The trip was Wong’s first overseas experience, and he spent his time traveling, attending church services and learning which foods had peanuts, a common ingredient in local cuisine that he is allergic to. The food allergy could have been a problem if it wasn’t for a local woman who took Wong under her wing — and whom he came to call Auntie Irene, per the polite way in Ghana to address older women.
“I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, what can I eat? What is in some of these soups, some of the rice? What is it in fact mixed with?’” he said. “For an hour and a half, [Auntie Irene] sat down with me and we went through all of the Ghanaian dishes, explaining what has peanuts . . . ”
Wong’s work back in San Diego is what brought him to West Africa. He had been a volunteer researcher of tropical diseases for almost two years on UC San Diego’s Malaria Research Project.
“That sort of struck my interest in malaria, which led me to Ghana,” he said.
Abroad, Wong took the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, working in the children’s ward of a hospital, gathering research on why parents waited to bring their children to the hospital after they displayed signs of the disease.
“Malaria is so common over there. It’s as frequent as the common cold,” he said.
Children would come in with fever and chills — symptoms of the disease — and Wong would interview parents, take vitals and even help clean wounds.
His experiences working with the sick children and the people of Ghana have altered his outlook on life, Wong said.
