A visit to Nkroful Health Centre
Myths, Mapping and Family Planning
Stella Asmah, Assemblywoman, Community Health Volunteer, Esiama-Mozukrme
Age 40
Most important thing learned during training?
I learned about family planning. Without it children can become drop-outs. Family planning will help build their futures. I also know how nursing mothers can space their births. This is important for good health, and having the finances to properly care for their children.
Most surprising thing learned during training?
I learned about atopic pregnancies. I will teach the community about it and what to do if it occurs. I was also surprised to hear about domiciliary delivery where a pregnant woman can go to the clinic and sign up to have her delivery at home with a trained midwife and community nurse.
How will you implement what you have learned?
I’ll pass on the information through the Adolescent and Mummies’ Clubs. We have 300 members in the Adolescent Club, 120 boys and 280 girls. We have 68 women in the Mummies’ Club. Both meet weekly.
Benedict Lawer, Community Health Volunteer, Kroboline
Age 32
Most important thing learned during training?
This is a refresher course for me, I took some similar training with another group three years ago. I was most interested in the disease surveillance training. How to look for a disease and the cause and consequences in a community. Then take a step to report it to the Health Service personnel. And then follow-up for action to be taken. I learned that you have to keep records of whatever you do. They will help you remember what you have seen, where and who you reported it to.
Most surprising thing learned during training?
I didn’t know about the danger signs to look for when a woman is pregnant – swollen face, feet and hands, bleeding and excessive vomiting. If these are not taken care of they will cause damage. I also learned that women shouldn’t buy their own drugs and combine them. They should get them from the hospital to make sure they get the proper dosage, over the correct amount of time. This needs to be followed up to make sure they are taking them properly.
How will you implement what you have learned?
I have created two Mummies’ Clubs in two communities, one with 96 members and the other with 120 members. I also have an Adolescent Club with 76 boys and 70 girls. We meet monthly. With the help of mothers, community elders, opinion leaders and community health officers, I’ll have sessions about family planning, disease control and other topics that are of interest to them.
Patricia Ekpaha Mensah, Maternal Health Volunteer, Nkroful
Age 45
Most important thing learned during training?
Mapping is going to help me understand the community needs and challenges more. It will help me identify what needs to be done. Our community has a problem with teen pregnancy because of the gold mining operations nearby. Young girls got pregnant by the miners, who then left. Being pregnant stopped their education plus they can experience malnutrition if the family has little money and they are a burden on their own mothers.
Most surprising thing learned during training?
There is a saying that if breast milk drops onto a baby boy’s penis he will become impotent. I learned from one of training facilitators, Mr. Anumu, from the School of Public Health, that this is untrue. His research found the opposite to be true. He said breast milk can help a man who is impotent.
How will you implement what you have learned?
Our Mummies’ Club didn’t function well at the beginning because they didn’t understand why we were meeting. It is getting better now and we have 25 members so I will share what I have learned with them. Women really suffer in our community. We have so many single mothers who are illiterate. They need education and support. Next week we are having a trainer come in to teach them to make beaded slippers they can sell. They need to make money, take care of their families. I want to help reduce the poverty.
Our community also has a pregnancy school and I’ll be going there to answer questions.
Our Daddies’ Club has 30 very enthusiastic and educated members so I will be visiting them as well.
We are planning to start an Adolescents Club so youngsters can be confident and educated about family planning and maternal health. I want to make them more responsible. I want to help young girls to take care of themselves so they have a future. They ar
