Some OTC management Members (Mr. Larbi Henry and Mr.Ohene  Kofi ) from left, with volunteers form Operation Groundswell

Operation Groundswell is a Canadian nonprofit nongovernmental organization that facilitates educational programs and service programs throughout the world. Their mission is to change the way the world travel, hence they backpack with purpose (this is about being conscious and critical of their impact on the community they travel to). Operation groundswell has been in Ghana for the past nine years. Every summer the students come to Ghana to learn our version of global health. This year is their sixth year of Global Health Program, and their program focuses on the different issues facing society they go to. They facilitate workshops that challenge the individual to think critically and objectively about the real meaning of change or making a difference.

OTC has been receiving visitors from both far and near since the center started, all with different missions and from different backgrounds, countries and even language. On 24th July, 2015, we received student volunteers from Operation Groundswell. They were here in Ghana to spend 6 weeks. They will spend their first week in study of urban health care in Accra; the subsequent weeks in application of their knowledge in Cape Coast and Sandema, both as interns and volunteers respectively. OTC was the last stop for their Accra trip.

The co-coordinators of this year’s program, Sarindi and Rebekah visited OTC on 3rd July, 2015, to enquire about, and request their teams visit to the center. They told the management their team will be coming to study about disability and accessibility at OTC on the 24^th of the month. Sarindi and Rebekah told OTC that they chose the center because disability is a very important issue in health, they did not want to focus on the medical aspects of health alone. They want the students to get a comprehensive understanding of health. Also, they said in their interview with Gloria that, they selected the center for the reason of its holistic approach to disability and that is very exciting for them to see. Sarindi and Rebekah want to clear the teams’ preconceived notions of what health in Africa and Ghana is like, hence they want to break the stereotypes down and give the students a whole different point of view to health.

The team on the 24^th of July 2015 came, and were shown around the center. After their tour, they went to the school where they were welcomed by Mr. Ohene Kofi the general manager of OTC, then lectured by Ms. Rachel Oduro the center’s physiotherapist and Mr. Henry Larbi on what we do at OTC, and disability and accessibility in Ghana.

After everything Rebekah and Sarindi told us they were very thrilled about the way the center educates the mothers on how to bring up their children with disabilities. Also how we have all these services necessary for our clients in one place is incredible to them. They liked the fact that we have a school that is formalizing our training and getting more people involved professionally in this field. Finally the team leader, told OTC that their questions where all answered and they like the way Gloria put a face to the success of defying cultural stigmatization.

OTC wishes them well as they go out there to practice all they have learned. Farewell Operations Groundswell.