Heart to Heart
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Meeting the chief of Elmina |
As is customary in Ghana, before we started working in the clinic and the community of Elmina we were introduced to the local chief and queen mother, and the traditional council. Through the Medical Director of the clinic, who acted as a translator, we explained to these leaders the purpose of our visit and our plan for the next few weeks. The chief, queen mother and councilmen welcomed us graciously and thanked us for the good work we set out to do.
It was a fascinating experience visiting with these traditional community leaders. While there was definitely a strong feeling of deep-rooted custom, there was also no escaping modernity. During the ceremonial pouring of libations, when a couple of the councilmen prayed to the ancestors for us to have a successful visit, we heard a beeping jingle and noticed one of the other councilmen pull a cell phone out of his robes and answer a call! It was an amusing reminder of the strange circumstances in which we found ourselves, and we all had a little chuckle (including the councilmen!)
Meeting the chief was a very important step for ICHA. We now have his all-important blessing, and have been officially sanctioned to work in the community on this and all our subsequent outreach trips to Elmina.
About ICHA
The International Cardiovascular Health Alliance (ICHA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cardiovascular health in the developing world. ICHA works closely with local clinics and community organizations to provide knowledge and tools to prevent cardiovascular disease.
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