November

The last half of November started out quiet, with me busy teaching and Tricia continuing her seemingly never-ending quest to open a clinic. For Thanksgiving we were again invited to the US Ambassador’s residence in Accra for a traditional meal followed by intense socialization (the kind you engage in after not seeing friends for months).

It has been an idea of Tricia’s for some time now to create a nutrition rehabilitation center in our Volta region of Ghana. When we were in Accra for Thanksgiving she took the opportunity to meet some people that could help make this facility a reality. She met with USAID, the organization that funded her PD Hearth nutrition programs (and recognized her on their blog in Sept 2011), but learned that no funding was available. However, she was directed to a program under the Department of Defense (?!) and was more successful there. Turns out this program, a fund for building schools, community centers, and health facilities (anything non-private that would improve a community), was looking for projects to fund. It was decided that Tricia’s project was a good fit and that she should apply. She was ecstatic; this type of large, expensive, first-of-its-kind infrastructure project is difficult to accomplish.

After a successful trip to Accra, we returned to Jumbo just in time to take part in the official opening ceremony for the clinic! Preparations were made well (in our absence!) and many people came to attend. There were speeches, gift presentations, and even a ribbon-cutting! When they announced the nurse assigned to the clinic, he was hoisted up onto shoulders and carried over next to the chief, where he sat for the remainder of the ceremony. Jumbo has a clinic now!