My trip to Takoradi Ghana
Francesca Wells (Nursing)

After months of excitement and anticipation, numerous phone calls to Omar and the team, with our bags packed and Bradt guides in hand we were finally all ready to leave.  Arriving in Accra was quite an experience from the number of people, noise and heat it was hard to believe it was 10pm.  In the midst of all the craziness Prince was there to meet us with a big hug and a smile.  We spent the first night in Accra and travelled to Takoradi the next day.  Arriving in Takoradi we were taken to the work the world house where we met Ophelia and had our tour of the house.  Ophelia is the house cook and not only did she cook amazing Ghanaian dishes but she also looked after us doing everything she could to help.  She made the house feel like home very quickly and was fantastic!  On the first day John gave an induction to the town showing us the bank, post office, internet cafes and other essential places we may have needed giving us many hints and tips along the way.  Takoradi is a busy African town with an amazing market, where you really can buy anything. The friendliness and welcoming nature of Ghanaian people was obvious straight away, with everyone stopping to say Hello or calling out "Obruni"(White person).

For my placement I was based at Effia-Nkwanta the regional hospital in Takoradi.  On our first day John took us to the hospital for our orientation and introduced us to everyone in the hospital. During the four week placement I spent most of my time on the paediatric ward, but I also had the opportunity to spent some time working in the A+E department and Neonatal unit.  By spending the majority of my time on one ward the nursing staff grew to trust me and allowed me to take an active role within the team.  I also had the opportunity to caring out nursing skills I do not often have the opportunity practice at home.  My experiences working with the health care team on the ward was very positive as everyone was very friendly and happy to help me.  During the placement I had the opportunity to look after children with a variety of conditions which are rare within England including Malaria, typhoid and TB.  Working in a hospital with so few resources proved to be very different to what I was expecting and at times it could be very frustrating.  One of the big benefits of living in the work the world house was that on the odd day when I did have a hard shift I knew I could go back to the house and talk things over with other people having very similar experiences.  The work the world team in Ghana were also very supportive and always there to discuss our placement experiences with.

Whilst my placement was the main reason for me visiting Ghana it only made up a part of my Ghana experience which made my trip so amazing.  The majority of our shifts were early shifts which gave us the afternoons to explore Takoradi and the surrounding areas, spend time at a local orphanage or just to relax by the pool at Africa Beach. At the weekends I had the opportunity to travel around Ghana with friends from the work the world house and visit some truly amazing places including: Butre beach, Wli waterfalls in the Volta region and Lake Bosumtwi near Kumasi.  I was also lucky enough to wake up in Kakum national rainforest on my 21^st Birthday, an experience I will never forget!

I had a truly amazing elective experience in Ghana, and I would recommend Work the World to anyone wanting to organise an elective placement in Africa.  The Work the World team were incredibly supportive from the word go and it was really helpful having everything organised for me.  The team in Ghana were amazing, always happy to help us and going out of their way to ensure we had a fantastic time in Ghana.