A year after providing finance for the running of a mountain ambulance in Tanzania, Meeting Needs is measuring the impact of our £5000 grant.
Working with specialist charity Hampshire-based Village Africa, the donation of funds has already had a profound impact on the communities in the West Usambara area.
The ambulance serves a total population of approximately 7000 people in three villages and takes emergency patients 110 kilometres to the nearest hospital. Prior to this, sick people had to be carried for two to three days to reach hospital and the mortality rate was high.
In the past year the ambulance did 46 emergency journeys to the hospital in Tanga and took 58 other non-urgent cases with them. Village Africa’s treasurer Mark Matfield said: “The rough terrain takes a toll on the ambulance. There are often repairs necessary and we keep it regularly serviced. An ambulance that breaks down en route is not much use.”
Picture shows one of those who benefitted from the ambulance service, Neema Salimu from Milingano who had complications during childbirth, shown here with her baby daughter Zawadi.
