Québec Sans Frontières 2024-2028 Program
Year 1
This year, Terre Sans Frontières (TSF) launched the first phase of its four-year project, funded by Québec Sans Frontières (QSF) and the Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie (MRIF).
This structuring project, which supports our mission, focuses on interventions in health, education, climate resilience, and food security and nutrition. Development and humanitarian aid initiatives were implemented in Bolivia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Senegal. In addition, a volunteer cooperation mandate was implemented in Senegal.
Guided by a deep commitment to mutual aid, we have anchored our interventions around three essential pillars: environmental protection, women’s rights, and youth engagement.
We are proud of the results achieved during this first year, which demonstrate the strength of partnership and solidarity. And this is just the beginning: the foundations are being laid for a lasting and transformative impact.
By responding to the needs specified by our local partners, the local voice resonates well beyond the highlights presented below.
The overall impact of the first year
1
volunteer
119 140
number of people reached directly
10
partners
A highlight by country
Sustainable development
In Bolivia’s Altiplano region, a dispersed indigenous population lives with limited access to quality medical care.
Budgetary restrictions lead to shortages of equipment and supplies, which directly impact the quality of care, exacerbated by the long distances involved.
To combat this problem, which particularly affects the municipalities of Escoma and Ayata, particularly women of childbearing age, pregnant women, and people suffering from malnutrition, TSF distributed portable general health, maternal health, and nutrition equipment.
This equipment allows doctors, nurses, and nutritionists to reach the most vulnerable patients who lack the logistical resources to receive treatment.
As a result, nearly 18,000 people now benefit from better access to care and faster, more effective treatment.
« Due to intensive use, many instruments were already worn out. For example, the needle holder no longer held the needles properly, which caused difficulties during two home births, where an episiotomy had to be performed after a tear. The new equipment received is therefore a great help. Although we already had some consumables, many were damaged, and others, such as a scale exclusively for newborns, were completely missing. This scale is essential for monitoring as part of the child growth program. »
Yaneth Cuarity Mamani
Head of Ayata Health Center
Local partners in Bolivia :
Ayata Municipality
Municipality of Escoma
Municipality of Jesús de Machaca
Municipality of Pucarani
Municipality of Puerto Perez
Municipality of Viacha
Humanitarian aid
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the northeast of the country, lies Bunia, the capital of Ituri province. This city is marked by a profound humanitarian crisis linked to the ongoing armed conflicts in the region.
This instability has significantly worsened food insecurity, which was already historically fragile. Access to food remains limited and precarious for internally displaced persons in the region, particularly for children.
Considering the needs generated by this reality, as well as in-depth discussions with the humanitarian clusters in Bunia, TSF decided to support the Saint-Luc school, located in the Kigonzo displacement camp.
TSF paid for the purchase of ingredients to cover the cost of one hot meal per week for all the school’s students. In total, no fewer than 1,338 primary school students, aged between six and 12, benefited from this initiative.
« His presence has had a positive impact on the schooling of our students, and even on their attendance. We have recorded significant progress such as: the remarkable reduction in cases of irregularity, the absence of dropouts during the term, the increase in the academic success rate from sixty to seventy, the reduction in cases of begging by school students in the streets of the city during school hours, the awareness of the importance of school by children, the relief of the family burden of catering for children on days when hot meals are distributed. »
Benoit Loti Mandje
Principal of the Saint-Luc primary school
Local partners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo :
Saint-Luc Primary School at the Kigonze IDP site (Bunia)
Municipality of Bakongolo
Volunteer cooperation
In Senegal, occupational therapy is not a well-known discipline. However, this profession represents an alternative method for pain management. This is why TSF carried out a capacity-building mandate in occupational therapy to provide new solutions to local professionals.
At the Thilogne Health Center, assessment tools for screening for depression, anxiety, and pain were introduced, in addition to sharing a self-assessment protocol for lower back pain.
At the Buntu Yaakaar Center, which serves children with disabilities, educators attended demonstrations and role-playing scenarios that promote active learning.
Practical training with a volunteer psychomotor therapist enabled the adaptation of motor, graphic, and sensory activities. Theoretical training was also provided to the specialized educator, including three individualized intervention plans.
« On behalf of the entire Buntu Yaakar team, I would like to express our deep gratitude for the commitment and exceptional contribution of Valérie Dion [volunteer]. Her presence and dedication have been essential in caring for the children we support. We appreciated the training she provided to strengthen the capacities of our staff. [She] was a great help in improving the quality of our interventions. We would also like to highlight the importance of the materials, equipment, and documents she left us. These tools will continue to be very useful to us and enrich our daily work. »
Amadou Cheikh Ba
Acting Director, Buntu Yaakaar Center
Local partners in Senegal :
National Association of Catholic Healthcare Institutions of Senegal (ANESCS)
Thilogne Health District