PROVIDE 1ST AID TRAINING & TRANSPORT TO REMOTE AREAS & SAVE LIVES

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PROVIDE 1ST AID TRAINING & TRANSPORT TO REMOTE AREAS & SAVE LIVES

GambiaFareham, United Kingdom
Organization type: 
nonprofit/ngo/citizen sector
Project Stage:
Start-Up
Budget: 
$1,000 - $10,000
Website:
http://www.thejallowfoundationthegambia.com
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Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

Our Charities sole purpose is to alleviate poverty, hardship and suffering in The Gambia, West Africa and this project is one way in which we can achieve this.

About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

The lack of access to medical facilities and the lack of basic knowledge leading to minor medical matters becoming major problems resulting in unnecessary deaths.

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

To train nominated volunteers from each village in Basic and Emergency 1st Aid, provide them with 1st Aid Kits, replenished as necessary and to provide regular free transport between remote villages and the hospital and clinics together with emergency transport.
Impact: How does it Work

Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.

Firstly by training nominated volunteers from each village in Basic and Emergency 1st Aid and providing each village with a fully equipped 1st Aid Kit, minor matters such as a small cut can be treated and not become infected and thus become a major problem. Secondly by providing regular free transport to hospital and clinics people who need to go to hospital can get there from the remote villages and likewise pregnant women or women with young children will attend the clinics which they have previously been unable to do due to the remoteness of their villages. Thirdly transport is now available in emergencies when previously the only form of transport was a donkey cart open to all the elements. Often people never reached hospital, dying on the way.
Sustainability

Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?

We know of no other organisation in The Gambia or in particular in the Jarra West District of The Gambia who are running such a project. The Gambian Red Cross provided our village volunteers with their training which will be regularly updated. We have the backing of the Gambian Red Cross at Regional level and a desire by them to partner with us as a result of this unique project to assist us in rolling out the project elsewhere. Any form of partnership with the Gambian Red Cross does not pose any threat but is purely to assist us in the project, by helping with knowledge, providing training etc. We also have the backing of the people in the villages who have never received help in this way before.
Team

Founding Story

The death rate in The Gambia is higher than it should be. In the remote villages of the provinces women are not attending maternity clinics because they cannot get there and this results in medical problems and even death for mother and or baby. People who are ill are not able to get to any medical facilities. The 'Aha' moment came when we realised that transport was the major problem. Supply transport and women can get to the clinics and people who are ill can be taken to hospital. From this initial 'aha' came well if people in remote villages had some knowledge of 1st Aid and the necessary supplies some of the problems that become major could be dealt with before matters become serious and that is where the provision of Basic and Emergency 1st Aid Training came in.
About You
Organization:
The Jallow Foundation The Gambia
About You
First Name

Naomi

Last Name

Jallow

About Your Organization
Organization Name

The Jallow Foundation The Gambia

Organization Country

, HAM, Fareham

Country where this project is creating social impact

, LR

How long has your organization been operating?

1‐5 years

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Innovation
How long have you been in operation?

Operating for less than a year

Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two

Access, Cost.

Social Impact
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve

The goal of our initiative is to ensure that pregant women and women with young children are able to attend the clinics and thus decrease the health problems occuring. Our goal is also to ensure that people have access to medical facilities and in an emergency are able to get to hospital and not die before they get there. That they have comfortable well equipped transport and people with them that have some knowledge of 1st Aid and that they do not have to either not go to hospital at all due to lack of transport or be taken there on the back of an open donkey cart over dusty, bumpy tracks in either the searing heat or through mud and water filled pot holes in the pouring rain of the rainy season. That people have dignity and access to health care. We want to roll the project out elsewhere

What has been the impact of your solution to date?

The impact of our project has been amazing. Remote villages immediately came behind the project and there was no shortage of people wanting to be volunteer 1st Aiders for their village. The 1st Aid Training has taken place with the Gambian Red Cross backing the project from day one and carrying out the training over a three day period. The 1st Aid Kits have now been distributed and further training given and every time the Chief of the Jarra West District and the Regional as well as the local head of the Gambian Red Cross have attended and been fully behing the project saying that there has never been any other organisation who has ever carried out such a project. The Transport will be up and running by the end of March and people in the remote villages are already seeing the benefits and are so enthusiastic that some one at last has identified their needs and has done something about it. At every stage people have been consulted and involved.

What is your projected impact over the next five years?

With adequate funding we aim to roll the project out as far as we can. The impact of this would be huge with medical facilities becoming available to people living in remote villages which they are not now. In turn the availability of free transport to enable people to attend the clincs and hospital combined with 1st Aid Training for volunteers from each village and the provision of 1st Aid Kits and supplies will improve the health of those living in remote areas and decrease the mortality rates and health problems that presently occur.

What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?

From our discussions so far with people living in remote areas and those in authority this project is something that everyone wants and wants to be successful. In each district we envisage that people living in remote villages will be as enthusiastic as everyone has to date. However we will have to deal with the different Chiefs of each area but we believe that discussion with them and the elders of the villages together with the backing of the Gambian Red Cross that we already have should enable us to over come any objections.

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

We can identify and track growth of the project by health improvement and transport usage

Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your six-month milestone
Task 1

Ensure that the transport vehicle is fully maintained, runs according to schedule and is self sustainable

Task 2

Ensure people know that free transport is available to hospital and the clinics and therefore attend and fully use the transport

Task 3

Ensure that people's first point of contact with a medical problem is initially their nominated village 1st Aider

Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone

To provide 1st Aid Training and a Vehicle to other remote areas in The Gambia

Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your 12-month milestone
Task 1

To obtain the necessary funding

Task 2

To obtain the co-operation and backing of the Chief, Elders and villagers in each district

Task 3

To put in place in each District where the project runs, a Co-ordinator and an assistant

Sustainability
Tell us about your partnerships

As a result of this project The Gambian Red Cross would like to enter into a partnership with us. We are hoping to have discussions concerning the same in the next couple of months.

Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your innovation? If so, where and why?

We are targeting polpulations that are remote and therefore a long distance from medical facilities and without any access to any reasonable form of transport. The reason being that these are the polpulations most at risk. At present we are working in the Jarra West District of The Gambia but our intention is to gradually provide the project to any such community in a remote area in whichever district they are in The Gambia

What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?

The success of our project comes from teamwork and good communication, both in The Gambia and in the UK and also between the two. This is both on the ground in the running and organisation of the service as well as by the Trustees and the District Co-ordinators and their assistants. Good relations, communication and co-operation with the Gambian Red Cross and with the District Chiefs and Village Elders is also imperative.

Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list

We are in need of investment/funding in order to roll out the project to more remote villages. We are also in need of local Co-Ordinator's/volunteers.

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