Guinea Worm. Water. Children. UNICEF

Issues facing children in Ghana - UNICEF
One third of rural populations lack access to safe drinking water, and only 11 per cent have adequate sanitation. Guinea worm, a parasitic infection largely attributable to drinking unsafe water, continues to plague Ghana which reported more cases of Guinea worm than any other country in 2004.
While the HIV prevalence rate seems to be stabilizing in Ghana, the countries’ comparatively low number of HIV/AIDS cases masks considerable variations by geographic region, gender, age, occupation, and to some degree, urban-rural residence. It has been estimated that only 30 per cent of AIDS cases are reported, in part because of stigma, but also due to factors such as reduced health-seeking behaviour, and inadequate access to health services.
Nationwide, only 469 eligible HIV-positive children (aged 0-14) were receiving crucial Anti-retroviral therapy (ART). Given that more than 6,000 children are eligible for ART, there is still an enormous gap in the area of pediatric ART.
Proper iodization and use of iodized salt remain a challenge in Ghana. Figures show that 51 per cent of households consume iodised salt, but only 32 per cent of households adequately iodized their diet.
Birth and death registration continues to be relatively low in Ghana due to severe capacity constraints and the Birth and Death Registries where registration is still largely done by hand.
Activities and results for children
Data suggest that Ghana has already achieved gender parity at the primary and junior secondary levels. In partnership with key government and non-government actors, UNICEF has worked successfully toward improving the level of girl’s education in 15 districts where parity levels were low.
Seventy-eight per cent of the population is now using an improved source of drinking water and 60.7 per cent have access to improved sanitation. The sanitation figure presents a significant increase over comparable household surveys completed in 2003.
An integrated maternal and child health campaign included distribution of 1.5 million long-lasting insecticide treated nets to children 0-11 months of age, administration of vitamin A to children under 5 years and to lactating women, de-worming of 2-5 year old children (nationwide) and administration of 3 million supplemental doses of polio vaccine to children under 5 years.
UNICEF, in collaboration with Catholic Relief Services, initiated the Integrated Nutrition Action Against Malnutrition project in Ghana’s Upper West Region in May 2007. The project aims to provide 138 metric tons of Ready-to-Use Food (RUTF), called “plumpy’nut”, to 2,000 severely malnourished children aged 6-36 months.
UNICEF intensified its support for Guinea worm eradication efforts during 2007. Following an increase in cases early in 2007 (as a result of break-down of a major water source in 2006), very encouraging progress was recorded during the last six months, with an 8 per cent reduction in indigenous Guinea Worm cases by year’s end.
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Damned if I dont, Damned if I do.

Its 2009, this means a few things. My time here is winding down, and im starting to get a tad nervous about what comes next. Many questions in my head; Am I ready to go back home? Do I want to extend my service for another year in order to see some projects through? Should I just get a job here (non peace corps related) for another year. Where do I want to go to graduate school? Do I want to go to graduate school now? How am I going to pass my physics class? Can I meet my project goals for the next quater? Am I actually busy working or just busy being busy? These questions are like a constant headache throbing in my right eye or worse, like the visit of a very annoying aunt.

I realize that I dont feel like im being challenged with some of the projects that Im undertaking currently and this is causing some restlessness in my being. I am however looking forward to what I have in front of me for the next 10months. Ergo, to take care of my headache and ignore my aunt, I took some personal leave days for relaxation and to be by the Ocean. I returned more exhausted than I was when I got there. However positively because it was in many quiet ways an all encompasing provacative experience.

My internal green lights says YES and I can feel the universe conspiring and pulling me back to it again; Love. Knowing this, Im maturing in how I accept changes in relationships, be it good, bad, or indifferent because its imperative that in life things will always move on to other phases and being "Impasse" has never really suited me. I think I may just have met the perfect stranger and my anthenas are up understanding, knowing, holding on tightly to me and attempting small steps at a new kind of wonderful non-love. I have the sudden urge to break from previoius tireless routines.

In short, the past months are pulling me in different directions and I know I cant figure it all out on my own. Im reading the signs, being joyful, and begining to feel most deserving.

All my love,
Ledor

small and sweet

Its been a few months since I wrote to give you a sign that I’m still out here, hopefully doing what I’m supposed to be doing and or getting by without too many hitches. I can’t guarantee a hitch free report but I can narrate and hope that you can measure the process of my work and not the impact... just yet.

I blinked and its been a year later!!!!!!
Guinea worm reduced in Savelugu 92%, I smell a celebration party or an excursion soming rite up. Burkina perhaps.?

Was sitting in a meeting with several respected people in the community today when someone asks my name, I remind her as I have several times, and she proceeds to look for its meaning in the oxford English dictionary that was peacefully ignoring us on the table. Remarkably I don’t leap to explain to her that my name is not even English, and that there was no way in heaven that it would be relaxing in an oxford dictionary.

HASH, a 4 mile run with expatriates, nationals and almost everything in between was quite possibly the most fun I’ve had in the company of strangers since I have been in country, and away from site. Could be because this pleasant memory situates itself between moments of low contemplation and perhaps times of seemingly unbearable personal Distings. Its always nice to make new friends and get a glimpse into other pilgrim stories. We are all going somewhere, some know exactly where and others will be elated at the surprises that God has in place for us.

Christmas is here, again and Im still away from home!!! Do I feel the sneaky melancholy cloud creeping over me? Yes, but still feeling with my tentacles and letting the people crash into me and me into them, so all is well.
Till next time…. Zaasuma

Random....edit to your satisfaction.

sorry for the silience.......I will do my best with subsequent posts not to allow three months to get by.Lots have transpired since last year obviously, most great some good and iffy and few bad. They range from glorious dayswhen I do nothing but roam in my village and greet elders squat with painin my knee but enjoying it all blissfully, to being followed by children, squniting away the heat and hoping for a tear to clear my eyes. These days are great!The days when I wake early and walk to the Guinea worm containment center,where on average twelve to fifteen children are lined up for rebandaging oftheir soars, where the worm has emerged and is causing havok on themuscles, they are crying and wailing, screaming in pain, but immediatelythe wounds heal they go right back the dam, swim in there and drink moreguinea worm copepods into their bodies. As a volunteer, I cant provideportable water to the poeple here. The District assembly has to do that butthey dont seem to be in a hurry and this town remains the guinea wormcapital in Ghana. Sad.Its almost halfway through the dry(realy hot) weather and the small watersources are drying up. the women are now walking at 2/3 am in the morningto the next village to fetch dam water. The lucky ones with kind husbandsand children will have them take the bicycle to fetch so that they donthave to walk and carry heavy mini-drums of water on there heads. when Istand in front of my house and see women walking to go get water, imembarrased that I dont have to do the same. These days suck really bad!!I have also been doing some School health education at the schools. and Imworking to maintain the cordial relationship that I have with the headmasters now, they will come in handy later in the year when the timecalls for other projects. My site is significantly bigger than my fellow volunteers. I live in a district capital of about 30,000 people. comparedto an avergae site of 5,000 - 12,000. SO to say the leats my communityintegration will continue right up until its time to come home. I try notto be too overwhelmed by it all. I realize that im always afraid evrytime I leave my house for work, not of the work it self(which is in itself not easyto pinpoint) but of the challenges that the day will bring. Who is goingtotease me abuot not being able to speak the language, who is going to ask me a really strange question about americans, who is going to ask me for money or overcharge me because i sound different.??? I need to get overmyself really... Lately i have been doingsoem reserch on GRE and MCAT here, I would like to take both so that I haveoptions when I return home. if you come accross anymateriales that youthink I might find useful in studying please send them my way. If I need toI can send you some funds. As for writing, I have been writing, but at times I fear to write. fear of what I might put down that will haunt me. Im really happy sometimes and those times, I dont want my happiness taken away or guilt to creep in, other times, im really sad and dont want to akcnowledge my petty downtimes when I observes what is happening around me.



A summary of daily shedule is long over due I think...:-) Agree?

I try not to get mysty eyes at the internetcafe when I recieve emails and packages from friends and family sooo...keep it coming. I didnt want to be the crazy american lady who cries in public. Women dont cry here, which does not bode well for me. Imdoing great, just very uncomfortable with the heat! Its sooo hot here inthe nort, no humidity just scorching sun. I cant wait for raining seasonand with that come mosquitoes....:-)! Apart from my reservations about tehweather, im really doing well. Still learning the language but I am gettingby with my broken dagbani. Savelugu is still the GUniea Worm captital ofGhana, and it is proving very difficult to cut transmission. The Dams aredrying up and there are only two boreholes in a community of 30,000 peopleor more. The pipes only run maybe once or twice a week. We just had ademonstration of women against he Guinea worm team because they dont havewater and they think the G>W>E>P team is responsible. The districtassembbly seems ot be taking their time on the issue of portable drinkingwater. Speaking of time, im still learning and understanding that peoplehere dont run for time, they make time adjust to their own bodyclocks:-)!!!



My daily schedule varies from day to day, but usually about three times aweek, I go to the containment center in town(where we keep guiea wormpatients) to keep them from wandering and contaminating otherwiseuncontaminated water sources. I go there in teh morning to help with thebandaging and pulling out worms. Most times I find that Im holding downscreaming children. The disease is very painful and causes havok on theirmuscles and viens. Sometimes we see very iinfected wounds that have to betaken to the hospital(will send you some pictures soon!). The patientsswear up and down that they will filter there water and not swim in thedams, but we are likely to see them again next year. After the C.C.C I make my way to the school to greet the headmaster and teachers, and maybe do 1or 2 health lessons for the day(the students especially like copepoddemonstration). Our cases now are mostly students so I have been spending alot of time at school doing some health education on guinea worm. Soon after the peak season in april I will being my HIV, Malnutrition( I willsoon start planiting Moringa trees, and being to introduce them as an addedway to treat malnutrition), Hygiene and other things at school and in thevillages.When Im not in school I go to field with teh national service students andthe area cordinators to give out or replace filters in small sections intown, and sometime I just go to town, roam, sit and crack groudnuts, andmake myself available to them. I go to greet the chief at least once evrytwo weeks and update him of the cases for the month, and also to thedistrict assembly to do the same.



This week we are organizing a volleyball tornament for the young people that are not in school, since the school aretargeted alot!! This should be fun especially because my counterpart is aman over 60 with 4 wives and almost 20 children. His children could make awhole team of players.I have made lots of friends and making more, some of those "friends" are not really friends. They want to know if I can take them to america when Im leaving, and some others want to make me their third of fourth wife. I keepelling them that they cant afford to marry me, when that doesnt work i tell them that im already married with children in america. I have lots of little beaded children who gather by the roadside when they see me walking and scream "siliminga(foriegner or white lady) buy me toffee" and I screamback with the same big and bright smile "dagomba bihi buy me tizet(thelocal food)" sometimes they run away as I get closer, other times, theyjusy follow me until they get tired. I have also adopted a couple familiesin town and they over feed me everytime i go to visit. They all want me togrow fatter, when Im trying to reduce my weight. Oh im also getting used tobeing called big woman. If they only knew the potential emotionaldamadge..:-)!!!



my tele is 011-233-024-531-9495, a phone call would make me very happy! im always so happy to get calls and letters and packages of goodies.

Naawuni ni ti alafee(God give you good health; alafee also means pineapple so hope you all get lots of those as well:-)

Zaasuma

I swear the pictures will come soon.....:-)!

Zaasuma...Owned by Everyone

I have finally moved into my home for the remainder of my time here. Officially welcomed by the team..well sort of, but it is all as expected. Savelugu seems a bit daunting and welcoming at once. my house is a bit far from time so i have acquired a nice bicycle to ride into town often. At first I have to admit that my confidence in riding as a bit low especially since the main road in my town is a major road that leads to the Upper west and straight to Burkina Faso. There are usually big trucks that speed through town and show no mercy to bikers and motorcycles, villages etc..
I have began interacting with the National Service students who have been posted to savelugu to face the creepy giant called Guinea worm. Th guinea worm team in town is very busy and full with energy to work and work and work. They do case searches of one community or the other almost daily and tirelessly record and record..with hopes to eradicate the worm, but things dont quite seem to be as easy as it seems. A couple days ago i traveled to Batonyili a small community of farmers with a few members of the team to carry out a guinea worm quiz. The quiz went as planned regardless of our hour lateness( a usual habit here in ghana), with no complaints from anyone except the driver who was furious at the perpetual lateness of the volunteers themselves. When we arrived n this town, and orderly stepped out of the car, a small child about 2 years oldl took off running and crying dramatically. I did not quite understand why until i turned around to see Mayo, the japanese volunteer laughing. The poor boy had been traumatized by the sight of a whit person and could not stand the interruption of his quiet un-asuming evening. It was very funny and sad all the same.

Im slowly setting up my kitchen, buying the basics and preparing to start cooking for myself, I have been regularly dissapointed when I go into town to buy food. I always scared and shrink a bit, so to say it in less words, im loosing a bit of weight until I begin to cook for myself. My neighbours wife is fantastic and shares in my plights and excitements about everything thats have been a aprt of my experiences so far. She supports me when I frown on the dry weather(Dry season is in full blast), and celebrates with me when I but a nice kitchen tool. All is well, im trying not to get sick and still finding the time to sit and write to you guys, in a more personal tone.
Harmathan is harsh, the people are still pleasant and my heart is still here especially since I have now been officially given a dagomba name...

Zaasuma.

Dagomba woman...in Techiman

2 weeks ago, the PCTs were divided into two sections for travel, half went to teh northern part of Ghana and teh otehrs to the Southern Part. Luckily I was among th Northern travelers, since my permanent site is going to be in the north, I wanted to get a glimpse. We packed our hikers packs, and 2 yards, bedsheets and every emergency tool you could think of really for travels ina foriegn country. Although some of us are slowly getting comfortable with travel, some are still on guard most of the time. We all had our cameras on tow of course, for those regular moments for the host country nationals but fantastic for us and our families back home.
The trip from Techiman to Tamale is 4 hours, and another 45 mins to the specific site of our field trip. We arrive in the light of day as planned, and was welcomed with locally grown sugar canes and the harsh smiles of the sun. I squinted to greet and recoiled into my cloth. It was so hot!!!. So much so that I feared exposing any part of my skin. who said people of color dont get skin cancer?!?!
After the initial shock of the sun, when I could actually open my eyes, I was taken by the terrain, mostly flat but beautiful. Everthing had a grainy color, if any at all, and the people were blue black. I felt like I was taking a stroll through the National geographic special report on Northern Ghana. I kept having to jot things down. Its a habit that im trying to lesson..jotting everything down...I wish to remember everything, I keep forgeting that im actually here to stay and work for a bit longer. When we arrive at the seasoned voluteers homes, I quickly surveyed teh room and planted my things where I would call my bed for the night. We drank lots of water, I mean lots, but I felt like a drain, nothing was actually sticking, the water was just draining away. After we rested, it was time to greet all teh importanat people in teh village. Chiefs, Assembly men, market women, nurse etc....
Shep Lessons: As peace corps volunteers we have to incorporates School Education programs into our work. the subject of which coudl vary depending on teh need of the community, but mostly do focus on guinea worm, food hygiene, and hiv Aids. I taught the Jss1 students about food hygiene, and water sanitation, im getting lots of practice teaching and gaining more confidence as I do more. After our Shep lessons, and games, we headed for Tamale to visit the GWEP, guinea Worm Eradication program, which is the main focus of my job, egro I found much more interesting. the carter center in ghana is much involved in this prcess, but ghana seems to be ;agging behind in the eradication of guniea worm. the experts have accepted that much is dependent of behavioural changes, and this is a big challenge for workers, health officials and policy makers. Much is also dependent n teh Peace Corps Volunteers ability to integrate properly into his or her community and beging more grassroot work on behavior change. Im excited to begin working and hopefully be an effective change agent. I will give a more scientific detail on gunea worm at a later date.
Speaking of Integration, I actually picked up a cutlass and attempted to weed the front of my host families home this weekend and i was rewarded with blisters on my hands, after which I went to farm and harvested yams and cassava. took lots of breaks and ate an uncountable amount of baby cocunuts!!! Language is going well, I will be fluent in twi and Dagbani in no time!!! I have ost a few pounds, but I am eating three persons serving of food every meal. Im not sure if its the sun or the water...any ideas?!

I complete my training on teh 27th of this month and move to teh north, there I will have more regular access to teh web.
Love you guys!!! keep me in your daily prayers if you remember of course..
much love,
Ledor

Hey guys...sorry fo rthe typos, i typed in a hurry. Comments and questions are welcomed.