Welcome to Tamerna!
Leg 4, Tamerna
From diabetes testing…
Today is the fourth leg of the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles, and the fourth day of the Cœur de Gazelles caravan. Once again, the team is received in a family home, and each unit sets up its work space.
The working conditions are increasingly challenging as the caravan moves deeper and deeper into the desert. But the team is just as cheerful, and patients turn out in large numbers to see the health professionals.
These include, Asmaa, who is in charge of diabetes testing. The nurse has diagnosed several people with diabetes since the beginning of the caravan. While the disease is often quite mild, it must be taken seriously. While it cannot be cured, it can be controlled through proper treatment. But that is not all…
Diabetes can be hereditary, but it can also be linked to lifestyle. High sugar consumption, excess weight and a lack of activity are factors that can cause the disease. Asmaa’s job therefore includes understanding and analyzing the lifestyle habits of the patients she sees. She has found that, in most cases, diabetes is linked to these factors. Her role then takes on a new dimension as she works on prevention, providing patients with recommendations on lifestyle changes and behaviours that can prevent the disease from getting worse.
… To environmental activism
The diabetes awareness provided by Asmaa complements the environmental awareness actions introduced by Cœur de Gazelles, with the support of our partner CBA Informatique.
Caravan volunteer Ahmed organizes a children’s game in the villages visited by the caravan. He has a set of cards, each of which shows an image of a waste item with, on the back, the number of years it takes to completely degrade. The children have to guess the right answer, and end up learning while having fun.
The types of waste featured in the game include one that is particularly problematic in Morocco and has serious environmental consequences: the Mika Khala, a black plastic bag widely used by Moroccans. Frequently just thrown out into nature, they take 450 years to degrade. To combat the use of the Mika Khala, Cœur de Gazelles distributes biodegradable cotton bags, funded by CBA Informatique, during the distribution of donations.
SPOTLIGHT: The donations unit
The donations unit is an important component of Cœur de Gazelles and requires rigorous work.
A few months before the caravan, a team works with the village heads to draw up a list of the needs of the families living in the area. The donations at the Rallye Start Village are meticulously sorted into categories by the unit’s volunteers: adult clothing, children’s clothing, toys, medical supplies, books, baby supplies…
Out in the field, the donations are then distributed according to the list, ensuring that each family receives the donations it needs. Thanks to our sponsor, CBA Informatique, and our official transporter, Maghreb solutions, several tons of donations will be distributed this year.
Come back tomorrow for a spotlight on another one of the caravan’s specialties!
PHOTOS
