The last 6 ½ weeks; 1st March 2024 – 15th April 2024 have been an eye-opening experience in Ghana. I witnessed first-hand many of the infrastructure issues that occur in Ghana and an unprecedented one as well. There were water shortages, electricity was shut off almost daily, and of course there was the two weeks with no internet due to the cables under the sea being broken. This made getting work done next to impossible. It is important for the Western world to see the issues faced in some African countries. I have been interning at WAAF and IHCC to finish up my Master of Public Health degree from Tulane University in the United States.
My favorite part of my time at IHCC and WAAF has been when I attended the Healthy Mother equals Healthy Baby meetings. I enjoyed sharing some knowledge about toddler nutrition and getting to know them. It is a wonderful program, and the women are all so nice.
I was also a big fan of the dogs that live at the WAAF premise. They do a good job of making sure you are safe and scaring away intruders. At the same time, they were also great friends to spend time with. And as someone who works at an Equine Hospital at home, it was very interesting to see the vet teaching hospital and go to a checkup with the dogs!
As an I spent time reviewing two projects that the organization has implemented, writing snippets for publications, spending time in the pharmacy, entering data in the lab, helping with various tasks, and most importantly learning how an NGO (especially in an African country) operates. Having an in-person internship at an African organization was very important to me so I could learn about how things work on a continent I am not familiar with. I wanted to learn more about the culture and all the behind-the-scenes work that goes on.
Something I found challenging while doing social media posts and trying to create other educational materials are the barriers created by social constructs in Ghana. It was important to be very careful when wording posts and what kind of information is shared. I found that in Ghana there needs to be more sex education at a younger age, preferably incorporated into the school systems to promote safe sex and prevent future HIV and STI infections. Some people even stated they wished they had known more about using condoms. This unfortunately would require a policy change. While I was in Ghana, parliament also passed the anti-LGBT bill which complicates a lot of the work and the lives of some clients.
To be honest, it was a little bit scary and overwhelming to be so far from home and experiencing water and power shortages, and internet cuts. Everyone at the organization was very supportive and was always available to help if needed. The last thing I will say is, TRAFFIC! It is very discouraging trying to go anywhere when you spend so much time sitting in barely moving traffic. The road conditions leave a bit to be desired as well. I did enjoy getting to see some sights while I was in Accra though.
Kara Hertz
Master of Public Health
Tulane University