The second mission from KDD (Ka Dounia Dia = Celebrate Life) to Ivory Coast (West Africa) was mainly aimed at paediatric orthopaedic surgical interventions at the Don Orione Bonoua Centre, and further investigation in setting up a second paediatric orthopaedic surgery centre in the city of Korhogo in the North of Ivory Coast in the near future.

The Dutch/Belgian medical team from the St. Maartenskliniek in Nijmegen (Jan van Loon, Koen Defoort, Saskia Gulikers, Jan Wijnands) performed surgery on 15 children, including 8 clog feet (of which 4 bilateral), 2 X legs (of which 1 bilateral), 1 O leg, 1 lower leg fracture, 1 tibial agenesis, 1 Achilles tendon lengthening and 1 finger amputation in close collaboration with the local Ivory Coast team of Dr. Monsea and Dr. Claude.  The team was expanded by senior orthopaedic consultant Koen van Loon, physiotherapist Gust van Loon and medical student Jan Raes, who teamed up with their colleagues to collaborate in the field of orthopaedic instruments and physiotherapy.

Together with Director Father Riccardo of Don Orione, KDD visited Korhogo in the North of Ivory Coast to prospect the location where a new medical centre with surgical facilities is planned in the near future.  The design of the new centre has been prepared in close collaboration with the medical team. The next step will be to receive quotes, after which Don Orione and KDD will solicitate funding for this project.
The total intervention cost of this mission was 5.100 euro. A next mission is scheduled in August, and then again in January-February 2016.

KDD would like to express their deepest appreciation to the whole Dutch/Belgian medical team and to Director Father Riccardo of Don Orione and his staff.
A complete Dutch journal including pictures (by Dr. Koen Defoort) is available on