Tag Archive for: humanitarian
Our students have talent and ideas to spare! While our students in Montpellier are getting involved in a solidarity project in Togo, our students in Nîmes have chosen Senegal and the city of Dakar for the annual humanitarian project organized by the Crocos du Monde association. It’s a wonderful initiative that we didn’t want to miss the chance to share. Here’s a report and an interview.
To learn more about the ins and outs of this project, we sat down with Joffrey Buland, the 2021–22 President of Crocos du Monde! Check out his interview below!
Hello, Joffrey. Could you please introduce yourself and tell us what your role is in this project?
Hello, my name is Joffrey Buland, and I am currently a second-year medical student in Nîmes. During the “Dakar 2022” project organized by Crocos du Monde, when I was a first-year medical student, I served as president of the association. The president’s role, in collaboration with the executive committee, is to organize the international project. We were responsible for communicating with local contacts, issuing requests for quotes for the end-of-year shipping container, and organizing its shipment as well as the trip to the destination.
Can you tell us more about this project? What did it involve?
This project was a first for Les Crocos du Monde; our goal was to launch an international initiative that would be more sustainable—a long-term partnership that could be renewed each year. It was with this same goal of sustainability in mind that we came up with the idea of the shipping container, to give a second life to the supplies we were able to collect throughout the year. Since Les Crocos du Monde is primarily focused on sharing and sustainable development, the idea seemed like a natural fit. The goal was to collect medical and paramedical supplies throughout the year through various partners, which were then shipped to Senegal—specifically to the Fatick General Hospital, located 150 km south of Dakar.
Why did you choose Senegal? What led you to make that choice?
We turned our attention to Senegal thanks to a doctor at the Nîmes University Hospital, Dr. Christophe Boisson, who helped us immensely in setting up our project. Dr. Boisson has been sending containers of medical supplies to Dakar for several years now; it was with him and our trusted contacts on the ground that we decided to focus our efforts on the Fatick General Hospital. This led to an official partnership between the Carémeau University Hospital and the Dakar University Hospital, of which Crocos du Monde and Fatick are branches. This partnership has three main areas of focus: the delivery of supplies—in which we participated—medical and paramedical training through the simulation center, and training for biomedical engineers and technicians.
How did you organize the collection of supplies?
The collection of supplies began with the hospital identifying its needs and providing us with a list. From that list, we selected the supplies we were able to obtain—those that were within our reach. The “Dakar 2022” project was therefore primarily focused on the nephrology unit, which is currently undergoing rapid development in Fatick. Once we had identified our target, we reached out to our partners—including individuals, other organizations, and, primarily, the Nîmes University Hospital and Dr. Boisson—and began our search and collection efforts.
All in all, what kind of materials were you able to collect? How much is that?
By the end of the year, we had collected enough to fill a 33 m³ container—that is, 2.5 metric tons of equipment. Most of it was urology and nephrology equipment, including catheters and urinary ostomy kits, but there was also some surgical equipment, such as ventilator circuits and laparoscopy kits. We were also fortunate to find large electronic equipment, seven emergency stretchers, and a delivery table. Since the goal was to give the items we sent a second life, all expiration dates were checked, and all electronic equipment was tested and refurbished as needed through Apelem, an association of biomedical engineers and technicians that is part of the partnership with the Nîmes University Hospital.
You were part of the trip in July. How did it go? What did you and your colleagues get out of it?
The four of us traveled to Nîmes with three second-year medical students, two of whom are now part of the executive committee. The goal was to take them on a tour of facilities such as the Fatick General Hospital, where they will be collecting supplies, so that they could get a clear idea of their upcoming 2023 project. At the same time, we wanted them to meet our trusted partners and local contacts, which will facilitate better communication in the coming year and help them understand the why, the how, and the for whom of the project. This trip was deeply rewarding on a personal level; it allowed us to observe and understand different hospital and cultural systems, each with resources that vary to some extent depending on the facility.
Does this inspire you to get involved in humanitarian medicine?
Humanitarian medicine has always been my main goal; even when I started PACES, my objective was to join Doctors Without Borders or other organizations so I could go on a mission. When I discovered the Crocos du Monde association, and had the opportunity—along with my friends—to get involved in my own way starting in my first year of medical school, I didn’t hesitate. This year has allowed me to further deepen and strengthen this dream for after I graduate.
What about future projects for Crocos du Monde?
To answer this question, I’ll turn the floor over to Chloé Messines, the new president of Crocos du Monde for the 2022–2023 term.
Chloé: Les Crocos du Monde has always focused on the partnership between the University Hospitals of Nîmes and Dakar, and more specifically on putting together the container of medical equipment; the bulk of our internal investment and the events we organize are aimed at funding this project. Furthermore, it is important for us—as well as for our Senegalese partners—to meet in person and confirm that the container was well received. Just as we did last year, Les Crocos du Monde are committed to traveling to Dakar and Fatick to connect with the people who made this project possible. Now, our goal for this year is also to foster a vibrant community life for our members by offering a wider variety of events (clean walks, school outreach, outreach patrols, etc.), with a focus on inter-organizational collaboration (such as our participation in the “Nîmes en Rose” project led by the midwifery association and “Pep’s Week” with Tutorat Santé Nîmes). In this way, we are relying on the motivation of second-year medical and midwifery students to ensure the association’s successful development.
Julie Bay, a first-year orthoptics student, will be leaving for a humanitarian mission in Kenya from October 30 to November 14, 2021. The goal of this mission is to provide free vision screenings for children in schools in Taïta.
A project by the Eye Need View association
Eye Need View is a nonprofit organization established in 2014 by three orthoptists under the French Law of 1901. Its mission is to organize vision screening, refraction, and training initiatives in the field of eye health in developing countries.
For the first time, Eye Need View is calling on visual health students to carry out its next humanitarian mission in Kenya. Five students from the fourteen orthoptics departments across France are participating in this project.
The School of Medicine, represented by Julie Bay
And this year, a first-year orthoptics student at the Montpellier-Nîmes School of Medicine was selected for this assignment. She was recruited after submitting her resume and cover letter, and she will represent the School and the University of Montpellier throughout this assignment. We had the opportunity to meet her:
Hi Julie, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Julie Bay, I’m 29 years old, and I’m originally from Réunion Island. After earning my BTS in Optometry and gaining several years of professional experience in that field, I decided to change careers and become an orthoptist. I am currently a student at the Montpellier-Nîmes School of Medicine.
How did you hear about the Eye Need View project?
As I have a strong interest in the field of vision health and humanitarian work, I regularly kept up with the latest news on these topics. One day, I saw the call for proposals from the FFEO (French Federation of Orthoptics Students) regarding the Eye Need View mission, and I decided to apply because this project perfectly matched my expectations.
Why did you want to take part in this humanitarian mission?
First of all, humanitarian work has always appealed to me; I’ve always been committed to using my skills to help others. The people around me have always encouraged me to get involved in charitable causes. Even back in Réunion, I was part of an organization—along with my family—that helped underprivileged people. What’s great about this project is that it allows me to combine my work with my desire to help others. I’ve already carried out humanitarian screening missions in Paris with Vision For Life for underprivileged people. This helps me grow both personally and professionally.
People don’t always realize this, but 10% of children have a vision problem by age 6 and are not receiving treatment. Vision problems have a significant impact on children, particularly when it comes to learning. That’s why this mission is so important to me.
How did you finance your humanitarian mission?
The cost of the trip is estimated at 9,000€ for all participating students. We received 6,000€ in support from our partners. I also received funding from the University of Montpellier’s Solidarity and Student Initiative Development Fund (FSDIE), which aims to support students with projects in various fields.
Finally, we're going to set up an online fundraiser to raise the remaining funds we need.
The Mission Timeline
The goal during the two-week mission is to screen 2,500 children in schools in the village of Taïta, in southern Kenya. To make this possible, the mission is divided into several stages:
Support Julie's project
The Eye Need View organization and the students participating in this humanitarian project are committed to making this mission a success. You can support them in two different ways:
- Through the eyeglass donation drive: Collection boxes are available on the Arnaud de Villeneuve Campus to collect children’s eyeglasses.
- Through a financial donation: You can make a donation to help fund this humanitarian mission by clicking this button.
Following our feature on ANIMN a few days ago, we’re now turning our attention to Orthofaso, the speech-language pathology student association focused on community service projects! Today we’re meeting with Mélanie, the secretary, who’s here to tell us more about the association’s mission, goals, and humanitarian efforts!
Could you tell us a little about your organization? What is its mission?
Orthofaso is a nonprofit organization established under the French Law of 1901, founded in 2006, whose mission is to promote and manage projects abroad through solidarity missions led by speech-language pathology students from Montpellier. Since 2015, the association has been working at an orphanage for children with multiple disabilities in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (previous missions were in Burkina Faso). This year’s Orthofaso team consists of 17 speech-language pathology students.
We are traveling to Vietnam because the country was ravaged by war in the 1950s. The chemicals dumped on the country’s land have led to a very high rate of disability throughout the country, particularly among children. As a result, we work with children who have a wide variety of conditions, most of whom have cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and/or hearing loss.
What activities do you carry out throughout the year? Can you tell us about them?
To raise funds, we organize various events throughout the year:
- Garage Sale and Closet Sale
- Improv Theater Night
- Blind Test
- "Chocolats du Cœur" Sale at Christmas and Easter
- Gift-wrapping stations at Maison du Monde and du Bruit dans la Cuisine from November through Christmas
- Raffle
- Sale of bee wraps made by the team
- Participation in the Castelnau-le-Lez Christmas market (sale of jars of cookie and muffin mixes, bee wraps, jams, crafts, Christmas cards, etc.)
- Sale of used speech-language therapy games and equipment to speech-language pathology students
- Set up a Hello Asso fundraising page for online donations of any amount
- Launch of Lilo (a search engine that funds social and environmental projects)
- Sale of eco-cups and tote bags by the organization
Why did you join the organization as an individual member? What does your organization offer students?
Personally, I joined this organization to help others and work toward a good cause. In addition, this experience allows me to be part of a team and see a project through from start to finish.
Orthofaso is a charitable organization whose goal is to provide support at an orphanage for children with multiple disabilities. It allows students who support us throughout the year to participate in various types of events that may interest and entertain them (trivia contests, raffles, clothing swaps, improvisational theater nights, sales of used items, etc.) while helping us with our project.
Why and how can I join your organization?
There is no membership in our association.
Can you tell us a little about the 2020–21 executive committee election?
Elections for the Orthofaso team will take place during the first semester of the 2020–21 school year, but we cannot provide an exact date given the current health situation. Fourth-year speech-language pathology students who volunteer will then be able to join the association.
How can I contact you on social media?
Email: asso.orthofaso@gmail.com
Website: https://orthofaso.wixsite.com/orthofaso
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orthofaso
Instagram: Orthofaso_13
We met AMEO earlier. Today, we’re heading to Nîmes and even farther afield with the Crocos du Monde association!
In a nutshell, what is the Crocos du Monde association?
Founded in 2007, “Crocos du monde” is the student humanitarian association of the Faculty of Medicine’s Nîmes campus. Its goal is to enable medical and midwifery students to get involved in humanitarian work—each in their own way—and to raise awareness of global disparities. The main objective is to organize an international solidarity project each year. Since the association’s founding, the Crocos have already traveled to Morocco, Burkina Faso, and even Togo last summer!
What activities do you carry out throughout the year? Can you tell us about them?
Throughout the year, we hold two major events: fundraisers for our international solidarity project and, starting this year, our local project in Nîmes, which has allowed us to implement social initiatives throughout our city.
To help fund our trip, we’ve been organizing events at our university since the beginning of the year. We’ve already held a few snack sales. During the holiday season, we raised money through gift-wrapping booths and a chocolate sale.
At the same time, the Nîmes project is structured around several initiatives, most of which are carried out in partnership with the French Red Cross in the Gard department, particularly for outreach patrols and visits to nursing homes.
Why did you join the organization as an individual member? What does your organization offer students?
I’ve always been interested in humanitarian work, and this organization has given me the opportunity to get involved through a variety of local initiatives that balance our academic commitments with the limited time we can devote to charitable activities.
This allowed me to become aware of the various needs around me and take action to address them, whether directly in Nîmes or through fundraising and preparing for the annual international solidarity trip.
Why and how do I join Les Crocos du Monde?
Our organization provides opportunities to get involved in social, community-oriented, and environmental initiatives. This allows you to get involved and stay true to your values. Furthermore, it complements your studies by fostering social connections and bringing you into contact with people in need.
You can join in September, after the back-to-school general meeting, and then at any time throughout the year. Simply fill out a membership form and pay a 10-euro membership fee by check or cash, and you’ll officially become a member of Crocos du Monde. The association is open to all students at the University of Nîmes (PACES/PASS, medicine, midwifery).
A few words about the 2020–2021 executive board?
The election of our executive committee takes place in two parts:
- First, an executive committee (BR) is elected. Following an online campaign period, the election was held in early June. Due to the current health situation, we will hold the handover ceremony in person at the start of the school year.
- Then, in late September, second-year members of the association (medicine or midwifery) will be able to run for office. After a short campaign, the BR selects its executive board based on the number of candidates per position.
For more information, feel free to follow us on social media:
- Facebook: Crocodiles of the World
- Instagram: crocos_du_monde
- Website (updated this year): https://crocosdumonde.jimdofree.com/
- Email: asso.crocosdumonde@gmail.com
