2008 Grants - $50 000
Major grant recipient: University of NSW Foundation
About the project: Medical Students Aids (Congo) project
The Medical Students Aid Project (MSAP) is an aid organisation based at the University of New South Wales which aims to provide assistance to communities and hospitals in the developing world. MSAP has received a $50,000 community grant for a project in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The village of Lotumbe is a remote regional health hub in the Congo’s Equatorial Province. Lotumbe is accessible only by canoe or by foot through the World’s second largest rainforest. It is 400km from the nearest large town.
Working in collaboration with HandUp Congo and the NGO Fondation Lucie Otaenga (FLO), MSAP will use the grant to stock a community score with school and household essentials. Profits from sales at the store will be used to purchase and distribute insecticide treated nets to combat malaria, the leading cause of infant mortality in the Congo.
The grant will also be used to purchase a motorised canoe, petrol and a years salary for a canoe pilot. The motorised canoe will help to transport goods from the community store to riverside markets, which will increase income to be spent on health supplies. The canoe will also help medical workers to access isolated communities.
Grassroots income-generating projects promote community empowerment and autonomy as well as being more sensitive to the culture and needs of the community. These projects tend to be more sustainable in the long-term because the local community takes ownership for the project outcomes.