North Africa Clinic Initiative (Winter 2024)

This North African country is both difficult to navigate and beautiful. An arid, austere land that leaves people speechless, each participant will see the sand dunes that everyone expects but be inspired by the oasis that incorporates scrubby, greenery, variably colored rock outcroppings, and dates.

The difficulty lies in the slow pace of development in terms of commerce and infrastructure and a low and unequal distribution of wealth. Water, power, and mobile phones have come to much of rural North Africa in the last few decades. However, there are frequent problems with the supply of all three, making communication with the outside world unreliable.

People in this country love their land and love welcoming visitors. They demonstrate the best of Arab hospitality, and each visitor is warmly welcomed, be that a nomad’s desert tent or a millionaire’s palatial urban dwelling.

The host team’s setting is a clinic in a town seven hours from the capital, at the end of the road, and, thus, in the middle of the desert. The town is small, and the practices local people have in seeking health care are what one would expect in those who have had minimal access to care for generations.

Our plan over two weeks is to pair visitors with our local staff and send them out from house to house with simple tasks to perform rudimentary medical screenings. These are straightforward tasks that each participant will quickly learn to do with a day of training. In this way, we expect to uncover ailments and serve the local community by inviting them to receive necessary care.

Throughout the trip, participants will gain a kingdom perspective to wholistically serve the local community as they debrief their experiences and learn from the local team. Group discussions about the Kingdom will occur in sensitive and secure locations.

Unfortunately, the country, particularly the rural areas, is not accommodating to those with physical handicaps. Additionally, the area lacks a variety of food options, making it so that no one attending can plan on a gluten-free, vegetarian, or lactose-free diet. Please consider these items as you contemplate this incredible opportunity.