Transaid looks back on 2024

20th December 2024

2024 has been an incredibly impactful year for Transaid thanks to our dedicated network of partners and supporters.

The beginning of the year saw the launch of Transaid’s latest three-year strategy, which reaffirms our commitment to improving road safety and access to healthcare across sub-Saharan Africa, as well as increasing our impact and scale.

We have continued to work towards achieving the global targets set out under the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030: to end the epidemic of malaria, to halve road traffic deaths and injuries, and to reduce the maternal mortality rate to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.

Our programmes continue to tackle SDG three to improve the health and well-being of all, and our partnerships underscore Transaid’s commitment to SDG 17. Transaid works to develop global partnerships for sustainable development by sharing knowledge, expertise, and resources.

Transaid is as committed as ever to working towards a more sustainable future for all, designing and delivering road safety and access to healthcare programmes where there continues to be tremendous unmet need.

Programme highlights: road safety

Transaid’s multistakeholder partnerships across our road safety programmes in Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia promote good health and well-being, advocate for greater gender equality in the transport and logistics industry and facilitate personal and economic growth for individuals and companies.

In the last year, Transaid’s road safety programmes have continued at pace, and alongside partners we have trained almost 11,000 professional drivers, trainers, and riders to an improved standard. An outstanding 45 percent increase on the year prior, which is a testament to our partners in the countries where we are working.

Key road safety highlights from the last year include:

A 75 percent increase in the number of drivers trained at the National Institute of Transport (NIT) in Tanzania.
Our Enhancing Professional Driver Training Standards project in Ghana culminated in the launch of a new national standard for truck driver training designed by Transaid and partners.
The Kenyan National Helmet Wearing Coalition released a report on the urgent need for helmet testing and awareness in order to combat motorcycle-related fatalities and injuries in Kenya, which you can read here.

In June, Transaid secured funding from global road safety philanthropy, the FIA Foundation, to lead the third phase of the National Helmet Wearing Coalition in Kenya. The new phase will focus on the establishment of one of the first helmet testing laboratories in East Africa and advocating for a regional focus on motorcycle safety in East Africa.

In July, Transaid also secured additional funding from the Puma Energy Foundation to lead an entirely new project in Ghana to support the nationwide roll out of the new Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) driver training curricula and instructor’s manual.

In August, Transaid began phase two of a comparative study to investigate young men’s experiences of walking in secondary towns drawing direct comparisons between South Africa and the UK, marking a new phase of collaboration with research teams from Durham University and the University of the Western Cape.

The support of Transaid’s corporate partners is fundamental to the success of our road safety programmes. Earlier this year, The Malcolm Group’s John Heirs completed another secondment for Transaid, spending two weeks training three new HGV driver trainers at the Industrial Training Centre (ITC) in Lusaka, Zambia.

Two tractor units were donated to the Industrial Training Centre (ITC) in Zambia by long-standing Transaid supporters Fagan and Whalley and Samworth Brothers Supply Chain. The units were fitted with telematics from corporate partners Brigade Electronics and Microlise Group and will help train hundreds of new and existing truck drivers in Zambia. In early 2025, the ITC is due to receive an additional three vehicles generously donated by the Malcolm Group and Asset Alliance Group.

Programme highlights: access to healthcare

Transaid continues to support the Mobilising Access to Maternal Health Services (MAMaZ) and MAMaZ Against Malaria programmes in Zambia.

The MAMaZ Against Malaria programme has seen an 87 percent reduction in deaths in children with severe malaria across 10 districts in Zambia, and the approach has now been scaled across 91 districts. The project team, Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) and Emergency Transport System (ETS) riders have been busy strengthening efforts to improve access to healthcare services for pregnant mothers and children under five through the delivery of critical pre-referral treatment and the use of bicycle ambulances to improve timely access to health facilities.

We marked World Malaria Day in April by sharing stories from the programme to both celebrate the amazing work of the CHVs and ETS riders in rural Zambia, and to highlight the need for continued investment to accelerate the fight against malaria.

Some highlights from the MAMaZ programmes include:

10 new bicycle ambulances distributed to communities in rural Zambia
80 plus bicycle ambulance riders and custodians received ETStraining
15 health facilities targeted with support
More than 30 neighbourhood committees involved with ETS training

In Kenya, Transaid has been successful in securing funding from the Lloyd’s Register Foundation for a project to strengthen access to essential health and road safety messaging, with a focus on commercial drivers. The project will promote access and engagement with free and established health services where drivers already gather, with the aim of reducing barriers to quality healthcare.

Fundraising highlights:

2024 has been another busy year for the fundraising team and Ambassadors, who have been working hard to increase awareness of our work and raise vital funds for our programmes.

In May, a group of 12 Transaid corporate partners undertook a self-funded visit to Zambia. The group visited rural parts of Serenje and Chitambo Districts to meet with local partners and see Transaid’s maternal health and malaria projects, as well as visiting Transaid’s driver training partner institution, the Industrial Training Centre (ITC), in Lusaka. The trip presented opportunities for Transaid’s partners in the UK to sit with our Zambian partners to better understand the impact of our road safety and access to healthcare programmes. The partners that attended this visit included Brigade Electronics, Dawsongroup, Michelin, The Malcolm Group, and Wincanton.

In July, Microlise Group and Libra Europe once again hosted the Transaid Cup following the immense success of the inaugural event in 2023. This year, 15 teams from 12 companies raised almost £17,000. We look forward to another fun-filled Transaid Cup in July 2025- keep an eye out for registration!

Autumn was a particularly busy time for fundraising at Transaid, starting with a team from new corporate partner Asset Alliance Group kayaking across the channel. The trio raised more than £10,000 for Transaid- an amazing achievement.

Then, the transport and logistics industry successfully fielded two strong teams of riders to complete Transaid cycle challenges both in the UK and Kenya, raising more than £250,000 (and counting) towards our projects in sub-Saharan Africa. In the UK, 40 riders raised £70,000 over a demanding 159-mile, two-day ride battling the elements, from Newcastle to Edinburgh.

Just two weeks later, a team of 30 pedaled 295 miles from the foothills of Mount Kenya to Lake Victoria in just six days, raising an incredible £180,000 in Transaid’s first cycling fundraiser in Kenya. Keep your eyes peeled for our 2025 UK/EU cycle ride, launching in January.

In September, the transport and logistics industry raised over £100,000 at this year’s Scottish Transaid Dinner, the largest sum of money raised for Transaid in a single night in 2024. Organisation of the event, which was attended by more than 300 executives and friends representing businesses across Scotland, was led by Lynsey Craik from John Mitchell Haulage & Warehousing. In recognition of her hard work organising two Scottish Transaid Dinners, Lynsey was presented with this year’s Victor Simfukwe Award by Transaid Patron HRH The Princess Royal at our annual showcase event.

We are immensely grateful to all of the individuals, teams, and companies that have taken on a challenge for Transaid this year, whether through cycling, running, kayaking, swimming, or a combination of everything!

Transaid is also grateful to have continued to be one of the industry’s chosen charities and our presence at almost thirty industry events has truly helped to increase awareness of Transaid and raise crucial funds for our programmes. Particular highlights include hosting our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal at the Multimodal Exhibition and Awards, the Microlise Exhibition and Conference, the Motor Transport Awards, and the Logistics UK Logistics Awards.

Transaid’s networks continued to grow, with the welcoming of new corporate partners Asset Alliance Group and Radius, as well new Ambassadors James Donnan, Laura Hadzik, Leonora Pendlebury and Sam Wharfe.

Our annual Showcase took place in November and saw more than 100 supporters, partners and friends of Transaid come together to celebrate Transaid’s flagship MAMaZ Against Malaria programme. The event was held at the Africa Centre in London and attended by Transaid’s Patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, and Her Excellency The Deputy High Commissioner to the Republic of Zambia.

The Showcase was held with support from main sponsor and founding partner, Michelin, together with associated sponsors UK Warehousing Association, Road Haulage Association and British International Freight Association.

Thank you from Transaid

Thank you for supporting Transaid- our unique global partnerships are integral to delivering sustainable change.

The results from our programmes and fundraising over the past year reflect the hard work of our partners and supporters and show progress towards both Transaid’s strategic goals and the Sustainable Development Goals put forward by the United Nations. We look forward to continuing this journey with you.

Transaid wishes a wonderful festive season to those celebrating and we look forward to sharing more updates with you in 2025.