July 19th marked the second anniversary of FFF, when it first became established and began to work towards achieving its objectives as represented by each one of its symbolic flower’s five petals. This is the summary of FFF’s work up to date, April 2024, always with the goal to “stand up a child” by working with the five petals of our flower, encompassing Medical Formation, Cooperation and Awareness Raising.
This is how we started 2023:
It has been a very busy year. We started a national and international campaign of Awareness Raising to make known at medical congresses around he world one of the most important facets of FFF: the training of local surgeons in the field. We have presented the objectives of FFF in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Singapore and other countries. And we have conducted Awareness Raising events at schools, music concerts, medical master classes, solidarity walks, and film screenings.
FFF has trained twenty young surgeons and orthopedists in different African countries.
We coordinated a global campaign to finance the fabrication of a set of prostheses for Chanceline to be fabricated in Senegal. The prostheses were then delivered to Chad were they were fitted to Chanceline.
We finished the year by organizing an exploratory medical field mission to small towns in South Chad. During this trip, we also brought with us the final prostheses for Chanceline which were adjusted and placed on her. In addition, we bought an ox for her family.
MEDICINE
Travel to Bahrain to present FFF to the University’s School of Medicine.
Travel to Saudi Arabia where Dr. Marc Garcia-Elias gave a master class to young traumatologist residents (orthopedic surgeons) of Riadh’s King Faisal Hospital.
Consultancy and assessment of young Mohammad’s hand injury in Judah.
Travel to Singapore to present the Fernando Fonseca Foundation at a medical conference.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tjp8s0yob8qoda7/MSKS%20310523.mp4?dl=0
Surgical intervention in Barcelona of young Mohammad from Judah. The surgeons’ fees and salaries (4.000 Euros) were donated in full towards Chanceline’s prostheses.
CINEMA/COMMUNICATION
Presentation of FFF during the annual Congress of Hand Surgery in Toronto, Canada.
The script of FFF’s film project “Fernando and Ali” was translated into Arabic by FFF’s Bahrain supporter Mohammad.
Interview with Surgical Mentor Dr. Marc Garcia-Elias.
Interview with Dr. Marc Garcia-Elias (FFF’s Honorary President) about being affected with Parkinson’s Disease for 20 years.
Screening of the documentary Terrapolis at Barcelona’s Cinemes Girona- an event co-produced with FFF to launch the crowdfunding campaign of “Stand Up a Child” (Chanceline).
Presentation of the initiative “Help us Dancing in Catalonia” to help stand-up a child. With the participation of Catherine Allard / Nacho Duato / Fina Sensada / Marc Garcia-Elias.
https://www.lavanguardia.com/sociedad/20231023/9322577/presentan-campana-visibilizar-cirujanos-operan-personas-discapacidad-paises-desarrollo.htmlhttps://www.discapnet.es/noticia/presentacion-cataluna-campana-ayudanos-bailando-fernando-fonseca-fundacion
Radio 4/RTVE Interview with Fina Sensada regarding FFF.
Newspaper “L’Independent” interview with Fina Sensada regarding FFF.
Newspaper L’Independent’s article in support of the “Stand up a Child” crowdfunding campaign.
“Stand up a Child” crowdfunding campaign through “Mi Grano de Arena” platform.
Crowdfunding for the “Stand-up a child” Chanceline Prostheses campaign raised a total collection of 4372 Euros.
1st Christmas Benefit Concert
https://www.eltriangle.eu/2023/12/11/75-anys-i-811-dies/
https://www.laxarxa.cat/programa/connecticat/on-i-quanhttps://laxarxames.cat/movie-details/3596466
MEDICAL TRAINING
– Courses on the medical approach to children with severe pathologies in the upper and lower extremities aimed at training young African traumatologist residents working in their native countries. These are bimonthly online courses for African surgeons taught through the Fernando Fonseca Foundation by Dr. Marc Garcia-Elias and his team. Coordinated from Senegal by Dr. Djilouba Beninga with a total of 70 students participating from Senegal, Morocco, Chad, Burkina, Cameroon, Guinea, Congo, Mali, and Senegal.
– Courses on Wrist Surgical Techniques taught by Dr. Marc Garcia-Elias at the Dakar Military Hospital and also the Medical University in Madrid.
December 2023
Consultation of wrist pathologies at the local hospital of Rufisque in Senegal together with Dr. Djilouba including in person assessment of complex cases by providing guidance during the surgical process of children with hand and foot problems.
AWARENESS RAISING
Screening of “Pequeña Chanceline” in Arenys de Mar, presented by Assumpció Fàbregas, Fina Sensada and Dr. Marc Garcia-Elias. Followed by a discussion on the topic of “the empowerment of African disabled women” as well as the introduction to the audience of the goals of the Fernando Fonseca Foundation. We organized an awareness event, “hands and feet” to 300 students in the town of Valls d’Aneu. The students made drawings for us to bring to the children of Chad’s school.
Presentation of the Foundation at Esterri d’Aneu’s Ecomuseum (Lleida) followed by a community walk to raise funds to purchase an ox for Chanceline’s family. Total raised 1,080 Euros.
1st Christmas Concert, organized by “Granja Viader” with the participation of Pau Codina and Laura Pou.
COOPERATION
SENEGAL
110 surgical instruments that were donated by MICRO TAKUM were delivered in Dakar to Dr. Djiloiuba and his team.
IRAQ/BAGDAD
The Foundation has been following via on-line the clinical medical evolution of Mawj of Baghdad. She is now a 23-year old young woman who was injured in 2003 during the war and was a patient of Dr. Fonseca. She is in need of one last surgical intervention on her left elbow. The Foundation has been working with the Embassy of Iraq in Spain in the attempt to bring Mawj to Spain for the surgery. She is currently pregnant and the initiative will need to be put on stand-by until next September.
CHAD
Father Thomas, the director of the NDDP Center on Moundou, travelled to Barcelona to meet with the patrons of FFF and seek a collaboration commitment with the Foundation.
SENEGAL/DAKAR, December 2023 (Military Hospital of Ouakam)
The 2nd mission of medical training was held in Dakar, Senegal. Professional training was conducted for young orthopedists who have been following yearlong educational classes given by the Foundation. Special case consultations show the correct approach with the appropriate interventions for patients.
Meeting with Philipe, the orthopedic specialist who designed and made the final prostheses for Chanceline, at the hospital’s orthopedics workshop.
TRAINING OF AFRICAN SURGEONS (DAKAR)
In person workshop was conducted by Dr. Garcia-Elias for fourteen medical residents involved with FFF on the topics of wrist anatomy and biomechanics as well as on carpal instability and pathology. The workshop took place at Dakar Military Hospital and was organized by Dr.Djilouba.
RUFISQUE, Senegal (Rural Hospital of Rufisque)
A medical consultancy was held in the office of Dr Djilouba in the Rural Hopsital of Rufisque approximately 100 km form Dakar. Dr. Marc Garcia-Elias and Dr. Djilouba selected six children with severe injuries of their hands from burns and/or radial club hand dysfunction.
Surgical interventions were performed on three of these children who were between the ages of 3-7 years old. The surgeries were conducted by Dr. Marc Garcia-Elias who was assisted by Dr. Djilouba and the young medical residents from Cameroon with local anesthesiologists and nurses.
CHAD/MOUNDOU
Meeting with Father Thomas Robe, Director of the NDDP Center where Dr. Marc Garcia-Elias and Dr. Djilouba Beninga examined ten patients.
Visited Father Michel, 96-years old, the former Director of the Center and performed an examination of his right knee where he is experiencing discomfort.
Meeting with Catherine, the Center’s nurse and main support for patients with complicated medical treatments.
Visit to NDDP Center of Re-education and Formation for disabled youth where Chanceline is staying. Visit to the orthopedic workshop and its chief of staff, where Chanceline’s prostheses, made in Dakar, were adapted and placed.
NACHO DUATO’S POEM FOR CHANCELINE
Princesa mutilada de piel de caoba
Mirada de azabache
Sonrisa de perlas y nácar
La tristeza llueve sobre ti
Mojando tu pelo de lana
Y se transforma en lágrimas
Dejando húmidas huellas en tu cara
Tu madre te mira vestida con sencillas telas
Pero parece una reina vestida de seda.
Mujeres bellas
Mujeres que luchan
Mujeres que ríen
Mujeres que lloran
Algún día bailaremos juntos
Y serás tú la que me guie
Tú la que llevarás el compás
Yo seré tu parteneur
Y tu la primera bailarina del Chad
Re-adaption of Motoretta to Chanceline’s new prostheses.
CHAD/BENOYE/CHANCELINE’S HOMETOWN (OX PROJECT FOR HER FAMILY)
Travel to the ox market and purchase of a pregnant cow (cow, milk, calf)
Transportation of the cow to Chanceline’s town and delivered to her family.
DOBA (100 kilometers from Moundou)
Visit to Doba’s center for the disabled, where the Colombian physiotherapist Sister Mabel directs rehabilitation and re-education efforts.
The parents of the sick children cannot afford the travel expenses to Moundou which is 100 km away.
Exploring the possibility of providing medical interventions at the hospital of Bebalem, closer to Doba, and avoiding the overcrowding of Moundou’s NDDP Center for the Disabled. FFF is preparing a surgical expedition plan intended only for patients in this area for next year- 2025. Seventy children are examined with various disability problems deriving from the consequences of polio, paralysis due to incorrectly administered injections, malaria, traumas, burns and various congenital deformations. . Meeting with the director of Doba’s Center for the Disabled aiming at a collaborative agreement where the Center will assume the reception of patients who have undergone surgery and provide them with the necessary care, re-habiliation, re-education, and, when needed, the placement of orthopeduic devices
Meeting with the bishop of Doba, the highest responsible figure of the Center, to clarify all bureaucratic and official proceedings relevant to their collaboration with the Foundation.
Visited the Hospital of Saint Joseph in Bebejia, where a meeting with the director took place, ensuring the collaboration with the Foundation, which will allow access to their operating rooms, patient examination rooms, offer patients over-night rooms as well as to provide food and lodging for our medical team during our next mission.
TRAVEL TO MBERI/SISTER VASANTHA/WATER FOR MBERI PROJECT
Exploratory travel to Mberi, a small town of 500 inhabitants in the south of Chad where Sister Vasantha directs a school attended by 300 children for the entire area. She communicated to us the urgent need for drinking water for the school as well as for the rest of the village. The current hand-made well is drying up and a 70-meter deep new well needs to be drilled. This would allow the provision of fresh drinking water to the children of the school and their families and would prevent 1,200 people from having to leave their homes and be displaced to a refugee camp.
SEEKING FINANCIAL SUPPORT – 2024
1 – “STAND UP A CHILD” PROJECT APPLICATION SENT TO THE ISA AWARDS OF BARHAIN 2025.
2 – Raising awareness events in various towns of Catalonia, focusing on the “Stand Up a Child” project. The Foundation will organize workshops in several localities, including Sallent, Solsona, Sant Feliu Saserra, Esterri d’Aneu and Moia.
3- Campaign seeking supporters and sponsors for the Foundation.
4- Dance project to be held in Esterri d’Aneu, as part of the Dansaneu Festival of Cultures, with the participation of Ruth Martinez and Catherine Allard. All the funds raised at the event will be allocated to the project “Stand Up a Child.”
5- The Foundation has applied to the “arrondiment” (round up) campaign. Participating supermarkets, restaurants, and various stores offer the opportunity to their clients to round up their bills and donate the difference to a particular initiative. 6- The Foundation is participating in the HP Charity Journey campaign to raise solidarity funds for the “Stand Up a Child” project.