accra without a hitch.
We were quite a sight at that airport let me tell you! As the men on our team were flexing their muscles loading the big trucks with sweat pouring down their faces, a local man said to me, “You people really work with your whole hearts, don’t you?” He is correct and we got out of the airport and back to the hotel in record time, thanks to an amazing team effort.
Claudia’s response: “Major props!”
Nurse Emma’s response: “There is some pretty great work going on here!”
They are so right!
We have been fed and watered and are now grabbing a very few short hours of sleep before the third and final leg of our journey.
Onward …
What a special day to be Canadian. A day where we pause to remember the sacrifices made to preserve the values we hold so dear — values we often take for granted. A day when we remember those who believed their actions in the present would make a significant difference in the future.
And on this day, Remembrance Day, I have the privilege of departing on a humanitarian health care mission to Ghana with 48 fellow Canadians, to be joined by 13 friends from Europe. What a beautiful opportunity to look at our mission through a slightly different lens than I usually do.
Adrienne Clarkson once said,
We only need to look at what we are really doing in the world and at home and we’ll know what it is to be Canadian.
My kids may think my CANADA fanny pack is a major fashion faux pas. Let me tell you, I’m not sure I have ever been as proud as I am at this very moment to clip on that fanny pack and be Canadian on this November 11th.
Onward to Ghana.
—
If you would like to receive these posts by email, please subscribe to the 2016 team updates.
Heartfelt Thanks
HPIC Provides Team with Medical Kits
Team Receives Support from Scarsin
This weekend the Ghana Health Team departs for their two-week health care mission. And, thanks to the generous support of so many, they will be able to set up a fully-stocked, fully-equipped mobile clinic. The team has met their fundraising goal for this year’s mission and has been able to procure the supplies and medicines that they need to provide excellent health care.
A very special thanks to the Jericho Foundation and Makbraneth Foundation, who together have matched every two dollars donated with another dollar. This grant multiplied the effect of hundreds of other donations, and we are all deeply grateful.
Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has donated, encouraged, supported, and volunteered to enable this team leave for Ghana so well-prepared. We look forward to seeing how these contributions, together with the team’s service, are used to positively impact the lives of their patients.
Canadian charity Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC) is partnering with GRID for the 2016 Ghana Health Team mission, providing humanitarian medical kits for medical, dental, and surgical needs.
HPIC medical kits contain high-quality medicines that are in-date, and they are offered to our team at substantially reduced cost. This important contribution allows us to stretch our donation dollars further without compromising the quality of care provided.
We are grateful for HPIC’s partnership and support of this mission, and look forward to seeing the impact of the team’s care in Ghana. You can follow along with the 2016 team by subscribing to their email updates.
The 2016 Ghana Health Team, departing within the week for Ghana, is grateful for Scarsin’s significant financial contribution toward their surgical program. This is the fourth mission that Scarsin, an Uxbridge-based software development company, is supporting.
Scarsin’s donation will be used to provide surgery patients with safe transportation to and from surgery, as well as care for any overnight stays. In addition, their funding will be used to service or procure necessary equipment to make surgeries safer in an environment that poses many challenges.
Scarsin President and CEO Paul Minshull explained their motivation for involvement:
The ripple effects are tremendous — one surgery will impact an entire family for good. As a local organization with global clients, we believe strongly in giving back to the community. Being able to work in partnership with Dr. Jennifer Wilson and her team to impact a global cause gives me great joy.
GRID and NEA are deeply grateful for Scarsin’s ongoing generous support for this important mission and are delighted to share this funding announcement.
To follow along with the 2016 team in Ghana, please subscribe to receive email updates.