“Oburoni!”
This was the first word I heard when I arrived in Akropong, a small village in Ghana where I volunteered with Projects Abroad in the Summer of 2022. I was told that Oburoni meant white person in the native language Akan, which initially seemed offensive as I was being addressed based on the color of my skin. However, I soon realized that the word Oburoni was simply how Ghanaians noted the presence of a foreigner. To my surprise, the warmth, kindness and appreciation that surrounded me almost immediately as a complete “foreigner” was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Within just a few short days, Ghanaians became the most joyful and loving people that I have had the privilege of knowing.
After settling in with my host family, it was time to get to work. Each day, my host mother – Mrs. Dina – and I rode the community bus (known locally as the Tro Tro) to the city of Koforidua to begin working at the Eastern Regional Hospital (ERH). I will never forget my first day walking into ERH and staring in disbelief at the condition of the hospital. The paint was peeling; windows were cracked; lights were not working, and fixtures were rusted. It felt cold, sterile, and was the furthest thing from sanitary, yet the patients, nurses and doctors maintained almost an unexplainable positivity. The hospital lacked essential equipment such as defibrillators, cardiac monitors (EKGs), and perfusion kits, which I learned caused several avoidable deaths. There was an absence of basic supplies such as gloves, hand sanitizer, and suturing kits; but I realized this was healthcare in Ghana, and these people had no other frame of reference or outside perspective.
During the summer, I was assigned to Dr. Ransford Aduah, a committed surgeon and chief of staff who not only took the time to explain countless medical procedures, but allowed me to suture a patient, insert a catheter, and shadow his surgeries, which would have never happened in the United States. At the time, I never realized what a role model he would become, not only for his passion and empathy, but for an unwavering and overwhelming commitment to his patients and to the people of Ghana. My fateful encounter with Dr. Aduah not only reaffirmed my decision to pursue medicine as a career, but also set me on a course to pursue this new adventure “Adopt A Hospital,” for which I am eternally grateful. More importantly, he showed me that the kindest and most remarkable people come from the most unexpected places.
During my flight home, I experienced a range of emotion from joy and satisfaction to intense sadness, all of which I channeled into a determination to do something about this situation and to help the people of Ghana. I remember thinking, I wish I could adopt all of these people and bring them to the United States. Then it hit me – Adopt A Hospital. Ironically, I realize now that it was really me who was being adopted, as I was welcomed with open arms the first day of my arrival. Admittedly, I knew nothing about charities, medical supply companies, fundraising, or international shipping. I realize it takes a village, but you have to start somewhere. So with the help of a few caring individuals, Adopt A Hospital was born and a team was assembled to start helping the people of Ghana. The business model is simple – raise donations to buy and send medical supplies to hospitals in need. Our fundraising efforts have started in support of the Ghanaian people, but the conditions I experienced are prevalent around the globe, and people are getting sick and dying for no reason other than inadequate supplies. Our mission is to prevent this situation from happening one patient at a time.
-Chloe Alderson, Founder
