Contact Person: Paolo Narcisi; Telephone Number: +39 3472777029;
E-mail: presidente@rainbow4africa.org;
Website: www.rainbow4africa.org
We met Paolo Narcisi, reanimation doctor at the CTO Hospital in Torino.
Paolo told us about Rainbow for Africa Onlus.
Rainbow was born in 2008 and recorded as an Onlus set in Torino in 2009 by a group of doctors and nurses from the CTO Hospital. And some of them have already had a volunteering experience abroad. The name Rainbow was chosen as it inspires an idea of future and distance.
They have chosen Africa because the group was familiar with this continent and learnt to love it.
The Association’s first main objective was to give the opportunity to young students and University graduated to 
experience the humanitarian action in peace time in the healthcare sector. In a second time, the objectives have been more clearly defined: the Association would like to contribute to the Africa sustainable development, by working in the healthcare sector to increase its quality, its specificity and its accessibility. Rainbow for Africa Onlus in Italy focuses on promoting development awareness and education among people and on the migrants integration in the social substrate of the receiving country.
In Africa their main duty regards the general and specific education of the local healthcare staff, by developing and increasing at the same time the equipment, the buildings and the telematics tools.
The final beneficiary of Rainbow for Africa action are people who use these healthcare services and its action is concentrated at the moment in Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso and Senegal. These are countries that show stable political context and healthcare system as well to permit a systematic and structured intervention. Following to some exploration and feasibility studies, they defined the way and the timing for their action. The educational plans for locals are designed on a timing from one to three years, until proved results concerning the competencies, the quality and the specificity of the service, the autonomy and the sustainability of the preparation have been reached.
In the last few years the Association worked in 5 different countries.
Rainbow for Africa has developed:
– An intervention in Haiti during the earthquake emergency. They designed a new operating theater at the S. Camille Hospital in Port au Prince and they’ve assisted the population until July 2010;
– Local staff education in Ethiopia, Tigray Region (University of Makalle partner) (1 year);
– Local staff education in Burkina Faso, financed by the San Paolo Company, S. Camille Hospital of Nanorò (two years) in collaboration with the University of the Eastern Piemonte;
– Local staff for traumas management education in Sierra Leone. Construction of the ER department, the radiology department and the operating theater of the Holy Spirit Hospital in Makeni. The project has been developed in partnership with the Don Gnocchi Foundation and co-financed from the Foreign Affair Italian Ministry;
– Progression of the healthcare project in Sierra Leone. Co-financed by the Valdese Table;
– Local staff education in Senegal: nurses education in the suburbs healthcare districts in the north of Dakar and in the Pekine Hospital. Donation of 2 Ambulances in Senegal: at Youmbeul and North Kassack districts as well as the local staff training.
– Rehabilitation of the Kassack Santé House into Poste de Santé by hiring new local nurses for two years. Support to the North Kassack village’s population;
– Aid activities for the population living in the Malika, Pekine, M’mbeouss districts (Dakar, Senegal);
– Educational activities and researches on the field in the Richard Toll healthcare district (St. Louis, Senegal).
At the moment, the operating projects are:
– Building of the traumas center at the St. John of God Hospital in Lunsar (Sierra Leone) and local staff training;
– Building of the Pharmaceutical Laboratory for the life-saving drugs production at the St. John of God Hospital in Lunsar (Sierra Leone) in collaboration with APPA Onlus and ENGIM ONG and local staff training;
– Research project on the health of local children from the North Kassack village (Senegal) where an high percentage of children is affected by schistosomiasis. The objective is to reduce the contagion by using antibiotic and by starting a training/preventing path in the schools to change their habits. Talking about that, in collaboration with the STAAT (Studio Altra Architettura Torino), they are going to build outhouses, tanks where it will be possible to play and washtubs with uncontaminated water;
– Donation of 2 new ambulances in Senegal at the Gae and the Malika districts and local staff training.
Xlestrade asked about the future projects of Rainbow for Africa Onlus. The objective is the prosecution of the actual projects and their transposition to other countries.
In Italy the Association works with other associations by supporting the migrants and disadvantaged people. They organize events, training courses (for ex. Developmental scan) etc.
Rainbow for Africa is a member of the Piemonte ONG Consortium (COP) and works in collaboration with the University of Torino (University degree in Medicine and Nursing) and participates at the UNICOO program.
We asked about the possibility to collaborate with them. To whom would like to work with them it is possible to contact them and send the own Curriculum Vitae. Professional or training experiences will be eventually evaluated. The Association is looking for “not medical” staff for volunteering activities in Italy too (awareness campaigns, fundraising, events, etc.).
The message they leave us is an A. D. Saint-Exupéry quote: “If you would like to build a ship, don’t call the men to bring the wood, to assign tasks and to issue orders, but hand down the nostalgia of the limitless and boundless sea”.
Xlestrade, looking at the rainbow and keeping the nostalgia for the sea and for faraway lands and looking, wants to thank Rainbow for Africa Onlus for its friendship. We wish them to succeed in building their “ships”!!
Traduzione a cura di Monica Zambon
