When we took over the hospital it wasn't more than a ruin. In the following years more and more voluntary supporters came to Warang to - together with locals - reconstruct and expand the whole area.

Apart from new roofs, a sheltered waiting area, pharmacy, mid-wife centre and a space for ambulance and electric generator have been added. A nice garden with shady plants now serves as a retreat and a healthy "micro climate".

To a large extent West Africa is scarred by poverty and disease creating a climate of hopelessness for the population.  

Sage Hospital e.V was set up in October 2003 to address the obvious need to provide effective, lasting and direct help in the region.  Specifically this took the form of support for a hospital in Warang, Senegal, reached two hours by car south of Dakar.   The e.V. effectively ‘adopted’ it.  In short, its goal was to help set it up, sustain it and broaden its function for at least the next ten years.

The hospital in Warang was originally built with the support of the government, and after completion it was handed over the town committee to administrate it.  This unfortunately led to financial and organisational problems resulting in the near bankruptcy and dereliction of the hospital.  The result of this was that it was failing the needs of the local population.  


In October 2003 Sage Hospital e.V stepped in, and by the end of that year had provided the hospital with desperately needed medical and technical equipment.  The building itself was also renovated and an extension built. Since then, seven full time medical staff has been appointed serving around 700 patients a month. As well as Dr  Amie Labou, the Head Physician, there are two trained nurses and four carers.

Geographical Position      
West African coast line between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania

Area    
196.722 km2 (76,000 sq mi)

Government
Semi-presidential republic
until 1960 French Colony
Member of "West African Economic Monetary Union" (WAEMU)

Capital
Dakar

Languages
French, Wolof, Pular, Mandinka

Currency
CFA Franc; 1 Euro = 981 CFA (May 2010)

Climate                
tropical, warm, humid;
Rainy season:
May until November; Temperature: 26-38° Celsius

Ressources            
Fish, Calcium Phosphate, Iron

Population        
13,711,597 (2009)

Ethnical Groups        
Wolof 43,3%, Pular 23,8%, Serer 14,7%, Diola 3,7%, Mandinka 3%, Soninke 1,1%, Europeans and Libanese 1%, Other 9,4%

Religions              
Moslems 94%, Christians 5%, Other 1%

Average Age        
17.8 years

Age Structure        
0-14 years: 43,7%                
15-64 years: 53,3%
over 65 years: 3%

Growth Rate         
2,56% (2003)
Born Children per woman: 4,93 (2003)
Death rate: 57,57 per 1000 births

Rate of Illiteracy      
59,8% (over 15 years) | men: 50%, women: 70%

Economy            
Agriculture, fish processing (18%), mining, production of artificial fertilizer, refining imported petroleum, cement production (27%), provision of services (55%)

Unemployment Rate
48%, of which 40% live in city regions (2001) which results in a high crime rate and drug consume

54% of Senegal's population live below the poverty line

Everybody knows of problems that can occur when you're shipping aid goods around the world but until something happens to yourself you don't know how hard it can get. It took us 18 hours in Dakar with more than 8 official spots at the airport and in the city we had to go to including waiting time, skirmish and legal formalities to have customs inspect our goods. After hours of sweating and anxious waiting our goods finally went through and could be sent to the hospital. Thank you Mr. Issa Konaté who helped us through red-tape operations.

After 5 months of planning and 3 weeks of construction work renovation work in Warand has been completed. Reliable electricity has been ensured, small defects have been repaired, roofs been sealed and the whole hospital been painted inside as well as outside. Thank you very much to the local team, above all Schraddi, Sven and Morsch, who have been giving their eyeteeth.

Through taking stock on site next year's service was guaranteed. We also visited the neighbouring village Nianing's elementary school which has been supported with educational material and is part of
partnership programs with German families.

During a 3-week period Sage Hospital club members and volunteers together with helping hands from Warang are carrying out repairs on and in the building: The roofs of hospital, waiting room, pharmacy and midwife house will be repaired and sealed. All facades as well as interior walls will be levelled out and painted. The 10KW emergency power generator as well as refrigerators for drugs will be installed and put into operation.
 

All club members as well as volunteers are travelling to Senegal. Parallel to the trip the compiled goods such as drugs, clothes, specs as well as tools, construction material and an emergency power
generator will be shipped to the hospital.

The 2nd private view of  the exhibition „the helping hounds of hell“ took place at the Hamburg Helium Cowboy Artspace Gallerie on 08.02.2008 – through the initiative of Groupe de Jour and the
cooperation with gallery owner Jörg Heikhaus almost 14,000 Euros have been earned for Sage Hospital with the selling of the skateboards.

http://www.houndsofhell.de
http://www.gdbg.de
http://www.heliumcowboy.com

After the successful opening of our skateboard exhibition "the helping hounds of hell" at Neurotitan Gallery in Berlin we would like to thank all our guests for the great evening.

We would also like to thank everybody who has worked voluntarily during the last 6 months to make this project happen.

http://www.houndsofhell.de
http://www.gdbg.de
http://www.heliumcowboy.com

For the charity exhibition event "the helping hounds of hell" internationally renowned artists designed 100 skateboard which will be shown at two exhibtinos in Berlin and Hamburg. The sales profit will be donated to the hospital.

The project was initiated by the design "groupe de Jour" from Berlin. Together with the Hamburg gallery “Heliumcowboy Artspace” they curated and researched artists for the project. Photo shooting for the printed catalogue as well as event organisation was done by diephotodesigner.de.

http://www.houndsofhell.de
http://www.gdbg.de
http://www.heliumcowboy.com

Besuch im Krankenhaus mit Begehung und Festlegung der nötigen Reparatur- und Ausbaumassnahmen für 2008

The Otto-Sinfoniker gave a charity concert in the great hall of the Rote Rathaus in Berlin, after that there was a concert performed by Young Voices Brandenburg in the location’s Wappensaal.

The Zurich children’s clinic Hirslanden donates a big amount of medical equipment to Sage Hospital such as 2 birth beds, 3 CTGS, examination tables, desinfection liquid dispensers, heat lamps, etc.

See tv spot "Goldelse" by TV Berlin for details.

The main stage of 2006’s Fete de la Musique is dedicated to Sage Hospital. Every performing artist and every member of staff is working voluntarily. The entire profit of the evening is donated to the
hospital.

Journalists of the German Magazine „Stern“ visit the hospital. During their one-week stay they create a series of portraits showing people from the area.

Visit by Cynthia Clottey, fitting and distribution of glasses provided by European opticians.

Visit by Katharina von Ballestrem, improvements to facade and roof after severe storms, launch of ambulance service.

The first renovation is completed. Midwife accommodation, waiting room, and dispensary are finished.

Building starts on the extension which is to house midwife accommodation, waiting room and dispensary.