In the International Volunteer DayWe would like to highlight the exemplary work of Spanish health professionals who, through the Recover Foundation, dedicate part of their time to improving access to health care in Sub-Saharan Africa.

More than 70 health professionals collaborate with us every year through programmes and campaigns that address prevention, early diagnosis and the training of local professionals. This initiative, which goes beyond borders, allows us to collaborate both from Spain, through telemedicine or online training, and on field trips.

The case of the physiotherapists María and Ana

Spanish physiotherapists María and Ana travelled to Cameroon in September to collaborate with Fundación Recover in three health centres in the country. Their work focused on individual and group sessions with the aim of training local professionals.

In Ana's case, she actively participated in preparing women for pregnancy and childbirth in collaboration with local midwives and physiotherapists. "It has been a magical moment because we have been able to provide a space for women to have fun and resolve their doubts," she said.

Maria, meanwhile, focused on training and monitoring paediatric physiotherapy, as well as making casts to treat malformations in the paediatric population. This work, supported by the Recover Foundation, has been carried out for six years, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to health in the region.

As they themselves said: "It is thanks to the Recover Foundation that these centres have a physiotherapy room. It is the foundation that has subsidised them and has also provided them with different materials and training for the local population so that all these physiotherapy interventions and our actions can be carried out. Once again, we thank the Recover Foundation for giving us this space to carry out this type of more specific campaign".

The experience of Iris, a doctor specialising in family medicine

Iris Flores is a doctor specialising in family and community medicine who works in the emergency department of the Sagrat Cor Hospital of the Quirónsalud Group in Barcelona. She joined the Foundation at the suggestion of a fellow surgeon to participate in a surgical campaign.

The campaign took place at the Batcham medical centre in Cameroon for one week. Iris and her partner followed an intensive routine: they started early in the morning with medical visits and patient consultations before performing surgery.

One of the aspects that Iris highlights most about her experience was the deep appreciation of the local population, something that contrasted with her usual environment in Barcelona. Despite the challenges arising from the lack of resources and staff at the medical centre, Iris found in this experience an opportunity to regain her love for the profession and renew her desire to help more people.

She also stresses the importance of training local people to be able to manage the resources themselves, and despite the difficulties, she considers the experience to have been a very rewarding opportunity. Her final message is clear: she encourages anyone interested to join this type of volunteering, emphasising that the experience can be transformative on a personal and professional level.

Do you want to join our cause?

From the physiotherapy room to the operating theatre, every volunteer contributes to a significant change in Sub-Saharan Africa. If you want to be part of it too, fill in the form on our website now and we will contact you: https://fundacionrecover.org/tienes-otra-propuesta/