Ghana Program Details

 

Location

The Ghana Program involves working with Unite For Sight's five eye clinic partners in Ghana, which includes three eye clinics in Accra and two eye clinics in Kumasi. Global Impact Fellow volunteers work with the local eye clinics to provide eye care to villages located throughout all regions of Ghana. The villages are located 1-8 hours from each eye clinic.

Unite For Sight's partner eye clinics in Ghana include:

Date Options

Volunteers may combine dates and participate in more than one session for multiple months, up to a year, if desired. Volunteers may optionally pursue a research study in the Global Impact Lab.

2012

2013

Program Overview

Village Outreach Programs Near Accra

Unite For Sight Global Impact Fellows work with the ophthalmic nurses and optometrists of Crystal Eye Clinic, North Western Eye Centre, and Save The Nation's Sight Clinic to provide eye care in remote rural villages that are located 1-3 hours from the capital city of Accra. Each eye clinic's team visits a different village location on a daily basis. Therefore, on any particular day, there are usually three Accra-based outreach teams (one outreach team from each clinic) who are providing eye care to three different villages.

The teams of eye nurses and Unite For Sight volunteers are transported on a van to the villages during the morning, and they return to Accra in the late afternoon. In the villages, more than 100 patients each day receive an exam, diagnosis, eyeglasses, medication, and treatment. Patients requiring ophthalmic care and surgery are transported from the villages to Crystal Eye Clinic, North Western Eye Centre, and Save The Nation's Sight Clinic, for surgery by the local Ghanaian ophthalmologists.

To learn about the impact of the outreach programs, read Crystal Eye Clinic's optometrist Dr. Ernest Awiti's Notes From The Field.

Overnight Outreach Opportunities

Many fellows also have a unique opportunity to participate in Crystal Eye Clinic's and Save The Nation's Sight Clinic's overnight outreach activities in remote villages located 3-5 hours from Accra. The fellows travel with the local eye clinic staff to a more remote region of Ghana, where they stay for 3-14 days and lodge in a local hotel or guest house. These overnight outreach options provide volunteers with a unique perspective about eye care needs in the various regions of Ghana.

Refugee Camp Outreach Opportunities

Some fellows may also participate in outreach activities at Buduburam Refugee Camp, located approximately 90 minutes from Accra. Crystal Eye Clinic's team visits Buduburam twice per month.

Village Outreach Programs Near Kumasi

Global Impact Fellows participating with Unite For Sight for at least 20 days usually are scheduled to rotate for two weeks with Charity Eye Clinic or Friends Eye Centre in Kumasi.

At Charity Eye Clinic, Global Impact Fellows work with ophthalmologist Dr. Michael Twumasi and ophthalmic nurses to provide eye care in rural villages located 1-3 hours from Kumasi. At Friends Eye Centre, Global Impact Fellows work with Dr. Seth Wanye and ophthalmic nurses to provide eye care throughout the Ashanti and Northern Regions.

The village outreach format is identical to the programs with Crystal Eye Clinic and North Western Eye Centre in Accra. Participating in both the Accra and Kumasi regions introduces volunteers to different parts of Ghana.

Educational Opportunities

This program provides an extensive and immersive global health experience, and Global Impact Fellows learn about the complexities and realities of global health and social entrepreneurship from the Unite For Sight program as well as from Dr. Clarke, Dr. Twumasi, Dr. Gyasi, Dr. Baah, Dr. Wanye, and their ophthalmic staff.

Additionally, for those with a special interest in medicine, ophthalmology, or optometry, Dr. Clarke, Dr. Twumasi, Dr. Gyasi, Dr. Baah, Dr. Wanye, and their ophthalmic nurses provide opportunities to learn ophthalmic and optometric skills. Global Impact Fellows also have an opportunity to observe cataract and pterygium surgeries provided at the eye clinics.

Who can be a Global Impact Fellow in Ghana?

This program is suitable to anyone 18 years and older who has an interest in international service, global health, and social entrepreneurship. Global Impact Fellows range from gap year students, undergraduate students, and medical students to public health students, public health professionals, nurses, educators, opticians, optometrists, ophthalmology residents, ophthalmologists, filmmakers, photographers, and others. This program is also open to teenagers who would like to accompany a parent who is also a Global Impact Fellow.

What do Global Impact Fellows do?

Standard Global Impact Fellows

Global Impact Fellows assist the ophthalmic nurses and optometrists in all aspects of the eye care programs. They take patient history, test visual acuity, observe the ophthalmic nurse or optometrist during their examination and diagnosis, distribute medication and eyeglasses prescribed by the eye nurse, provide eye health education in the villages and schools, and help with the coordination of patient surgeries. Volunteers also have an opportunity to observe the surgeries provided by the ophthalmologists at Crystal Eye Clinic, North Western Eye Centre, Save The Nation's Sight Clinic, Charity Eye Clinic, and Friends Eye Centre. The previously blind patients leave the eye clinic after surgery with restored sight.

Eye Care Professional Volunteers

Emirates Airline Foundation has generously donated free airline tickets for optometrists and ophthalmologists to work with Unite For Sight's partner eye clinics in Ghana. Ophthalmologists participating for at least 2 weeks, and optometrists participating for at least 4 weeks, are eligible for the donated airline tickets. The donated airline tickets are limited and available on a first come, first serve basis to accepted applicants.

Ophthalmologist volunteers work daily with Dr. Clarke at Crystal Eye Clinic, with Dr. Gyasi at North Western Eye Centre, with Dr. Baah at Save The Nation's Sight Clinic, with Dr. Michael Twumasi at Charity Eye Clinic, or with Dr. Seth Wanye at Friends Eye Centre. Visiting ophthalmologist volunteers work alongside the local ophthalmologists to provide ophthalmic care and perform surgeries. Optometrists work with Crystal Eye Clinic's, North Western Eye Centre's, Save The Nation's Sight Clinic's, Charity Eye Clinic's, and Friends Eye Centre's optometrists and ophthalmic nurses to provide optometric care in rural villages.

Increasing numbers of Unite For Sight ophthalmologist and optometrist volunteers are bringing their teenage children to accompany them to the Unite For Sight Accra program. The eye care professionals and their family members are able to participate in varying capacities to provide eye care to patients living in extreme poverty. The teenagers participate as standard volunteers, while the optometrists and ophthalmologists work with the local Ghanaian ophthalmic staff to provide optometric and ophthalmic services. Those interested in this opportunity are encouraged to view the video by Dr. Rose, who participated in Ghana with his wife and three teenage daughters. Each family member interested in participating is required to apply separately to the program and submit individual pre-departure requirements.

Filmmaker and Photography Volunteers

Unite For Sight filmmaker and photographer volunteers document the voices of patients who receive sight-restoring eye care through Unite For Sight programs. The videos and photos promote awareness and information about global eye care needs and also demonstrate the commitment and dedication of Unite For Sight's local partner eye doctors who work tirelessly to provide eye care to those living in extreme poverty. The opportunity allows students, filmmakers, and photographers an opportunity to learn about development issues while making a significant impact.

Living and Lodging Expenses

Prior to participating abroad, each volunteer receives their personalized weekly schedule, which includes all of the details about where they will be participating each week.

Most volunteers are stationed in Accra for approximately 20-50% of their time in Ghana. While participating in Accra, Fellows lodge at the Telecentre Bed and Breakfast in Achimota, Accra. A double room with shared occupancy costs $25 per day plus 15% government tax, and the rate includes breakfast. Though most volunteers lodge in a double room with shared occupancy, there is also an option for a single room, which costs $38 per day plus 15% government tax. The Telecentre provides a 5% discount on the weekly bill for those who stay for a minimum of one month. For those staying for a minimum of two months, the Telecentre provides a 10% discount on the weekly Telecentre bill.

Breakfast provided by the Telecentre costs $5, lunch provided by the Telecentre costs $7, and dinner provided by the Telecentre costs $8. Most days, however, volunteers eat lunch (protein bars or similar food) in villages during the daily outreach programs, and volunteers usually eat out together in local area restaurants for dinner. Many volunteers eat breakfast at the Telecentre.

While each volunteer's rotational schedule varies, volunteers are usually stationed outside of Accra (and therefore not at the Telecentre) for approximately 50-80% of their time. When participating in Kumasi or the other overnight outreach locations, volunteers lodge at hotels near the eye clinic or outreach site.  The food and lodging expenses are highest in Accra since this is the capital city of the country. Lodging expenses in Kumasi and other locations range from $6-$20 per day.

Volunteers participating for ten days are more likely to spend most of their time in Accra, while those participating for at least 20 days will spend significant time outside of Accra on the overnight outreaches.

Special Section For Students: Academic Credit, Clinical Rotations, and Research

This program is suitable for undergraduate and public health students interested in pursuing an internship for academic credit, as well as for medical and optometry students interested in pursuing a clinical rotation for academic credit. You should consult your academic institution regarding how you can arrange this type of course credit. Unite For Sight will complete student performance evaluations required by a university so that a student can receive academic credit. We can also provide a letter for the university that confirms a student's planned participation in the Unite For Sight program, as well as details regarding the student's pre-departure online global health coursework and global health field participation. Please review the Academic Credit section of the Unite For Sight website.

This program is also appropriate for undergraduate students, medical students, optometry students, and public health students who would like to pursue a community-based field research project, which requires that the student have a faculty mentor at their home institution as well as IRB approval. Those interested in research should read the Global Impact Lab section of the Unite For Sight website.

Volunteer Perspectives: In Their Own Words

"Unite For Sight’s voluntary program is not one that glosses over the veracity and urgency of global health and gives volunteers a false idea of how working in developing countries is like. It is not a program for students who simply look to enjoy the company of cute little kids while earning an outstanding recommendation on their resume. Unite For Sight’s international voluntary program is one that allows passionate young adults to see the reality of international development, and to open their minds to the possibility of serving the underprivileged while providing them the opportunity to support quality eye care in areas that need their contributions."--Sueyan Yuen, Global Impact Fellow in Ghana. Read Sueyan's complete narrative at "Volunteering in Ghana: Hands-On Realities to International Development"

"The unparalleled experience with Unite for Sight in Ghana provided me with a deeper understanding of how medicine and public health are inextricably linked. I hope to incorporate the tools and knowledge I garnered through this volunteer opportunity as a future healthcare provider." --Taygan Yilmaz, MPH, Global Impact Fellow in Accra and Kumasi Region, Ghana. Read a published journal article by Taygan: "Unite For Sight" in Eye News.

"With my strong interest in the operation and functioning of clinics abroad, my experience with Unite For Sight has been remarkable.  Unite For Sight works very efficiently and effectively at extending eye care to multitudes of patients each week, and serves as a model for other nonprofit organizations by incorporating both idealistic and practical methods to ensure the greatest success – defined by the number of patients seen, the number of surgeries performed, the number of people whose lives have been changed by restoring their vision." --Julia Goldberg, Global Impact Fellow in Ghana. Read Julia's complete narrative at "My Experiences as a Global Impact Fellow in Accra, Ghana"

"Most of all, I met some of the most incredible people in Ghana. The ophthalmic nurses I worked with and spent much of my free time with regularly had the greatest dedication to the organization: two of the nurses left their family in Liberia to work long hours in Ghana. The other nurse, Dennis, left his job in Great Britain, where he had studied and practiced and his wife is studying, to return to his homeland with his children. It is their dedication to the mission of Unite For Sight that makes the organization so successful in Ghana, and I was honored to work with them."--Carolyn Smith-Lin, Global Impact Fellow in Ghana. Read Carolyn's complete letter to her funders at Princeton.

"In contrast to studying public health in an academic setting, Unite for Sight allowed me to gain perspective on the way that public health is actually done in the field.  As a result, I became so interested in community health that I went on to work for the Pan American Health Organization on a children's environmental health project at the U.S./Mexico border.  I am interested in combining my interests in global health with my background as a scientist in my future work to better understand health disparities and strategies to help communities that most need it.  I'm an undergraduate in the chemistry department at Princeton. I plan on applying to either MD or MD/PhD programs after Princeton."--Atrish Bagchi, Global Impact Fellow in Ghana

"It was a regular day during a semester filled with biochemistry and other assorted sciences when I sat down at my computer to check my email. My flooded inbox contained many items that I expected to find from professors and friends of mine. There was one message, however, that really grabbed my attention. The Schreyer Honors College was informing their students of an organization called Unite For Sight that battles blindness around the world by partnering with local eye clinics to provide socially responsible global health to some of the world’s poorest countries. At the time, I had no idea that this simple email would change my plans for the summer and, ultimately, the way I view medicine...If you’re planning on working with Unite For Sight, be ready for a little bit of magic to happen. An open mind, some hard work, and the ability to be flexible really can enable you to help make a difference in the world, one set of eyes at a time."--Erik Auker, Global Impact Fellow in Ghana. Read Erik's complete narrative at "My Experiences as a Global Impact Fellow in Tamale, Ghana"

"In addition to gaining experience delivering care through an NGO, Unite For Sight’s collaboration with the Ghana Health Services allowed for an even more significant learning experience.  From discussions with Ghanaian ophthalmologist Dr. Wanye, I learned about Ghana’s nationalized health care, how the government health care system pays medical personnel, and the role of public and private care. Through my Unite For Sight internship in Ghana, these additional opportunities to learn about health care fostered a greater foundation for me as I pursue a career in global health, one in which I will both see patients and work to improve systems of health care delivery in local communities.  Having finished my summer internship with Unite For Sight, I am only more curious about variations in cultural understandings of sickness and variations in health care delivery globally.  I have gained more confidence in the pursuit of my career goals, and I look forward to future medical work experiences abroad." --Nicole Penwill, Global Impact Fellow in Ghana. Read Nicole's complete narrative at "My Experiences as a Global Impact Fellow in Tamale, Ghana"

Videos By and For Global Impact Fellows in Ghana >>

Volunteer Abroad

Find Us on Facebook