Introducing REACH-Ghana on the occasion of World AIDS day

I was notified about the website for REACH-Ghana today and I must say I am impressed with how far this organization has come in the last 4 months following BarCamp Diaspora at JHU-SAIS in Washington, DC. A few young passionate Ghanaians with interest in the health sector came together after a healthcare breakout session during July's BarCamp Diaspora and started investigating how they could contribute to Ghana's health sector. Their enthusiasm has given birth to Representatives for Equal Access to Community Health-care (Ghana).

I love the use of the Adinkra symbol in the REACH logo. After my previous experience with Kasahorow, Museke & GhanaThink, I am a big fan of incorporating Ghanaian symbols in every way. REACH's logo uses the Adinkra symbol "Boa Me Na Menboa Wo" (Help me to help you), which represents cooperation, interdependence and community. You can see the tenets of REACH's vision in this symbol and the name itself. The symbol embodies the organization's belief that local community involvement is
integral to the achievement of equal access to quality health-care. The organization believes that local community involvement is integral to its mission.

December 1 was World AIDS day and REACH-Ghana already has an AIDS themed project called the REACH HIV Intervention program. This project is scheduled to take place in summer 2010. Read more about REACH's goals and projects on their website. The REACH-Ghana team is made up of various Ghanaian students and professionals in the health sector. The team includes Maame Sampah, Aida Manu, Kofi Buaku-Atsina, Seyram Avle, Edo Bedzra, Aya Ghunney, Emmanuel Lamptey, Jonathan Hutchful and Bennie Osafo-Darko as coordinator of the HIV project. I know some of these people personally and strongly believe in their capability to make REACH-Ghana a meaningful contributor to addressing some of Ghana's health issues and concerns.

Become a Facebook Fan today. Follow REACH-Ghana on Twitter @REACHGhana. You can also become a member of REACH-Ghana and get opportunities to volunteer on REACH-Ghana projects, attend conferences, expand your network and get free access to REACH newsletters and publications. Also donate to help REACH-Ghana, an NGO, which is on track to gain 501c status.

You can also attend BarCamp Ghana 09 later this year on the 21st of December in Accra to hear more about REACH-Ghana. Here's to the birth of more forward-thinking organizations out of more BarCamps and roundtable discussions amongst young Ghanaians and Africans in the future. Yes, we can.

Tsooboi!