Nunda Dietetics Major Spends Spring Break Making a Difference in Ghana

NUNDA – A local dietetics major spent spring break teaching Ghanaian kids about health and nutrition and working with clients in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Stacey Sullivan and four of her classmates at SUNY Oneonta took a service-learning trip to Ghana with Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics Janet Antwi.

“Although this was a short trip, I must say that it has been a wonderful experience,” Antwi said. “I believe this will go a long way to empower the children we met to make good nutrition decisions…In turn, our students were also able to learn a lot from experts in lectures and discussions, and through excursions both in the community and at the clinic. The students did an excellent job on their service-learning project, and had fun at the same time.”

The group collaborated with dietetics faculty and students at the University of Ghana to conduct nutrition assessments and teach elementary school kids about health and nutrition using games, activities and visual aids.

Students also completed a clinical experience in the capital city of Accra, observing and evaluating clients at the Diet Therapy Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. They were able to put into practice knowledge and skills from their Nutrition Assessment and Community Nutrition courses.

The main goal of the trip was to improve nutrient intake and nutritional status among rural underprivileged communities. In turn, the students learned a great deal about culture, markets, food supply and food policies in Ghana.