Social Project

In August 2005 Carlos Leal organized successfully a shockwave congress at the Bosque University of Bogota. Representatives from all over South America presented their expertise with shockwave therapy.

After the congress Carlos Leal and his Colombian colleagues organized relaxing days in one of the most beautiful places of the world: Mucura Island in the Caribbean Sea (about 3 hours by boat from Cartagena). Besides an excellent hotel where we stayed, only three farm houses and one little village can be found on this island.

During our stay we visited this small village and were deeply shocked. About 100 people are living in most terrible standards. There is practically no sanitary system, no medical support and, most importantly, no education facility. With the help of a translator we heard that a project is planned to build a school in this village. This project is supported by the Austrian Embassy in Columbia, but due to financial problems it is not progressing very well.

Spontaneously we decided that the ISMST as an important international scientific society should support this social project. I presented this idea to the Managing Board and we agreed to collect money during the ISMST Congress 2005 in Vienna for this project (about 10,000.- Euro are needed to finish the construction of the school). Carlos Leal also spontaneously agreed to manage the financial transfer and to supervise the project to prevent the money from disappearing into unknown channels. The project will be organized using the structures of the Bosque University at no costs. In addition, Carlos plans that the Bosque University will regularly send a team of teachers and students who will visit the village and bring basic health education and medical services to the people.

Report from Wolfgang Schaden