OT: Ghana experiences ?

[Bud_E]

My daughter is a 2nd year engineering student. She is applying to join a team of students that is going to Northern Ghana this summer to help native villagers with sustainable lighting and water filtration systems. HERE (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5325/is_/ai_n21301575) is a short article describing the program.

Has anyone here had any experiences in/near Ghana ( or had children over there) ? I think it could be a tremendous experience for her but at the same time I'm an obsessive, neurotic guy so I'm a bit worried about safety/ medical issues.

I know it's a bit of a stretch to post this on a cycling forum but I'm amazed how knowledgeable the folks here are in general. I'd appreciate any insights.

[Louis]

medical issues

Rx for most of that = Imodium

[93legendti]

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=613120&postcount=45

I cite an article that talks about Ghana in the above post. That's all I have to offer.

[Ray]

No idea about Ghana specifically, but my wife and daughter spent a month in Nepal last summer and needed all sorts of shots before they left. They were pretty careful about what they ate and drank and they stayed healthy, but a lot of other tourists they met weren't as lucky in the intestinal area. There's always a risk with stuff like this, but there's always a risk every time we get into a car or on our bikes. I think we worry more about a situation like that because its so far away and we feel out of control of the situation, but really its probably no more dangerous than a lot of things she already encounters every day. Its also an incredible opportunity for her. I know that I've never viewed the world the same way since I was exposed to true third world poverty almost 30 years ago and it had a similar impact on my wife and daughter last summer. Unless there's some real serious political unrest going on, I'd just take the normal precautions and wish her well.

-Ray

[hansolo758]

I lived in Ghana when I was a child (a long time ago) for several years. I still correspond with some folks there.

Your daughter should be safe. They are not anti-American, even in the north, where the Muslim influence is the strongest. Given what one party tried to do in our recent election, I'm embarrassed at having to point out Muslim influence does not automatically mean anti-American sentiment or terrorism. Any African country will have a sizable Muslim population.

Your daughter will want to be prepared for living conditions that will be a lot more rustic than she is accustomed to. She will need shots and will need to make sure she takes antimalarial therapy. The water might be a concern because of parasites such as filariasis and also tapeworms -- I would advise she drink filtered/purified water. When I lived there we boiled and filtered our drinking water. I would be careful about uncooked food for the same reason. Canned food and properly cooked food is fine. She should check with the State department, the US embassy in Ghana, the Ghanaian embassy in Washington or the agency that is sponsoring her visit for more information about health concerns and living conditions.

Your daughter will have a blast. The country folk in Ghana are really nice and will be thrilled at having a foreigner in their midst.

A forumite called Dustin wrote a couple of years ago about his experiences in Burkina Faso, which used to be called Upper Volta, and is just north of Ghana. His experiences were positive and I'm sure your daughter's will be too. He had a blog for a while but it's no longer active. You might try e-mailing or pm'ing him but it seems like he's fallen off the radar. Here (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=29187&page=1&pp=15&highlight=burkina+faso) is one of his posts, in case you would like to try reaching him.

One more thing: the daughter of a colleague just returned home from a 2-year stint in the Peace Corps in Niger (of uranium and Ambassador Wilson fame), even further north from Ghana and even more Muslim. Her experiences were positive, too. My colleague would be happy to talk with you. If you would like to get in touch with him, please pm or e-mail me and I'll get you his contact info.

My best wishes to your daughter.

[Dustin]

I'm based in San Diego as of September, but have lived and worked in West Africa for over 5 years cumulatively (including stints in Guinea, Senegal, Chad, and Burkina Faso). Never lived in Ghana, but have traveled through there as a tourist, including the north. Overall, it's one of the safest and friendliest countries in West Africa, and just about everyone I know who has been there has had a good time. In fact, lots of people I know thought it was their favorite country in West Africa. I don't have kids, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a stint there to my younger nieces, nephews, etc. For almost everyone, it is a positive, if not eye-opening experience.

Like all capital cities, there are parts of Accra that are dangerous and should be avoided. If you are in a smaller town though, you're safer than most areas of the United States. I don't know where she'll be up north, but in general, it's a very easy going place. It's probably 95% Muslim, but Islam in West Africa is about as mellow as you get.

Ghana is wealthier than most countries in WA, but its still very rustic compared to anywhere in this hemisphere except Haiti. It's not too hard to stay healthy, but you do need to read up and be careful re water & food. She'll need to take malaria prophylaxis and get vaccinations for yellow fever and definitely meningitis (the north skirts the meningitis belt, and even though summer is not meningitis season, you can't be too careful with that one). At worst, she may have a bout of giardia or amoebas but a dose of flagyl or cipro will knock it out. Not a big deal.

Happy to answer specific WA related questions in this thread or via PM.

[Blue Jays]

Hopefully this thread about Ghana won't be locked.

She will definitely wish to consult a doctor of Travel Medicine / Infectious Disease prior to her departure for a full battery of preventative shots.
She will also want to fill prescriptions to have them immediately on-hand in case of infection and/or abdominal problems.

Naturally, she should avoid water, ice cubes, raw vegetables, and peeled raw fruit. Teeth should be brushed with bottled water as should all water that is consumed. Care should be taken to keep one's mouth shut while showering to avoid swallowing local water. I did an extensive tour in southeast Asia and was just fine by minding those suggestions given by medical professionals.

[Bud_E]

Thanks for the great posts. We're leaning towards letting her go but I want her to be safe. We've talked to a few students who've done similar trips in Ghana and Burkina Faso and every one of them loved it.

Thanks as well for your offers to PM you. I'm not quite at the stage yet where I have specific enough questions but I will probably take you up on it soon.

[johnnymossville]

My brother lived in Africa for 5 or 6 years and moved back here a few years ago. While he spent most of his time in South Africa, he did manage to travel extensively throughout the rest of the Continent. I'm sure he could tell some stories of his travels, but my general understanding from him is that his best experiences are the people.

Message me if you want his email address or would like to ask him some questions directly. Good Luck.