The station
A founder who has spent years at a UK railway station, helping people understand how things work here.
The situations people bring when the practical side gets hard.
Situations around healthcare travel, arrival and family support, in the words people use.
The UK runs on systems. A newcomer still needs a person.
Council. GP. A landlord. A National Insurance number. A bank that wants an address first. These are the situations the founders have sat with for years. The clinic still does the clinical work.
My mother came from Kumasi for her appointment and I was at work. They picked her up, took her to where she was sleeping, and the next morning someone went with her. That thing alone, I slept.
Akosua Daughter arranging care from London
When I landed I had an address on my phone and that was it. Council, tax, even the GP, all online. Me, I'm not good with those computers. Somebody sat with me and we did it one by one.
Kwesi Just arrived in the UK
The landlord wanted references I didn't have. Accommodation was the worry before any hospital talk. Once I had a bed and the papers were straight, then we could think about my wife's appointment.
Kofi Looking for a room and a GP
I came to work in healthcare and I still needed help like anybody. Where to sleep those first weeks. My National Insurance. A bank. Then my mother wanted to come and see a specialist.
Adwoa Healthcare worker, newly arrived
My father is in Accra. He doesn't do email. They sat with the documents, told me what was missing, and arranged the car. I didn't have to explain the whole UK to him at midnight.
Yaw Son sending documents from Ghana
After the appointment my auntie was tired. Somebody walked with her, found food she would actually eat, and stayed until she was settled. The booking is only part of it. The mind is in it too.
Efua Spent the day with an older auntie
Why these three people started KWANPA.
Station work. Shipping and pickups. Nursing. Everyday life in the UK already needs a person beside you. A healthcare trip needs that even more. Clinicians keep the clinical decisions. We help with the coordination around the person.
The movement
A founder who ships goods internationally and coordinates pickups, including from the airport.
The ward
A Ghanaian nurse now practising in the UK, with healthcare qualifications and direct knowledge of how care is delivered here.