María Teresa Health Center

The Health Center means having a dispensary in the School Complex available to students and teaching staff, which during the campaigns of the Spanish ophthalmologist volunteers also benefits the population of the area, especially that of Nikki.

The dispensary has been open for more than six years, and is staffed by a permanent Beninese doctor. In addition, thanks to the collaboration and generosity of the La Arruzafa Foundation, a group made up of volunteer ophthalmologists, optometrists and anesthesiologists who go once a year for consultations, performing eye prescriptions, as well as delivering glasses; and performing surgeries at Nikki’s general hospital. In the 10 days that each campaign usually lasts, more than 1000 people are attended, and more than 100 … getting many after the operation to see again. If the patient reverts to severity but with the possibility of cure with a more thorough intervention, they could be brought to Spain and this has already been the case.

To raise awareness of the possibility of treatment by these magnificent volunteer professionals, campaigns are carried out through Nikki’s radio and the population goes to the Notre-Dame Mont Carmel School Complex to receive assistance.

Discover here all the details of the fifth mission of the Arruzafa Foundation in Benin, in 2019, in which they have attended to 1,376 patients and performed 140 surgeries, carrying more than 360 kilos of material for health and pharmacological use and have delivered 1,150 glasses.

The Health Center has been developed in two phases, given its size:

  • First phase: construction of the María Teresa Health Center
  • Second phase: equipment, furniture and equipment of the medical center. It also provides it with a supply of quality water and solar energy, which in case of surplus, can be used for the rest of the complex.

The collaboration of Rotary International (www.rotary.org) with Fundebe has been fundamental for the development of the project. A Rotarian from the Rotary Club Madrid Norte, who prefers anonymity, suggested, after meeting our president, Father Aurelio Favi, and the creation of Fundebe to promote the integral and sustainable development of Benin, to his club this project and thus the first phase was carried out.

As the project was unfinished, the Rotarians of Madrid North sought help and found it in RC Cotonou-Cocotiers/Benin and in 15 other Rotary clubs from 5 different countries that funded the second phase.

Seventeen Rotary clubs and the Rotary International Foundation have been involved in funding the entire project, bringing the total Rotary donation to $166,000.