If you need an ambulance in the UK, you phone one number and – barring problems – you know that a modern vehicle staffed with qualified professionals and stacked with state-of-the-art medical equipment will arrive in minutes to whisk you to a nearby hospital for treatment. But what if you live in Africa, far from tarred roads, let alone a hospital?
This was the situation faced by those who live in Yamba, high in the West Usambara Mountains in the Tanga region of Tanzania. Fortunately, Village Africa – a UK-registered charity funding work in Tanzania – has filled that need with the provision of The Yamba Mountain Ambulance that provides emergency transportation for around 100 people every year to and from hospital for communities living in remote villages in northern Tanzania. And this year Meeting Needs, the event industry charity, has sponsored the ambulance service for six months at a cost of just £5,000.
Village Africa’s Mark Matfield said: “The service has been used by many expectant mothers with pregnancy problems, children with malaria and others with broken bones. It is almost certain that the service has both helped create and save lives in these remote communities. Village Africa and the people of the Yamba region are immensely grateful for this support from Meeting Needs. You guys have been really generous to us over the years. Thank you so much.”
Meeting Needs Vice-Chair Lene Corgan said: “This is the kind of measurable, tangible project that we love to support – where a modest sum of money makes a profound contribution to improving life chances for many.”
