Volunteer Building in Ghana

Dr. Ben Alemina, commonly known as Dr. Ben, is a Medical Doctor (Family Physician), medical educator, entrepreneur, and a passionate volunteer. In addition to his work at Projects of Heart, Dr. Ben is co-founder and CEO of Global Nursing Recruiters, an international nurse recruitment agency that recruits nurses from The Caribbean, Africa and around the world to the United States to work as registered nurses, and give their families an opportunity to realize their American Dream.

Born in historical Cape Coast, Ghana, to a Catering Officer (father) and a housewife, it was quickly seen that young Ben had a gift for the sciences and won himself a government scholarship to study in Cuba. It had always been Ben’s dream to become a medical doctor and help needy people. He successfully completed Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in Cuba. Coming out among the top students in his class, he readily accepted an opportunity to continue his education in Cuba by studying medicine. He graduated as a Medical Doctor in 1997. Dr. Alemina is full of gratitude for the “Isle of Youth Scholarship Program” Cuban Scholarship Program, adding that it was there he learned about volunteerism and how it can make a positive impact on the development of an individual.

Living outside of his home country for most of his life, Dr. Ben became aware of the skewed perspective of the African continent that was common among people that had never been there. Many people have no idea that Africa is in fact quite lush in resources, and far more politically, industrially, and socially developed than it is often perceived to be. Furthermore, having lived in The Caribbean and in the United States, Dr. Ben is aware of the issues that black people in The Caribbean and the United States face when trying to reconnect to the African continent. Many of them have little to no knowledge of their roots in Africa outside of the institution of slavery. They hence have a yearning desire to learn as much as they can about the motherland.

Determined to change these narratives, Dr. Ben began personally arranging immersive trips to Ghana for his friends. They enjoyed making personal connections with the families that hosted them, immersed themselves in the culture of food, music, and language, and were blown away by the sheer beauty of the people and land they live on. Projects of Heart seeks to disrupt the negative narrative of Africa, provide much-needed cultural education, and improve African communities through volunteer work and cultural immersion.

Dr. Ben encourages people from all backgrounds to consider international volunteer work as a gateway to personal development, global awareness, and most importantly, making an impact. He believes that no act of kindness is too small, and if every person could dedicate two weeks a year to serving and empowering others, we can create a much better world. A world that is healthier, more sustainable, and more globally aware.