Alumni Robin F. Baker, MS, OTR/L: Advocacy, Locally and Globally

Serving the community locally and globally can improve conditions for vulnerable populations, empower communities and reduce gaps in access to care resources and wellness. Through collaboration, groups are better able to advocate for themselves by identifying their specific needs. Recently, we had the opportunity to meet with Alumni Robin F. Baker, MS, OTR/L who embodies the University’s pillars for service and mission of advocacy. Robin is the owner of a nonprofit organization, GO Therapy, Inc., that has a mission to “improve access and quality of occupational, physical and speech therapy services for persons living with disabilities and chronic health conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

Q1). Tell me about your business?

A1). GoTHERAPY is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance the lives of individuals living with chronic health conditions, such as stroke, by improving their access to quality rehabilitation services. Through our Stroke Community Re-Integration Program (SCRIP), we provide stroke survivors in the Shai Osudoku district of Ghana with communitybased occupational, physical and speech therapy services as well as health monitoring and health and wellness education. Essentially, we are helping individuals walk again, talk again and engage in meaningful daily activities after surviving a stroke. In March, GoTHERAPY and the Shai Osudoku District opened the first community occupational therapy center in Ghana to serve adults living with chronic illness and children with special needs.

Q2). What motivated you to attend the University, and how has that influenced your interest in occupational therapy?

A2). Throughout undergrad, my mother battled stage 4 breast cancer; however, two weeks into my senior year she transitioned to hospice care. She was provided with a home occupational therapist who helped her establish end of life goals. My mom’s goals included independently washing her face, brushing her teeth and walking to her favorite chair. I loved the intimacy of the OT profession, and I appreciated the intentionality of the OT who helped my mom participate in activities that were meaningful and purposeful to her up until her death. After my mom passed away, I pivoted from pursuing athletic training post-graduation and started looking into OT programs.

I chose Howard University to:

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be surrounded by the brightest and culturally diverse minds; be taught by Black women trailblazers within the profession (i.e., Dr. Shirley Jackson, Dr. Felicia Banks); and find the nurturing community that would see my fullest potential and aid me in achieving it.

Q3). Provide one major experience at Howard University that molded you into the health care entrepreneur you are today?

A3). During the last year of my OT program, I completed a clinical rotation to San Jose, Costa Rica. During that experience, I realized that illness is universal but access to quality health care and, more specifically, rehabilitation, is not. That experience sparked my interest in rehabilitation initiatives abroad. As a Liberian-American, I had an interest in exploring rehabilitation services in Black nations, so I participated in volunteer trips to Haiti, Liberia and Ghana.

Q4). How did you get abroad? Was it through a program at Howard? If so, which one?

A4). After my experience in Costa Rica, I made a commitment to explore international opportunities at least once a year. In 2016, I volunteered in Ghana for the first time and was introduced to the chairperson of the OT program at the University of Ghana, who was preparing to graduate the first cohort of OTs in the country. I was presented with several exciting opportunities that would allow me to participate in community-based programs and aid in the establishment of the OT profession within the country. In 2018, I made the move to Ghana to gain more in-country experience and pilot GoTHERAPY’s flagship program. Since then, I split my time between the DMV and Accra, Ghana.

GoTHERAPY has also worked with the HU OT Department to create clinical opportunities for students participating in Alternative Spring Break to Ghana and sponsor students via our Social Justice Fund. The collaborative and community outreach demonstrated by alumna Robin Baker and her organization continue to represent not only advocacy, but the mission of truth and service.