Meet Dr. Araba P. Pratt

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr. Araba P. Pratt. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr. Araba P. below.

Hi Dr. Araba P., appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

Where do you get your resilience from?

Challenges in life. Difficulties, if they don’t break you, turn to define you. Growing up in this part of the world, to a fisherman and a fishmonger, always sick and having to go in and out of the hospital, led to absence from school, causing a negative impact on my school performance.

Also, everyone around you seems to be ok with democracy, had no zeal or desire to improve and be better. Most of my age mates ended up giving birth without any skill and becoming dependent on men. Fortunately for me, I happened to meet someone from a similar setting who was doing great academically, and after a minute or two of interaction with this person, anger rose within me, a desire to want more, and a conviction that if it can be done, then I can too.

So to answer your question, life and its happenings have taught me to be resilient, not forgetting that the company that I keep makes all the difference.

My achievements and milestones play a role in keeping me resilient.

Ann Richardson said, ‘We cannot change the outcome, but we can affect the journey.’. My personal experience has made me determined to be that one person that one needs to start on a positive trajectory, and so I am intentional about my interactions with people, aiming to leave a positive footprint. Results and responses from the people I am privileged to impact keep me going.

Lastly, I must acknowledge the role my belief system and faith have played to make me resilient. Knowing that all things are possible because I am greatly helped.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am Dr. Patience Pratt, a medical officer. I was born to a fisherman and a fishmonger and first of four children. I lived in a community at did not believe so much in the girl child education, with believe that the only purpose of a woman is to birth child and mend the home. Battling all odds I rose to become a medical doctor.
I am remembered of a client a show in my first year of houseman ship, 13 year old who conceived due to rape came in to deliver, had postpartum psychosis and no hope or prospect as to what the future was for herself and baby. Trying to help her I faced so many obstacles and challenges from all angels, even her family, who married her off to the rapist. There were no proper systems or resources in place for such cases. This brought me to the understanding that as a society and a country we have failed. To do my part to fix a broken world stirs my desire to do what I do.
Most women in my community are without any form of education, either formal or informal, making them totally dependent on their spouses, who tend to abuse them because they feel like they own these women. In my quest to curb this, I hope to have my own practice and facility dedicated to female and child health. To open a resource Centre where stakeholders like teachers, parents, lawyers, social workers and health care personal can come together to address general issues in relation to females and children and specific issues can be handled adequately. The center will be dedicated to providing short and long term support to individuals and communities through education, both formal and informal, legal advise and guidance, health assistance and empowerment. The center must be able to support itself financially and not depend so much on external financial aid. I hope to achieve this by running a farm which will be managed by women who source the center. The center will concentrate on processing the farm products and the proceed will be used to support the Centre.
I have over the years gathered leadership skills seeing that in every school or place I find myself I assume a leadership role. I was voted as the general secretary of national union of Ghana students during my medical school days. All these leadership portions over the years has helped me master the skills of proper communication, foreignness, resilience, focus and discipline.
I currently serve on an NGO called Doctors’ Act as the deputy General secretary and the lead project director for children and youth. I organise outreaches to deprived area in my country. In these communities we provide free health screening, health education, empowerment sections for high schools and vocational training in bead making, shoe making, just a few to mention.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

My father has some quotes that he keeps repeating that in retrospect I think has been my guide. ‘ you define yourself’, ‘ hard work pays’ and lastly that there is nothing impossible if one sets they heart and mind to do.
I believe the desire to want more, to reach for the skies and the endless work I put in making those dreams a reality are but a few of my qualities I can mention. Discipline, focus and perseverance have brought me this far.
I am currently in my second year of anaesthesia residency, second semester of my master of health service management programme, all the while working and performing other roles and responsibilities incl.uding managing a farm. Yes one may say it’s a little much for one to do at the same time but this is how I see things, preparedness is great gain, all of these learning and qualifications are to position me to be qualified for influential portions where I can make the greatest impact and hopefully not just open the door and pass through but that I maybe able to leave the door open for others to come through. Knowing that it is possible.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

My people say it takes a community to train a child and I do agree. I am only here because at every stage of my life I have had people play a part in my becoming.
Nonetheless, I will use this opportunity to talk about my father. My father has been an epitome of strength. He left his village at the age of 17 after he sustained an injury at sea while fishing with my grandfather. In the city whiles supporting himself with crutches he hocked and slept on the streets till he made it. I remember the sacrifices he made to give all his children the best education if though he wasn’t privileged to have one.
His personal stories, challenges and obstacles he faced pushes me not to give up. And above all odds a daughter of a fisherman is a medical doctor, I must add the only one in the family.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15CeLhPGNc/
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits

Doctors’ Act Ghana