Project: medical
abstract
It is estimated that as many as 49% of the population of Côte d'Ivoire cannot read or write. Many regions still use indigenous languages, and their inhabitants often do not know the official language of Côte d'Ivoire, French. Access to information is therefore significantly hampered, especially for mothers who have no source of knowledge on the most basic topics, such as proper pregnancy care and newborn care. This results in many problems, as women make basic mistakes, often leading to illness and hospitalization of the child.
The aim of “Project: Medical” is to create a comprehensive database of educational materials dedicated to women in the Côte d'Ivoire in their native languages, based on modern medical guidelines.
aims of the project
The long-term goal of the project is to create educational materials on pregnancy and newborn care dedicated to Ivorian women, in the form of:
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videos in the Baoule language published on YouTube, for which QR codes will be generated and distributed among Ivorian women in Côte d'Ivoire medical facilities.
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graphics, brochures, and posters.
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in the long term, a guidebook published in the Baoule language, likely the second publication in this language after the Holy Bible.
timeline
Phase #1 CURRENTLY ONGOING (April 2024 - December 2025)
It involves collecting data among the female population in Poland and the Ivory Coast, analyzing it, and then publishing it in the Ivorian Society of Pediatrics.
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Creating an electronic survey dedicated to Polish women (September - December 2024).
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Translating the survey into French and collecting data among Ivorian women during an expedition to the Ivory Coast in July 2025 (May - July 2025).
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Analyzing the data and writing a scientific paper to be published in a scientific pediatrics journal (August - December 2025).
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Identifying differences and areas requiring increased education among Ivorian women, which will become the targets of the next phase #2.
Phase #2 (app. to begin in January 2026)
Determining the subject matter and creating transcripts for the first films.
- Organizing and conducting another expedition to Côte d'Ivoire in the summer of 2026 to collect materials—photos and recordings of Baoule native speakers.
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Editing and publishing films in Baoule, French, and English on YouTube.
The next phases will involve editing and gradually adding more videos and disseminating access to our materials. In the future, expansion may include other indigenous languages of the WKS and potentially other West African countries.
progress
3 August 2025
Data collection in the Ivory Coast has been finalized
During our expedition to the Ivory Coast, we surveyed 290 women in villages neighboring Brobo — Akrougbangbokro, Bangassou, Bangassou II, Djamalakro, and Pindikro. Each mother received items of clothing, a toy, or a pair of shoes for her children. This achievement was made possible thanks to a group of local medical students who assisted us in our work, to whom we extend our sincere thanks.
12 July 2025
Our team departs to Ivory Coast!
We wish best of luck to our team members: Kacper Ścibski, Julia Makowiecka, Karol Zimmer and Julia Kruszona who have just departed for Africa! Together with local volunteers they will conduct surveys among the Ivorian women. We keep our fingers crossed all goes by plan!
20 June 2025
The research proposal has been submitted!
Today we have finally submitted our research proposal for review by Professor Asse - Head of Pediatrics at the Bouake University Hospital. Ensuring maximum adherence to research ethics, as well as Ivorian law, we are now awaiting for permission from local authorities to conduct the survey.
17 May 2025
Survey for Ivorian women has been finalized
The survey had been translated from Polish to French and enriched with a few extra questions specific to the Ivorian population. The survey will be soon printed and taken with us to Ivory Coast this July.
23 December 2024
Survey for Polish women is now open!
The very first step of our research has been finalized. As of now, we are ready to accept responses from Polish women having at least one child. Questions include prenatal and neonatal care. The survey will remain open until September 2025. If you meet the criteria, we would like to kindly invite you to fill out the survey: https://forms.gle/H8NQib6bwDvYcm5e8
18 November 2024
First graphic designs are ready
Shall all know drinking alcohol during pregnancy brings terrible consequences, children would not have been born with easily preventable problems. Even though this is a common knowledge, this bullet point is impossible to miss out in our upcoming educational materials dedicated to women who cannot ready and write. The first graphic is ready!
GALLERY
Head of Project
KACPER ŚCIBSKI
Kacper is a medical student at the Jagiellonian University – Collegium Medicum in Kraków, Poland, and a graduate of New York University Abu Dhabi, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology (Class of 2022). His first visit to Côte d'Ivoire in February 2023 inspired him to establish our association. Since then, he has remained deeply committed to supporting the local community in Brobo. Kacper also leads "Project: Polish and Ivorian Mothers" an initiative designed to ignite a passion for medicine among younger students. He aspires to become a surgeon in the future.
TEAM MEMBERS
Volonteer
Kacper Korzeniewski
Volonteer
Dominika Kilijanska
Volonteer
Marta Skupniewicz
Core
Julia Makowiecka
Volonteer
Julia Majsiak
Volonteer
Weronika Przeździecka
Core
Karol Zimmer
Core
Krzysztof Chrześcijański
Volonteer
Emilia Jagielska
Volonteer
Natalia Werdoni
Core