Ontario RIDE
September 6-7, 2024
For the Love of Women and Babies
We are back in the saddle for another Ride for Gutu Mission Hospital. Our mission remains unchanged - to make a lasting and positive impact on maternal and infant healthcare in the Gutu District by supporting the efforts of Gutu Mission Hospital (GMH) through training opportunities for staff and upgrades to existing infrastructure.
On September 6th and 7th, a group of cyclists will ride over two days from Dundas to Port Dover in Ontario, Canada, and back to raise essential funds for a training workshop which will equip healthcare professionals with the necessary skills and knowledge to diagnose and manage emergencies during childbirth, ensuring the well-being of mothers-to-be and their babies.
Additionally, we plan to address a crucial need at Gutu Mission Hospital - restoring the water supply in the maternity unit, this will improve infection control and ease the burden of work for the staff from carrying water in buckets. Our goal is to ensure that clean and reliable running water is readily available for both the dedicated staff and expectant mothers who rely on the hospital's services.
Our fundraising target for 2024 is $60,000.00. Your generous contributions and support will create a lasting impact, improving maternal and infant healthcare while empowering healthcare professionals in Zimbabwe.
We invite all cycling enthusiasts to be a part of this event. Registration will open in February. Your participation will help us bring health and hope to the mothers and babies in the Gutu District and Zimbabwe.
The Ontario Ride begins in
Gutu Mission Hospital
The risk of dying from pregnancy-related factors in Zimbabwe is far worse than in Canada.
Gutu hospital staff is hard working and has adapted well to working under difficult conditions and chronic shortages. It aspires to excellence, attaining good standards of cleanliness and patient care but is restricted by budgetary constraints, unserviceable and unreliable equipment, and aging infrastructure. Gutu Mission Hospital (GMH):
- Is the district referral centre for 250,000 people in rural Zimbabwe
- Serves as the first stop for medical emergencies from 30 smaller satellite clinics
- Conducts 1/3 of all the in-hospital deliveries in the Gutu District.
- Is the only hospital in Gutu District with a capacity for caesarean deliveries.
- Trains nurses at a school of nursing and clinical departments.
EMAS Canada has been invited by the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ) and Gutu Development Association to assist in the upgrading of Gutu Mission Hospital and training its medical staff. Maternity is the busiest department at GMH and is our primary focus.
By sponsoring a cyclist, you can help provide the resources needed to improve the maternity ward and clinical services at Gutu Mission Hospital in Zimbabwe.
