Phunzira is now raising funds for a health boat which will enable both patients and health providers to move in and around the northern region of Malawi accessing essential health services!
Ruarwe village is situated along the lake and surrounded by steep rocky hills. Overland transportation is basically impossible except for by foot. If patients are referred to the hospital for treatment it can take many days to reach their destination. Imagine how much harder that journey would be if you were also sick. The truth is that many patients simply don't make it.
Although the lake provides a means of travel there is little in the way of a regular and reliable service and the majority of people living in the area cannot afford to travel by boat.
We are aiming to raise £5000 to build, maintain and fuel a boat that will be dedicated to improving health in the area.
The aims of the boat are:
- To transport patients requiring investigations and treatment to and from hospital
- To run mobile health clinics and education programmes to surrounding villages in the area
- To transport equipment, medicines and other health related goods
- To be used for income generation by the local community that will be put back into community health initiatives so that the boat and other projects may be self - sustainable.
The boat itself will be sourced and built locally (to as great extent as possible) and will be of similar design to many local boats i.e. a wooden boat with an outboard motor. It will be able to carry up to 40 passengers and have a wooden roof for protection during the rainy season. Donations will also go towards essential maintenance and fuel.
