Riders for Health: let’s help people through same passion

Lot of people have already heard about Riders for Health, But do we really know what is it? What they are working for? We interviewed Frankie Parrish, Communication Officer of Riders for Health who told us more about this charity.

What is Riders for Health and what are its goal(s)? Riders for Health is a global charity and social enterprise. We manage and maintain vehicles that are used to deliver health care in Africa. We make sure that health care can be delivered to even the most remote rural communities across Africa. Riders for Health’s vision is of a world in which health care reaches everyone, everywhere. At the heart of our work is training local men and women to be safe on the roads and to carry out preventive maintenance so that the vehicles never break down. This means health care will always get to where it’s needed on time.

Since when has Riders for Health been existing? Riders for Health was founded in 1989. In the mid-1980s, our co-founders – American grand prix racer Randy Mamola, Andrea and Barry Coleman – were fundraising in the paddock for children living in developing countries. On a trip to Somalia in 1988 they saw broken down vehicles abandoned outside rural health clinics: motorcycles that had only travelled a few thousand kilometres. Health care was not reaching the peopled who needed it and children were dying of easily preventable and curable disease. To people who had worked with engines all their lives it made no sense. So they invented a system of managing vehicles in difficult conditions that would ensure health care can reach everyone who needs it, no matter where they live. Riders for Health currently works in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa; The Gambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia and Malawi. We employ over 300 people in our programmes including technicians, trainers, logistics experts and we have an office in the UK. We also have volunteers and supporters around the world who help to raise money and awareness of our work.

Are there volunteers working for Riders for Health? Riders for Health are fortunate enough to have volunteers all over the world who work at our events, fundraise for Riders and spread the word about our lifesaving work, but all of our staff in our programmes are local people.
If yes, how can people be volunteers for Riders for Health? To register your interest as a volunteer, please email Donna at dleonard@riders.org for more information. We do not have any volunteers in any of our programmes in Africa. All of the people Riders trains and employ in our programmes are nationals of that country. By building local capacity it means the skills developed with us remain in the community for future generations.
What has Riders for Health done (missions, actions) since then? In the last 20 years, Riders for Health has grown into an international award-winning organisation that is transforming access to health care for over 12 million people across Africa.

We do this by:

Mobilising outreach health workers with motorcycles so that they can reach remote communities with things like vaccines, health education, disease surveillance, maternal and child health services and HIV counselling.
Managing ambulances so they can make emergency referrals of patients from communities or health centres on to hospitals.

Distribution of medicine and supplies.
Training in safe riding and driving and preventive vehicle maintenance. Riders has a specialist training school called the International Academy of Vehicle Management with branches in Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Sample Transport – a motorcycle courier service designed to transport patient samples and test results and speed up the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases like tuberculosis and HIV.

In terms of number, what does it represent? Riders for Health manages 1,400 motorcycles, ambulances and four-wheel vehicles. We are transforming access to health care for 12 million people, a figure we aim to increase to 25 million by 2017.
What is the link between Riders for Health and MotoGP? Are there exclusives actions done to contribute helping you and reach your goals? Riders for Health was born out of the grand prix paddock and we are the official charity of MotoGP. Thanks to support from MotoGP, race teams and riders and our volunteers, Riders holds fundraising events at several MotoGP races throughout the year.
Day of Stars takes place before the US Red Bull Grand Prix at Laguna Seca on July 18. Limited to only 50 guests, it is an intimate behind-the-scenes experience of MotoGP. Find out more at http://www.riders.org/get-involved/motorcycling-events/day-of-stars
Day of Champions is the only place where fans can see all of the stars of MotoGP up close when they get on stage to auction unique signed racing memorabilia in aid of Riders for Health. It is on August 29 at Silverstone before the British MotoGP. Find out more at http://www.riders.org/get-involved/motorcycling-events/day-of-champions
Dia de los Camepones takes place November 7 before the final race of the MotoGP season in Valencia. Fans get exclusive access to the pit-lane and can even do a lap or two of the Ricardo Tormo circuit themselves. To find out more, email our events manager Jeanette at jwragg@riders.org

Riders for Health is supported by motorcyclists all around the world and this unique partnership is saving lives.

Are there People (VIP) who are contributing in helping you or working with Riders for Health?

We are lucky that all of the stars of MotoGP support Riders for Health by donating items to be auctioned, starring in fundraising videos and raising awareness of our work on Twitter.

Have you won some awards for your contribution/social work?

Earlier this year, Riders for Health was named one of the world’s five most effective non-governmental organisations working in health by the Global Journal in their list of top 100 NGOs.

Last year we won the Best Transport Achievement Award at the Fleet Forum Annual Conference due to our ground-breaking programme in The Gambia which is the first country in Africa to have enough health care delivery vehicles to serve the entire population thanks to Riders’ vehicle fleet.

We’ve also won the social enterprise Third Sector Excellence Award.

How can do people to participate, make contribution for Riders for Health?

There are many ways to get involved with Riders for Health – by making a donation, fundraising or holding an event for us, volunteering at one of our events or simply telling your friends about the work we do. Find out more at www.riders.org

Is there something you would like to add, to make people more sensitive about problems in Africa?

The majority of the population of sub-Saharan Africa live in rural areas where the best roads are little more than dirt tracks. Public transport is infrequent and delivering health care on foot or by bicycle between remote villages is an exhausting and ineffective task. Without reliable transport, the millions of pounds that is invested in vaccines, drugs, bed-nets, condoms and trained health professionals every year will be wasted because they will fail to get to where they are needed on time.

Riders for Health’s simple, practical solution is saving lives. Website: http://www.riders.org/ Twitter page: @ridersforhealth Facebook : Riders for Health Written for and published in Fotarte Motor on 25th July 2013 Photos from and gave by Riders for Health, used with their consent.