HELP BUILD A LIFE-CHANGING ORTHOPAEDIC CENTRE IN

COTE D'IVOIRE

A Personal Journey Comes Full Circle

I worked in The Ivory Coast for 5 years in the 90s and returned recently to discover that 'our' project, RACH (Rehabilitation Assise Communautaire des Handicapé ), was still going strong with many of the same personnel and, amazingly, self-supporting. Anyone who knows about Overseas Aid will find this astonishing.

At the time there were very few disability services available, so the project used the WHO model of Community Based Rehabilitation; training local volunteers to support families in the surrounding villages. Although we worked with all forms of disability the project established an Orthopaedic Workshop from the outset; mainly making callipers for children suffering from polio. There was an emphasis on sharing knowledge at all levels and accessing training whenever possible.

Over the years other services were developed and RACH has now become more of a centre with a thriving eye service and a school for hearing impaired children. There is still an Orthopaedic Workshop but I didn’t think it was very effective. I learned that Felix, who was trained by the project and ran the original workshop, left 5 years ago and set up on his own. I never got the whole story but think he wanted more autonomy but they still all appear to be friends.

When I visited Felix’s workshop I could see that it is functioning really well. People come from far and wide for his services: club feet, prosthesis for amputations, basic physiotherapy and much more. I was really impressed and asked if there was anything I could buy to help, maybe a piece of machinery? 'No' he said, what I really need is a bigger space and showed me his plans.

THE VISION: A NEW CENTRE FOR GREATER IMPACT

Felix has a clear and ambitious plan: to build a larger, purpose-built Orthopaedic Centre. He already owns the land and has detailed architectural plans, including space for training new technicians and accommodation for patients traveling long distances. However, despite his best efforts, local banks have denied him the necessary loan to bring this vision to life.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

I am committed to raising funds to support the construction of this much-needed centre. Every donation will go directly towards building costs—none will be used for administrative expenses, personal travel or anything else. If I DO get more than we need I’d like to do something for the deaf children, but that’s another story!

STAY CONNECTED

I plan to visit again once construction begins and will provide regular updates, including photos and stories, to keep you informed about the progress and the lives being transformed.

JOIN US IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Your support can help build a facility that will serve countless individuals in need of orthopaedic care. Together, we can empower Felix and his team to expand their life-changing work.