Everything Under The Sun: Trips To Provide Service

A group of volunteers assess some of the residents.

There are some villages in Africa that are so remote that their residents cannot get to needed health care. There are highly skilled individuals in this United States with knowledge of bringing health care and dental services into areas that need them. Match them up, and you get people who can finally experience a more comfortable life.

However, linking those in need with those who have the skills can be rather difficult. Pediatric nurse, Lauri Ruprecht had visited areas in Ghana where her services were necessary, with a medical mission, complete with supplies and other skilled professionals. She started the AMERICANS SERVING ABROAD PROJECT (ASAP), to enable other skilled health care professionals to serve in these remote villages in need and to learn about the culture of those who live there.

Ms. Ruprecht explained, "Because it is very difficult to get to the nearest health clinic, people do not often go until they are very sick or not at all. These are areas where local doctors will not go. Sometimes they resort to spending money on traditional medicines which may in some cases do more harm than good."

In addition, ASAP brings medical supplies to local clinics and holds educational classes to teach the residents about such topics as personal hygiene. They hope to bring such equipment as iPads to local schools, so that students can learn about the types of technology available in other places in the world.

Some of the local village children, two with baskets loaded with food.

The organization is planning a trip to Ghana on March 2-16 this year. A planning meeting is to be held on January 14 in Syracuse. ASAP's projects for the trip include healthcare screenings, physical exams, lab testing, medications, treatment, and a care program for street mothers and their babies. Because the program also promotes cultural exchanges, participants will visit a market and craft village, try out drumming and dancing, and tour a castle known for slave trade. Participants are also responsible for their own expenses, and the trip costs $3,000. The trip promises to be both rewarding and inspiring.