SPHIS is planning a three-week trip to Ghana, West Africa in spring 2010.  Master's and doctoral students from all concentrations are invited to participate. All plans are in collaboration with the university's Ali Scholars Program, which is sponsored by the Ali Institute for Peace and Justice on the Belknap Campus. The Ali Scholars Program will sponsor eight undergraduate students from different disciplines. It is expected that at least three faculty members will also be part of this trip.

Trip Overview

The visit will include cultural visits and lectures on the history and culture of Ghana / The Gold Coast in Accra, Kumasi and Elmina, a 10 day field experience in rural Northern Ghana with Ghanian students, and visits to the University of Ghana School of Public Health, Accra, and the University of Development Studies in Tamale and Wa. (Map of Ghana: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/maps/map_country_ghana.html)

The projects for the field study are being discussed with our contacts in Ghana and will be made available as soon as possible. Potential opportunities include conducting a community assessment in Tamale and providing breast cancer and cervical cancer related health education and training for community health nurses. Students will identify an area of research interest on which a paper/report will be based. There will be meetings and tasks during the spring semester to prepare students for the trip.

Itinerary

Departure is set for Wednesday, May 19 with a return date of Wednesday, June 9. The air fare is $1,790 with an expected total cost of between $3,000 and $3,500. Although every effort will be made to offset some of this cost, this is by no means guaranteed, and students may have to cover the entire cost. As funding becomes available, those students who express an interest in going and participate in preparation activities will be given preference. 

Next Steps

If you are interested in going to Ghana, please email Dr. Muriel Harris as soon as you can make that decision. Space may be limited. Her e-mail address is mjharr08@louisville.edu. Students who are interested should plan to attend an information session on Friday, Jan. 8 at 12 PM in room 133. Feel free to contact Dr. Harris if you have any questions or to set up an individual meeting.