Volunteering in Atorkor

I have always dreamed of doing volunteer work in Africa and this year I decided to make that dream a reality. After researching different NGO’s for a couple of months I decided to volunteer through Village Volunteers. On April 2^nd 2008 I arrived in a small fishing village called Atorkor which is about a two and a half hour journey from the outskirts of Accra, Ghana. There I would call home for the next 5 weeks. When I arrived at the Chief of Atorkor’s house (where I was going to be staying) I was greeted by many smiling faces and participated in a brief welcome ceremony. Some school children dressed in brown and orange uniforms sang a song of welcome for me and another volunteer and we met some of the elders of the community. I was amazed after getting a grand tour of the Chief’s residence at how modern it was…..flush toilets, sinks and showers, and an air conditioned living room and dining area. Not at all what I was expecting and in the weeks to come I would see why everyone in the village referred to this place as ‘The Palace’.

I was volunteering with the Atorkor Medical Clinic doing Health Screening in Atorkor and surrounding villages. This was a truly amazing experience. The purpose of the screening was to identify health issues such as malnutrition, malaria, asthma/ respiratory illnesses, and high blood pressure in different households. As well we were checking children’s immunization status and assessing whether or not pregnant women were receiving pre-natal care. We went from house to house conducting surveys and offering health advice. This was a great way to see the living conditions of the people in the area and experience the culture on a more personal level. It was really amazing to see how resourceful some of the people were and how they could make do with what little they had. As a nurse this was definitely a different experience for me…….taking blood pressures while chickens were running over my feet and goats scavenging for food bahing in the background. The households were very welcoming. They’d greet you with what sounds like “Wayzoe” which means “you are welcome”. And after you were done they would say what sounds like “Akbay” which means “thank you”. Many were very amused and delighted when I responded with “Yooo” which basically means “I accept your welcome or your thanks”. I also had the opportunity to volunteer with the Community Health Nurse of Atorkor doing Well Child Clinics (vaccinating and weighing infants and addressing any concerns the mothers had). I won’t ever forget when we showed up to one of the Well Child Clinic sites in the village of Srogbe. As we walked through a tall metal gate into an area fenced in by about a 6 foot tall cement wall we were greeted by over 50 mothers with infants. They were all seeking shade under a huge, lush mango tree…..the largest mango tree I’ve ever seen. There we weighed infants on the weigh scale which reminded me of the scales we use in grocery stores in Canada to weigh food. The children were placed in fabric sacks and hung from the scale. As they swung back and forth on the weigh scale under the mango tree I just thought to myself, “Wow, so this is Public Health Nursing in Africa…..if only we had mango trees in Canada”. Now I’m at the end of my 5 week stay in Ghana. I leave tomorrow. It is very bittersweet because although I am really excited to see all my family and friends in Canada, I am very sad to leave this place which has become my home away from home. There are so many things I will miss. The food was amazing……my favorite was Red Red which is black-eyed peas in a spicy red sauce served with fried red plantains. I am going to miss walking down the street passing people carrying various objects balanced on their heads while goats and chickens run across the street and waves of the ocean crash against the beach in the background. I am going to miss the scenery…..Ghana is such a beautiful country. Home to such a rich diversity of plants and animals. I had the opportunity to go on 2 excursions during my stay. One was to the Northern Region in which I got to go on a safari in Mole National Park. I got to see elephants, baboons, monkeys, many different types of birds, crocodiles, and antelope in their natural habitat. I also got to explore some of the Central Region in Cape Coast. I saw several slave castles which were very beautiful but heartbreaking at the same time. I went on a canopy walk (40 meters off the ground) in Kharkum National Park and went on a guided nature tour. Of all the things I’m going to miss about Ghana I’ll miss the people the most. I’ll never forget the friends I’ve made and all the wonderful people I’ve had the privilege of meeting. This was the most amazing experience of my life and I hope to be able to come back to volunteer in Ghana again soon.

Heather Valgardson
Cochrane, AB Canada
Atorkor Development Foundation
May, 2008