Small grassroots volunteer organization committed to fight illiteracy and disease in Cameroon and eventually greater Africa.
Today, Ascovime has achieved two major milestones with one big donation: 100 donors and over $5000 raised. This is a nice goal and is a testament to the grassroots nature of this small organization. Everyone out there is chipping in a little bit and helping get much needed healthcare and educational supplies to those in rural parts of Cameroon.
The mission of Ascovime is to provide rural populations in Cameroon with healthcare and educational supplies, all free of charge. Ascovime functions to achieve this goal in a rather unique way compared to other humanitarian organizations – all members contribute on a volunteer basis, so all the money raised goes directly to those who really need it. With this model comes the need for great grassroots efforts from all over the world.
Cool Students in Yaounde
If you’re wondering how Ascovime does its work on the ground, this video pretty well encapsulates it. The scenery, music, makeshift equipment and transport, and a jovial attitude are all represented in this fine work. Credit to TristanChampion for putting this video together.
For those of you that understand French out there, here is a nice little slideshow that was put together by the folks in Paris. They are the original Ascovime and have been working diligently throughout the years to support the medical teams on the ground in Cameroon. Check out the slideshow!
Exploitation of the poor is a long standing tradition among empires throughout history. From the Roman empire to that of Imperial Japan prior to World War II, killing and enslaving peoples in order to steal natural resources has been common practice. And today is no different.
The American empire, built of collusion between the military, corporations, government, banks, and intelligence agencies, has managed to do the same as many empires of the past. In the 1960s and 70s, our America was responsible for several assassinations as well as other orchestrated coups in order to install leaders that would be receptive to our interests in the region. Today, we do this in the Middle East and Africa, with Cameroon being no exception.
Back in 2000, a corporate coalition led by Exxon Mobil started a project to build an oil pipeline from southern Chad through Cameroon to the Atlantic Ocean. Continue reading ‘Building an Empire Through Third World Exploitation’
I don’t like mosquitoes. They buzz in your ear, suck at your blood, and worst of all are carriers of malaria in tropical parts of the world. Since no one likes malaria either, the name of the game is avoiding mosquitoes altogether. My previous post talked about all the various prophylactic medications you can take, but there are other things you can do to lower the chances of an intimate rendezvous with a mosquito. After all, it’s really just a game of statistics.
Buy Spray – The malarial mosquitoes are often a little bigger and a little nastier – so buy a bugspray that is also a little more potent. You definitely want a spray with 5%-35% DEET. DEET is the good stuff when it comes to insect repellent.
Wear Long Sleeves – I showed up in Africa like a complete rookie. Logically (I thought) the weather would be hot and tropical, so I brought t-shirts and shorts. Wrong. I ended up wearing my one long-sleeve shirt and one pair of pants almost everyday. Because of me, Americans must have an interesting fashion reputation in Yaounde. Anyway, I was constantly sweaty, but I left without malaria. You should also wear light colors because mosquitoes are less attracted.
Mosquito Nets – You should have them. None of the Cameroonians had them, and I also did have one, but it’s highly recommended. Rather be safe than sorry. The nets should also be sprayed with either pyrethrum, which comes from chrysanthemums, or permethrin, its synthetic twin. They’re basically just insecticides to create one additional layer of deterrence.
Indoors – Mosquitoes are active in the evening and night. Be sure to shut windows later in the day and check the screens for major holes. Prior to entering sleeping quarters, it’s also wise to spray the room with some insecticide to kill any loitering bugs.
The reality is that avoiding mosquito bites is nearly impossible, especially since the African ones I encountered were silent and bit you without causing a commotion. However, if you combine the ability of prophylactic meds and basic prevention techniques, you should be close to 99% safe. And if you get malaria, it’s treatable and you’ll probably be fine. Happy travels!
Areas affected by malaria.
If you’re planning a trip to Africa, South/Central America, or Asia, malaria is a legitimate concern. Malaria is a very serious parasitic infection that kills about 1 million people annually and is transmitted by mosquitoes. However, there is good news. There are numerous ways to lower the chances of ever contracting malaria and even if you do, it is highly treatable.
One of the ways to mitigate the risk of contracting malaria is by taking a chemoprophylaxis, or antimalarial drug. Below is a list of some common drugs prescribed for travel to areas of the world with malaria risks:
Lariam (Mefloquine) by Roche
Doxycyclin (general antibiotic)
Malarone (atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride) by GlaxoSmithKline
Chloroquine (Aralen) (can be found generically)
When it comes to effectiveness, they are all about equal. However, daily pills put greater responsibility on the user to take it at the same time every day, otherwise the effectiveness decreases. To make a proper choice for your needs, visit your local travel clinic and doctor.
This site also has lots of good info.
Look for part 2 of malaria prevention coming later this week!
Practicing medicine in the jungles of Africa requires a certain flexibility that is hard to imagine here in the U.S. or western Europe. However, thanks to the existence of youtube, we can see the challenges that face doctors in remote places all over the world.
This particular video brings back memories of the surgical marathon that went on in Maboye, Cameroon last summer. Dr. Bwelle slept about 8 hours for an entire 48 hour period and at one point the generator went out mid-operation. Dr. Bwelle had us all turn our headlamps on to light the surgical field and on we continued as the generator was repaired. That’s the way it goes in Africa.
Many large nonprofit humanitarian organizations are fortunate enough to receive donations that cover their costs as well as pay employee salaries. While this is great for the organization, it isn’t necessarily ideal for donors because a major portion of your gift is paying for prime Manhattan office space or the CEOs salary.
One common metric used to evaluate nonprofits is called the program ratio, which is the percentage of an organization’s total expenditures that is devoted to programs and services. If as an organization you spend $80 to buy food for resettled refugees, and then pay people $20 to to hand it out – your program service ratio is 80% ($80 / ($80 + $20)). While not a perfect measuring stick, the program ratio is a decent gauge for the efficiency of a charity or non-profit.
Smaller organizations tend to have higher program ratios than larger organizations because larger nonprofits require a greater level of organization and administration. Let’s take a look at some examples of how some donations were used:
American Red Cross
In 2009, the American Red Cross took in about $3.3 billion. That year they spent a total of $3.4 billion in all: $1.7 billion (50%) on salaries and compensation, $600 million (12%) on “other expenses,” and the other $1.1 billion (33%) directly on programs. If you count salaries of employees as program expenses then their ratio was a very handsome 91%, but if you don’t, the ratio drops to about 33%. (Form 990)
MSF
MSF Financials
Medecins sans Frontiers, or Doctors without Borders, is an apolitical organization that seeks solely to provide medical care to those in dire need, not only those who are in need on the news. Although they are a smaller organization, their finances are more focused on the end beneficiary rather than the middle man. They took in $143 million in 2009, spent a total of $145 million: $112 million on programs (77%), $13 million on salaries and compensation (9%), $18 million on fundraising (13%), and $2.2 million on management and general (1.5%). Any way you look at it, at least 77% of the donations go directly to those in need. (Form 990)
Ascovime USA
Ascovime is small and entirely composed of volunteers so we have no administrative costs or salaries to pay out. In fact, Dr. Bwelle spends most of his salary to keep Ascovime going. 97% of donations go directly to program costs and Paypal gets their 3% cut, so ideally send a check to cut out that middle man. (Donate here) 
I’m not advocating for or against making a charitable donation, but merely trying to present what happens to the impact of your donation as the receiving organization increases with size. Next time you consider making a donation to any organization, think about giving to smaller, local organizations because they will use more of your money to directly help the cause, whatever it may be.
For the third year in a row, a team of students from Drexel University College of Medicine are embarking on volunteer mission with Ascovime to Cameroon. This summer they will work with humanitarian leader Dr. Georges Bwelle, who is a Cameroonian surgeon, to give free health care to over 2,000 patients in four rural villages in the jungles of Cameroon. Find out more about what they will be doing.
So far, the eight-member team has raised over $1000 in a few short weeks and has been tirelessly collecting supplies and medications from hospitals in the Philadelphia area. On April 17th, the volunteers will be holding an Art for Health fundraiser hosted by the Waterworks restaurant from 4-8pm. If you can, show up and make a donation to the great cause – overall, the team is shooting for a goal of $10,000 in donations before they leave for Cameroon in June.
If you can’t make it to this particular fundraiser, keep your eyes’ peeled or RSS feeds open for more events to come. In early May, likely the 7th, a Beef n’ Beer event is scheduled at a sports bar in Philadelphia so be on the lookout.
Best of luck to the fine medical students and humanitarians!
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