ReSurge Africa: the Scottish Charity
Aim
The aim of the charity is to train and equip surgeons in West Africa to carry out Reconstructive Surgery without the need of overseas financial or personnel help. It is establishing self-sufficient Reconstructive Surgery Units in West Africa.
Our goal is to actively bring about our demise - this will be the true reflection of our success.
Ghana is one of the most developed and politically stable countries in Africa and the future for its reconstructive surgery service is assured. Ghana is beginning to serve as the hub for extension of such services beyond its borders into the West African Sub-region, a process that will require several years.
Funding
The Charity raises its money from many diverse sources, donations from individuals, organisations, trusts, occasionally even Government funding (see Supporters section for an indication of some of these donors.)
We can boast that no charitible funds work harder: 95% of our funding is spent directly on the provision of training and support to medical professionals in West Africa. 5% is spent on administration of the Charity.
This list gives an idea of the type of investments that Resurge Africa makes in order to provide Hope through Training:
- £65,000 - operating microscope, essential for free-tissue transfer surgery
- £30,000 - one West African surgeon trained in South Africa, per year
- £10,000 - one physiotherapist trained in Glasgow, six months
- £7,000 - one 50-delegate training course in Ghana
- £1,500 - one volunteer UK surgeon to Ghana to provides specialist training
The IRPS Project(Ghana) 1992-2010
The International Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Project (Ghana) was registered in Scotland by Jack Mustarde in 1992 (Reg No SCO20924).
ReSurge Africa, 2010
In May 2010 the Charity marked a new milestone in its development and registered a change of name. The IRPS Project was relaunched in July 2010 as ReSurge Africa. The purpose and aims of the Charity remain the same: to relieve suffering caused by deformity resulting from burns, trauma, birth defects and diseases
The reasons for this decision to change the name are:
- With success in Ghana, now beginning to train its own surgeons in reconstructive techniques, the Charity is broadening its field of interest to other countries in West Africa, notably Sierra Leone. There is a tragic lack of medical staff in these economically stressed countries.
- Renewed interest in the Charity is required in order to maintain the level of funding, which has fallen during the recession (2008-2010)
- There has been some confusion over the name "Plastic Surgery" which some people confuse with "Cosmetic Surgery". Since "Reconstructive Surgery" is better understood and more descriptive term for what the Charity does, this term is being adopted, hence "ReSurge Africa" for Reconstructive Surgery Africa.
Trustees
The trustees, currently six in number, meet formally twice a year, with the manager of the charity (who is not himself a trustee,) overseeing the raising of funds and their use according to the wishes of the trustees. The Treasurer attends the trustee meetings, although not a trustee. One of the trustees Albert Paintsil is the Director of the Centre in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana.
