Kwabang

Our last clinic stop for the day.  Kwabang is the district clinic for the area and we met up with some of our midwives and PAs from the training earlier in the week.  

Dr. Hughes, Charlotte--the district Nurse, Dr. Thueson, Kellie, and Danette

 Clinic restrooms.  Complete with toilet seat covers, warm towels, air freshener, and an attendant.  ;)

 Irene!  

 Victor showing us the delivery room and bed

 Waiting room

Asamama--a new health clinic, great kids, and The winning photograph of the trip

Asamama is a small village between Abomosu and Kwabang.  After visiting the clinic and library in Asunafo we stopped briefly at the site of the new World Joy health clinic that is being constructed in Asamama.  

These kids were trying to fix their bike on a little trail by where we pulled the car over.  I wish I had a picture of all three of them on the bike--they had serious skills-- but the chain had fallen off and they were trying to fix it.  

The construction site for the new World Joy health clinic in Asamama.  

 From the construction site I could see a school so I went to fulfill my photojournalism responsibilities while Mike & Ike and Stephen talked business.  

Such great kids.  I love how stranger danger doesn't even cross their minds.  Such different worlds.  It was interesting though that there weren't any teachers to be found...  I was just wandering around and this group of kids came up and wanted to talk and then the group kept growing.  I was playing an ABC game with them and Danette when suddenly...

Dr. Hughes walked up behind us and all the kids ran to attack hug him.  One of the greatest moments of the trip and the best picture.  

 Crazy tree

 Dr. Hughes teaching the kids how to give a High 5

Saying good-bye is always so hard

Asunafo--A Clinic, World Joy Schools, and a library

Asunafo.  I love this village.  We weren't in Asunafo for very long but for some reason this little place got to me.  It was remote, and I think the two cars that we had were pretty much the only ones in the village at the time  I can definitely see myself coming back and living here.  

 The road to Asunafo.   

 I still don't really understand this...First there was a sign saying there was a church but there were only trees around for miles.  Then, literally in the middle of nowhere, is this church.  Ghana is filled with churches--in the villages, but this church is just on this remote road among all the trees.  I have to be missing something... 

 World Joy school!

 World Joy Clinic.  

 This nurse runs the clinic.  No Drs.  

Ike, Stephen Abu, and the Asunafo nurse

 Clinic waiting room

 The chart room.  Maybe we should incorporate this method at Hope Clinic

 Tim and Kassie inspecting the cacoa.  

 A typical store.  

 Dr. Thueson, Danette, and Kellie discussing quantum physics.  

 Library!

 I love how before it turns into Hershey's kisses, it just sits out on the side of a road in a village in Africa with the chickens and goats.  It makes me love chocolate even more.  Life is good.  

 In Ghana if you wave your hand from side to side, it means hello.  If you wave your hand up and down, it means come here.  I didn't realize how often I (or other people) wave up and down.  But every time we did, the person we thought we were waving to, would come up to us.  This little boy was so obedient... (but lacking on the stranger danger education a bit...)  ;)  a random white woman told him to come to her (she thought she was just waving) and just stood still and talked to her.  It was adorable.  

 All the books for children

 The top row is adult books (The Other Side of the Mountain, Harry Potter, and a dictionary being the top choices).  The middle shelf contains Young Adult material, and the third shelf, reference materials. 

 

 Who wears sunglasses inside?  I love that Dr. Hughes is taking a quick reading break.  

Beautiful Asunafo

Abomosu School-Thursday

Thursday was observation day.  Thursday morning we went back to the Abomosu school to give the kids the pencils, erasers, and other supplies that we had brought.  That afternoon we headed out to some of the smaller villages to observe the clinics.

Beware.  You will fall in love with these kids just by looking at their pictures.

 Kindergarten

 Kellie sharpening some pencils

 The director of the school showed me the bathroom.  If I remember correctly, he told me that they follow a little trail that goes into a jungle that leads to a log.  That is the bathroom.  

 Dr. Thueson decided to sit down and take the kindergarten test.  

And our little friend soon found someone sitting in his chair.  If he took the test for him I hope he got all the answers right!

 Danette and Kassie sharpening pencils.  

 These little boys are studious!  We disrupted their class completely.  Ike was talking to the teacher, Kellie, Kassie and Danette were wandering around the little school room sharpening pencils with a crowd of children following them, and these two boys sat at their desks their entire time working on the test they were taking.  These boys are going places!

 Student and teacher.  ahhhhh

 Board in the Junior High

 Upper Elementary School on the left, the kindergarten is in the background

 The brand new World Joy junior high on the left, the upper elementary behind the tree, and the kindergarten on the right

 The inside of the upper elementary

 Kindergarten

 Showing off their new pencils