Ghana
Our assessment trip to Ghana finally occurred
February 22 – March 9. The purpose of this trip was to identify projects
for the inaugural Africa Mercy outreach beginning in January or February
2005 and to gather information to put together funding proposals.
Program Director Todd Sprinkel headed up the team, while Mark Biddell
represented Community Development. Beverley Sutton and I tackled the
HealthCare side of things. Later this year our Christian Witness
department head, Duncan Sissing, will make additional contacts with
church leaders. We split our time between the eastern port of Tema, just
outside the capital Accra, and the western port of Takoradi.
Because
Ghana is the highest ranked coastal West African nation on the Human
Development Index, some have asked why Mercy Ships is going to this
country. Although overall conditions are better than those in
neighboring countries, there are still areas of tremendous need. Those
are the communities where Mercy Ships wants to work.
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Tema General
During the last Anastasis visit to Ghana, crew
built a maternity ward and operating room at Tema General Hospital. What
a delight to walk through the wards and see every bed filled with
mothers and their babies! Today demand exceeds capacity. Mercy Ships is
considering expansion of the facility at Tema General or adding
maternity facilities to a polyclinic on the opposite side of the city.
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Mercy Vision
When Jesus met a blind man in the Gospels, he
asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” The response was, “I want to
see” and Jesus granted him sight. As someone who has worn glasses or
contacts for 30 years and can’t see beyond 2”, I can appreciate his
request. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have no possibility of
clear vision. Yet for many people in Africa, that’s an everyday reality
because they can’t afford to pay for cataract surgery or there is no
surgeon in their area.
Cataracts are a preventable form of blindness,
yet only 200 people in Ghana’s Western region (near Takoradi) receive
cataract surgery each year. Mercy Ships will be able to increase the
cataract surgery rate during our upcoming visit because two operating
rooms on the Africa Mercy will be dedicated to ophthalmic surgery. A
surgeon from New Zealand hopes to join us for most or all of our first
outreach to provide cataract surgery.
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Traditional Birth Attendants
Over
the years, Mercy Ships has been involved in different aspects of women’s
health. Recently we have built stand-alone maternity centers and
provided surgery for women with fistulas. Many women in developing
nations do not go to a healthcare facility to deliver their babies. They
are much more likely to call a traditional birth attendant (TBA) from
their own villages. Most TBAs have little or no formal training.
A personal highlight of the trip was meeting
public health nurse and midwife Helen Botchway in western Ghana. In
spite of some logistical limitations, Helen has an enthusiasm for her
work and a passion to help the people of her region. She provided us
with a report of maternal mortality and morbidity in her region and a
summary of a review course she taught for TBAs. Although she would like
to provide refresher courses every three months, she doesn’t have the
transportation to do it. When I asked if she would be interested in
having someone work with her for a few months, she wanted to know how
soon her help would arrive! Jean Browne, a nurse-midwife from South
Africa, will join the Africa Mercy community health team to work
specifically with TBAs.
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Contract for Africa Mercy
While
we were in Ghana, Mercy Ships signed a contract with the A&P shipyard
for the refit of the Africa Mercy. Mercy Ships volunteers will complete
the project once the shipyard finishes the bulk of the work. Please pray
that funds will continue to come in for the conversion and medical
equipment. top
Thoughts
I’ve mentioned this a few times to friends and
family, so please forgive the repetition. As my role within Mercy Ships
has changed, I’ve felt more removed from the front lines. During this
time in England, the ‘action’ seems a distant memory. Sometimes it’s
difficult to remember that my labor here and now will have a long-term
impact, that one day there will be stories of lives transformed as God
works through the crew of the Africa Mercy to bring hope and healing to
the nations. Please pray that we’ll make the most of this season of
preparation and never lose sight of why we are here and the One who has
called us. top
Notes
I’m grateful for continued support, whether it’s
through your prayers, financial contributions, letters or thoughts. I’ve
been back in England for six months and I know I wouldn’t have made it
without your support!
Please pray for:
