Pikilily is a female-led social enterprise motorcycle maintenance workshop based in Mwanza, Tanzania. Our work is focussed on sharing skills, unlocking potential and saving lives. Though our roots started at the workshop, the demand for our work has now spread beyond HQ to Sengerema, a rural district two hours away from Mwanza.

The authorities in Sengerema have asked for our help with their four dilapidated eRanger motorcycle ambulances. Despite being only around three years old, they are no longer in service, due to a lack of previous maintenance, specialist knowledge of motorcycles and lack of quality spares. This is tragic given how greatly they are needed in this district of around 700,000 people, all living in rural areas, currently served by just one standard ambulance.

Here, if you get sick here without the funds to pay for a taxi to bring you to hospital, there is no way for you to access emergency care, leading to terrible outcomes. Typically, 24 women die everyday in pregnancy and childbirth in Tanzania, often because they can't reach medical help. We want to remedy that so that, whether you are a woman struggling in labour or an individual with an urgent health problem, there is always someone to call so that help can come.

First though, we need to run a 60-day pilot project with just one eRanger in order to learn as much as we can about operating this service in Sengerema. This campaign is aiming to raise funds to cover all costs, including: salaries for two riders to offer a 24/7 service (estimating 120 emergency rideouts in the period), all renovation costs including spare parts, building a basic shelter to protect the bikes from rain and sun at Sengerema District Hospital, a nightguard, fuel for the emergency rideouts, rider and first aid training, transport for the riders to get to Sengerema plus basic costs for Claire to supervise (her time will be provided pro bono for the pilot).
For more info, visit www.pikilily.com Thank you!