New Ambulance Means Survival
“When I was pregnant with my son Isaac, I worried a lot because medical help was very far away,” says Mercy, a young mother in rural Kenya West.* “If I had problems, what would I do?”
Mercy is not alone. In remote areas of the country, many people—including pregnant mothers and children—have almost no access to essential medical care. The closest care is often too far away to walk. With little or no reliable transportation, getting to the hospital can take days, leading to many preventable deaths.
Even though The Salvation Army’s Integrated Maternal & Child Health project already supports 5,000 pregnant women and 10,000 children across four regions, the ability to provide emergency response was severely limited due to the lack of transportation.
Recognizing that this gap was a life-and-death issue, The Salvation Army purchased an ambulance in 2024 and hired a paramedic nurse to provide emergency medical care and a driver to transport people, providing invaluable access to essential medical care.
Compassionate support from generous donors makes the ambulance and emergency care possible. Nearly 4,000 people received critical care in the first year—providing accident evacuations, prenatal and postnatal care, rapid medical interventions, emergency referrals and first aid. The ambulance service has also helped strengthen partnerships with local health authorities, improving the coordination of emergency responses.
“When I gave birth to Isaac, there were severe complications,” Mercy says. “I don’t know if my son and I would have survived if it wasn’t for the ambulance transporting us to get specialized medical care. I am so grateful to those who made the ambulance possible.”
Donor support is helping turn barriers into lifelines. Thanks to The Salvation Army community, more mothers, children and community members in remote areas have access to essential medical care. This ambulance is more than transportation—it’s life-changing access and survival.
*Names and photo changed to protect privacy.
