I recently had a chat with my friend and colleague Dr. John Akudago, who praised the work that we’re doing. John is from the small town of Zebilla, in northern Ghana. Today he lives in New Mexico with his wife and three kids and works as a senior researcher at the Pacific Institute. He shared with me a story about how people in his community frequently referred to Where There is No Doctor.

Growing up in Ghana, the book “Where There is No Doctor” was very well-known. Kiosk vendors would refer to the book to help diagnose and treat sick customers. They would listen carefully to our symptoms, then refer to the book to learn what medicine to take and how often. The vendors that used the book got a good reputation in the community, and had a big advantage over their competitors.

There were no hospitals in the region. The closest one must have been 40 miles away, and it was a long and expensive trip. I and many others benefited from the advice in this book. It practically turned non-experts into doctors!”

A huge thank you to everyone who is helping to make this book become a reality. Our Have a Heart for Mali campaign recently passed the $11,000 mark! Please consider making a donation to help us to meet our goal of $20,000 by March 31.