Danielle Lafond, 25, spent three weeks this past September working on the pediatric floor at a regional hospital in Ho, Ghana on our Medical Center Quest. She went with the goal of pushing herself out of her comfort zone, and after interviewing her, it certainly appears that she succeeded.
Hospital walkway at Regional Hospital in Ho, Ghana
When choosing which Quest destination and program she thought would be most beneficial, Danielle decided on our Medical Center Quest in Ghana. With a nursing background, she decided to take advantage of her career background while also exploring another part of the world. Before departure, her goal was to gain “a better appreciation of healthcare…by going to a less developed country,” but, by the end of her trip, she also gained an appreciation of the Ghanaian lifestyle and attitude.
During her three weeks in Ghana, Danielle spent her weekdays volunteering on the pediatric floor of the regional hospital and felt very welcomed by the fellow nurses and physicians. She even felt welcomed during her morning walks to the hospital, when school children smiled and waved as she passed by; “it made a very positive start to my day because they seemed genuinely happy to see me there. It was very different being the minority.”
Streets of Ho, Ghana
One of the most interesting aspects of her hospital volunteering was being exposed to different cases rarely seen within the US, such as malaria. Danielle recalled her increased respect for the nurses who worked to treat cases as best they could with the resources they had.
Throughout her three weeks in Ghana, Danielle also got the unique opportunity to stay with a homestay family. As her host-mother owned a restaurant, she experienced no shortage of great Ghanaian food. One of her most memorable experiences with her host-brother was visiting the outdoor market; while it was enormous and overwhelming, she was “amazed by how easily he navigated it.”
Wli Waterfalls in Ghana
Danielle’s proudest personal moment of the entire trip was her visit and climb up the Wli Waterfalls. She reached the peak of the waterfall after an arduous two-hour hike and fondly remembers, “while we struggled the whole way up, the guide was just in sandals and no shirt; I thought it was hysterical.” It was a tough climb, but Danielle was really proud after and felt it was well worth the sweat.
Since returning home, Danielle has kept in mind what she learned during her Quest. For future volunteers, she advises always going into a project with an open mind and without too many expectations; “let yourself expand and grow and don’t worry about what will come, but appreciate what’s happening in the moment, even if you like planning ahead (like me).” She tells us that now whenever she becomes stressed out at work in the US, she remembers her experience in Ghana and how the people she worked with kept their positive attitude and belief that things would work out, even with limited resources.
Just “monkeying around”: Danielle visits the Monkey Sanctuary
Danielle would love to go back to Ghana eventually and found that, at the end of three weeks, it was much harder to say goodbye than she had expected. Currently, she is coordinating with her hospital to donate supplies to the hospital she worked with in Ghana. We are moved and inspired that Danielle has taken her passion for helping others and her volunteer experience back with her, continuing her good work from the US. Thank you, Danielle, for your dedication to service and your courage to explore a new country and culture.
Interested in volunteering in Ghana or on a healthcare Quest? Visit our website for more information or contact us at quest@unitedplanet.org or 1-800-292-2316.
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United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
