Côte d'Ivoire: Almost Paradise

Cote d'Ivoir

Côte d'Ivoire (known in English as the Ivory Coast) is an independent republic the size of Norway, or the state of New Mexico, situated on the West African coast where it shares borders with Liberia, Ghana, Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso.

A bastion of art,music, history, culture and commerce in West Africa, Côte d'Ivoire is home to 20 million people representing more than 60 different ethnic groups speaking 78 dialects.

Among  the most economically successful West African nations, Côte d'Ivoire earns 27% of its foreign revenue from oil exports and 24% from agricultural production, including  cocoa, coffee, cotton, pineapples, tuna, and tropical woods.

Trouble in Paradise

Despite the economic strengths of Côte d'Ivoire, the 56th most populous country in the world, this multi-cultural nation faces challenges common to many other African nations.Suffering from two brutall civil wars in the last ten years the country is on its knees. Healthcare is the key to building the productive capacity of communities to build confidence, stable political relationships and a sustainable future.

The average life expectancy for the Ivoirian people, currently estimated at an average of 57 years, is 195th out of 196 nations.  The prevalence rate of HIV infection is the highest in West Africa. Clearly, improvement is desperately needed in Ivoirian healthcare systems.
We believe that Côte d'Ivoire is poised to make these improvements... and you can be part of this exciting renaissance. 

Our Mission in Côte d'Ivoire

The Centre de Santé Nimatoullah opened in 2005 with the mission to provide excellent  and affordable primary health care services to local persons marginalized from  mainstream society. Whether set apart by poverty, religion, ethnicity or a stigmatized medical condition,  all are cared for by our staff.  We strive to achieve our mission with compassion  and in a spirit of loving-kindness and generosity that stresses the fraternity and  equality of all human beings. Working in conjunction with the Ivoirian Ministry of Health, we have demonstrated  how a small group of determined people can move mountain ranges  to address the needs of an underserved community. We believe our self-sustaining model for free-standing,  community-based urban health care services can be  replicated by other organizations around the world.  Please look at our 'what we do pages' and we will show you what  we have accomplished in Côte d'Ivoire, what we would like to do,  and how you can help us continue to serve and transform communities at risk of devastation.