The Mama Vicky Medical Centre in DR Congo hopes to raise $90,000 to fund all operations for a full year.
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Taking a loved one to the hospital can be a tough task for anyone, but for some, that journey must be made on foot over gruelling distances.
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For the isolated community of Kalegha in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that distance can be the difference between life and death.
A fundraising effort based in Shepparton hopes to change that by providing funding for a medical centre in the town.
The idea came from Jean Marie Mupenda, who is originally from that region and owns the land that will host the centre.
Mr Mupenda, now living in Kialla, has heard many stories of the impacts of limited access to medical care in Kalegha, including people removing teeth with pliers and no anaesthetic.
The centre will be named for Mama Vicky, Mr Mupenda’s mother, who was tragically killed by lightning when he was less than a year old.
Mr Mupenda was “on her back, like any good African mother looking after her baby”.
He still bears a scar on his foot from the incident.
Mama Vicky was well known in the Kalegha community for caring for children who needed to live away from home to access the local school.
Although Mr Mupenda never had the opportunity to know her, Mama Vicky’s care for children who weren’t her own was mirrored in Mr Mupenda’s own life.
When he was 13, he met Jeanne and Ivan F. Lewis, a missionary couple from California, at Institut De Lukanga.
The pair discovered how well Mr Mupenda was doing in class and paid for him to attend boarding school even after they left DR Congo.
Mr Mupenda hopes to honour them alongside his mother with the work of the medical centre, and their attitudes towards others is clearly reflected in his own ethos.
“I like to help anyone who really needs my help, it goes beyond blood,” Mr Mupenda said.
“I pay tribute to this couple who showed me a true love that has no barrier.”
The building that will host the facility has already been built and needs only $90,000 to employ two doctors, three nurses and supply the facility for a year.
The low cost is due to the relative strength of the Australian dollar, with a doctor’s yearly salary costing less than $3000.
The fundraising effort is being managed by a committee in Shepparton that works with a local committee in DR Congo.
Mr Mupenda is ensuring that the funds raised will go to the project by requesting photographic proof of additions to the site from multiple people.
The fundraising group is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.
The centre will prioritise mental health services for people who have experienced conflict in the region and nutritional support for mothers and young children.
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