Allison Nadeau
  • Health Sciences
  • Class of 2018
  • Tolland, CT

Allison Nadeau Spends 2 Weeks in Ghana

2017 Aug 23

Ten health sciences students from Eastern Connecticut State University returned from a global field course in Ghana this August. The purpose of the two-week trip was to introduce students to the health care system of a developing country.

Among the students was Allison Nadeau '17 of Tolland, who majors in Health Sciences.

Trip highlights included two days at Mampong Hospital, a rural facility where the students observed two live births. "Students got to see a cesarean section and hold a five-minute old baby, which is an unparalleled experience," said trip supervisor Rochelle Gimenez, a health sciences professor at Eastern.

Upon reflecting on her experience, Nadeau said, "After being home for a couple of days the impact of my trip has really become apparent. As an American-born citizen, I have never known any other lifestyle. My times of hardship are minuscule in comparison to what Ghanaians may go through daily. Clean water, wash rooms, consistent electricity and drivable roads are things that I have taken for granted in the United States."

The students also spent time at an orphanage, and gained first-hand knowledge of the local infrastructure while touring a water-treatment plant and an environmental health/sanitation center. They also visited local markets, a wildlife preserve, a monkey sanctuary, a cultural center, a rainforest, and learned about the slave trade at Cape Coast Castle.

"Ghanaians showed me the simplicity of true happiness," concluded Nadeau. "Food and money are scarce. Most people live in broken-down homes, yet they are the happiest of people. They strive off family and community. I have never experienced a stronger sense of community than what I felt in Ghana."

"Students came back from the trip greatly enriched and inspired by their experiences," concluded Gimenez. "Many said that this trip reinforced their desire to work in health sciences."