#Proudofourstudents | The Med’Trotters, on their way to Togo!
Did you know? This year, ACM's exchange program is organizing an international solidarity mission to Togo! Thirteen students will have the opportunity to fly there in July to join an association working to renovate a school. Interview.
Who are you?
We are Anouk Evrard and Claire Boin. Currently students in DFGSM3 at the Faculty, we are also elected members of the ACM. Our role as VP Exchange is to facilitate international exchanges (whether for incoming or outgoing students) or inter-CHU exchanges (exchanges between university hospitals during the summer internship).
New this year is an international solidarity project called "Med'Trotter"!
Can you tell us more about the Med’Trotter project?
Med’Trotter is a project that was conceived by Camille Borne, our former VP of Exchange, in 2019. Unfortunately, due to the health crisis, the project could not be completed, which is why we decided to revive it this year!
Specifically, this is a project linked to "Espace Hotsi." This is a Togolese association that sets up renovation projects to improve the quality of life of residents.
This year, the goal is to go for a month to help this association with the renovation of a school in Wli, near Tsévié.
How will you help Espace Hotsi?
With elbow grease! We will be helping the association's members for a month to renovate four classrooms and the bathrooms. This is very important because the school teaches from kindergarten to elementary school, so it will benefit many children.
Since it is very hot in Togo, we will only be able to work on the construction site in the mornings. We have therefore planned to run workshops with the children and villagers in the afternoons. We have come up with several themes related to art, drawing, sculpture, sports, singing, dancing, and even gardening! Of course, we will also help by providing academic support and awareness-raising activities. To do this, we have drawn inspiration from the activities we carry out during our health services. We have also approached Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) for guidance on the most appropriate way to raise awareness. We really want to do things right.
And then in the evening, there will be an opportunity to hold gatherings. We want to share with the local population, exchange stories, cultures, and traditions.
How can we help you with this wonderful project?
This project requires €24,000 in funding. These expenses are divided between the construction site itself, the school and gardening equipment we need for the workshops, and, of course, everything related to transportation, accommodation, and medical expenses for the 13 medical students who are about to leave!
To raise this money, we have already applied for and received a grant from the FSDIE. This will enable us to fund the trip for five of the 13 students who are going. We have also applied for grants from the CROUS, the JSI (Jeunesse Solidarité Internationale, awarded by the Fonjep) and the department. We are currently awaiting the results.
Our last card is self-financing. To this end, we have set up the "Stand TOGO," which we install once a month at the Faculty. Our goal is to sell snacks and, above all, second-hand clothing to finance our trip.
You can help us by donating clothes you no longer want to the student union office and/or buying clothes you like when the stand is set up! Nothing goes to waste: clothes that are not too worn are donated to the ACM's ISS division during their outreach programs!
We have also set up a donation fund for anyone who would like to make a contribution.
Finally, we are organizing a raffle in April! All you have to do is buy a ticket from the student union. The draw will take place at our Togo stand on April 21! Pins will also be on sale for the occasion, so don't forget to come and see us and follow us on our Instagram account: @med_trotter !
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