Health Care and Water for 7,000 Gambians

Summary

To provide African people in isolated communities with a means to access healthcare when it is needed; to be treated at home; to aid irrigation thereby improving nutrition and increasing income.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

For Africa to develop, communities as well as large institutions need access to reliable mechanical transportation. Without it, people in impoverished, isolated communities cannot access medical care when they need it, in an emergency or for regular treatment. They cannot benefit from regional home-based care programs. Without basic medical assistance, pregnant women die in their communities from obstructed labor. The Uhuru will bring benefit to all 7,000 members of each typical community.

How will this project solve this problem?

Training women from the community in skillful riding and daily maintenance procedures, operating the unit with a stretcher/motherhood chair or adapting the motorcycle rear wheel to pump water and irrigate land. The trailer can carry crops to market.

Potential Long Term Impact

Reduction in mortality rates, especially maternal. Improvements in health. Patients taking part in home-based cure programs. Untimely death prevented by speedy access to medical aid. Cultivation and nutrition improved, and extra income earned.

Project Message

The health center has no telephone to communicate with our ambulances so the availability of the Uhuru is a great relief. We send people to call the Uhuru and transport our patients to [the] hospital.
- Ms B Zuvaradoka, Sister-in-charge, Sangano Clinic, Makoni District

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources