HIV/AIDS Program

It is important to note that I was one of the first participants of this program, so I'm sure it has matured since my participation.

I was fortunate enough to travel to Ghana to volunteer under the HIV/AIDS program offered by Projects Abroad. I wasn't fully sure what to expect, but hoped that I would get a thorough understanding of the virus, treatments, and its social, cultural, economic, and personal impact on the people of Ghana. The Projects Abroad staff helped deliver in most of these arenas and exceeded expectations in others.

My one month placement brought me to the Police Hospital in Accra where we were to be rotating through different departments, such as the lab, pre-natal care, counseling, and the anti-retro treatment team. The lab exceeded expectations as the staff was very open to sharing as much info as they could while still managing the lab operations. However, that rotation carried on a bit too long considering my short timeline here. Same thing with the pre-natal care; it took about 2 days to cover the material and truly see everything the department had to offer- yet I was scheduled a week in the dept. Moving to the counseling team, I felt as though I was not taken very seriously by the hospital staff- my general curiosity about the impact of the virus was taken as being a "nosey" individual and was shunned. I had words with the program staff about this and they worked their best to accomodate... in the end, they ended up looking to other hospitals for the experience. I think that says something about their commitment to the program's success. All in all, I'm glad I participated in this program, but hope they can work the kinks out and offer the flexibilty of transferring departments when you've maxed out on your experience.

As for the social aspect of Projects Abroad, it was fantastic and exceeded expectations. The staff is fully committed to making your experience a safe and memorable one and I felt that the social aspect of the trip was the best part.

Having volunteered with other companies out there, the best thing Projects Abroad has to offer is the number of other volunteers out there. Chances are if you are in or near a big city, there are many volunteers around you and it is a fantastic social opportunity. However, it is easy to then shift your focus from the volunteering to just socializing... but that's a personal issue. I would highly recommend Projects Abroad, especially if you are looking for a social volunteering experience. If you are truly looking to go make a solid impact and change the world, commit yourself to the cause when abroad... but I warn it is hard to ignore the fun.