In our project areas in Western Kenya we run a lot of health awareness projects with farmers and their families. However, besides specific health and hygiene education it is also about reducing risks that impact people’s life day by day – in the houses, at work and on the road. And what if there is no ambulance car available?

More safety for boda boda drivers – an exceptional project has started

Many family members in our farmer areas are active as Boda Boda drivers to generate some income for the families. Boda bodas are bicycles and motorcycle taxis commonly found in East Africa. Due to the often bad road conditions, but als due to poverty Boda Boda drivers provide transportation options to many people in the rural and urban areas and create job opportunities to drivers.

At the same time these “opportunities“ result in an increase in road hazards and collisions and unnecessary injuries and deaths. Many drivers have only a very basic understanding of how to drive with safety, lack of driver licenses and don’t know enough about the basics to be checked before using transport means.

At our 3rd Making More Health center in Tongaren, Bungoma county, the first training sessions for young boda boda drivers have started. Our local NGO partner, Core Health and Wealth together with Francis Dagala, a long term supporter in our network and very familiar with the safety issues in slums and poor rural areas to a series of trainings with more than twenty young drivers.

“Some of the things we discussed were the importance of getting training on riders’ and passengers’ safety, the need for legal documents like license and insurance, and also basic skills on how to conduct a healthier life. We agreed to meet weekly on the same and to bring in also topic related experts to ensure that these young men get ax really good knowledge on driving, on traffic, licenses and other topics related to mobility and prevention,” says Francis and he adds:”There is a great need to enable them to deliver safe transport services. We have too many bad accidents and injuries on the road. “

Also reaching a doctor or a hospital is a huge issue if there is no ambulance car available

Francis reported that the old ambulance car in the area is not working any more. The car was the only one that could transport people to the hospital.

These are basics which we often oversee when we talk about creating more health. What do you think?

There are 3000 EuR needed to repair the ambulance…