Odumase

Today took us to Odumase, about 3 hours outside of Accra. When we pulled into the parking lot of what looked like a health center area, we noticed the patients waiting for us outside. The visual acuity portion of the clinic was set up outside, while the dispensing and eye exam was set up inside a building. Eli, another volunteer, and I were assigned to the visual acuity portion of the clinic. I was amazed how many blind people and people who had lost their eye were at this outreach. Even if they are blind they still go thru the visual acuity portion, we need to record if they see any hand movement or light perception. We finished with the 130 patients in about 2 ½ hours, then went to the dispensing station to help out. All in all we were about there for 6 hours. Before we headed out one of the main volunteers in Odumase, Liticia, talked to me about the villages in the mountains. It was another 2-3 hours drive and their were more villages up there that needed desperate eye care. The villagers have no means of transportation to visit a eye doctor. She wanted to try to arrange something with Unite for Sight and urge outreaches in this area. I am hoping these outreaches will somehow evolve with the program. After talking to Liticia, we packed up and I headed back to Accra. On the way, we stopped in a small village and some got food while the two of us looked for this spice we had with some kebabs and we thought was amazing. We asked one of the vendors where we can buy this spice, pepe, and he led us behind a side street and we entered an open area filled with women making everything from fish to spices. We bought some from a lady sitting next to a big vat of this spice, she measured the spice with a tin can and put it in plastic baggies and we then returned to the car. Love that stuff. I believe it has cayenne, salt and some other spice I can’t seem to figure out. It is pretty flavorful. After that we headed home. My last outreach here in Ghana, for now that is. It has been quite an experience. I have appreciated every minute of it and would definitely return, the people are so worth it. My flight leaves tomorrow late in the evening, so I will be exploring Osu District and the Cultural Market tomorrow.