One Step Africa: About Us
The good work contibuted by innumerous organisations over the recent decades have ensured that the prosthetics and disability situation in the developing world is no longer as neglected a situation as in years gone by. However, whilst the necessary artefacts, technologies, and people resources are being dispatched to national capitals and regional centres of influence, it is not always the case that such benefits are distributed further into the community. Once the hurdles and challenges of local distribution are surpassed, it cannot be assumed that the developmental goals will reach some of the more geographically dispersed areas. One Step Africa aims to ensure that access to prosthetic benefits can be obtained in some of the most remote parts of the developing world.
Our Objectives
Through innovative approaches to local logistics and supply chain distribution, One Step Africa seeks to ensure prosthetic limbs and other physical attributes can be delivered to any community in Eastern Africa, regardless of how far they may be from the nearest large urban centre. Continued work either independantly or alongside other organisations based in the area will strive to deliver the necessary skilled professionals and training needs into these remote communities, to ensure that prosthetic healthcare can be an option for anyone and everyone regardless of where they happen to live.
It is our goal to drive towards reducing the gap between basic prosthetic healthcare in the developed and developing worlds.
Our Work
One Step Africa was born in 2010 as a collaboration between the Great Lakes Prosthetics community, based in Kampala Uganda, and the Kigali Biomedial Institute of Rwanda. The initial objective was to improve access to the established prosthetics services for some of the more remote communities in the area, leading to the development of small field clinics and traveling workshops that aimed to serve towns and villages not easily connected to the national capital cities. Having risen steadily from the first initatives, One Step Africa now oversees a growing logistics network that moves trained prosthetics technicians, equipment and supplies throughout the region, as well as assisting patients from some of the most poorly connected areas with traveling to and from the larger workshops and fitting centres as required.
Whilst focussing mainly on prosthetics, One Step Africa has worked closely with other healthcare organisations in the region, sharing skills and resources. The innovative supply chain and distribution networks have proven to also be of use for the water sanitation, construction, and landmine clearance activities of other NGOs working in the area.
