Objective
CNIS is a true Canadian initiative, founded and still operating from Canada. Our office is in Vancouver, BC. We welcome you to come by and visit us!
Through the Public Engagement in Canada Program, CNIS offers surgical instructor courses, hosts public events and fundraisers, participates in medical forums and conferences and informs Canadians about the importance of international surgery. Find out more about our Upcoming Courses and Events.
How We Work
CNIS has formal partnerships with ten Canadian university departments of surgery, as well as the Canadian Association of General Surgeons and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. Each of our Canadian partner groups works closely with one of our African partners. With our partners in Ethiopia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda,Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, CNIS has trained near 20,000 African practitioners, completed six surgical skills labs and established two injury control centres. Our ability to maintain and expand our teaching programs in low-income regions depends on our public engagement work in Canada and the support we receive from Canadian foundations, corporations and individual donors.
- CNIS offers a range of Public Engagement courses in Canada, including The Place of Surgery in International Development, which addresses the issue of international development for health professionals.
- CNIS hosts public events, such as our annual African Market, usually held in the courtyard outside our Vancouver office in late August. We also hold donor appreciation events and the annual volunteer appreciation event, where we acknowledge our talented and diverse volunteers and present the volunteer of the year award.
- Our organization offers Swahili language classes at beginner and intermediate levels. The courses are open to the general public and are held at least twice a year.
- Through the Canada/Ethiopia Twinning Project, CNIS involves Canadian elementary school students in a global classroom. The Canadian children write letters and create art projects, which CNIS helps send and share with elementary school students in Axum, in Northern Ethiopia.
- To raise funds for specific projects, CNIS holds an annual gala event with an African theme every spring. From A Night on the Savannah, to A Night in Magical Timbuktu, these events bring together the local business community, the Vancouver film industry and our Vancouver supporters for a night of live music, dance and an African feast.
- Through our quarterly newsletters, website, public forums, facebook, twitter, media releases and contribution of articles in health journals, CNIS aims to raise public awareness of the need and importance of international surgery.
Current Challenges
- Securing financial support to bring our life-saving obstetrics program to new areas and countries.
- Looking for volunteers who want to use their talents in editing, translation, research, internet technology, graphics and event coordination.
- Seeking financial resources to produce a video showcasing our teaching initiatives.
- Developing course material in French and Portuguese.
- Raise funds to establish our first Injury Control Centre in West Africa, to be located in Bamako, Mali.
