Sachibondu Project Phase 1 Completes

We are very happy to report that our chosen charity, Orkidstudio, have completed the first phase of the Sachibondu Hospital Development in Zambia. We have supported Orkidstudio for a number of years due to the remarkable work they undertake with disadvantaged communities worldwide, using design, construction and enterprise as tools to enable social change

Founded over 45 years ago, Sachibondu was set up as a Rural Health Centre near Mwinilunga, a remote and rural region of North West Zambia on the Democratic Republic of Congo border. Each year thousands of patients come to the Health Centre where they are met by a small team of dedicated nurses and midwives who do all that they can to help.

Orkidstudio have been working over the last year to fundraise, design and build a new hospital facility for the region, which will serve a huge area. With few good alternative options, most patients travel remarkably long distances to reach Sachibondu, some up to 10 days from within Zambia or neighbouring Angola and DRC. Many patients from the DRC, where women are often persecuted and have few rights, seek help for issues related to armed violence or pregnancies often caused by rape and abuse.

The Centre provides a wide range of general health care including tuberculosis, malaria and HIV clinics, and also works hard to increase awareness, testing and education in order to reduce the numbers of new infections. Lessons in food nutrition and cookery are also provided to help families overcome malnutrition and improve childcare standards. The original facilities at the Sachibondu Health Centre were of poor quality and limited space, meaning that the Centre struggles to cope with the increasing numbers of patients arriving each day. With a history spanning more than five decades, development and growth of the centre has always been dictated by need, with infrastructure provision being sought locally and with little or no design input.

Over the past few months Orkidstudio have made great progress on the project, turning the soil directly from the site into a quarter of a million bricks to be used for the walls and the vaulted roofs of the building. 

We are very proud to have played a small role in helping Orkidstudio with their endeavours, and look forward to continue doing so in 2017. For more information about the Sachibondu Project please click here.