Curing, with an open heart

Who we are and what we will do

We are Asia and Emily, We are 25 years old and work as a nurse and healthcare assistant in Ticino and Zurich. We love our work and caring for others has always been a priority for us. We are lively, cheerful, adventure-loving, fond of children, and nature enthusiasts. We want to step out of our comfort zone to help those who cannot afford healthcare, support their families, and provide as much information as possible so that the reality where we will operate becomes as autonomous and independent as possible. We met in school in 2014 and immediately formed a strong bond. Our adventure is now turning into a volunteering trip to Mboro, Senegal. We want to share our knowledge and support the work of those who laboriously run the clinic and kindergarten on the beach, the center for young people with developmental disabilities, and families facing complex situations in Mboro.

My project is special because ...

In mid-October we will fly to begin more than a month of unpaid work, in the fishing village of Mboro Sur Mer and Mboro town. Emily knows Mboro and its reality well, in 2022 she lived 5 months in contact with wonderful people and families, supporting some projects in the health, social and educational fields. This year we want to join forces to support new projects, carry them forward to help operators in the field, raising awareness and providing the material necessary for treatment. Every day numerous families need health care for their sick loved ones, but it often happens that we cannot meet everyone’s needs, as economic resources are scarce.

Part of the healthcare material will leave with us from Switzerland, many projects will take shape during our stay in which we will be ready to accommodate the needs of the moment and transform them into achievable objectives in relation to healthcare and in the social field so as to be able to satisfy the needs of the population .

Our volunteering project will also partly extend into the field of education. Right next to the beach clinic there is a nursery school which is essential for the children of the village. For a few months the teachers have been requesting a sun tent to be able to teach outdoors, unfortunately up to now it has not been possible as the sun is too strong to carry out the activities. In fact, part of the proceeds will be invested in this project for children who will be able to use the outdoor spaces for school activities.

Volunteering does not have a time card to clock in, nor tasks to be respected at all costs, we have a lot of knowledge and a big heart, unfortunately we only have 2 hands and 6000 francs, to help and support as many families as possible. We will commit ourselves where we have the resources for the good of those who knock on our door. In Senegal the family aspect is a value at the basis of society, whoever enters the heart of the village becomes part of a large family, which supports and helps each other, sharing pains and joys. We can’t wait to be part of this beautiful family again.

To add extra value to this experience with us there will be Chiara and Sarah, two young girls who will work alongside the teachers in the Mboro sur Mer nursery for 2 weeks. We will receive another great help from a friend and fellow physiotherapist, a figure who will help in the rehabilitation field by sharing decades of experience with the physiotherapists on site and helping us manage the most complex situations during his stay in Mboro.

This is what I need backing for.

Sometimes a smile, a hug and a word of comfort are enough, but unfortunately today, they are still not enough. We are here to ask you for financial support, to meet these needs, to bring quality to the social and health care, which we will undertake during our mission.

6,000 francs used for:

• Support the people and families who will host us in the village during the stay in which we will work.
• Pay for transport dedicated to projects. For example, for the transport of medicines from the hospital to the dispensary within a 40-minute drive. Or for home visits in situations where patients cannot go to the clinic.
• For the healthcare material necessary for the care we will provide (such as drugs, gauze, needles, syringes, dressing material, material dedicated to childbirth, blood pressure devices, devices for measuring blood sugar,…) and for any internal investments of the dispensary, necessary for the proper functioning and safety of the dispensary itself (for example, the condition of beds, mattresses, sheets, hygiene products, containers for the disposal of biological waste,…).
• Next to the dispensary there is a small structure, which hosts two nursery school classes, we have already received a request to cover the costs of an awning to protect from the sun and rain, so that the external space can also be used during school activities. The excessively hot weather conditions have so far hindered external activities.
• Extra medical visits, transport, any urgent travel, medical tests, complications to be supported financially if patients are unable to meet the medical expenses.

The proceeds will be used according to the priorities of the patients, children and families we meet day by day (in 2022, Emily supported several health and social emergency situations, which were not foreseeable in advance, thus allowing the recovery or necessary care to supported patients)

We are using all our energies to allow the success of the project, in order to be able to leave an impression that acts as a basis and point of reference to allow autonomy to those already working on site, providing as much information, knowledge and love to be able to care for others in safety and stability.

Every donation makes a difference, every donation for us is the shock that allows this heart to continue beating for the same goal, healing.