The Swanson Family Charity is a registered charity (SC048324) founded in loving memory of my grandparents, Ron & Mary Swanson, who served as missionaries in Chitambo, Zambia from 1960-67.  To honour my grandparents’ legacy, the primary objective of the charity is to support the Chitambo community and make a meaningful and sustainable difference to the lives of the local people.

Funds raised from this page will go directly towards a specific project...

Many Zambian women live in remote, rural areas often hours or days away from the nearest health facility.

The challenges in rural Zambia are greatest due to a variety of factors including culture, affordability, distance, transportation and physical, which limit and prevent access to health facilities for pregnant women, resulting in a lack of care when they need it, particularly in the later stages of pregnancy, during childbirth, and post childbirth period.

The maternal mortality rate in Zambia is high equating to 224 maternal deaths per 100,000 births, however, this rises dramatically in rural Zambia to 1,200 maternal deaths per 100,000 births. In comparison, Scotland has 5 maternal deaths per 100,000 births.

When a mother dies in childbirth in Zambia, the ripple effect is seismic – her baby is 15 times more likely to die before the age of two and her other children are more likely to leave school at an early age, suffer from poor heath and die prematurely.

The David Livingstone Hospital is the primary and only hospital in the district of Chitambo, serving a population of 60,000 people.

The hospital currently has a maternity wing, built by my grandfather in 1960 and 20,000 babies have been born here over the last 59 years.  However, there is currently no Mothers’ Maternity Shelter.

There are approximately 300 births per year, equating to six births per week.

The construction and provision of a Mothers’ Maternity Shelter on site, adjacent to the David Livingstone Hospital, Chitambo will undoubtedly save lives, dramatically reduce the maternal mortality rate, improve health and wellbeing, benefit mothers, newborns, families and the entire community.

The Swanson Family Charity will collaborate with the David Livingstone Hospital and Friends of Chitambo to fundraise for the costs of the construction, furnishing and provision of medical equipment for the shelter.

This fundraising page is one strand of income generation to help reach our target for this meaningful project.  Any donation will be gratefully received.  Thank you in advance!