Hi everyone!

My name is Benthe Smit and I live in the Netherlands. Starting in August of 2018, I will be joining Projects Abroad to spend three weeks helping with their Public Health program in Ghana.

I have been wanting to do a project like this for as long as I can remember. I look at this journey as not only a way to give back, but also as a way to have a better insight of life in Ghana. For us, living in the Netherlands, health care is a matter of course. But in Ghana, it isn't for everyone. Significant differences remain in Ghana between the healthcare services available to the wealthiest and the poor, as well as between urban and rural population. This means many people still do not have access to a basic healthcare system. Through their outreach programmes and Public Health project, Projects Abroad aims to provide basic healthcare to some of these vulnerable groups as well as raise awareness about some of the more pressing health issues facing the country.

I am choosing to volunteer through an organisation called Projects Abroad. Projects Abroad was established in 1992 as a volunteer English-teaching programme in Eastern Europe and has since grown to offer a wide range of opportunities in volunteering, internships, and language courses in over 25 destinations around the globe. I will be joining a community of well over 50,000 volunteers past and present that have lent their time and effort to giving back around the world.

During this project, I will travel through Accra to visit locations such as orphanages, schools, churches, villages and community centres. There, I will be involved in the following procedures:

- General medical tests and controls, such as blood sugar, blood pressure and Body Mass Index.

- Eye control

- Check on worms

- Treatment of small wounds and skin disorders

- Testing and treatment of malaria

- Educational activities, such as providing information on hygiene and providing first aid

As this experience is unpaid, I will need to cover costs for things like flights, the Projects Abroad programme fee and vaccinations. My fundraising target for this project is EUR 2510. This sum of money provides the services needed to make this project possible.

I plan to contribute a significant portion of my own funds to this, as well as funding through sponsorships and fundraising events. I am also relying on the help of my friends and family. I would very much appreciate it if you could help me and all the people I will meet in Ghana. Even a small amount will get me one step closer to my goal. Thank you in advance for any support you can give!