On a warm summer afternoon in Charlotte, while many of her peers are soaking up the last moments of vacation before senior year, 17-year-old Kayla Nhyira Adarkwah is sorting through boxes of medical supplies, vinyl gloves, antiseptic, bandages, thermometers, crutches and a portable stretcher.
Her bedroom resembles a small clinic, but this is not a project for school. It is a mission born of faith, heritage, and a vision for change. She began by creating an Amazon wish list….”
Kayla, a rising senior at Ardrey Kell High School, is the founder of the Mobile Sports Clinic: Faith In Action, a youth-led initiative that is already making a tangible difference over 5,000 miles away in Ghana, West Africa.
A Dual Identity and a Sense of Purpose
Born in the United States to Ghanaian parents: Eunice Otoo and Rev Benjamin Adarkwah, Kayla grew up deeply connected to both cultures.
Her Ghanaian roots were never distant, family stories, summer visits, and the traditions kept alive at All Nations United Methodist Church, where she’s an active chorister and Media Technology Assistant.
Her love for sports was equally strong. A multi-sport athlete, Kayla has excelled on the basketball court at Ardrey Kell, while also trying her hand at track and flag football.
In the background, she cultivated an interest in sports medicine, shadowing professionals, asking questions, and learning what happens when athletes get hurt.
“I realised that while we have trainers, ice packs, medical bags, and professionals on standby at games here, in many parts of Ghana, especially rural schools, none of that is guaranteed. A sprain, a deep cut, or even dehydration can become a serious issue without proper care,” she said.
A Mission Is Born
In 2024, Kayla launched Mobile Sports Clinic, combining her love of sports, her faith, and her cultural roots. She began by curating an Amazon wish list with dozens of medical items, everything from bandages and antibiotic ointments to digital thermometers and children’s pain relief medications.
With support from her church community, family, friends, and school network, she raised over $2,000 worth of supplies, all of which were packed and shipped to Pepease Presbyterian Basic School in Kwahu Pepease, a rural town in Ghana’s Eastern Region.
Along with the medical kits came a medicine cabinet and a stretcher which are small but vital additions to a school with limited healthcare access.
“Every item we sent had a purpose,” she said. “Whether it was for treating a scraped knee or managing an asthma attack, I wanted to make sure the school had what it needed to respond to everyday medical emergencies.”
Among the donated items were cohesive bandage wraps and gauze pads, pediatric pain relievers like Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen and crutches, knee braces, a blood pressure cuff, and a fingertip pulse oximeter.
The rest are portable trauma kits and compact first aid bins, bio-freeze pain relief sprays and massage tools, medical scissors, antiseptics, gloves, thermometers, and more.
Building Skills and Health Literacy
According to the young Kayla, she is not just sending supplies but building a structure that can last and working closely with mentors in education and healthcare to develop a plan to identify and train a school health teacher in basic first aid.
Others include to form a student-led First Aid Club that promotes peer learning and leadership and bridge gaps between the Ghana Education Service and Ghana Health Service in terms of how school health is taught and implemented.
“This is not just about handing over boxes but creating a system where kids are safer, staff are more prepared, and schools can handle health emergencies with confidence.”
Community-Rooted Leadership
Kayla’s journey is deeply grounded in her Christian faith. At All Nations United Methodist Church, she’s grown up in a community that champions service, discipline, and calling where church leaders describe her as focused, humble, and action-oriented.
“Faith without works is dead,” Kayla said, referencing James 2:17. “I truly believe we are all called to use our gifts to help others. This is my way of doing that.”
Though she is just 17, Kayla speaks with a sense of purpose and poise beyond her years. She balances her studies, church commitments, sports practices, and now, an international aid initiative whilst maintaining her position as a top student-athlete.
The Road Ahead
As she prepares to enter her senior year this fall, Kayla is exploring college programs in public health, pre-medicine, and global studies. She hopes to eventually work in pediatric or sports medicine, with an emphasis on global health equity.
But no matter where life takes her next, Ghana will remain part of her story and her mission.
“I see this not as a one-time thing, but as the beginning of something bigger,” she said. “If a small project like mine can make a difference in one school, imagine what we could do if more young people took on issues they care about.”
From the basketball courts of Charlotte to the schoolyards of Kwahu, Kayla Adarkwah is proving that leadership knows no borders and that faith, when put into action, can heal across continents.
Receiving the items, the Headmistress of Pepease Presby Basic School, Madam Irene Djabakour Djorbuah expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the donation and assured that both the students and staff would make meaningful and effective use of the items provided.
On her part, Sally Ntim, one of the key figures behind Kayla’s donation, encouraged both teachers and students to maintain the items well and use them (items) as a springboard to boost students’ confidence in sports, especially in schools that lack such resources.
Presenting the items on behalf and for Kayla, Prof William Ofori Ntim together with his wife Mrs. Sally Ntim emphasized that Kayla’s initiative is rooted in her Christian values and a strong desire to serve humanity.
To further support the school, he announced that two teachers have been selected for first aid training and later help establish a robust Red Cross Society within the school, equipping students with the knowledge and skills to administer first aid during sporting events and daily school activities.
The Deputy Director of Education at Kwahu East, Francis Tuni, conveyed his excitement and appreciation for the donation.
He remarked that it is rare to see many schools equipped with such essential items, adding that the presence of first aid supplies would significantly help in managing injuries and preventing critical incidents among students.
