Student Story

Growing up in Ghana, I was no stranger to hardship. I spent my childhood selling kerosene in neighborhoods like Ahinsan Estate, Sisakyi, and Anloga—not out of choice, but necessity. Those early days, walking door to door with fuel cans, offered more than just income; they gave me a front-row seat to the health challenges plaguing underserved communities—contaminated water, poor sanitation, and a deep lack of access to basic healthcare.

These weren’t just headlines to me. They were lived realities.

What stirred my spirit most was watching how preventable diseases like cholera continued to claim lives—not because there weren’t solutions, but because information, infrastructure, and advocacy were missing. I still remember the 2022 cholera outbreak in Accra’s James Town, where panic and misinformation worsened an already fragile situation. Children stopped going to school. Elders grew afraid of drinking water. Hospitals were overwhelmed.

But public health made a difference. Health professionals and volunteers stepped in with mobile clinics, door-to-door education, radio broadcasts, and emergency supplies. The outbreak was contained—not just with medicine, but with knowledge. That moment deepened my conviction: Public health is not just a field. It’s a fight for justice.

Through God’s grace, I became a beneficiary of the Church of Pentecost Chairman’s Scholarship. It wasn’t just financial aid—it was a bridge to my calling. It made me believe in the power of giving back, of multiplying the investment made in me. This scholarship didn’t only fund my education—it commissioned me into a life of service.

Today, as I prepare to pursue a Master of Public Health in Global Health in the US, I carry with me not just theory, but lived experience. I’ve worked in community health programs, led youth education campaigns, and participated in church-led outreach to promote hygiene and disease prevention. Each opportunity reminds me: public health is about people, not just policies.

I’m passionate about transforming vulnerable communities—not with temporary fixes, but with sustainable, community-led solutions. My vision is to return to communities like James Town and Ahinsan, equipped with knowledge and partnerships that drive long-term change.

If I’ve learned anything from this journey—from kerosene seller to scholarship recipient—it’s this: Your beginning doesn’t define your becoming. What matters is the decision to rise, to serve, and to give others the chance to do the same.

This is not just my story. It is the story of countless lives that can be changed when public health meets purpose.

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Enoch Agbo will be a graduate student in the fall of 2025 at the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences.