South-Coast Flying Ambulance Service of Kenya

What is SoCoFAS

SoCoFAS is Non Governmental Organisation that is providing medical care for poor Diani Residents at their Dispensary found on the road heading up to Maweni Village from Diani Beach. SoCoFAS stands for South-Coast Flying Ambulance Service of Kenya which is the goal for this organisation. To run  a ‘Flying ambulance’ for South Coast Kenya from Diani Beach.

SoCoFAS intends to reach the people of Kwale who are not being served by AMREF and are some distances from reliable health centers where they can reach treatment. There are serious challenges to accessing medical care for the people in this expansive district and the good hospitals that are there are out of financial reach for the residents.

The best government hospital is in Mombasa and with the unpredictable ferry crossing to add-on to the 1.5 hours journey, life threatening conditions turn fatal. One of the ways for SoCoFAS to surmount this was by building the dispensary at Maweni village which now is fully operational and staffed by a fulltime nurse and doctor. The dispensary is set up in Maweni, a village in the S-E of Kenya, 35 km south of Mombasa in the district Kwale.

To solve this problem once and for all, SoCoFAS intends to raise money and acquire a plane that will be available for emergency evacuations around South Coast. The more serious cases will be transported to Diani beach hospital and/or later to a state hospital in Mombasa. For these poor people, all the medical expenses are covered by SoCoFAS, including all doctor, nurse, medicine, transport (ground and/or air) and the surgery costs.

The Plane

SoCoFAS hopes to raise enough money to buy a Pilatus PC-12. This plane is used mostly for corporate transport, but small airlines use it to run regional routes as a replacement for older models. It is the biggest single pilot plane with a carrying capacity of 9 passengers.

This aircraft has a superb reputation and is being used by US Air Force, US Forest Service, US Customs Service, Finnish Air Force, Bulgarian Air Force, Argentinian Border Guard, South African Red Cross, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Phoenix Police Department and the Australian Flying Doctor Service.

Some cool Facts about the Pilatus PC-12.

• Cruise speed: 500 km/h (312.5 mph)
• Payload: 1,500 kg (3,502 lb)
• Length: 14.40 m (47 ft 3 in)
• Service ceiling: 9,150 m (30,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 512 m/min at sea level (1,680 ft/min)
• Range 0 passenger: 4,149 km (2,593 mi)
• Range 9 passenger: 2,804 km (1,753 mi)
• Takeoff distance ground roll: 450 m (1,475 ft)
• Landing distance ground roll: 228 m (945 ft)

SoCoFAS intends the plane be self-supporting as it will be let to Safari companies for flights to Mara, Amboseli etc or chartered to people. Given its excellent cruise speed, the plane will always be available in less than an hours notice to take care of any emergencies. will give the doctor/nurse just enough time to stabilize the patient before he will be flown to Mombasa.

This way of operation will make the plane self-sustaining in costs. This will make sure that the Pilatus PC-12 not only helps the people but also generates income for the dispensary.

This noble venture needs your support.

Why, where and how to sponsor ?

The cost to keep the dispensary working is  € 1300 per month, of which € 500 on drugs. All sponsors, large and small, are welcome and appreciated.

One off gift or Standing order to :

IBAN: BE52 0015 4123 3909

BIC-code : GEBABEBB

Beneficiary: SoCoFAS Maweni, Kenya

Bank : Fortis Bank branch :

Albert I laan, 10 B-8670 Oostduinkerke Belgium

How Much?

With a donation of 5€ (8$) a month You can guarantee that one child gets basic medical treatment. We will try to finance the larger costs (salary of doctor, nurse, hospitalisation) by renting out our apartments and other ad-hoc activities.

The larger donations buy a 4×4 ambulance jeep (an absolute necessity in this area, considering the roads or the total lack of them) and other necessary one-off costs (windows in the dispensary, incinerator, tiling of the delivery room, roof for the watertower, generator, …).

For the 2nd hand aeroplane we need donations of about 2 mio € ( 2.8 mio $). The aeroplane will be rented out to a safari company, with the compelling clause that the aeroplane needs to be back on the bush-field, in Maweni, within one hour.

This NGO, without any political, nor religious ties and commitments can make the difference between life or death (literally) for these extremely poor, but oh, so grateful people…and You can make the difference by opening Your heart, and let’s be honest, Your wallet. Because without Your support this project cannot survive.

http://www.socofas.be/

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