The road to Bamako was a very long one.
KDD was created in 2012 with the idea to help out handicapped kids in Mali but due to circumstances out of our control we started in 2014 in Bonoua Ivory Coast than moved in 2017 to Ouagadougou Burkina Faso and finally landed February 2020 in Bamako Mali the origin of our project.
In collaboration with doctor Almamy Kire ( orthopedic chirurgien ) his team and the Institute National des Handicapes du Mali KDD organized an intense week of operations of mostly complicated cases in total 31 children were concerned.
Having not sufficient infrastructure in the Centre we had to rent an operation room, bring quite à bit of materiel ourselves and the team had to improvise on the spot, but the assistants of dr. Kire was extremely well motivated and the delay between to interventions was limited to a minimum which made this mission a very efficient one.
The medical team ( chirurgiens Jan Vermeiren & Dick van der Schaaf anestesist Rob Steur and assistant Jolanda van Eijkelenborg ) had a first full day of consultations on Sunday ( over 70 ) and were worked every day from early morning to sundown including the day of departure.
No time for sightseeing which is anyway out of question in this historic country which is regretfully torn these days between terrorists and jihadists in the north and centre and an growing tension among the popular population of the capital against the actual government.
Despite the relatively high costs of this mission due to rent of operation theater and the stay in hotel ( instead of being housed in the mission ) we consider the mission as a fine success having being able to put so many kids back on their feet again in the country which inspired us in the first place to build the foundation.
Doctor Kiré and his team will assure a medical follow up for these young patients and the Centre National des Handicapés can provide physiotherapy and has a orthopedical workshop which produces adapted shoes and prothesis.
Un grand grand merci to all Maliens and Dutch/ Belgian for your great contribution!
Ka Dounia Dia