“When I stood between the buildings in 2017,
I knew: It's still a lot of work, but we will get there step by step.”


José Schraauwers

Founder and chairwoman
of the Bakasso Foundation

Have a look at the progress we made: 

Our Story

The Bakasso Foundation was founded in 2019 by José Schraauwers and is the result of the stories she heard from her Guinean partner about the situation of pregnant women in Guinea. Women who did lose their babies and sometimes even lost their own lives due to the lack of medical care or maternity checks. She decided to help them by building a maternity clinic. Together with her Guinean partner, she bought a large piece of land in 2014 in the remote area nearby the village of Mamiah.

 

They started building with mainly their own financial resources. Both of them have had to overcome a lot of difficult moments, but they have never given up. Now that they got this far, they need your support to finish the project and give the women a safe place to give birth.

When I stood between the buildings in 2017, I knew: It's still a lot of work, but we will get there step by step.

Jose Schraauwers

What do we value?

At Bakasso Foundation, we deeply care about the health of women and babies and about the Guinean communities. We believe that every woman should be able to give birth safely.

The Bakasso Foundation is giving opportunities to people who need it most. By building this hospital, we are offering health care to Guinean communities and promising work to Guineans as we aim to be a hospital solely run by Guineans.

Despite the drawbacks that Jose and her husband have been facing since they bought the land in 2014, they have constantly been pushing their boundaries for this project to be a success for Guinean communities.

Bakasso’s Board

Chairwoman

José Schraauwers
founder

“I am the founder of this beautiful foundation. In addition, I also work full-time as a TV producer at AVROTROS of art documentaries for Close Up. Together with my partner, we have two daughters. I used to work in health care, first as a doctor's assistant and EKG lab technician, and later I led the non-invasive Cardiology research department in the former AZU, the current UMC.”

Secretary

Anneke Klinkhamer secretary

“I work in healthcare. In addition to my job as a nursing teacher, I am also a career counselor. I have experience as a manager in setting up new departments and as a project manager within the healthcare sector. I guided a trip to Ethiopia for aspiring nurses several years ago and saw how unfair it is divided in the world. I am proud that I can contribute to this beautiful project in Guinea.“

Treasurer

Carole Kroese treasurer

I have known José and her husband for years, so I have closely followed the initiative and the developments of the plan. The issues surrounding medical care in African countries are close to my heart. I am happy that I can now actually contribute to this. Through my work as an arranger and choral conductor, I have an extensive network in the central and northern Netherlands, which I would like to use for this.

Bakasso’s Volunteers

‘’I have known the founder for many years, as we work for the same broadcasting company. I have followed her with great admiration and have contributed before. Then, I actually realized that I want and can do much more by thinking along and actually doing it. To think about how we can reach as many people as possible, that's great work. The phasing out of the hospital is already a big step in the right direction. But it's even better when all ideas come about next to the pregnancy checkups and maternity facilities. So also a school, more employment, support for small businesses, and so on. There is still a lot to do and I'm going to commit myself to that.’’
Marloes van Empelen
Fundraising




The I DO Project

The Bakasso Foundation has been selected for the I DO project of the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) for the period 2021/22. The ‘I DO Project’ connects 5 ambitious and open-minded second-year international business administration students and their third-year coach with a Dutch NGO. The students use their strategic knowledge 8 to 10 hours a week and actively contribute to strengthening the position of the Bakasso Foundation. Welcome Ryan Deng, Dorotea Igrec, Elise Imbaud, Nikolaus Stern, Tim van der Voorden, and of course their coach Fenna van Geloven.

"We might not be in Guinea building brick upon brick, but seeing what we, as a team together with José, can achieve is a great feeling! I enjoy working along such an inspiring personality a lot."
~Nikolaus
Website & Donations
Working for Bakasso showed me how we all have something valuable to offer to people who need it most. Working for an NGO with a mission so close to my heart has been really motivating and I would definitely recommend to anyone willing to have a positive impact to join Bakasso!
~Elise
Content creator
"The I DO project is a unique combination of proactive student-led decision making and creating impact. Working for Bakasso, I have learned so much about Guinea and its culture, but also about myself, and, it is an experience I highly value and would recommend to others."
~Dorotea
Website & Design
“I support Bakasso because I think the work they do is very important. Especially being a woman myself, I really resonate with Bakasso’s mission to give all women access to healthcare before, during and after childbirth.”
~Fenna
Coach
“Bakasso's cause to create self-sustaining communities is incredibly empowering. I am honored to be a part of this project and to be a helping hand.”
~Tim
Newsletter & Marketing
“Being part of I DO has given me valuable skills, important friendships, and the chance to grow as a person and expand my knowledge on NGOs, but most importantly it has shown me how a little effort can make a huge impact on other people's lives"
~Ryan
Social media & Marketing

Our Next Steps

Although we have progressed a lot in the past year on the construction of the hospital, it is still not finished. The completion of the maternity buildings is therefore our main objective at the moment. However, the personal financial funds from José and her husband Fodé have been exhausted. That is why they ask for support to help finish this place for women to give birth safely.

Our Future Plans

The construction of our hospital is the first major step of improving livelihoods significantly. Our vision entails support in these four areas in the future since healthy people are needed to create healthy communities. 

Finalize the construction of a rest house for pregnant women to stay a few days before the delivery due date and after to recover. Additionally, last medical checks can be performed to ensure a safe release and return to their villages and families. 

Through the construction of a primary school for children that is safe and close to their home as well as through subject-oriented (medical) education. It will connect to the exisitng initiatives for health prevention and education projects. 

By creating workplaces in and around the hospital and setting up a microcredit system to support local private initiatives and businesses. 

These essential four factors are improved by building vegetable gardens, life stock, palm-, banana, and fruit plantations. 

Guinea has a hot and humic climate, with a heavy rain season from June to November.

Guinea has a mix of two tropical climates: the tropical monsoon climate in the coastal areas and a tropical savanna climate in the rest of the country. This translates into a hot and humid climate from December to May and a heavy rain season from June to November . Businesses are forced to stop working during this period due to the heavy rainfall. In the coastal area – where our project is located – the rain season starts a little later. In the months of July and August there can be more than a thousand millimeters per month of rainfall. In total, more than four thousand millimeters fall during the rain season. Guinea is therefore one of the wettest countries in West Africa and with its 1300 water courses, including the source of the Niger and Senegal, it is considered the ‘Water Tower of Africa’ and therefore also called the ‘Garden of West Africa’. As a result, floods are a recurring natural disaster in Guinea that can impact socioeconomical circumstances. In addition, drought is expected to be the highest climate risk for Guinea.

“When I stood between the buildings in 2017,
I knew: It's still a lot of work, but we will get there step by step.”


José Schraauwers

Founder and chairwoman
of the Bakasso Foundation

Have a look at the progress we made: 

Our Story

The Bakasso Foundation was founded in 2019 by José Schraauwers and is the result of the stories she heard from her Guinean partner about the situation of pregnant women in Guinea. Women who did lose their babies and sometimes even lost their own lives due to the lack of medical care or maternity checks. She decided to help them by building a maternity clinic. Together with her Guinean partner, she bought a large piece of land in 2014 in the remote area nearby the village of Mamiah.

 

They started building with mainly their own financial resources. Both of them have had to overcome a lot of difficult moments, but they have never given up. Now that they got this far, they need your support to finish the project and give the women a safe place to give birth.

When I stood between the buildings in 2017, I knew: It's still a lot of work, but we will get there step by step.

Jose Schraauwers

What do we value?

At Bakasso Foundation, we deeply care about the health of women and babies and about the Guinean communities. We believe that every woman should be able to give birth safely.

The Bakasso Foundation is giving opportunities to people who need it most. By building this hospital, we are offering health care to Guinean communities and promising work to Guineans as we aim to be a hospital solely run by Guineans.

Despite the drawbacks that Jose and her husband have been facing since they bought the land in 2014, they have constantly been pushing their boundaries for this project to be a success for Guinean communities.

Bakasso’s Board

Chairwoman

José Schraauwers
founder

“I am the founder of this beautiful foundation. In addition, I also work full-time as a TV producer at AVROTROS of art documentaries for Close Up. Together with my partner, we have two daughters. I used to work in health care, first as a doctor's assistant and EKG lab technician, and later I led the non-invasive Cardiology research department in the former AZU, the current UMC.”

Secretary

Anneke Klinkhamer secretary

“I work in healthcare. In addition to my job as a nursing teacher, I am also a career counselor. I have experience as a manager in setting up new departments and as a project manager within the healthcare sector. I guided a trip to Ethiopia for aspiring nurses several years ago and saw how unfair it is divided in the world. I am proud that I can contribute to this beautiful project in Guinea.“

Treasurer

Carole Kroese treasurer

I have known José and her husband for years, so I have closely followed the initiative and the developments of the plan. The issues surrounding medical care in African countries are close to my heart. I am happy that I can now actually contribute to this. Through my work as an arranger and choral conductor, I have an extensive network in the central and northern Netherlands, which I would like to use for this.

Bakasso’s Volunteers

‘’I have known the founder for many years, as we work for the same broadcasting company. I have followed her with great admiration and have contributed before. Then, I actually realized that I want and can do much more by thinking along and actually doing it. To think about how we can reach as many people as possible, that's great work. The phasing out of the hospital is already a big step in the right direction. But it's even better when all ideas come about next to the pregnancy checkups and maternity facilities. So also a school, more employment, support for small businesses, and so on. There is still a lot to do and I'm going to commit myself to that.’’
Marloes van Empelen
Fundraising




The I DO Project

The Bakasso Foundation has been selected for the I DO project of the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) for the period 2021/22. The ‘I DO Project’ connects 5 ambitious and open-minded second-year international business administration students and their third-year coach with a Dutch NGO. The students use their strategic knowledge 8 to 10 hours a week and actively contribute to strengthening the position of the Bakasso Foundation. Welcome Ryan Deng, Dorotea Igrec, Elise Imbaud, Nikolaus Stern, Tim van der Voorden, and of course their coach Fenna van Geloven.

"We might not be in Guinea building brick upon brick, but seeing what we, as a team together with José, can achieve is a great feeling! I enjoy working along such an inspiring personality a lot."
~Nikolaus
Website & Donations
Working for Bakasso showed me how we all have something valuable to offer to people who need it most. Working for an NGO with a mission so close to my heart has been really motivating and I would definitely recommend to anyone willing to have a positive impact to join Bakasso!
~Elise
Content creator
"The I DO project is a unique combination of proactive student-led decision making and creating impact. Working for Bakasso, I have learned so much about Guinea and its culture, but also about myself, and, it is an experience I highly value and would recommend to others."
~Dorotea
Website & Design
“I support Bakasso because I think the work they do is very important. Especially being a woman myself, I really resonate with Bakasso’s mission to give all women access to healthcare before, during and after childbirth.”
~Fenna
Coach
“Bakasso's cause to create self-sustaining communities is incredibly empowering. I am honored to be a part of this project and to be a helping hand.”
~Tim
Newsletter & Marketing
“Being part of I DO has given me valuable skills, important friendships, and the chance to grow as a person and expand my knowledge on NGOs, but most importantly it has shown me how a little effort can make a huge impact on other people's lives"
~Ryan
Social media & Marketing

Our Next Steps

Although we have progressed a lot in the past year on the construction of the hospital, it is still not finished. The completion of the maternity buildings is therefore our main objective at the moment. However, the personal financial funds from José and her husband Fodé have been exhausted. That is why they ask for support to help finish this place for women to give birth safely.

Our Future Plans

The construction of our hospital is the first major step of improving livelihoods significantly. Our vision entails support in these four areas in the future since healthy people are needed to create healthy communities. 

Finalize the construction of a rest house for pregnant women to stay a few days before the delivery due date and after to recover. Additionally, last medical checks can be performed to ensure a safe release and return to their villages and families. 

Through the construction of a primary school for children that is safe and close to their home as well as through subject-oriented (medical) education. It will connect to the exisitng initiatives for health prevention and education projects. 

By creating workplaces in and around the hospital and setting up a microcredit system to support local private initiatives and businesses. 

These essential four factors are improved by building vegetable gardens, life stock, palm-, banana, and fruit plantations. 

Guinea has a hot and humic climate, with a heavy rain season from June to November.

Guinea has a mix of two tropical climates: the tropical monsoon climate in the coastal areas and a tropical savanna climate in the rest of the country. This translates into a hot and humid climate from December to May and a heavy rain season from June to November . Businesses are forced to stop working during this period due to the heavy rainfall. In the coastal area – where our project is located – the rain season starts a little later. In the months of July and August there can be more than a thousand millimeters per month of rainfall. In total, more than four thousand millimeters fall during the rain season. Guinea is therefore one of the wettest countries in West Africa and with its 1300 water courses, including the source of the Niger and Senegal, it is considered the ‘Water Tower of Africa’ and therefore also called the ‘Garden of West Africa’. As a result, floods are a recurring natural disaster in Guinea that can impact socioeconomical circumstances. In addition, drought is expected to be the highest climate risk for Guinea.

“When I stood between the buildings in 2017,
I knew: It's still a lot of work, but we will get there step by step.”


José Schraauwers

Founder and chairwoman
of the Bakasso Foundation
“When I stood between the buildings in 2017,
I knew: It's still a lot of work, but we will get there step by step.”


José Schraauwers

Founder and chairwoman
of the Bakasso Foundation
“When I stood between the buildings in 2017,
I knew: It's still a lot of work, but we will get there step by step.”


José Schraauwers

Founder and chairwoman
of the Bakasso Foundation