During a recent visit to our office in The Netherlands we had the privilege to talk about the work we do at Pediatric Care Africa and wish to thank all our Dutch supporters which make most of what we do possible!!!

See below translation:

Stories from Abroad, by Mondolokaal

The Support Pediatric Care Africa Foundation is one of the 22 private initiatives affiliated with Mondolokaal, the platform for international cooperation initiatives in the Land van Cuijk region in the Netherlands.

This foundation was established in South Africa in 2017 by Dr. André Hattingh. Together with his wife, Joyce Crompvoets (originally from Maashees, the Netherlands), he runs the foundation, which is primarily dedicated to providing medical care to vulnerable children. Joyce recently spent a few weeks in the Netherlands and speaks about the foundation with great enthusiasm and dedication.

“Sometimes I wonder whether it is all worth it,” Joyce says. “But when I see how much good the foundation and its team are doing, and when you see a child recover because of treatment, you know exactly why you do it. And that can be very emotional.”

Travelling Every Month

Once a month, a team consisting of doctors, nurses, a dentist, and a fully equipped pharmacy travels to remote areas where residents have little or no access to even the most basic medical care.

“It is an incredibly committed team that volunteers its time and services free of charge,” Joyce explains. “They witness the poverty and lack of medical care in their own country. Distances to hospitals are often enormous, and many people simply cannot afford treatment. André’s motto is: ‘Every child deserves love and a chance.’ A chance to recover, a chance to attend school—in other words, a chance for a future.

Every three months, we revisit the people we have helped. During the first visit, medical records are created, and we continue to monitor their well-being. Everyone is welcome when our team sets up at, for example, a farm. One question we hear often is: ‘When will you come back?’”

A Doctor with a Big Heart

André, originally from South Africa, studied medicine in the United States, but Africa continued to call him back.

“His life story is so profound; he has experienced so much that André should really write a book about it,” Joyce says with a smile. “He has worked as a doctor in several African countries, built hospitals, but has also witnessed war and terrible suffering. The fact that he still finds the strength to continue every single day is something I greatly admire.”

Finally

“I worked for several years as a legal advisor for a court, but I felt it was time for something completely different. That turned out to be teaching children with disabilities in Livingstone, Zambia. There, I was bitten by a spider, and that is when I met André. The rest is history,” Joyce laughs.

“Although I do not have a medical background, I keep the administration up to date, manage public relations, and try to raise funds for the foundation. It is wonderful to be back with my parents and to see friends again. Everything here is so orderly, and medical care is, so to speak, just around the corner. But after a few weeks, Africa starts calling me again. I want to go back.

I hope that our life story inspires people. We cannot all do development work, but making a donation can still work wonders.”