Archive for the ‘Canadian Public Events’ category

A Magical Night for West Africa

May 20th, 2011

Performers at A Night in Magical Timbuktu: Jacky Essombe, Hassanatou Camara and Alpha Yaya Diallo

Mali Ambassador, Mamadou Bandiougou Diawara made a French address during the evening. CNIS volunteer Rachelle Czerwinski, a Madagascar native, provided the instant translation.

Cameroon dancer Jacky Essombe performing with Brycken Olive and Sierra Wolfe

The Timbuktu fest was provided by Truffles Fine Food and Sweet Obsession

CNIS student volunteers from David Thompson Secondary School from Invermere, BC with performers Jacky Essombe and Alpha Diallo

CNIS’s annual fundraiser A Night in Magical Timbuktu was held in Vancouver on May 6th to raise funds to establish West Africa’s first Injury Control Centre.

One hundred guests, 50 volunteers, countless local sponsors and a dozen performers helped make the night truly magical.

CNIS was honoured to have the Mali ambassador, his Excellency Mamadou Bandiougou Diawara, as our guest and we were grateful for his thoughtful address about his country. Phil Hassen, CNIS President, thanked him on behalf of CNIS and Dr. Jan Christilaw, President of the BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, gave a speech on maternal mortality. Global TV’s Lynn Colliar and Bev McEwan were Masters of Ceremonies for the lively evening.

Some of Canada’s best African musicians and dancers had agreed to perform for us. Three-time Juno award winner Alpha Yaya Diallo from Guinea with his group Bafing got the crowd dancing, and even some of the CNIS board members were seen on the dance floor! Cameroon dancer Jacky Essombe had everyone singing African songs, and did a superb dance performance with her group.

Supported by the local film industry and other businesses, the venue was decorated like a Malian village.

CNIS volunteers had hand-painted Timbuktu-inspired runners and miniature Dogon huts for the tables, and an African-inspired feast was provided by local movie caterer, Truffles Fine Foods.

The event raised almost $18,000 in one night, nearly 1/5 of the funds needed to establish the centre. The silent action featuring a.o. artwork by Robert Bateman and Yared Nigussu, raised over $6,000, which is nearly enough to equip a teaching lab. Since the event, another $5300 has been donated, and we will not stop trying until we have reached our goal: to establish an Injury Control Centre in Bamako, Mali, teaching first aid, traffic safety, trauma training and other injury prevention courses.

CNIS would like to thank our volunteers, donors, sponsors and all who helped us make this night possible.

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Posted in Canadian Public Events, Sidebar Latest Posts, Uncategorized

Twinning letters to Ethiopia

May 1st, 2011

The Lord Tennyson students are excited to write to their new friends in Ethiopia

Students in grades four to seven at Lord Tennyson Elementary School in Vancouver, BC are the first Canadian school children to participate in the Canada/Ethiopia Twinning Project and write letters to their ‘twin school’ in Axum, Ethiopia.

Lord Tennyson is ’twinned’ with Bazen Elementary School. Earlier this spring they had received a letter from the school. The Bazen students study 10 subjects, including mathematics, science, geography, music, Amharic language, Tigrinya language (the local language), drawing and painting, and physical education. Their favourite subject is science. The Bazen students wanted to know if the Canadian students would like to visit Ethiopia and whether Canadian teaching is practical or theoretical.

Students from grades four through seven from Lord Tennyson have written back to the Bazen students. Below are some excerpts:

Lord Tennyson 'twin' students from grade 6-7 on the front stairs

Dear students at Bazen elementary. My name is Saffrin and I’m 12 years old. I am very happy to get a chance to write you a letter. I am very curious about your life. Have you ever seen snow before? It is a very beautiful thing. We get it a lot here in Canada. Also, Canada invented Maple Syrup. That is a kind of sauce that is really sweet and we put it on pancakes. Hope you enjoyed my letter. Yours truly, Saffrin

Dear Bazen elementary. Hello, my name is Erik. I come from Lord Tennyson. It is very beautiful in Canada. I live in an apartment, there are VII (seven) floors in the apartment. I was wondering if you could answer a few of my questions. Is it very very hot all year where you live? Do you have different numbers than us? What do your numbers look like? Sincerely, Erik.

Lord Tennyson 'twin' grade 4-5 class pretending to be Canadian moose

Dear students at Bazen Elementary. I am a girl named Noorin and I am eleven years old. I love cooking and talking to my friends. I was born in Iran and live in Vancouver with my sister and brother. Of all my family, I am the youngest sniff sniff! What do you like to do after school? What is your wish? Sincerely, Noorin

Dear Bazen. Hi, my name is Phoebe. I am ten years old and I have a fourteen-year-old sister named Emma and a mom and dad and a cat named Abby and a hamster. My hobby is art. I am an art freak.

Lord Tennyson 'favourite' grade 4-5 teacher Suzanne Lapierre Foreman

Dear Bazen Elementary. My name is Jasper and I am 9. My mom was born in Ethiopia. I will tell you a 100% Canadian story. Some racoons used to come to my house, because I have cat food. One night we left pie out and in the morning the crust was gone and all there was, was a ball of pie with racoon prints!

Hello my name is Isabella. My favourite colour is green. I want to be a Marine Biologist. The truth about Canada is that we do not (most of us) live in igloos or have beavers as pets.

Lord Tennyson is a French Immersion school, so lots of homework is done in French

Dear Bazen Elementary. My name is Kaitlin and I am 9 years old. I don’t have any pets but just one fighting fish. My favourte sport is gymnastics. My favourite song is Tik Tok by Kesha. I love fruit. In Canada boys and girls are equal. Both have rights and both go to school. A woman can also do any job a man can do. What is your country like? Do you enjoy school? Do you like animals? I do.

Dear Students of Bazen Elementary. My name is Trsik and I am thirteen years old. I am in grade seven at Lord Tennyson Elementary school, which is named after a British poet. I am from Ethiopia, as well, and I am so excited to communicate with my brothers and sisters back home. I speak French and English, and I can understand Tigrinya quite well, but I am not very good in Amharic. My parents are from Adigrat, which is very close to Axum. I’d love to learn more about Ethiopia and what it is like because the last time I went was when I was three years old. I’m really looking forward to this project and hope you are too! I can’t believe I got this opportunity and really hope we can be great friends.

CNIS would like to thank the principal, the teachers and the students at Lord Tennyson for their participation and enthusiasm for the Ethiopia Canada Twinning Project.

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Juno Award winner plays at CNIS event

March 28th, 2011

Alpha Yaya Diallo performing at the opening of the 2010 Winter Olympics

3-time Juno award winner Alpha Yaya Diallo and his band will perform at A Night in Magical Timbuktu, CNIS Vancouver gala fundraiser on May 6th.

Alpha is said to be amongst “the most exciting and appealing African artists to ever hit the US”. Originally from Guinea in West Africa, Alpha is now based in Vancouver, Canada. He has earned a matchless reputation internationally for his extraordinary talent and exciting live shows – whether performing solo or with his band Bafing. Diallo is a uniquely multi-talented artist. His dexterous acoustic and electric guitar-playing with its fluid melodic lines and compelling grooves, place him in the front ranks of African axemen. He is a skilled and experienced performer on a variety of percussion instruments, and on the balafon (traditional wooden xylphone). Diallo writes his own compositions, and sings with a supple and beautifully modulated voice.

The evening will also feature dancer Jacky Essombe. Originally from Cameroon, Jacky Essombe grew up in Paris and now lives in Vancouver. She has toured in Canada, the United States and Europe with major recording artists and has appeared on television and radio in Canada and France.

Jacky Essombe will perform at A Night in Magical Timbuktu

A true ambassador of the African culture, Jacky’s passion for her culture inspired her to become a professional dancer, dance teacher, storyteller, trainer and speaker and a TV and radio show host.

A Night in Magical Timbuktu will be held at Granville Island’s Performance Works to an exclusive 130 guests. The $100 tickets include a gourmet meal sit down dinner, welcome drinks and your $60 tax receipt. Company tables for 8 cost $800 (with a $480 tax receipt).

For more information, go to: www.timbuktunight.com

Book your tickets now

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Volunteer of the year – Dr. Wylam Faught

March 1st, 2011

Dr. Wylam Faught, MD, FRCSC, volunteer of the year 2010

Dr. Wylam Faught, MD, FRCSC, Head of the obstetrics/gynecology department for the University of Ottawa was given the 2010 Volunteer of the Year award for his contribution as ESS instructor and for his help in establishing the obstetrics program and the surgical skills lab in Moshi, Tanzania.

“The Essential Surgical Skills course and the CNIS mission/vision really struck a cord with me. I took the ESS instructors course and things went from there. I have been fortunate to have a very Internationally oriented department here in Ottawa ( Dr. Hassan Shenassa and others) and so have been able to facilitate support for the surgical skills lab at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre and am also active in trying to establish/enhance relationships with the local KCMC leaders to facilitate development of an obstetrics skills course for associated medical officers at KCMC.” says Dr Faught.

Wylam was born in Toronto and grew up there and in Calgary, Alberta. He studied Biochemistry at the University of Calgary and graduated with a Bachelor of Medical Science and an MD from the University of Alberta in 1986.

In 1992, he completed his residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Ottawa, followed by a 2 year Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Manitoba. From 1994 – 2002, he was an attending physician at the Ottawa hospital and Cancer centre and on faculty at the University of Ottawa, where he was also an Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency Program Director, Gynecologic Oncology Clinical Trials Coordinator, and a member of the Royal College Examination Committee for Obstetrics and Gynecology. From 2002 to 2007 he was Professor and Chair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Alberta, and Chief of Women’s Health, Royal Alexandra Hospital, supporting the creation of the Women and Children’s health research Institute. In 2007 he was appointed Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Ottawa, Chief of Obstetrics/gynecology/newborn care at The Ottawa Hospital and, as of September 2010, regional Ob/gyne physician lead for thel-newborn program.

Dr. Faught teaching Essential Surgical Skills in Moshi, Tanzania

Wylam is actively involved in gynecologic oncology clinical care, education and clinical research and surgical skills teaching for CNIS in Moshi, Tanzania. He is a past-president of the Association of Professors of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Canada, a board member of Ovarian Cancer Canada and the Canadian Foundation for Women’s Health and a member of the Royal college specialty committee in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

“Just being able to participate with like-minded individuals is rewarding, but specifically a moment that the students had on the day 4 of the ESS course, when they realized they could tie a very secure 2-handed knot that wouldn’t slip. Who knows, it may save a mothers life sometime during a C-Section.”

CNIS wish to congratulate Wylam Faught for this well deserved recognition, and to once again welcome him into the Ottawa CNIS community.

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Posted in Canadian Public Events, Sidebar Latest Posts, Uncategorized

UBC Students for a Safer Africa

January 20th, 2011

UBC faculty and students are invited to join us for a night of great beats for a safer Africa

CNIS student volunteers from the University of British Columbia are getting together to help African medical students learn Essential Surgical Skills with a fundraiser on campus.

The event will take place at the Abdul Ladha Centre on March 11 from 8 pm – 1 am.

For information or tickets, please call / text 778-899-2348

Dr. Robert Taylor, Director for UBC Branch for International Surgery, will make a short speech on CNIS work in Africa.

Ubiquitous Rhythm will perform live and DJ Plaise will keep up the beat.

Students from all faculties and years are helping organize this event. This fundraiser is hosted by the UBC Pre-Medical Society and the UBC Global Outreach Students’ Association.

MC – Lisa Christiansen, CBC Radio 3 Music host.

UBIQUITOUS RHYTHM – Ubiquitous Rhythm was born on the west coast sands of English Bay in Vancouver, however their musical roots and influences transcend all cultures including, African, Latin, and Caribbean.

At the group’s core is Rick Garcia (Djembe, Krin, Talking Drum, bells, and vocals), Ian Gatrell (Djembe, Bongo, Tongue Drum, and vocals), Dave Wylie (Djembe and vocals) and Marrett Green (Djembe and vocals). Ubiquitous Rhythm has jammed as a group since 2008, always “Feeling Damn Good” with their African, Reggae and Soca sounds.”

DJ PLAISE – Originally from Uganda, DJ Plaise has played the latest and greatest international hits to the best beats from East Africa. Praise (DJ Plaise) is genuinely honoured to play for us at this fundraising event. Thanks Praise for supporting our efforts to educate health personnel in Africa!

More Information: Event Poster

We would like to thank the following groups for their generous support: