Berkley Center

This tro-tro reads “God Above All” in bold, orange block letters across the back window. There is also a sticker with “God Bless You” across the upper portion of the front window, complimented by a Jesus sticker in the right hand corner. The tro-tro towers over the passing taxis, whose windows are also adorned with faith-based writings. As I gaze outside, I see signs for the “Believe in Allah Specialty Shop,” “God is Good Barbershop,” and “Grace Anointed Food” that line the road on the way to my internship at the International Health Care Center (IHCC).

Although the tro-tro ride was filled with religious messages, religion also extends into my daily encounters, especially at the clinic. The IHCC mainly serves as an outpatient clinic for HIV/AIDS patients. Religion is a pervading force at the IHCC, but it is often complicated by patients’ enthusiastic expectation of an unrealistic miracle from God. They maintain faith in God despite their condition and are unwavering in their belief that prayer will heal them.

After the tro-tro ride, I shadowed Dr. Naa as she spoke with an HIV positive couple that was looking to conceive. The couple was facing challenges other than their HIV: the wife had been battling chronic liver and gallbladder infections, but she was doing well at the time of the visit. Her husband insisted that she was experiencing a “divine intervention” because of her good health and that the gallbladder stones were no longer affecting her.

The woman agreed with a hint of laughter, which immediately disappeared when her husband moved on to ask about the HIV. He first asked if there has ever been a cure for the disease; after Dr. Naa’s explanation, he concluded that HIV was a disease far worse than cancer, for it could not be cured. He then asked, “Is AIDS the devil’s work? Is it a punishment for disobeying God?”

How could Dr. Naa and I explain that God didn’t intend such a disease for anyone? We attempted to explain that HIV is a virus that impacts all types of people, not just sinners. I struggled to relate his problem to his faith in God. This man was a pastor soon to embark on a pilgrimage to Israel, so it was only natural that he believed his HIV was linked to an act of God, and we needed to work with him and his wife in that respect.

What if Ghanaian beliefs inhibit our ability to heal people? Does strong faith act as an obstacle to full medical potential? While sitting in the back corner of the tro-tro, a young man stood up and began to quote verses from the Bible. I couldn’t help but remember my encounter with a Bible seller on the streets of Brooklyn this past summer. He preached eternal salvation and claimed that the devil was arriving soon, promising punishment to all who do not seek the Lord.

The man on the tro-tro was preaching a similar message, asking the riders if they wanted to be saved. I looked around and saw people sitting with blank expressions, gazing out the window. I was bewildered. Here is a society that has signs on every corner praising God, but there’s no emotion on any of the people’s faces. I asked the woman sitting next to me, “Do you like this?” to which she answered, “Yes, very much. We like it when people preach.” She then continued to stare out the window.

I turned my attention back to the preacher, who was now concluding with a blessing. At the end of the prayer, the entire tro-tro exclaimed in unison, "Amen." The seemingly apathetic woman next to me turned and told me that I should have said “Amen.” “We’re now blessed; it gives us hope.”

I immediately began to connect the two encounters in my head: both the pastor and the tro-tro riders wanted something to believe in, to give them hope despite HIV, poverty, or unemployment.

Faith is a tool that helps people face the developmental challenges facing Ghana. The HIV couple needed faith to substantiate the fact that they could still conceive. The people on the tro-tro needed a blessing to help them believe in something bigger than themselves, to give reason to their struggles. Here, religion boils down to hope: hope for a cure, hope for a safe journey, and hope for a better future.