By Jocelyn W Bonner, MD
This man (face obscured) approached the Saint Camille Tokan residential program with his ankles in chains and legs bare in February 2019. He is confused and fearful. Gregoire (on the left) is doing what he does best: talking to him as an equal and working to gain his trust. The man stayed at Tokan for several months, being cared for by peers and receiving comprehensive mental health treatment. He is doing well now and attends monthly outpatient visits. Gregoire exemplifies, in every interaction I witnessed with staff and patients, a driving humanity to change the plight of this man and countless others.
Saint Camille supports the training of nurses for 3 years at the School of Public Health in Burkino Faso at a cost of $1800 per year (inclusive of tuition, room and board). They receive further training in mental health from the volunteer French and Canadian psychiatrists, who visit Benin on a regular basis and maintain availability by phone/video calls. Please join Gregoire, the visionary founder of Association Saint Camille, in bringing dignity to the mentally ill in West Africa.
