It Takes A Village
Help us Build a Medical Clinic in
Djati, Guinea Bissau, West Africa
Project Summary:
Guinea-Bissau is a small, and often forgotten, West African nation that ranks as the 4th poorest country in the world. Only 56% of its population has access to clean drinking water. The youth remain part of a cycle that leaves 47% of them without the opportunity to attend primary school. The 1.5 million citizens share access to the country's approximately 45 doctors, leaving them with an average life expectancy of 48 years.
The remote village of Djati, population 1,000, suffers even greater extremes due to its 160 mile distance from the capital city of Bissau. Djati has no medical facility so the sick must be transported 35 miles away to the village of Quebo before they can be treated. During the rainy season the road turns into a river and there is no way for medical help to enter. Only the critically ill are transported out (which is a several hours by canoe).
Djati is the land that time forgot. This project can change that.
Project Objectives:
Three Phase Project
Build a Medical Clinic - Phase III
It Takes a Village has teamed up with hip hop artist, Hasan Salaam, FLOW and Lifelink to provide much needed services to Djati, Guinea Bissau. With your help we have already completed the building of a school to replace the temprary structure made of palm frawns and built a fresh water well to end the long walk for water.
We are now beginning our final phase, to build a Medcial Clinic, for which there is an urgent and dire need!
A two room medical structure will be built for the use of trained villagers and/or visiting nurses and doctors. The clinic will make medical care available to the villagers when no outside help and during the rainy season. We will stock the clinic and provide solar lighting so that medical and dental care can be given after daylight hours. Presently there is no electricity in the village and medical services are conducted by flashlight. The new facility will greatly benefit many individuals from the nearby villages who could also be treated at the clinic.
We will fund the project in 2 stages - this is phase 1
All buildings and structures will be designed according to indigenous architecture and constructed with input from the community, creating a sustainable and comfortable space for both children and adults.
Project Accomplishments:
Build a Well: Phase II
A hand dug well by Wateraid includes a reservoir tank and a small generator to pump the water to the tank -- or the water may be drawn by hand. The well will be hand dug by 20 men from Djati. This will provide the village with a local and reliable water source.
Completed April 2012
Build a School: Phase I
A permanent 4-room school will be built which can hold up to 200 students. The school will have two classrooms along with two small bedrooms, (which will house the two assigned teachers). Funding for the school will include school supplies and desks. The new school will provide education for children in Djati, as well as children from nearby villages.
Completed February 2012
Medical Clinic Project Budget: Phase I
(itemized breakdown available upon request)
Total Budget for Medical Clinic = $8,000
Round One Total goal = $2,000 Raised $4,360
Timeline:
Begin Construction - January 15, 2013
Estimated completion of Medical Facility - May 15, 2013
What you will receive:
Here's your chance to makes a difference. Support our work with a tax-deductible donation today.
When you donate you will become part of a larger global network of hundreds of thousands of people who believe there's nothing wrong with today's world that can't be fixed by empowering people to dream big and figure out how to enact those dreams into real actions in their lives, their communities, and our world.
There are no traditional perks for this campaign as we need all the money to go straight to the project.
What you will receive: Big thanks! Updates! Karma!
To assure your money is going directly to the effort, we will send updates and photos of the project in progress. Every donation no matter how small or large is a tremendous help!
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Project Participants:
United States
Devon Austin Blogger and Founder/Project Manager, It Takes a Village, San Francisco, CA
Devon is a Client Advisor with Marsh & McLennan, a Global Insurance Brokerage firm, and a former Stockbroker. Her past accomplishments with It Takes a Village include leading a successful project to send 125 handmade dresses to the girls of Casa Emanuel Orphanage in Guinea Bissau.
It Takes a Village - Project Team
Started by a group of DNA traced descendants of Guinea-Bissau working together to give a voice to the voiceless. Their goal is to raise funds to improve their standard of living and quality of life and to bring awareness to the conditions existing in Guinea-Bissau. The group fosters mutual understanding by encouraging cultural exchange through the arts. Project team: Willie Coleman, Randii Oliver & Pene Baxter
FLOW For the Love Of Words Music & Media company; Raj Raju, President, North Brunswick, NJ
FLOW is a hip hop music, media, and management company, founded in 2004, focused on musicians striving to make a difference in society. The core belief is that music should touch people, and be a voice for those that don't have one. FLOW is the management and label partner for Hasan Salaam. Together they traveled to Guinea-Bissau in November 2010 to work with the youth, and hold a freedom of speech concert.
Hasan Salaam Hip Hop Artist, Speaker, Humanitarian, North Bergen, NJ
Hasan Salaam is an award winning hip hop artist, humanitarian, and public speaker. Hes toured with some of hip hops greatest legends, and been recognized both in the US and internationally. Hes been featured in major media publications, websites, and TV stations as an emerging force in hip hop culture. Hasans work with charities, non-profits, and youth all over the world is a testament of his passion to touch lives. He is the first U.S hip hop artist to ever perform in Guinea-Bissau.
Life Link 501(c)(3) Charity; Connie Alessi, President, Claremore, Oklahoma
Life Link is a non-profit, international human services corporation committed to improving the quality of life for children everywhere. Life Link operates orphanages around the world. They currently support five orphanages in West Africa.
Guinea-Bissau
Maritza Alvarez Romero Project Advisor, It Takes a Village, Bissau, Guinea Bissau
Maritza is Principal of Liceu Communitario Emanuel High School at the Casa Emanuel orphanage.
Freddy Schafer - Executive Director, Project Self-Help, Quebo, Guinea Bissau
Freddy has been doing humanitarian work with the villages of Djati and Quebo for 9 years.
Raquel Schafer Nurse, Quebo, Guinea Bissau
Raquel works with her husband Freddy and their youngest son Luke with projects in Quebo and Djati.
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