Barkhof and Weide, who run the Netherlands-based foundation, Transport4Transport.nl, said they started funding the project, which is run by Blantyre-based Dutch citizen Peter Meijer’s Sakaramenta workshop, after noting that pregnant women were dying from preventable causes.

These causes include late arrival to healthcare facilities and poor transport modes; include the traditional oxcart or community members carrying patients using the back, a situation that contributed greatly towards Malawi’s high mortality and morbidity rates.

Barkhof, who chairs Transport4Transport, and Weide, the organisation’s treasurer, have so attracted media attention in Malawi they are on high demand, especially at state-run media- Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (radio) and its television arm (FORMERLY Malawi Television).

The two formerly separate institutions have since merged under a new government arrangement envisaged to cut costs and improve efficiency.

“We have been working with various NGOs, including Liebemzell, Stephanos and Maikhanda. In fact, this is the third time to be in Malawi and we are happy to contribute towards sustainable social-economic development,” said Barkhof.

Barkhof, a former Netherlands’ radio presenter and newspaper editor, said they would love to compliments efforts of the Malawi government in improving healthcare service delivery, adding bicycle ambulances have proved to be part of the solution.

Under the arrangement, Meijer produces bicycle carts, specifically designed to get attached to any bicycle.

“We produce two kinds of carts: CareCar, or bicycle ambulance, and TengaCar. This means transport cart. These can be used for any transport tasks and may help small scale business people come around the problem of poverty and improve their lives,” said Meijer.

The CareCar is a bicycle ambulance adapted to transport patients and pregnant women to healthcare facilities, and is ideal for rural areas where transport remains a major challenge and contributing factor towards preventable deaths.

The TengaCar, on the other hand, is a push and bicycle cart designed to carry large volumes of goods.

“The good thing about these innovations is that people will reduce transport costs while, at the same time, preventing unnecessary deaths,” said Meijer.

Minister for the Elderly and People with Disabilities, Reen Kachere, said the innovation could also change lives of people with physical challenges since carrying bulky goods would no longer remain a challenge for them.

Kachere, who earlier in the day held discussions with Barkhof and Weider on the possibility of designing carts for people on wheelchairs, so they may be able to carry bulky goods, hailed the Dutch citizens for their initiative.

"The elderly and people with disabilities face a lot of challenges, and these challenges are compounded when they fall sick. The bicycle ambulances as well as the carts can, thus, go a long way in easing their problems. We want to work with these two well-wishing people to improve the lives of the elderly and the disabled too," said Kachere.

Kachere has, since her appointment as Minister responsible for the elderly and people with disabilities, concentrated much of her efforts on drumming the message that disability is not inability, an initiative that has started bearing fruit.