Accra, Ghana Program Details

Program Overview

Village Outreach Programs
Unite For Sight volunteers work with an eye nurse to provide eye care in remote rural villages that are located 1-3 hours from the capital city of Accra. The team of eye nurses and Unite For Sight volunteers are transported on a van to the villages during the morning, and they return to Accra in the late afternoon. In the villages, more than 100 patients each day receive an exam, diagnosis, eyeglasses, medication, and treatment. Patients requiring ophthalmic care and surgery are transported from the villages to Accra's Crystal Eye Clinic for care and sight-restoring surgery by Dr. James Clarke.

Overnight Outreach Opportunities
Some volunteers also have a unique opportunity to participate in overnight outreach activities in remote villages located 3-5 hours from Accra. The volunteers travel with the local eye clinic staff to a more remote region of Ghana, where they stay for 3-14 days and lodge in a local hotel or guest house. During Summer 2008, for example, a new outreach initiative was established with Charity Eye Clinic in the Kumasi region of Ghana, located approximately 5 hours from Accra. During each overnight outreach program, more than 1,110 patients were screened, and 100 surgeries were provided by the local ophthalmologist Dr. Twumasi. These overnight outreach options provide volunteers with a unique perspective about eye care needs in the various regions of Ghana.

Refugee Camp Outreach Opportunities
Some volunteers may also participate in outreach activities at Buduburam Refugee Camp, located approximately 90 minutes from Accra. Crystal Eye Clinic's ophthalmic nurse visits Buduburam twice per month, and several volunteers have an opportunity to accompany and assist her at the refugee camp during those visits.

Educational Opportunities
Volunteers have an opportunity to observe cataract and pterygium surgeries at Crystal Eye Clinic. Those interested in ophthalmology and optometry also have opportunities to learn ophthalmic and optometric skills from the ophthalmic nurses.

Patients See Results
All patients screened in Unite For Sight's programs receive free surgery funded by Unite For Sight so that no patient remains blind due to lack of funds. During 2007, 1,671 patients in the Accra region received sight-restoring surgery that was coordinated and funded by Unite For Sight. Between January and August 2008, 1,337 patients in the Accra region received surgery coordinated and sponsored by Unite For Sight. An additional 231 patients had surgery coordinated at Charity Eye Clinic in Kumasi through the overnight outreach programs. Tens of thousands of others received eye exams, diagnosis, medication, and eyeglasses. A review of recent activities can be seen online: Unite For Sight Summer 2008 Programs in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana

Who Can Volunteer

This program is suitable to anyone 18 years and older who has an interest in international service and health. Volunteers range from gap year students, undergraduate students, and medical students to public health students, public health professionals, nurses, educators, opticians, optometrists, ophthalmology residents, ophthalmologists, filmmakers, photographers, and others. This program is also open to teenagers who would like to accompany a parent who is an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

What Volunteers Do

Standard Volunteers

Volunteers assist the ophthalmic nurses in all aspects of the eye care programs. They take patient history, test visual acuity, assist the eye nurse with the examination, distribute medication and eyeglasses prescribed by the eye nurse, provide eye health education in the villages and schools, and help with the coordination of patient surgeries. Volunteers also have an opportunity to observe the surgeries provided by Dr. Clarke at the eye clinic. The previously blind patients leave Crystal Eye Clinic after surgery with restored sight.

Eye Care Professional Volunteers

Ophthalmologist volunteers work daily with Dr. Clarke to provide ophthalmic care and perform surgeries. Optometrists work with Dr. Clarke's ophthalmic nurses to provide optometric care in rural villages.

Increasing numbers of Unite For Sight ophthalmologist and optometrist volunteers are bringing their teenage children to accompany them to the Unite For Sight Accra program. The eye care professionals and their family members are able to participate in varying capacities to provide eye care to patients living in extreme poverty. The teenagers participate as standard volunteers, while the optometrists and ophthalmologists work with the local Ghanaian ophthalmic staff to provide optometric and ophthalmic services. Those interested in this opportunity are encouraged to view the video by Dr. Rose, who participated in Ghana with his wife and three teenage daughters. Each family member interested in participating is required to apply separately to the program and submit individual pre-departure requirements.

Filmmaker and Photography Volunteers

Unite For Sight filmmaker and photographer volunteers document the voices of patients who receive sight-restoring eye care through Unite For Sight programs. The videos and photos promote awareness and information about global eye care needs and also demonstrate the commitment and dedication of Unite For Sight's local partner eye doctors who work tirelessly to provide eye care to those living in extreme poverty. The opportunity allows students, filmmakers, and photographers an opportunity to learn about development issues while making a significant impact.

Living and Lodging

Volunteers lodge at the Telecentre Bed and Breakfast in Accra. A double room with shared occupancy costs $15 per day, which includes breakfast. A single room costs $25 per day, which includes breakfast. Lunch provided by the Telecentre costs $6, and dinner provided by the Telecentre costs $6. Alternatively, volunteers can purchase food in the guest house dining room. Transportation costs are approximately $4/day.

Special Section For Students: Academic Credit, Clinical Rotations, and Research

This program is suitable for undergraduate and public health students interested in pursuing an internship for academic credit, as well as for medical and optometry students interested in pursuing a clinical rotation for academic credit. You should consult your academic institution regarding how you can arrange this type of course credit. Unite For Sight will complete necessary paperwork required of your university so that you can receive academic credit. Please read the Academic Credit section of the Unite For Sight website.

This program is also appropriate for undergraduate students, medical students, optometry students, and public health students who would like to pursue a community-based field research project, which requires that the student have a faculty mentor at their home institution as well as IRB approval. Those interested in research should read the Entrepreneurial Volunteering section of the Unite For Sight website.

Christina Hsu Speaks About Volunteering in Accra, Ghana

Taygan Yilmaz Speaks About Entrepreneurial Volunteering in Accra

Ophthalmologist Aron Rose, MD, Speaks About Volunteering in Accra

Dr. Clarke Discusses Eye Care in Accra

Ophthalmic Nurse Kartee Karloweah Discusses Unite For Sight in Accra

Ophthalmic Nurse Margaret Duah-Mensah Speaks About Unite For Sight in Accra

Unite For Sight Buduburam Refugee Camp Film

Patients Speak About Their Experiences With Restored Sight

Patient Speaks About His Newly Restored Sight