Ghana Trip to Study Tuberculosis: Day Nine

by Danielle Tsougarakis, Bioengineering ’20; and Kate Panzer, Bioengineering ’18

David Issadore, a faculty member in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania teaches an engineering course ENGR566 – Appropriate Point of Care Diagnostics. As part of this course, he and Miriam Wattenberger from CBE, have taken nine Penn students, most of them majoring in Bioengineering, to Kumasi, Ghana, to study the diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis. While in Ghana, these students are blogging daily on their experiences.

Today, we visited one of the largest markets we have ever seen, the Adum Market in the heart of Kumasi. There, you can find almost anything you can imagine, from fresh produce and meats to clothes, jewelry, and other trinkets. The market seems to go on forever, with many twists and turns that can easily make a tourist lost. One of our most enjoyable purchases was the Ghanaian cloth, with hundreds of vibrant colors and patterns to choose from. Later in the day, a seamstress took our measurements and clothing orders so that we could get handmade clothes with our chosen cloth.

After a few hours of diligent bargaining at the market, we switched shopping scenes to the Kumasi City Center Mall, which was built a few months ago. Wide sections of the mall were partially open to the outdoors, welcoming us, as well as a nice breeze, into its various stores and hip social scene. We explored this more commercialized setting complete with a large supermarket, quite comparable to a Walmart. Many in the group invested in Ghana’s famed Golden Tree chocolate bars. The rich, creamy treats did not disappoint and served as the perfect snack after a full day of exploring.