Outline Proposal for discussion with Council
It was good to hear that Nkonde Chola, IPP of Rotary Club of Ndola Central will continue to be the contact for our joint projects during the 2024 - 2025 Rotary year. Last year's Period Poverty project will continue to be rolled out in Ndola and they have been working with other supporters and donors. More good news.
When we were discussing plans for this year, Nkonde mentioned that there is a desperate need for equipment for people with physical disabilities in Zambia, as there is in many low to middle income countries.
Persons with disabilities in Zambia
An extract from a United Nations Zambia article in February this year:
" Around the world, an estimated 1.3 billion people live with some form of disability today.
In Zambia, persons with disabilities make up nearly 11% of the population. Facing discrimination and lack of opportunity, many Zambians with disabilities are systematically excluded from access to services and places, legal aid, healthcare and more. Often, these disparities are sharper in rural settings with a greater lack of infrastructure, investments and institutional support.
In a groundbreaking move, Zambia is taking strides to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by placing inclusivity at the heart of its national development agenda. Demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the principle of Leave No One Behind, the country's blueprint for development, the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP), embraces a multi-dimensional approach to development that goes beyond solely focusing on economic growth.
It aims to address the challenges of poverty, inequality, and social exclusion by ensuring that economic growth is equitable and benefits all segments of society, especially marginalized and vulnerable populations."
This approach by the Zambian government, working with its many international partners, is very encouraging. We agreed that we would investigate whether it might be possible to source and ship suitable equipment from the UK, thereby making a valuable contibution to the situation in and around Ndola.
What needs to be done?
There are 2 aspects to this challenging task:
It didn't take long to realise that without suitable storage it was impractical to think about finding equipment locally. Much of it would need to be safety-checked and possibly repaired or refurbished. Arranging transportation from West Somerset would also be problematic. Apart from the costs, there would be customs and other technicalities and documentation to manage, not easy for novices! We needed to look for an established organisation that had done all of this before and initial internet seaches led to the Wheelchair Foundations, which was encouraging. There were 2 - one in the U.S. and one here in the U.K. and both had been doing what we had in mind. Sadly both have ceased operating but fortunately the operations of the U.K. Foundation were taken into another organisation, PhysioNet.
When we were discussing plans for this year, Nkonde mentioned that there is a desperate need for equipment for people with physical disabilities in Zambia, as there is in many low to middle income countries.
Persons with disabilities in Zambia
An extract from a United Nations Zambia article in February this year:
" Around the world, an estimated 1.3 billion people live with some form of disability today.
In Zambia, persons with disabilities make up nearly 11% of the population. Facing discrimination and lack of opportunity, many Zambians with disabilities are systematically excluded from access to services and places, legal aid, healthcare and more. Often, these disparities are sharper in rural settings with a greater lack of infrastructure, investments and institutional support.
In a groundbreaking move, Zambia is taking strides to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by placing inclusivity at the heart of its national development agenda. Demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the principle of Leave No One Behind, the country's blueprint for development, the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP), embraces a multi-dimensional approach to development that goes beyond solely focusing on economic growth.
It aims to address the challenges of poverty, inequality, and social exclusion by ensuring that economic growth is equitable and benefits all segments of society, especially marginalized and vulnerable populations."
This approach by the Zambian government, working with its many international partners, is very encouraging. We agreed that we would investigate whether it might be possible to source and ship suitable equipment from the UK, thereby making a valuable contibution to the situation in and around Ndola.
What needs to be done?
There are 2 aspects to this challenging task:
- finding, refurbishing and storing suitable equipment, and
- arranging to transport it from the UK to Ndola in Zambia.
It didn't take long to realise that without suitable storage it was impractical to think about finding equipment locally. Much of it would need to be safety-checked and possibly repaired or refurbished. Arranging transportation from West Somerset would also be problematic. Apart from the costs, there would be customs and other technicalities and documentation to manage, not easy for novices! We needed to look for an established organisation that had done all of this before and initial internet seaches led to the Wheelchair Foundations, which was encouraging. There were 2 - one in the U.S. and one here in the U.K. and both had been doing what we had in mind. Sadly both have ceased operating but fortunately the operations of the U.K. Foundation were taken into another organisation, PhysioNet.
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This is a remarkable organisation, founded in 2008 by Peter Thompson. It is a national charity working throughout the UK operating solely with a network of enthusiastic volunteers. PhysioNet's volunteers identify appropriate equipment, arrange collection, repair and prepare all items for shipping. This is usually in 40 ft shipping containers, and despatched to low and middle income countries (LMICs) around the world. The recipients or funders are expected to cover the costs of shipping and PhysioNet asks for a donation of £1,000 per 4o' container to contribute to its operating costs. There are NO STAFF COSTS!
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Look at their stats!
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Clearly this is the organisation we should seek to work with. They have stocks of the equipment we would be looking to send and, importantly, they have the contacts and experience to deal with all aspects of the shipping. They have already shipped containers to Zambia.
There is more background information about PhysioNet below - click here
What is involved and what would the cost be?
I've had several email exchanges and conversations with Peter Thompson and his colleagues and they have sent me a lot of detailed information.
A number of things are worth mentioning before we get to the potantial cost:
A number of things are worth mentioning before we get to the potantial cost:
- the "new" value of equipment shipped in a 40' container is well in excess of £100,000.
- One of the documents Peter sent me summarises in some detail what is required of all involved:> Note for Potential Recipients. I have forwarded a copy to Nkonde and he is discussing what they need to do at their end, including finding suitable storage facilities and planning for the distribution of the equipment. The Ndola Club has worked with the district Health Ministry on a number of projects so I am confident that will not be a problem.
- due to the ongoing unstable situation in the Gulf of Aden, transportation using the preferred route through the Suez Canal (a distance of approx 8,400 miles) is not currently possible. Instead, ships from the UK have to take the much longer and more arduous route (a distance of approx. 10,600 miles) around the south of Africa and back up to the unloading port, which would either be Beira in Mozambique or Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
- the container would then be taken by road on another long journey into Zambia and up to the Copperbelt and Ndola.
This is a challenging amount to raise. We must focus on the life-changing impact that such a large quantity of equipment could have on the lives of so many people struggling with disabilities in Zambia.
More information about PhysioNet
Visit the PhysioNet website.
Here's a video about preparations for a shipment to Ukraine in late 2022:
Here's a video about preparations for a shipment to Ukraine in late 2022:
The images below are of the latest PhysioNet leaflet and they concisely summarise how they operate and how much equipment they have distributed.
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Minehead Rotary Club has been active since 1937 and is part of Rotary International.
Rotary International has over 1.4 million members in 168 countries.
Rotary International has over 1.4 million members in 168 countries.
Our Rotary Great Britain & Ireland website: www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/homepage.php?ClubID=1217
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