Hope Africa University
News Release.
March 6, 2009
Four doctors from the US will be visiting Hope Africa University, the Frank Ogden Medical School at the University, as well as Kibuye Hospital and other medical installations in Burundi March 18-28. Their mission is to be consultants to the medical program at the University and to Free Methodist medical institutions in Burundi, assessing equipment needs, openings for teaching specialties for which professors may not be available locally, and generally finding ways to resource these medical ministries. The medical team, representing the ‘Physicians Advisory Group’ of Friends of Hope Africa University, is composed of Dr. David Crandall, Dr. Cedric Johnson, Dr. John Lammie and Dr. Norman Wetterau. Dr. Frank Ogden, long term missionary doctor in central Africa now retired, will be on duty at Kibuye Hospital during the team’s visit and will participate in the activities of the team. Dr. Seleus Sibomana, Director of the Medical School and Bishop Dr. Elie Buconyori, Rector of the University, along with teaching faculty, will be hosting the visit Others in the team are Marsha Johnson, Nancy Wetterau and Marlene Bates. Gerald Bates will be acting as trip coordinator.
The Frank Ogden Medical School at Hope Africa University has just completed its initial three years of existence. One of the urgent issues being examined by the team is how to assist in developing the clinical experience needed for doctors in training and what is needed to upgrade Kibuye Hospital to be a teaching hospital for interns. A recent accrediting team by the Ministry of Public Health suggests strongly that the University develop a clinic adjacent to the Bujumbura campus so that experience can be provided in connection with studies. This benefit would be extended to the University’s School of Nursing as well. The team will be examining a proposed plan for the clinic.
On February 7, 2009 Hope Africa University completed nine years of existence. Beginning in Kenya with 27 students and moving to Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi, five years ago, the University now contains over 2800 students in undergrad, certificate and Masters programs. The school is sponsored by the three Free Methodist general conferences of central Africa, Burundi, Congo and Rwanda. It is international in character with students from ten countries and is bilingual, French and English, in instruction. Forty-one percent of the students are female. Hope Africa University is boldly Christian with regular chapel services, a full time chaplain, small group Bible studies and student volunteer witnessing teams. It is Free Methodism’s only liberal arts university outside the North American continent. Its theme is ‘A University Facing African Realities.’ Thus all programs are developed to respond to Africa’s needs, poverty, shortage of medical care, social and economic issues, education, and the need for Christian character and witness at all levels of society.
--Gerald E. Bates, President
Friends of Hope Africa University Inc.
