USask loves BFG!

The three of us are pharmacy students from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. We came to Swedru 4 weeks ago as part of a practical rotation focusing on international health and tropical diseases. During our time here we have had the pleasure of helping BFG give HIV/AIDS awareness presentations to schoolchildren in the villages surrounding Swedru, as well as helping prepare a future presentation about malaria. We were also fortunate enough to spend some time in the Swedru hospital and the Polyclinic in Nsaba, a village outside of town. At these sites we were given a first-hand look at Ghanaian health care at both a district hospital and a regional clinic, respectively, and we got to see the role of pharmacists and various other health care professionals within these settings. On our final day in Swedru, we plan to go around town putting up posters and handing out condoms to further spread awareness about HIV, how it is spread, and how it can be prevented at an individual level. BFG was very helpful throughout our time here, from arranging our fantastic home-stays to acclimatizing us to Ghanaian culture and making us feel at home in a faraway land. The time we have spent in Swedru will never be forgotten, and we are so grateful that we were able to spend it helping a fantastic organization like BFG!

– Janessa, Mike, and Melissa