We’ve recently updated the Downloads page. You can download Where There Is No Doctor in French or Bambara, or read it online, in multiple formats: PDF, html, and EPUB, for reading offline on nearly any mobile device.

The whole book is quite large — 639 pages! To download the chapters in PDF format one at a time, go here: https://gafe.dokotoro.org/pdf

Project Update: We are working on proofreading the final draft of the French-language edition of the book. Once this is finished, we will have several copies printed in the US. The longer-term goal is to print both the French and Bambara editions in Bamako, Mali and make them available across West Africa.

The printed Bambara edition of Where There Is No Doctor is now available. We were overjoyed to pick up a few copies today. A huge thanks to all who made this possible — volunteers, donors, translators, editors, designers, illustrators…

You can order copies from Hesperian via their website. In addition, the entire book is available for free in various formats (html, PDF, ebook) here.

The next steps for the Dokotoro Project are (1) to arrange to have the book printed and distributed in West Africa, and (2) to support Hesperian’s effort to produce an updated French-language edition (there is no definitive date for this, but maybe coming out sometime in 2020).

Stay tuned for news about a book launch party in the Bay Area this summer!

Exciting news! The Bambara edition of Where There Is No Doctor is coming soon! It will be available for purchase from Hesperian Health Guides.

Hesperian is also working on a totally updated edition of the book in French, which will complement our book. We’ll also be looking into printing and distribution in West Africa this fall.

We’ve just posted an update to the multilingual glossary page. Now you can check the meaning of medical terms used in our new edition of Where There Is No Doctor in Bambara, French, and English.

The new glossary is sortable (click on the language name in the header) and searchable (type something in the box next to “Rechercher.”) You can also hide a column (click the checkbox) and reorder columns to rearrange (click and drag the header row in the table). Please take a look!

Hello! We’ve published a final ebook version of the Bambara edition of Where There Is No Doctor. The version in French is coming soon.

This is an EPUB file, which you can read on virtually any e-reader, or on a computer using software like Calibre or many others.

Dɔgɔtɔrɔ tɛ Sigida min na (10 MB, epub file): bam_wtnd.epub

We are continuing to work with our colleauges at Hesperian Health Guides on development of the French-language version of Where There Is No Doctor. Each of the chapters is being edited, proof-read, and then goes to layout. Some of the material had to be extensively rewritten for clarity, and to match the warm and encouraging tone that Hesperian’s books are known for.

As we’ve received chapters, we’ve been publishing them to the multilingual version of our site. Our hope is that making this information available side-by-side with its translation will make it even more useful. You can also search in any of the three available languages: English, French, and Bambara.

Greetings! It’s been a while since our last update, but things have been happening behind the scenes at the Dokotoro Project.

We started this project with one simple goal — to have the book Where There Is No Doctor translated into Bambara and publish it in Mali, West Africa. We are inching ever closer to this goal. The manuscript is laid out and undergoing final review. We hope to have 100 copies available for sale in the US early next year, and then to arrange for a larger print run in Bamako.

In the meantime, you can preview the book online in a few different ways.

• Read Where There Is No Doctor in Bambara online: http://gafe.dokotoro.org/
• Experimental multilingual version (in progress!): http://gafe.dokotoro.org/multi/
• Download the ebook: bam_wtnd.epub

Là Où Il n’y a Pas de Docteur

We’re also working on a parallel edition in French. This was an important outcome of our workshops in Bamako last fall. Participants told us that they want (some said need) to have this material in French. Health workers told us they plan to use the book in Bambara-speaking communities, but for themselves, they want it in French for reference, and also to show to their bosses (who will be making purchasing decisions!).

With the help of our partners at Hesperian Health Guides, we have hired a wonderful, highly-skilled French editor to thoroughly edit our French manuscript. However, it has been slow, as she has had to squeeze in this work in between other, better-paying jobs.

This holiday season, consider giving the gift of health! Your donation will make life-saving information available to health workers and communities in Mali. Donate here.

We are delighted to announce that we will be holding 3 days of workshops in Mali later this month.

L’obélisque des idéogrammes, a monument in Hamdallaye, Bamako. Each side of the tower is inscribed with writing and symbols from Mali’s different ethnic groups, including N’Ko and Tifinagh, as a symbol of national unity. Locals call it the “bougieba” or the big candle.

At long last, we have completed manuscripts of the book Where There Is No Doctor in both French and Bambara. These editions have been completely updated and adapted for West Africa. We’ve informally shared drafts with Malian experts over the years, but now it is time to get more detailed feedback from health workers and health volunteers to be sure the book is responsive to their needs.

The workshops will be held in Bamako from August 29 to 31. We have planned one day for experts from government and NGOs. The two following days we will hold focus groups with health workers and others who are the “target audience” of the book. If you know someone in Mali who could help us by attending either workshop, please be in touch.

We’re also learning how expensive it is to hold this kind of meeting in Bamako. Please consider making a donation to support this effort.

We’ve (finally) posted the Family Planning chapter for the new French and Bambara editions of Where There Is No Doctor. Check it out on our Downloads page!

The translation is officially finished. We’ll post the Green Pages (which has all the information about medicines) as soon as we have time to format it properly.

We’ve suffered some setbacks in the layout department, but we are still hoping to print the first editions this fall. If you know how to use Adobe InDesign or are interested in learning, please get in touch!