Medical Clinic for Akim Kwameng

Two Pennies Ministry was first introduced to Edward Tarbi as we visited Countryside Orphanage in Bawjiase, Ghana.  This was during the holiday season of 2012-13 and we had a large team working at the orphanage for five days.  Edward and Dan Reed immediately became friends and over the years shared many conversations from across the ocean through Facebook and later WhatsApp.  In 2015, Edward began to join us at our annual pastor's conference as a translator and teacher.  As we grew in our friendship, Edward shared the plight of the village where he grew up.  He wanted to see if we could come and help. In 2018, Jim Reed, Stephanie Reed, and Kevin Ramos visited this small village of Akim Kwameng in the Eastern Region.  They had a chance to meet with the chief and village elders, and talk with many of the residents.  The one concern that the chief had was the lack of medical care for the people of the village.  There are about 800 people in the village and they have one nurse who in only in the village part time.  For the rest of the time, she must travel to other villages to see patients there.  The clinic she was working out of was a one-room structure with only simple chairs.  She had no refrigeration for medications, no beds for patients, no examination room, waiting room or overnight facilities.  It goes without saying that there was no plumbing or electricity for her to use.  While in the village, she would see about 15-20 patients per day. Over the Christmas seasons of 2017 and 2018, First Baptist Church of Elgin raised over $25,000 to give the gift of a medical clinic to the people of Akim Kwameng. Construction was begun in the late spring of 2018 and the building was completed in mid-Spring 2019.    The churches in Ghana then were tasked with finding a way to furnish the building.  They began construction of their own furniture in the early summer of 2019 and were provided matching funds by the children at First Baptist Church at their annual Vacation Bible School. It is truly amazing to see how communities come together to do good. Because of the newly constructed building, government of Ghana now provides for the nurse to be in Akim Kwameng full time.  She has a room with two beds for patients to stay overnight, an examination room, waiting room and storage facilities.  Most amazingly the structure is completely plumbed for the possibility of running water and wired for electricity.  The village leaders and Two Pennies Ministry are working on possible solutions to this.  We are thrilled to be able to see hundreds of people have access to medical care right in their own community.  The celebration on the opening of the clinic was a sight to behold!