Where we work: Samecouta, Wassangra and Bransan

Children in the village of Samecouta.

Village of Saraya Community Health Worker Alamuta (seated) and I at work at our makeshift pharmacy in the village of Wassangra.

In the village of Bransan, we set up our pharmacy on an unused hospital bed under the shade of an old Baobab tree.

The village of Noumoufoukha welcomes the medical team

On the first day of the camp, the medical team was welcomed by a traditional song and dance ceremony in the village of Noumoufoukha.

Activity Update: KCHP takes part in free health care initiative

KCHP's co-founder, Dr. Youssoupha Ndiaye and Senegal Program Manager, Emily Dally, took part in a ten day medical camp, visiting 16 villages in the southeastern region of Saraya, Senegal.

The medical camp, sponsored by ArcelorMittal, was held from October 9th to the 18th as a part of the company's efforts to give back to the communities in which they work. Dr. Ndiaye, Saraya's Médecin Chef du District (the district's medical chief) acted as the coordinator for the camp, rounding up a team of medical specialists from the district of Saraya and as far away as Dakar.

The team, comprised of seven Senegalese physicians, two midwives, two nurses and two pharmacologists, visited the most rural and inaccessible villages in the region, where oftentimes citizens go for months without medical care, as the nearest Centre de Santé (health center) is miles away in a place where the most popular and accessible mode of transport is by bicycle.

KCHP Student Practicum Program 2010

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3. The KCHP's Student Practicum Program offers the opportunity to work on sustainable development and community health in southeastern Senegal. The program is based in Saraya, an isolated, resource-poor area that was recently established as a new health district by the Senegalese Ministry of Health in 2006. The health staff in Saraya is currently limited to 1 doctor, 1 midwife, 2 nurses, and 6 assistant nurses. The district health facilities consist of one health center and six outlying health posts. The population in this district is estimated at over 34,000 people with a density of approximately 7 persons per km2 and the majority of the inhabitants are peasant farmers who grow cotton, millet, corn, and peanuts. Besides farming, the inhabitants of Saraya also pan for gold in small transient villages (Diouras), and international mining companies have a growing presence in this district as well. The main language is Malinké, but Pulaar and Wolof are also spoken, and the primary language used at the health centre and the surrounding health posts is French.

About KCHP

Basic Definition

The KCHP is a community-based organization that is a partnership between local communities, medical students and the government district health team in Saraya, Southeastern Senegal.

Mission

Our mission is based on the belief that the most effective way to improve primary health care in underserved areas in Senegal is to build on the capacity of both the government health services and of local communities. We believe that this is not only the best way to achieve sustainability, but also is the most efficient means to provide and or improve primary health care in under-served areas.

Activities

Our primary focus is to improve maternal and child health. This is accomplished through health education, infrastructural improvement of government health facilities, community nutrition and sanitation programs, and infectious disease initiatives. For more information about these initiatives, visit our WHAT WE DO page.

History

The KCHP was founded in 2006 by Dr Youssoupha Ndiaye, a Senegalese physician working in southeastern Senegal; Graham Gibson, a British social activist; and Demetri Blanas, an American medical student. Initially focusing on coordinating donations of medical equipment to health clinics, it has expanded to include the installation of solar power in health facilities, health education, maternal and infant mortality reduction initiatives, and support for the district health team mobile clinic.

Staff

Chief Medical Officer: Dr Youssoupha Ndiaye

youssoupha.ndiaye@kendeya-chp.org

President: Demetri Blanas

blanas.demetri@kendeya-chp.org

Vice President: Francesca Okolie

fao2105@columbia.edu

Treasurer: Darren Wayne Jackson II

dwj2105@columbia.edu

Senegal Project Managers: Emily Dally & Annarita Imbucci

emilyi.dally@kendeya-chp.org, annarita.imbucci@kendeya-chp.org

Board

Dr Youssoupha Ndiaye

Carolyn Bancroft

Kelenne Tuitt

Francesca Okolie

Demetri Blanas

Darren Wayne Jackson II

Staff Contacts:

Student Practicum Coordinator: Bamba Diop

bamba.dio@cphsd.org

Student Practicum Contact: Emily Dally

emilyi.dally@kendeya-chp.org