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 high in the mountains in Africa, far from tarmacked 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 foundation, 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.”
