The property that Hawa Dramé has created is the first of its kind in West Africa. It bears the names of his children, died of the muscle disease. This mother courage has decided to devote his life to those whom the terrible syndrome that has maimed. The heartrending, she knows. His father, Alioune Dramé, who was the first Finance minister in the history of the Guinea, died at camp Boiro in 1978. She was only 15 years old. Life has, so to say, prepared to love and understand the myopathic. And, as if by chance, she has the competence necessary to support them.
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Since the creation of the Foundation FITIMA in 2003, much progress has been made. © DR
A course unusual
After a masters degree in biochemistry option (microbiology and genetics), she works on the problem of human in a laboratory of the Bichat hospital and supports her thesis at Paris-VII. She earned a bachelor's degree in sociobiology, another social marketing before development in computer science at the École polytechnique féminine de Sceaux. All of this, well before you marry and make children !
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An original approach of the disease
The myopathy is not a simple physical disease, it is also a social disease. She will soon realise. Fitima (Fondation international Tierno and Mariamne) is simply so not care. It educate also. At the same time in the program for medical and paramedical (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychomotricity), she develops an intense pedagogical activity. She provides a basic education specialist, and gives patients the distractions varied and rich (theater, painting, storytelling, cooking, excursions and educational field trips). The goal is to make her patients of the children as the other, educated, educated and socially and, as much as possible, professionally inserted and, especially, surrounded by love and affection.
Hawa Dramé with girls of her Foundation against myopathy. © DR
A life of battle
Fitima began small like all companies long-term : ten residents, two employees in a small rented space at a low cost. Today, it has its own premises, is hosting 50 residents per year and employs fifteen people. In total, since its foundation, more than 1 000 applicants have benefited from their services. Today it has a name, that his reputation is largely gained, there comes the visit of Mali, Niger, Côte d'ivoire, and even sometimes of Benin.
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The Foundation FITIMA has attracted the attention of many countries, which did not hesitate to support it. © DR
This good groove behind it, Hawa Dramé founded in 2009 the Roamy (west african Network of myopathy), which brings together specialists from six countries, whose purpose is to raise awareness of the problems of the myopathy and to specialize a sufficient number of physicians and nurses in its treatment. And in 2010, it installs a second Fitima to Conakry. The candidates have to scramble immediately to the gate. Alas, the places are rare : 50 per year at most. The disability is expensive, and not only on the moral plane. The machine would not have turned without the technical or financial support of patrons such as the AFM-Telethon (the French Association against myopathy), CCD (christian Delegation for cooperation), the BOA, BNP and Société générale.
The resources are limited, the work that has been done, however, immense. Hawa Dramé account to go further, but with the prudence and the discernment that requires a delicate subject. Perhaps, soon, a Fitima in Mali (the country is the applicant). What would be a simple return to the sources for this Guinean whose ancestors sarakolés have left the Nioro in the Nineteenth century to settle in the Fouta-Djalon.
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* in 1986, the Grand Prix littéraire d'afrique noire, ex aequo, for "Scales of heaven" ; 2008, the Renaudot literary prize for "The King of Kahel" ; 2012, prix Erckmann-Chatrian and the Grand Prix du roman métis to "The Terrorist black" ; 2013, Grand Prix Palatine and price Ahmadou-Kourouma to "The Terrorist black" ; 2017, Grand Prix de la francophonie for his work as a whole.
