Health Insurance Registration
Since 2006, we have partnered with the Ministry of Health to get thousands of villagers signed up to receive health insurance. We organize several registration days every year, where people arrive from all of the surrounding villages and we coordinate with health officials to get their pictures taken and their info entered into the national system. Knowing how crucial healthcare is to the weavers and their families, these are some of the most anticipated and important events of the year for Every Basket Helps.
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Healthcare registration day Here, health officials prepare to register hundreds of villagers from the Sumbrungu community. For many years this was a very involved task, using photo equipment and satellite signals, but now the complete registration process is done instantaneously via smartphone; it’s a sign of the evolving times, even in the most rural areas of West Africa.
Taking photos for the health database Health officials taking photos of villagers, which are then uploaded to the national database. People of all ages participate, with the younger children standing on the bench or being held up to get their photo taken. It’s an all-day event, with about 300 people registered on this particular afternoon.
Villagers getting their photos taken Another view of the photo-taking scene, including the laptop and satellite equipment used to transfer the photos and registration info. With a generator used to power the biometric machine, which records fingerprints, this setup was a unique congruence of low-tech (no electricity in the village) and hi-tech (biometrics, which is more advanced than some first-world countries). Villagers in the background gather and await their turn to get entered into the system.
Entering villager info into the database A snapshot of the registration equipment and the surrounding hubbub of activity. We work closely with the Village Elders and Chief to initially determine the most needy people in each village and they get first preference, but word spreads quickly and hundreds of villagers show up, demonstrating the real need and demand for health coverage in Bolgatanga. After completing the appointed registrations, with the remaining time and funds available, we register as many other villagers as possible.
We register entire families at once Moms bring their children so that the whole family can get registered for the year. It’s taxing and tiring for everyone, but it’s wonderful to get so many families registered at once.
A small portion of the villagers who were registered A small portion of the many people that we registered for health coverage in one day. Steve, the founder and CEO, is kneeling in the front row, and kneeling to the right of him is Susan, our customer service director. She came along with Steve on this trip to learn firsthand about all that we do in Ghana.
Our dedicated and tireless registration team From left to right: James, from the Ministry of Health; Eleanor, our current Executive Director of Every Basket Helps; Susan, our African Market Baskets customer service director; and Richard, our translator and partner in Ghana, after a long, but fruitful, day registering over 300 villagers.
Richard, our translator Richard translates for us when we interview people about health insurance and gets feedback from them about what will help the weavers most. His role, as an intermediary, is vital to the whole operation and its ongoing success. A man of both integrity and style, here he is rocking a sweet fedora hat!
Weavers celebrating in gratitude Quite often, to express their appreciation for all that we’ve done, the weavers will break into dances, with rhythmic clapping and singing.
Susan dancing with the weavers On this occasion, they couldn’t resist coaxing Susan to join in the festivities!
Husband and wife on registration day Husband and wife, in a moment of contentment, grateful to be registered at the end of a very full day. The weavers are always so peaceful, respectful, and appreciative.
600 people were registered on this day The turnout was remarkable in our partner’s home village, where we registered close to 600 people in this community.
Villagers lined up to get registered Even though the line goes on and on, with villagers arriving throughout the day, everyone is incredibly thankful to be included in the registration proceedings.
The Ministry of Health doing an on-site registration A makeshift registration setup using plastic chairs in the center of the village. The Ministry of Health does not normally do this type of off-site registration, but since we have been doing it for many years and we sign up thousands of Ghanaians annually, they have agreed to register villagers en masse like this every year since 2009. It’s an ongoing collaboration that we’re very proud to uphold and continue.
We had quite the turnout on this day Villagers queued up at the registration site.
Weavers and their families Even in the extreme heat, nearing 100 degrees, the weavers and their families keep such a positive attitude throughout the whole day.
A mother in line with her children Registration day is truly a family affair. Here, a mother waits patiently in line with her four children in tow, committed to getting her whole family registered for the year.
Registration used to be equipment-intensive Up until 2019, the National Ministry of Health used satellite connections to register people for health coverage. As shown here, it required extensive equipment and was quite the process to get everything set up on-site, making for a jam-packed day of activity for all involved.
Husband and wife, whom we have registered for health care since 2011
A gentleman whom we have signed up for health care for the last nine years
A mother and her baby, whom we have signed up for health care since 2011