Ghana Health Partners

Today was a day with a powerful theme!

It began under the gazebo when Dr. David Mensah shared two stories. The first story was about a teacher who placed a speck of chalk on the centre of a giant blackboard. He then asked the students, “What do you see?” They all said, “We see a speck of chalk.” So he asked them again, and they all gave the same answer. Not one of them “saw” the blackboard. David then went on to speak of a man who visited a friend in Burkina Faso and, having seen the suffering due to drought, found a drought-resistant bean and gave it to the man to plant. He returned a year later and noticed his friend did not look well nourished. He asked what happened to the beans, to which the friend replied, “I cooked them.” David continued with an inspirational address about being people of vision. When devotions were finished, our team presented each NEA staff member with a bottle of Canadian maple syrup, reminding them that a sweet friendship refreshes the soul (Proverbs 27:9).

After breakfast, we planned to head to the hospital site to join in final preparations, but something much more important came up. A large delegation of chiefs representing eight communities arrived and requested to meet with us. Knowing the crowds would be enormous on Sunday, they wanted to ensure that they thanked us “with joy and excitement for our presence in their land since 2007”. They thanked us for providing vision and wisdom to the planning of Leyaata Hospital. They presented us with three cows and several massive bags of rice. They also honoured Rob Hicks with a beautiful white smock and hat to thank him for his leadership of our surgical program. I’m sure this day will be very memorable for Rob as he also found out that his daughter Elsa was accepted into medical school! Yeah, Elsa!

Once the festivities were over, our entire team and the GRID Board spent the afternoon at the hospital site, a beehive of activity as gardeners, painters, cleaners, engineers, electricians, and administrators were putting the finishing touches on the hospital. It was a full circle moment for me as our health team—usually setting up their stations in a village school—helped to set up the permanent emergency room, surgical suite, maternity and paediatric ward, pharmacy, lab, eye clinic and dental clinic. I was choked to tears as I watched skilled surgeons mopping floors, nurses and pharmacists cleaning windows, and board members setting up and scrubbing the industrial kitchen. Everyone on our team pitched in to help wherever help was needed.

This evening, momentum towards commissioning day continued to build as the NEA Board members arrived, and we welcomed more friends from Canada and the United States. Peter, an artisan from Accra, has filled the training centre with his wares, and the shopping spree has begun. He is thrilled as his business suffered greatly due to COVID. We anticipate the arrival of two more containers of hospital equipment first thing tomorrow morning, so there will be lots of unpacking and setting up after a brand new church is commissioned in Carpenter village. Our group is singing the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” during tomorrow’s church service. There are mixed reviews on how our rehearsal went tonight, but I know we can pull it off. We are aiming for three-part harmony.

Everywhere I turned today, I was reminded that we need to be people of vision. People who see the big blackboard and not the speck of chalk. People who plant the bean instead of eating the bean. People who care more about what kind of world they will leave behind for the next generation than meeting their immediate needs. In David’s words, “our vision is coming true,” and we are thrilled to be along for the ride.

This morning began under the newly renovated NEA gazebo, where the staff invited us to join them for morning devotions. This is part of NEA’s daily routine when they gather to sing, study the Bible, and pray for the day’s needs before their work begins. Being present for this foundational part of NEA’s work is always an honour. The pastor shared an inspiring lesson from Romans 12: 3,4.

After a beautiful breakfast of oatmeal, omelettes, beans, and fresh mango served by Patience and her team, we walked to the Carpenter village to greet the chief and elders. The chief recalled a time when his people had to walk 72 miles to purchase a tablet of acetaminophen. He remembered the many women from Carpenter who died in childbirth. He told us about the men and women who went to hospitals for care but had to remain there for an extended time to pay their debt to the hospital.

I reminded the chief that in the early years of our mission, I was discouraged and expressed to him that our work felt like a tiny drop of help in a vast ocean of need. His response back in 2008 was to remind me that even though the ocean is massive, it still accepts every single drop. Today he reflected on the ripple effect that our Ghana Health Teams have had leading up to this historic hospital opening. It was a symbolic and emotional gathering as Dr. David Mensah acknowledged that he would be remembered as the chief whose reign brought health care to this region. The entire meeting was translated from Deg to English and then to Twi.

Our team then walked in a procession to the Leyaata Hospital. I could not hold my tears as we walked through the massive gates and up the drive to the majestic front entrance. The dream NEA has been working towards for so long now stands before us. We toured every room and touched every piece of equipment. Our health leaders stood proudly at the entrance of their departments: administration, emergency room, labour and delivery, neonatal intensive care unit, surgery, laboratory, and pharmacy. Dr. Ben said best: “It is surreal—like I am in a dreamland.” While I would love to provide you with wonderful details and photos of the hospital, these are being kept top secret until after the commissioning.

Before dinner, our team met together to plan our work day for tomorrow. We will be rolling up our sleeves and diving in with whole hearts to help with the final set-up of our respective departments before the crowds descend on Carpenter for the commissioning on Sunday. I asked Patience, the lead cook, how many guests they were preparing to feed. Her response, “Dr. Jennifer, I have been asked to prepare for 5,000 to 7,000.” I then asked her when they would begin those preparations, to which she responded, “Saturday night—we will cook all night.” As Cheryl said, never again will we worry about cooking Christmas dinner.

Tonight, I asked our team to give one word describing what they were feeling after our first full day in Carpenter. So I will close with their list to provide a glimpse of how we are all doing: impressed, excited, ready, inspired, refreshed, welcomed, chilled, overwhelmed, emotional, humbled, privileged, optimistic, astounded, and enthused.

I want to send a load of love from all of us to all our former GHT members who we are honoured to represent here in Carpenter. You are all remembered here by your Ghanaian brothers and sisters, and they send greetings to every one of you. Your fingerprints and the impact of your service are everywhere. As Carpenter Chief said, “Your work has been positive and permanent.”

And thanks to all of you for your comments. Graham reads them to us every night at dinner and we love hearing from home!

The Amazing Race to our “home away from home” began early this morning with our third flight from Accra to Kumasi followed by a four-hour bus ride. We are so grateful for a safe journey, seamlessly coordinated by our hosts and passionately prayed for by the NEA pastors.

As we passed the great Volta River, the excitement on our bus began to build, knowing we would soon pass the Leyaata Hospital, which sits on the south end of the NEA compound. The bus slowed to a crawl as the 130,809.06 square foot facility came into view. Massive, majestic, magnificent—are just a few words that quickly come to mind. Tomorrow after breakfast, we will be taken on a tour.

Our welcome to the NEA compound after an almost three-year separation was sweet and highly emotional. A lot has happened in our lives and the world since we departed in November 2019. My heart was bursting with joy to see David, Brenda, Abraham, and my Ghana family once again. We were also welcomed by members of the GRID Board, who arrived two days ahead of us to join in on the festivities.

After a beautiful song of welcome by the pastors and a speech by David, we settled into our brand new dormitory, Fulamoso House, which sits next door to our previous dormitory. It is spectacular! It is a five-star facility with two central outdoor gazebos and a tea station surrounded by our dorm rooms. I think it can sleep close to 100 guests. Some team members even have an ensuite washroom and air conditioning—those members are locking their doors.

First on our agenda was a most crucial task. Our team visited the grave of Noah Ampen, one of NEA’s founders who passed away after our last mission. His beautiful grave sits under the tree, right beside the three flags of Canada, the UK, and Ghana. We remembered Noah together, laid a wreath in his memory, and sang Amazing Grace. Noah loved us so much, and we will feel his absence and miss his smile each day we are in Carpenter.

For me, one of the most exciting things that took place today was the discussions between our Ghanaian health professionals and our Ghana Health Partners. Amanda, the Lead Pharmacist for Leyaata Hospital and Linda, our Lead Pharmacist, spent the entire bus ride from Kumasi to Carpenter chatting and planning. They look forward to ongoing collaboration with Sherry over the next few days. Dr. Ben, the Medical Director of Leyaata Hospital, is also on-site. Our physicians and surgeons have already begun discussions about how we can support Dr. Ben and his medical staff.

As Magdi, Graham and I walked back to our dorm after dinner, Magdi said, “What’s happening here is unbelievable.” He is right— unbelievable leadership, unbelievable progress, unbelievable work ethic, unbelievable relationships rekindled in the blink of an eye, and an unquenchable belief that health for all will soon come to Northern Ghana.

As I write, the gazebo is full of people having tea, journalling, and playing cards. We are tired from our long journey but invigorated by far more important things.

What’s happening here at NEA is unbelievable, and I am certain that what is about to take place this very week will be unbelievable too.