by Gqibelo Dandala, Country Director, One to One Africa

Necessity is the mother of all invention, or so the saying goes. Thomas A. Edison said “If there’s way to do it better - find it.” Either way, the message is clear – when current problems do not have current solutions, thinking beyond what has always been done must become the norm.

And so it was that I witnessed ‘organic’ innovation in rural Last Mile communities around Tshani village where One To One Africa runs its largest project, the Enable program. Last Mile communities are literally villages furthest from the main tar roads. Tar roads are a linkage to urbanization, and by default resources, development and all that that represents. Conversely, distance from tar roads correlates with impoverishment; the greater the distance between a community and a tar road, the more severe the impoverishment. Last Mile communities are just beyond which there is nothing! No resources, no services, no development, no employment, just about nothing. We serve such Last Mile communities.

The warm smiles and eyes that welcomed me whilst accompanying two of our staff during a routine home-visit belied the dire poverty I witnessed: 19 people living in a single rondavel (circular) room, from the grandmother to great grandchildren.

I witnessed first-hand the joy brought by the mere presence of our team, not a sombre expression in sight, instead engaging and expressive faces all around. While a part of me was exasperated by the extreme lack of development and persistent poverty I witnessed, my why was further cemented.

It won’t come as a surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic is endangering the health of many people worldwide. However, there is even greater risk to those who are immunocompromised, like those living with HIV in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. With this in mind, we were compelled to help in South Africa’s vaccination efforts, which have faced many challenges and obstacles in remote and rural portions of the country.

We were delighted that the acclaimed photographer and Magnum nominee, Lindokuhle Sobekwa, took the time to visit our projects on the Eastern Cape.

Through our partnership with Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, we identified their urgent need for an innovative piece of equipment in their Intensive Care Unit.

There is a huge gap between what isolation means in the UK and in the townships of South Africa, where people, already immunocompromised through TB and HIV are totally exposed with very little health infrastructure to support them.

Enable, our phenomenally successful project to eliminate mother-child HIV transmission, is now in its second phase. Read about the latest developments in increasing access and extending outreach.

Better Together is a programme for adolescents, aimed at breaking the stigma of HIV by bringing together teenagers with a range of chronic conditions. Read about the highlights of the first stage.

70% of children in HIV-affected households experience cognitive delay. Our Bright Start project is an innovative programme that works with both parents and children – read here about the initial impact.