On Call Africa collaborates with the Zambian Ministry of Health to develop high-quality, functional, and standardised community-led health programmes.

The Challenge

In June 2023, On Call Africa, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and CRI Foundation, launched a pilot of the new standardised Community Based Volunteer (CBV) programme. The goal was to build an evidence base demonstrating how this model improves healthcare access and quality for rural communities compared to existing vertical CBV programmes.

However, just seven months into the two-year pilot, Zambia declared a national emergency due to a severe drought caused by El Niño. The country, which relies on hydropower for over 85% of its electricity, experienced significant reductions in reservoir water levels, leading to power generation shortfalls and nationwide load shedding. On Call Africa faced blackouts of up to 18 hours per day, severely disrupting their ability to engage with the Ministry of Health at a national level during a critical period of programme development. Furthermore, the prolonged power outages affected their capacity to deliver residential training to CBVs at their training centre.

The Solution

Recognising the urgency of the situation, On Call Africa sought solutions to mitigate the impact of the power crisis. A discussion with CRI Foundation led to the realisation that they were eligible to apply for emergency funding through Risk Pool Alliance.

With a rapid turnaround, On Call Africa received a grant of £20,000, which enabled them to install solar power at their office, training centre, and residential accommodation for CBVs. Within two weeks of identifying the challenge and solution, the funds were received, ensuring the continuity of their programme. This also provided a long-term solution to

Zambia’s recurring and increasingly frequent droughts by reducing reliance on the national grid.

The Impact

The installation of solar power proved transformative for On Call Africa’s operations. It enabled them to:

1. Continue delivering training and support to CBVs without disruption.
2. Sustain engagement with the Ministry of Health to refine and improve the CBV package, training resources, and supervision model.
3. Maintain progress on the pilot study, ensuring the evidence base for the new CBV programme remained intact.

Ben Margetts, Former CEO of On Call Africa, highlighted the significance of the swift support:

“When load shedding began to interrupt the delivery of our work, we automatically looked internally for solutions and began to think about how we could raise the funds needed to install solar power in the future. Following a conversation with CRI Foundation about the challenges we were facing, we were reminded that we were eligible to apply to Risk Pool Alliance for unforeseen challenges just like this. The turnaround time was so quick. Two weeks later, we had received the grant, and within six weeks of identifying the challenge, our programme was back on track.”

Conclusion

The support from Risk Pool Alliance exemplifies the importance of flexible funding mechanisms that respond swiftly to emerging challenges. By addressing the power crisis promptly, On Call Africa was able to keep its programme on track and protect CRI Foundation’s investment, ensuring that On Call Africa, CRI Foundation, the Zambian Ministry of Health, and CBVs could continue delivering impact for rural communities.