Hello. My name is Katie and I’m a 2nd year children's nursing student, studying at Staffordshire University and based at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

I’ve been given the opportunity to travel anywhere in the world to complete my four week elective placement at the beginning of my 3rd year in September 2017 and I’ve opted to travel to Takoradi, Ghana with Work the World. Choosing where I wanted to go wasn't difficult as I spent a lot of time in Africa during my time as Cabin Crew and I’m very fond of Ghana and its people. Working alongside them would be an honour.

It’s a great opportunity to gain valuable experience of healthcare work in a developing country. I’ll have to adapt to deal with under-resourced hospitals and will encounter conditions I haven’t come across before. I’ll also learn how to work around cultural differences, gaining a greater understanding of Ghanaian customs and how to treat and care for patients respectfully in light of them.

I’ll be working with the Paediatrics Department in Takoradi’s largest regional hospital where I’ll care for premature and seriously ill babies and children, many of whom are born with HIV, Malaria or malnutrition. I’ll also have the opportunity to work in the reproductive childcare unit, assisting with weighing babies, family planning and post-natal care.

Over the next 11 months I hope to raise as much money as I can to help fund my placement in Ghana and to enable me to take over badly needed supplies for the hospital and local people.

I’ll be using the updates on this page to tell people about fund raising events I’ve organised and taken part in and you’ll all be able to follow my progress and get involved if you wish to.

I ask you, from the bottom of my heart, to donate as little or as much as you can, and thank you all so very much in advance for your kindness and generosity.

Katie