Ford Fund donates $30 000 towards health in Malawi, Zambia
The provision of much-needed health care services to rural communities in Malawi and Zambia has received a valuable boost with the Ford Motor Company Fund, Ford’s philanthropic arm,awarding a $30 000 grant to the Central Africa Medical Mission (CAMM).
As a non-governmental organisation (NGO), CAMM provides essential health care to over 88 000 people living in rural villages in Malawi and Zambia each year.
“Rural health care is one of the greatest challenges in Africa, with many villages located in remote areas that are far away from major cities, and are often extremely difficult to access,” said Duduzile Nxele, of the Ford Motor Company Fund.
“We are encouraged by Central Africa Medical Mission’s long-standing commitment to the region, operating model clinics that provide a wide range of crucial services, including preventative health care, a wellness program for children under the age of five, and distributing vaccines and medication,” Nxele added.
CAMM began operations in Zambia in 1961 and expanded to Malawi 10 years later, with its local medical and support personnel educated, certified and employed to run the clinics. Recently, CAMM hired additional staff members to perform malaria and HIV testing, and the organization currently has eight staff members in Zambia, along with 26 in Malawi.
In addition to the medical services, CAMM supports patients with food, such as maize and soya, particularly during the seasonal shortages between December and May each year. Each clinic building also has a working borehole which is available to the local community to access clean water.
According to Linda Liesener, Outreach Coordinator from CAMM, the grant will make an important contribution to its projects in both countries, and will be used to cover some of its direct expenses such as medication and supplies, staffing costs, as well as fuel for ambulances and generators.
“We rely entirely on donations for our health care program, and the grant from Ford Motor Company Fund is greatly appreciated, as it will help us reach more rural areas, and improve the lives of people that receive little or no formal health care services or support,” Liesener said.
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community partners to advance driving safety, education and community life. For more than 60 years, Ford Motor Company Fund has operated with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company.
The award-winning Ford Driving Skills for Life teaches new drivers through a variety of hands-on and interactive methods. Innovation in education is encouraged through programs that enhance high school learning and provide college scholarships and university grants.
Through the Ford Volunteer Corps, 25,000 Ford employees and dealers work on projects each year that better their communities in more than 30 countries.
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