Wed, 11 Oct 2000 01:00:20 GMT
From: simon @ millennium-ride.com
To: sponsors @ millennium-ride.com

2k/09/17
Olympic mania, Sydney

2k/09/03
Wst Timor - where next? (II)

2k/09/01
Hot Spot Timor

2k/08/28
West Timor - where next?

2k/08/09
Smiling Indonesians

2k/07/25
India making me laugh and cry

2k/07/17
Whitewater frights

2k/07/12
Aid, kayaks & muddy ruts

2k/06/12
Nepal, the launch-pad

2k/06/02
Priceless Pakistan
.
.
.
+ more

Hello

Tonight I'm off to the comedy theatre at the Fringe Festival (well, Melbourne is famous for it). But down to more serious business first.

FLORES

The presenting of funds to both Médecins Sans Frontières and Riders for Health will take place soon after the end of the Ride in 2002. Some of you opted for your donation to go to Riders for Health and in particular their work in Gambia, West Africa. However I would like some of these funds to be used now for Flores, an Indonesian island a day's boat ride NW of Timor. The idea is acceptable to Riders for Health themselves and I thought I'd better check with you since many of your donations were earmarked as above. I just want to do this by the book. If you object to this plan please let me know on , but PLEASE do not respond if you agree in which case I thank you for your support.

Perhaps the most significant thing I've learnt so far is the huge potential of motorcycles in getting primary health care services (vaccinations for babies and stuff) to remote areas of developing countries. If someone could put a figure on it I'm sure we would all be totally astounded. It was clearly evident in Pakistan and Nepal even when I was not asking and health workers prompted me on the subject. In West Timor I met Willy Bala when he was working for Médecins Sans Frontières. He told me about his local situation on the island of Flores, where they have all the medical supplies and skills they need, apart from the means to get it to the population. In Africa they had a 500% improvement in the delivery rate using motorcycles within a system. Willy's a rider and has extensive experience in outreach health work and programme management. He will formulate a plan if we can get him to the Riders for Health training Academy in Zimbabwe. He is in touch with them now to work out a suitable programme.

The potential benefit of some money being spent here is huge due to the almost complete lack of any primary healthcare delivery on many of the islands. Other countries in the region may also take interest.

As soon as we know the cost and are happy that we can cover it, let's get Willy over there. I cannot see any point in waiting around on this. Hopefully later we dip into the vast resources of the international aid budget which I talked about in Nepal.

It was called "A Maid in a Dumbwaiter". Ummm, oh dear, just when I was starting to get used to Australian humour!

More news from Melbourne soon.

Bye for now, Simon