According to the UN, it is one of the least developed countries in the world. It has one of the lowest values of HDI (Human Development Index). It amounts to 0.4, placing Burkina Faso on the 185th place among 188 countries.
04.05.2021
Marcel is 20 years old and in 10th grade but he regularly misses school due to health problems. He lives near the village Saoudé in a remote, mountainous area in northern Togo. During the rainy season as well as when the harmattan blows in from the Sahara desert, Marcel writhes with pain. This is the most difficult time of the year for him since it’s when his illness strikes with double the force. Seeing rain clouds in the distance fills him with fear. The young man’s mother would love to help but cannot afford to take him to a specialist.
Our representative in Burkina Faso, Gosia Tomaszewska, looks after the Saint Fridolin Pharmacy Point in Saoudé. A few days ago she arrived there with enough medical supplies to last the next few months – all donated by you! This project provides help to almost 4,000 people a year.
This is an extremely impoverished area. Locals can’t afford medicine so Saint Fridolin is their only option. Often trekking up to several kilometres one way, they arrive here with prescriptions from feldschers which are filled in exchange for a bowl of corn, sorghum or other grain. The food is collected and distributed to those with nothing to eat during the dry season. The pharmacy in Saoudé is open 5 days a week to anyone in need.
Marcel has been coming to us for medicine but in addition to providing him with painkillers, we had to find the cause of his debilitating symptoms. We took him to the capital for bloodwork and tests that revealed sickle cell disease. He’s received appropriate medicine to help him function normally, and continues to see the doctor. It’s hard to express in words, how grateful Marcel was today when he visited the pharmacy. His treatment is working and his entire life has changed for the better.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for everything you do for Marcel and other residents of Northern Togo!
You can help us fill our pharmacy shelves by visiting Goodworks24 and buying medication that will save the lives of the poorest residents from Saoudé.
28.10.2024
“These will be your two most important tools for the next three years,” Gosia says to the first-year students, who are just learning how to properly hold a needle and thread. Soon, they’ll master simple stitches and measuring straight lines on fabric. In three years, they’ll face their vocational exam, so each one of them […]
03.07.2024
Alimata packs balls of truly organic sumbala into plastic bags with slightly trembling fingers. For the first time, the fruits of her labor will be in someone else’s hands – nothing can crumble. Every movement of her worn-out hands carries the accumulated tension of recent years. Once, producing spice for sale in these harsh, poor […]
15.02.2024
Let’s go! Though for now it’s more like “Let’s run!”… Delayed flight and a forced half-kilometer sprint with a backpack and suitcase. What’s the reward? Gate K3 is open. We’ll be in Lomé by evening. And we really want to take you with us! The plan is to visit our pharmacy’s beneficiaries in Saoudé – […]
