Chelsea's healthcare mission to Ghana

Chels Bonfigs is organizing this fundraiser.

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This coming May 28^th-June 6^th, I will have the unique opportunity of traveling to Ghana with other professional/graduate students and medical professionals with the University of Arizona's professional Global Medical Brigades program. We will spend 10 days traveling to an underserved, rural community outside the city of Accra, the capital of Ghana, setting up and working a temporary medical clinic in the Mfantseman District where community members can come and receive medical treatment free of charge. Global Brigades is the world's largest nonprofit student-led global health and sustainable development organization. Since 2004, Global Brigades has mobilized thousands of university students and professionals through nine skill-based service programs to improve quality of life in under resourced communities. To date, there have been 21,392 volunteers from 419 university chapters that participated on a brigade to provide health care and community development solutions to more than 450,000 beneficiaries in Honduras, Panama, Ghana, and Nicaragua. This is the University of Arizona's second brigade to Ghana and last year we were able to help provide medical, dental, and preventative care to 645 patients in the rural community of Otabanadze, Central Region, Ghana. Our chapter also empowers students on medical brigades to Honduras and Panama.

Ghana is one of the poorest countries in the West Coast of Africa with the average level of education at approximately 5th grade. There are typically no doctors within a 20 mile radius and 70% of Ghanaians' have no access to proper sanitation, and no access to loans or financial services. Typical families have less than 3 gallons of clean water per day to use. In 2010, Global Brigades did extensive research to select one African country for expansion. Through on the ground research in 10 African countries and statistical analysis of community need, volunteer safety, and program fit, Ghana was selected as the African country in which to start Global Brigades.

In order for this trip to be a success, I need your support. I am looking for sponsors to support our trip and mission to help others. The total trip cost for me is $3,000, and as college students, we must fundraise what we can to support our trip. Extra donations will go directly towards necessary medicines and medical supplies needed to run the medical clinics each day. Global Brigades is a non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.

I truly appreciate your time and consideration. Your contribution will be a greatly valued gift to the people in Ghana.

Thank you so much!

Chelsea C. Bonfiglio

M.D. Candidate, Class of 2016

University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix

More information: www.globalbrigades.org