Caroline Mweemba, Chief Executive Officer and National Coordinator for St John Zambia
Transaid worked with St John Zambia to implement a basic Transport Management System to help manage the operation of a newly donated ambulance to their head office in the impoverished community of Matero in Zambia’s capital city Lusaka. This intervention also included the training of 10 drivers (6 of whom were from St John) by Tony Walsh, a Transaid partner and Senior Instructor.
Profile
Caroline has worked for St John for 15 years; she is married with 5 children. Before working for St John Caroline was a midwife within the Zambian Ministry of Health based first at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka. She is a supporter of the Lusaka Tigers football team having been present on St John duty for so many years.
Life before the Transaid project began
"Prior to the donation of the ambulance I used to use my personal vehicle to respond to medical emergencies within the community. With the arrival of the ambulance I was keen that we managed it as effectively as possible which is why we wanted to work with Transaid to train our drivers, develop a policy and help us control the use of the vehicle. This vehicle is so precious as it is one of only a handful of vehicles within the Lusaka District that can respond to emergencies so we really want to ensure it is run efficiently and maintained properly so it can serve the community for many years to come.”
Benefit from the Transaid project
"As a result of the training I am now assured that the drivers will approach their responsibilities with a safety conscious attitude. I know that for the drivers from outside of St John, those from the Police and the Ministry of Health, that they are now revered by their peers and will now be showing their value to their organizations. With the Transport Management training provided by Transaid I am confident that we are controlling the vehicle with regards to fuel use, maintenance costs and all of the other aspects which we have learnt about. This in turn has helped us to control the costs associated with the vehicle and ensured that it is run efficiently so we can deliver the best possible service to our fellow citizens in Lusaka district."
Transaid are extremely grateful to Caroline for sharing her thoughts and comments with us and wish her every success in her career.
