Last Thursday, GHEI’s Community Health Workers (CHWs) took time out of their busy schedules to go on their annual retreat. GHEI’s health team and CHWs convened at the picturesque Queen Elizabeth Hotel in the neighbouring town of Wiawso to review the basics of their role in the communities they serve. This was a great opportunity for CHWs to refresh themselves on the best practises of their work, as well as strategize on ways to make their efforts as effective as possible.
The day started with some fun icebreaker activities that energized the group and had everyone laughing. Once everyone was thoroughly warmed up, the group began a discussion of GHEI’s malaria prevention programs. Everyone shared their own experiences in working closely with the community to ensure that everyone owns and uses insecticide-treated bednets, and this served as a chance for our CHWs to share their opinions and suggestions for the program. Following this was a workshop on follow-up visits, which CHWs conduct regularly to check up on families they have interviewed before.
At the end of a very busy morning, everyone was ready for a hearty lunch. The Queen Elizabeth is known for their tasty food, of both Ghanaian and international varieties, and our health team enjoyed such local delicacies as goat soup with fufu, as well as tilapia with banku. After a satisfying meal, it was back to work, with a discussion of both accomplishments and challenges of 2012-2013. This was an important component of the day, as sharing achievements really helps to strengthen the team dynamics, while discussing challenges offers the CHWs much needed support.
After a review session and a lively quiz competition on their in-home flipchart education used during follow-up visits, the day came to a close with a final wrap-up discussion that invited suggestions and questions, followed by a time for personal reflection and goal setting.
After a content-heavy day, our health team and CHWs were more than happy to unwind at the end with some well-earned beverages!
CHWs are crucial to GHEI’s health programming, and we are extremely grateful for their diligence in their work to promote malaria prevention in our communities.
Well done CHWs - keep up the great work!
The day started with some fun icebreaker activities that energized the group and had everyone laughing. Once everyone was thoroughly warmed up, the group began a discussion of GHEI’s malaria prevention programs. Everyone shared their own experiences in working closely with the community to ensure that everyone owns and uses insecticide-treated bednets, and this served as a chance for our CHWs to share their opinions and suggestions for the program. Following this was a workshop on follow-up visits, which CHWs conduct regularly to check up on families they have interviewed before.
At the end of a very busy morning, everyone was ready for a hearty lunch. The Queen Elizabeth is known for their tasty food, of both Ghanaian and international varieties, and our health team enjoyed such local delicacies as goat soup with fufu, as well as tilapia with banku. After a satisfying meal, it was back to work, with a discussion of both accomplishments and challenges of 2012-2013. This was an important component of the day, as sharing achievements really helps to strengthen the team dynamics, while discussing challenges offers the CHWs much needed support.
After a review session and a lively quiz competition on their in-home flipchart education used during follow-up visits, the day came to a close with a final wrap-up discussion that invited suggestions and questions, followed by a time for personal reflection and goal setting. After a content-heavy day, our health team and CHWs were more than happy to unwind at the end with some well-earned beverages!
CHWs are crucial to GHEI’s health programming, and we are extremely grateful for their diligence in their work to promote malaria prevention in our communities.
Well done CHWs - keep up the great work!
