Continuing for its fourth year, seven Southern Illinois University Edwardsville health education and nursing students traveled to Ghana to fulfill their program requirements for internship and service learning. For five weeks, they assisted in the planning, implementation, evaluation of health programs, HIV testing and counseling.
Faculty member Faustina Blankson, instructor in the department of kinesiology and health education, accompanied the following students: community health majors Sarah Rose Oswalt from Cary; Brittany Kaiser from Freeburg; Mavis Aboagye from Bolingbrook; and Chicago natives Adeola Busari and Folashade Saliu; along with nursing majors Genesis Young from East St. Louis; and Victoria Appiah from Bolingbrook.
Blankson coordinated the trip with Life Relief Foundation, Rural Aid Alliance and the Kwesimintsim Poly Clinic in the Western region of Ghana.
“Throughout my time in Ghana, the Life Relief Foundation asked that we implement a program that aims to stop the sexual exploitation of children,” said Kaiser. “We worked tirelessly for five weeks talking to schools, villages, community leaders and officials about what no one wanted to talk about and to shed some light on the situation. Luckily, my professors in the health education department gave me the education and tools to design an entire health education program from scratch.”
SIUE students were provided with an engaging, collaborative, hands-on approach to understanding and investigating health-related issues in Ghana. They gained invaluable practical experiences that allowed and challenged them to apply their skills and knowledge to their field of study, as well as cultivate relationships with international communities and organizations.
Students had an experience of a lifetime through working with carefully selected non-profit and government organizations that provide health and health-related services in Ghana. The program also provided students with the opportunities to engage in major cultural, social and environmental issues as reflected in patterns of health and their impact.
“This trip provided the opportunity to incorporate my classroom knowledge into a culturally diverse clinical setting,” said Appiah. “I gained invaluable nursing experience throughout my five weeks while also having the ability to submerge myself in a different culture through various excursions.”
Appiah’s experiences during the trip allowed her to advocate for patients, assist in delivering babies, diagnose various conditions with the guidance of the attending doctor, obtain patient vitals, assist in wound dressings and engage in multiple clinical learning experiences.
The international internship program provides several benefits to students and faculty across majors and departments within the University. An opportunity for students to engage directly in international health initiatives is an invaluable lifetime experience for students and also provides faculty the opportunity to build on the health education network while collaborating with other health professionals.
Ghana’s rich history and multi-cultural environment invites students to explore various social and cultural sites such as the Elmina castle, Cape Coast castle, Kwame Nkrumah mausoleum, Slave market, the museums and art galleries.
Photo: Faustina Blankson, instructor in the SIUE department of kinesiology and health education.