Project Report
| Jul 13, 2022
Community Health Services and Load Shedding
By Daran Rehmeyer | Executive Director
![Patients in Maphiveni]()
Patients in Maphiveni
The power situation in Eswatini continues to deteriorate and become more fragile. Eswatini imports almost ¾ of its electricity from neighboring South Africa. South Africa continues to experience sever load shedding (Level 6 just last week) because of insufficient capacity and generation problems.
Unfortunately, the health needs of the communities we serve do not depend upon electricity availability. So besides saving the clinic money by installing a grid tie system, we will also be contributing (albeit in a small way) to the stability of the regions electricity grid.
An additional motivation to contribute now to the system installation is the current exchange rate as it hovers around 17:1. At this rate we really only need about $11000 to complete the initial installation.
Any help towards this goal will help the outreach as well as the region.
![Mom and baby in the Maphiveni clinic]()
Mom and baby in the Maphiveni clinic
![Staff using the patient managment system]()
Staff using the patient managment system
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Mar 15, 2022
Solar moving forward
By Daran Rehmeyer | Executive Director
![Solatr Quote]()
Solatr Quote
We started the process of engaging solar contractors here in Eswatini for the clinic. While much infrastructure development on the clinic site has been going on, it is only now that we feel comfortable pushing the clinic solar project. So far, we’ve raised $2280 towards this project. The current quote for installing solar on only a single phase of the three phases to the clinic (which is a good start ) is about $12150. So, we are about 20% there.
As an organization, we struggle to maintain pharmacy stock and competitive salaries to attract and keep qualified staff. Not having to pay electricity bills will help us towards this goal. And inflationary pressures have reduced our kilowatt-hour buying power by almost 50%.
Please help us get to the 100% so we won’t be c\shackled by ever increasing costs.
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Nov 16, 2021
Impact of Covid to Kudvumisa Clinic
By Daran Rehmeyer | Executive Director
![patients at the pharmacy]()
patients at the pharmacy
Eswatini has been through 3 waves of Covid-19 infections so far. The first two waves had their greatest impact in the more heavily populated areas of the country and pretty much left the rural areas unscathed. The third wave impacted the areas we more to a much greater extent.
Pre third wave, the Kudvumisa Clinic was seeing 20-30 walk in patients each morning before the staff would take the mobile clinic and begin their work directly in the communities.
The third wave brought much more exposure to our clinic. We began seeing many more people in the rural areas being infected and suffering from (mostly and thankfully) mild Covid symptoms. The Eswatini Ministry of Health asked to set up a Covid rapid testing station on the Kudvumisa Clinic grounds. Anyone testing positive on the rapid test was given a cocktail of different medicines and supplements.
With the exposure of the MoH presence, the clinic began seeing 60-70 walk in patients each day. That has continued even after the MoH removed their tents as the third wave waned. The pressure on our resources has been tremendous.
Expanding the portion of our daily power supplied from solar has become even more important. Every emalangeni/rand/dollar we can save on electricity is one more we can spend directly on patient care.
![MoH covid testing tents]()
MoH covid testing tents
![MoH staff at the clinic]()
MoH staff at the clinic
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