In the presence of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Transaid has showcased the hard work it has been carrying out
The number of people dying on the roads each year in Sub-Saharan Africa is third only to deaths from HIV/AIDS and malaria, yet it’s thanks to the transport and logistics industry that Transaid has been able to start tackling this issue.
The international development organisation hosted its annual showcase event last Thursday (24 October) at law firm Ashurst LLP in London, highlighting the hard work it has been carrying out.
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, patron of Transaid, attended the event and has commended the road transport and logistics industry for making an enormous difference to PSV and HGV driver training standards in Sub-Saharan Africa – with more than 9,600 drivers trained over the last 12 months.
Showcasing success
The charity welcomed 150 supporters, partners and development organisations for an update on its projects, including a presentation from Lloyd Mbasela, the Executive Director of the Industrial Training Centre (ITC) in Zambia.
Caroline Barber, CEO of Transaid, says: “The results we are achieving from our professional driver training are impressive.
“It’s not just about prevention, it’s about developing sustainable models that impact the people on the ground and help to increase economic capacity in the countries where we’re working.”
Transaid also used the showcase to focus on its work to support motorcycle and three-wheeler safety – modes of transport which have become a key part of life in many rural areas across Africa.
Current projects include an initiative to review legislation and rider training practices in the Democratic Republic of Congo – an enormous country highly dependent on motorcycles – as other means of transport often aren’t suitable due to poor road conditions.
Partnerships
Transaid has much support for the industry, with corporate memberships including: The Confederation of Passenger Transport, Go-Ahead, Stagecoach, National Express and many other industry suppliers and manufacturers.
“Our corporate membership can deliver meaningful results for your company. We know that every company has its own strategic objectives, audiences and vision for the future, so we will work with you to develop initiatives that work for your company, that engage and inspire your employees, and that have a positive impact on your business strategies,” Transaid says.
James Donnan, Head of Corporate Communications at National Express, explains: “We have partnered with Transaid over the last eight years. We are very passionate about safety and in Transaid, we found a charity partner to share that passion.
“Choosing Transaid as a charity partner was a really easy decision with community one of our core company values. We look to partner with charities which are in line with our core business and there are actually very few charities which have a transport focus, so it’s a really good fit.”
“We are proud to have provided 22 volunteers for projects in Africa. The majority of these have been driving trainers who have helped to build the skills of local trainers in Tanzania, Zambia and most recently Uganda.
“We really enjoy working with Transaid. We have a number of charity partnerships but Transaid really is different; you can get very engaged with projects and you can really see how your support helps. Above all, you can be totally confident that you are making a real difference to people’s lives.”
Support
Thanking the industry for its ongoing support, Caroline added: “Quite simply, we couldn’t do the work we do today without the people in this room, so we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your support. Together, we have made strong progress to ensure we are bringing about positive change through the provision of safe, available and sustainable transport.”
Concluding the event, The Princess Royal expressed her gratitude to the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA) for raising £75,000 for Transaid to mark its own 75th anniversary. Representing the largest single donation to Transaid for more than a decade, the funds will be used to help take the life-saving MAMaZ Against Malaria initiative to the next level.
Transaid trustee Robert Goundry was also presented with a commemorative gift to mark his long service as a trustee. He will retire after a final meeting in January 2020.
Transaid
Transaid transforms lives through safe, available, and sustainable transport. Founded by Save the Children, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), and its Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, the international development organisation shares 25 years’ worth of expertise in 23 countries with partners and governments – empowering people to build the skills they need to transform their own lives.
Transaid’s core work includes creating transport management systems for the public sector and assisting with the provision of professional driving qualification development and the training of driver trainers.
It also assists with teaching preventive vehicle maintenance management and introducing local, low-cost transport solutions including its innovative bicycle ambulance. Transaid also helps promote road safety awareness and shares its specialist knowledge with the humanitarian aid sector.
