Last Tuesday we welcomed Florence Bearman, the Head of Fundraising at Transaid, to tell us about the organisation and the important work that it does in helping to solve transport challenges in low income countries.
Transaid is an international development organisation that transforms lives through safe, available and sustainable transport.
Florence's presentation introduced members to Transaid’s road safety work, which includes working to improve motorcycle safety in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and implementing professional driver training projects in Uganda, Zambia and Tanzania.
Florence went on to focus on Transaid's 'MAMaZ Against Malaria' project. Working with the Swiss organization Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and the National Malaria Elimination Center (NMEC) of Zambia, this project is helping to develop innovative approaches to improve severe malaria case management in rural areas.
This programme was originally a twelve month pilot and saw deaths from severe malaria in children under six reduce by 96% in Serenje District, Zambia. The programme is now in its next phase, reaching five districts and more than 285,000 people. A key part of the project is the building of bicycle ambulances that help with patient transport in rural areas of Zambia. With malaria season about to arrive, many more children will be able to take advantage of the bicycle ambulance emergency transport system that is now in place.
To find out more about Transaid, click here.
You can watch Transaid's 20th Anniversary film here.
Picture: One of the bicycle ambulances. Picture credit: Transaid (reproduced with permission)
