Fustany Team 
Dr. Ibrahim Badran is a doctor who spent most of his life working hard to provide equal healthcare for all Egyptians, regardless of their social or economic standing, before he left our world in a tragic road accident a few years ago.
But that wasn't the end, it was the beginning of something that brought good to our world; Ibrahim Badran Foundation (IBF) is a non-governmental organization, that was founded by his family and friends, that aims to provide better medical services for under privileged rural areas in Egypt.
We sat down with Mrs. Ola Ismail, Ibrahim's mother, and the chairperson of 'Ibrahim Badran Foundation,' where she gave us detailed insights on how she started, how people can volunteer, and their hopes and dreams for the healthcare future in Egypt. So read on, to know all the details.
Mrs. Ola, can you give us a brief introduction about yourself? And can you tell us what inspired you to start 'Ibrahim Badran Foundation'?
I have a master's degree in political sciences from Cairo University, I am the director of student affairs in New Giza University, and the chairperson of IBF. I am a mum to three boys; 29, 28 and 17-years-old. I spent most my life raising my children to be well-rounded persons, and to make a difference in whatever they do.
The idea of IBF came from Ibrahim's relatives and close friends, God helped us a lot, all through the way till today. All our pain, sadness and our great loss were reflected in positive actions towards needy people.
What are the services that 'Ibrahim Badran Foundation' offers to people?
IBF team plans monthly medical convoys fully equipped with tools, medications and highly trained doctors from over 17 specialties. We make sure we follow up with critical cases, and even operate on cases that need operations. So far, we have diagnosed around 26K patients all over Egypt. We have organized 27 convoys since we started, and we are growing our operations to two convoys per month, instead of one to cover more areas and more patients.
In addition, we work on enhancing the conditions of the rural health units, partnering with Cairo hospitals, so they can receive more patients with severe cases, and provide local orphanages with monthly needed medications.
How can someone volunteer?
People can volunteer either as medical (doctors of all specialties) or non-medical volunteers (those who organize the convoys, assist doctors inside clinics, etc. To volunteer, they can send us an email with their phone number, full name and occupation on: info@badranfoundation.com.
We add all volunteers to our database and send them regular emails before every convoy, so they can confirm their attendance.
How can people donate to 'Ibrahim Badran Foundation'?
Bank Name: Arab African International bank
Bank Branch: Arkan Branch
Account Name: Ibrahim A. Badran Charitable Foundation
Account Number: 517423
Swift Code: ARAIEGCX
You can also give us a call on 0111 700 7761, and we will come pick your donation or sign up during the events we participate in.
Do you have a success story that you want to share with us?
Every convoy is a new challenge and is a success story, every follow up case after the convoy is a success story. The coordination between the medical, non medical volunteers and the patients is a success story. The continuity of the IBF with the enthusiastic spirit of the active team behind it is a success story.
A success story I remember, is the case of a 7-years-old boy; he had a serious injury in his leg to the extent that the doctor said, if he's not hospitalized and operated it will have to be imputed. After the convoy immediately, he was transferred to a hospital in Cairo and was taken care of.
What’s the future plan for IBF, and how can people help you achieve it?
We aim to have two convoys per month starting September 2016 with around 40 follow up cases from every convoy in different specialties, this means to double the effort in terms of medical and non- medical volunteers, funding, follow up cases etc..
Do you have any advice you’d like to give to anyone who wants to start a charity foundation?
I actually have several pieces of advice: Love whatever you do, believe in yourself, appreciate individual differences, work with a team, and of course with God's help you'll achieve your goals.
Finally, how do you feel after so many people are now starting charitable activities to make the legacy of their loved ones live forever?
I thank God who gave us the means to be able to help others, and to be a role model to others. I pray for every family who lost a dear person, that God gives them patience and strength to do good in honor of their loved one's legacy.
