CNIS sends volunteer Canadian surgeons and obstetricians to share skills with colleagues in Africa, who then pass the knowledge on to African medical students. CNIS provides effective, real-world training and information to African medical students and surgeons, allowing them to better cope with the often harsh realities they find themselves in – undertrained, understaffed, overworked, incomplete medical equipment, dealing with obstetrical complications and injuries at epidemic levels. Our four programs aim to make vital and important improvements to the accessibility and safety of surgical and obstetrical care in Africa.