This past summer, Kennesaw State student and Student Government Association Senator of the College of Science and Mathematics Kadi Doumbia saw a need for medical aid in Mali and took action.
While visiting family in Mali, she gained the opportunity to do an internship at a local clinic called Asaconia. She immediately noticed the differences in hygiene, supplies and lack of doctors.
“It was the complete opposite of the stuff here,” Doumbia said. “They were lacking a lot of resources. Only one doctor was in charge of the whole clinic. They had different departments like maternity, pediatrics and critical care and one doctor in charge of everything. So as a result, a lot of nurses have to take care of the patients.”
She explained the risk of medical care due to a lack of training for nurses. Supplies are so scarce that the patients have to pay for things used on them like a pair of gloves, cotton swabs, alcohol wipes and even anesthesia. Many patients cannot afford these necessities and have to get treated without them.
“I saw a little kid, she had to get her sutures removed, and then she was screaming like crazy,” Doumbia said. “They had to hold her down because you’re getting physical sutures removed out of your skin, that’s painful.”
Witnessing all of these hardships in person, Doumbia decided that something had to be done about this issue. With help from faculty and other student organizations, she organized a fundraiser called Health For Africa: Asaconia.
The fundraiser was held on Nov. 4 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The entry fee was $5 and there was music, food, painting and the opportunity to pay to get a henna tattoo. The volunteers from different student organizations were impacted by the reasoning behind this fundraiser:
“Five dollars, which is what we charged for the entry to the event, can buy you a fun knickknack on Target – but, for a clinic in Mali, for example, it covers the costs of essential medical supplies,” A volunteer from French Club sophomore Gabriela Citino said. “…this is what this fundraiser was essentially about: raising awareness to the fact that just a little bit of our U.S. dollars can go a long way and mobilizing people to contribute to a greater cause.”
“I enjoyed helping Kadi with the fundraiser because it was for a good cause,” The outreach coordinator of the International Student Association, Ethan Wilson said. “I think that just being able to help with set up, speak to the students who attended, meet new people, paint, and just have a good time was very fulfilling. To be able to feel connected to Mali and the people that I am helping, through helping a friend was rewarding.”
There will be another Health for Africa: Asaconiaevent held next semester on Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the University Rooms at the Carmichael Student Center.
The monetary goal for these fundraisers is a minimum of $1,500 and the total raised at this semester’s fundraiser was $573. With the help of KSU’s African and African Diaspora Studies program, Doumbia plans to turn this into a study abroad trip for the Spring semester of 2024.
