Rukwa Partnership for Health Boat Project

Since September 2012, I have been working with University United Methodist Church in St. Louis, MO, USA to raise funds to purchase a boat that will serve as emergency transport to health care services for five villages on the shores of Lake Rukwa in the Rukwa Region of Tanzania.  Currently, these villages have no direct routes of access to the nearest health care centers.  They are only able to access these centers via a dirt road.  Oftentimes the road conditions are poor and the communities are unable to coordinate vehicles or patients and their families are unable to collect the necessary cash to pay for such services.  This boat will be turned over to the District Medical Office of the Sumbawanga Urban District and will be used for transporting pregnant women and patients with health emergencies to care. By going across the lake, instead of around, the boat will cut crucial hours from these people's journey to potentially life saving health care services.

We are proud to announce that as of mid-July 2013 we have surpassed our $10,000 goal and have raised $11,224 for the purchase of a fiberglass boat, made in Tanzania (in Dar es Salaam), a motor, and six life jackets.  

 (This is not the boat that was purchased. I do not have a photo available, at this point in time, but will be tracking it down upon my return to Tanzania in January 2014.)