The 2011 GE-NMF Medical Scholars Program
2011 GE-NMF Ghana Scholars Raise Money for Baby Ray While working in the maternity ward at Kintampo Municipal Hospital, in Kintampo, the newest Ghana NMF site, we fell in love with an abandoned newborn who we named Ray. We cared for Baby Ray at the hospital as if he were our son, and were sad at the thought of him being sent to an orphanage. We were ecstatic when his mother returned, and he was returned to her care. However, her return was bittersweet since she could not afford to care for him, and the orphanage still seemed like a likely solution. |
Disheartened by this news, we brainstormed ways to keep Ray and his mother together. We decided to write a children's book, "The Life of Ray", to raise money to subsidize one year's salary for Baby Ray's mother at the hospital. With the help of Dr. Damien, the head midwife, Mama Florence, and the social worker, Godwin, we found support to make our fundraising dreams a reality.
The hospital, the community and the NMF scholars are working together to benefit Baby Ray's small family.
We created a website to share his story:
www.lifeofbabyray.wordpress.com
We shared our project at the midterm evaluation, and received guidance and support from Dr. Buckle, who was excited about the potential for sustainability in our project design.
For more information about how Baby Ray became such an important part of our lives, you can follow our blogs at:
www.joannapargainghana.blogspot.com & www.mariposabutterfly.wordpress.com
By Joanna Parga and Stephanie Staples GE-NMF 2011 Scholars
Established in 2005, the GE Medical Scholars Program is an international fellowship offered annually to eligible 4th year minority medical students. GE-NMF Medical Scholars complete a two-month elective in Ghana or Uganda, which focuses on critical regional health care needs. The Class of 2011 is comprised of fourteen outstanding 4th year medical students from 10 states and 13 medical schools. There were many qualified applicants this year, and the International Advisory Board chose the Class of 2011 based on the strength of their medical school recommendations, personal statements, academic achievements, and interviews.
| Name | School | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Tisha Barnett | Stony Brook School of Medicine | Ghana |
| Kerry-Ann Kelly | Morehouse School of Medicine | Ghana |
| Prescilia Isedeh | Meharry Medical College | Ghana |
| Shakaria D. Johnson | Medical University of South Carolina | Ghana |
| Maria Berenice Nava | David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA /Drew Medical Education Program | Ghana |
| Anne-Lise Paisible | University of Massachusetts Medical School | Ghana |
| Joanna J. Parga | Mount Sinai School of Medicine | Ghana |
| Stephanie Staples | Temple University School of Medicine | Ghana |
| Kathy Jo Carstarphen | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Uganda |
| Ijeoma Ejigiri | NYU School of Medicine | Uganda |
| Allen P Hoang | University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | Uganda |
| Leonard Moore | Morehouse School of Medicine | Uganda |
| Karen Revere | University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine | Uganda |
| Natasha L. Spencer | Florida State University College of Medicine | Uganda |
NMF is grateful to the GE Foundation, the GE African American Forum, and the extraordinary people involved in the GE Africa project. These organizations provide the necessary support for the GE-NMF Medical Scholars Program so that collaboratively we can to improve healthcare for the people of Ghana and Uganda.
NMF is currently accepting applications for the following programs:
