Insight
MME is currently collaborating with Fight4Sight and Mercy Air (Switzerland) to provide educational support for young ophthalmologists and medical support staff in Southern Africa to provide greater access to quality care to the most disadvantaged and remote communities. The partnership is allowing health professionals to complete their training with practical exposure to off-site service delivery in remote Eswatini. The partnership is helping to fill the significant gap that exists in the health specialist workforce in Southern Africa and enable people to be screened for preventable conditions and receive care plans to resolve illness and disability. The partnership uses Helicopters to reduce travel times to communities where doctors, dentist and other health screeners can provide service in remote areas.
Insight also sources and ships much needed equipment for training purposes. MME plays an advisory role regarding the needs on the ground as well as the stewardship and care of the equipment. At the moment, this project is currently active in two Southern African countries; Eswatini and Mozambique.
Ebenezer Clinic
Ebenezer Clinic
Ebenezer Clinic, situated in the mountainous Lubombo Region of Eswatini which is an area of great medical need but low service availability. The clinic is the sole provider of care to thousands of people living in surrounding communities. As part of MME’s mission to serve the remote and underserved of Southern Africa, a partnership with this important clinic has been an essential investment for MME. Ebenezer Clinic staff and clients have greatly benefited greatly from the networking, fundraising and financial skills MME provides. As a result of this partnership Ebenezer Clinic continues to provide health care to its client’s many of whom would not maintain adherence to chronic disease medication without this facility. Volunteers have also contributed to improving the clinic via renovations projects.
Mercy Air
Mercy Air
Active for over 5 years in Eswatini under the project Sight Flight, Mercy Air Switzerland (MACH) has enabled better access to healthcare in remote areas of Eswatini. This partnership initially began in response to a great need for cataract case finding in remote areas, where patients will often suffer or years due to lack of transport to services which are located far from rural areas. Restoring sight to over 600 patients and providing over 11,000 pairs of reading glasses, this collaboration has made a real difference in the lives of clients suffering sight challenges. Over time the Mercy Air Services have branched out to include dental care as well as eye and foot screening for diabetic patients; all of which are desperately needed by many people across the country. Further expansion of this project is anticipated as MME investigates a base from which Mercy Air can operate permanently in Eswatini.
Swazi Lights
Swazi Lights
MME is proud to partner with the Swazi Lights project focussed on environmental and economic sustainability. Swazi Lights is a private initiative which provides solar lamps allowing school-going children to continue their education without depending on electricity in the home. MME acts as curator of the lights, making them accessible to rural community schools at 25% of cost-price. These are then loaned to students in need of lighting in the home for homework and study, negating the use of candles which pose a significant fire-risk that has repeatedly taken the lives of children in Eswatini. To date MME has taken consignment of 500 lights and aims to grow the projects accessibility within the Lubombo region. As students lost over 90% of classes in the past 24 months due to COVID-19 and civil unrest related-lockdowns, the ability to study after sunset has become increasingly important.
