Accra and Kumasi, Ghana Region Program Details

Program Overview

The Accra and Kumasi Region program involves working with Crystal Eye Clinic in Accra and with Charity Eye Clinic in Kumasi to provide eye care within villages located throughout the Central, Eastern, Western, Volta, and Ashanti Regions of Ghana. These regions are located 1-8 hours from Accra.

Village Outreach Programs Near Accra

Unite For Sight Global Impact Fellows work with ophthalmic nurses to provide eye care in remote rural villages that are located 1-3 hours from the capital city of Accra. The team 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 Accra's Crystal Eye Clinic for care and sight-restoring surgery by Dr. James Clarke.

Overnight Outreach Opportunities

Many fellows also have a unique opportunity to participate in 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 or more 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 in Kumasi. There, 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. The village outreach format is identical to the program with Crystal Eye Clinic 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, and their ophthalmic staff.

Additionally, for those with a special interest in medicine, ophthalmology, or optometry, Dr. Clarke, Dr. Twumasi, 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.

Patients See Results

With Crystal Eye Clinic and Charity Eye Clinic, Unite For Sight is currently providing care to 4,000 village patients each month, including 300 sight-restoring surgeries per month. Quality eye care is brought to patients in their villages, and those requiring surgery are transported to Crystal Eye Clinic (Accra) and Charity Eye Clinic (Kumasi). All of the village patients receive free surgery funded by Unite For Sight so that no patient remains blind due to lack of funds.

Who Can Be A Global Impact Fellow in the Accra and Kumasi Program

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 Global Impact Fellows Do

Standard Global Impact Fellows
Global Impact Fellows assist the ophthalmic nurses 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 and Charity Eye Clinic. 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 1 week, 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 or with Dr. Michael Twumasi at Charity Eye Clinic. Visiting ophthalmologist volunteers work alongside the local ophthalmologists to provide ophthalmic care and perform surgeries. Optometrists work with Crystal Eye Clinic's and Crystal Eye Clinic's 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

Fellows lodge at the Telecentre Bed and Breakfast in Accra. A double room with shared occupancy costs $20 per day plus 15% tax, and the rate includes breakfast. A single room costs $30 per day plus 15% tax, and the rate includes breakfast. 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.

Lunch provided by the Telecentre costs $6, and dinner provided by the Telecentre costs $6. 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.

During overnight outreach activities to Kumasi and other locations, volunteers lodge at hotels near the eye clinic or outreach site.

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 and Entrepreneurial Volunteering sections of the Unite For Sight website.