Concept | History | Members | Statute |

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. 

Parallel to the medical care offered, social and preventative programmes have been implemented. A school has been provided with teaching materials and a swimming class has been initiated to teach fishermen’s children how to swim.  The first child to take advantages of this was in 1995.  A football club has also been founded, with the aim to provide the young people with a social network and discourage criminal activity in the area. 

The hospital’s progress is overseen and organised by the Director of Club Aldiana, which is nearby. 

Thus contacts to local services, the overseeing of building work and payment are all administered as close to the project as possible.

For such a direct project of this kind it is astounding how many people and in what constellation are working behind the scenes to make it reality.  Initiated by two flight attendants, and supported by private persons, it is also helped enormously by young talent from the media and communications branch in Berlin.  From the organisation of donations, to presentation and documentation, all persons working with Sage Hospital e.V do so on a voluntary basis.

The Sage Club in Berlin also jointly 'adopted' the hospital. It organises regular events where all crew and artists work for free, the proceeds going directly to the hospital. As well as raising money, these events raise awareness amongst young people of a worthy cause and give the message that being charitable can also be fun.  The project has also won a very distinguished patron to its events, the Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit.  

Also the Foto Agency diephotodesigner.de has become a 'godparent' to the hospital.     From keeping this website up to date to releasing press releases, it deals with all aspects of P.R.  It also helps the e.V concerning administrative and organisational questions.

In order to raise awareness of this project there has been an intensive publicity drive.  Apart from the constant updating of the website there have also been a lot of articles published in various magazines and newspapers.  There have also been reports in television and on radio.  There was even a radio and television advert made featuring the well known German actor Ben Becker, which was shown in over 100 cinemas and broadcast on various radio stations. 

These measures ensure that the project reaches more people and encourage more possible donors.  Despite the commitment and successes of those involved in the project, it depends on private donations.

Only through the support of a lot of people can we continue our successes and provide effective help to the people who benefit from the hospital.