Winner
Investing in Life Award
Umthombo Youth Development Foundation
A shortage of qualified healthcare staff at rural hospitals, plus the inability of many foreign doctors to understand locals, motivated the launch of the Umthombo Youth Development Foundation in 1999.
Since then this not-for-profit organisation based in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, has ensured that "rural youth become the healthcare professionals needed by their hospitals". It has four employees who manage an annual R10-million budget.
Umthombo's director, Gavin MacGregor, believes the best way to address healthcare staff shortages is to invest in rural youth. He is a qualified medical doctor who said that the organisation identifies "rural youth with potential".
"We provide financial and mentoring support for these youth to pursue an approved health-science degree at university. This is on condition that on the completion of their studies they will work at a rural hospital for the same number of years that they were supported," said MacGregor.
Umthombo has had 90 health-science graduates since it started, covering 14 different health-science disciplines. This year it is supporting 150 rural students. MacGregor said the project was set to continue "as the shortages of qualified staff at rural hospitals are still unacceptably high".
Global research has guided the organisation to focus on educating rural residents. The research has indicated that health-science graduates of rural origin are more likely to work and live in rural areas.
The South African healthcare system has for years struggled to retain rural staff by luring and then losing urban graduates who prefer a more lucrative city lifestyle.
MacGregor said Umthombo intends to "build a team of qualified professionals at rural hospitals, as opposed to simply training doctors". "This project is proactive. Shortages of health workers are normally left to the government to deal with. This project takes the initiative to do something and ensures that rural communities receive quality healthcare that is the right of every South African citizen."
Umthombo has been sustainable because it includes a give-back element that students must follow. "The model we are using of providing youth with opportunities to become healthcare professionals on condition that they work at a rural hospital makes this intervention sustainable. They provide services to their community, they serve as role models to the youth in the area and they will work at a rural hospital for at least four years," he said.
"Our investment in them is paid back in many ways. They are studying disciplines that are in high demand. These are scarce skills in South Africa and means that they will always be employed. "Our investment is in rural youth who will immediately become employable. This contributes to breaking the cycle of rural poverty."
The students' progress is monitored monthly through a mentorship component. The mentors collect test and examination results and struggling students are helped to address their challenges. "Overall pass rates are calculated each year and ways of improving on these results are discussed. Last year our pass rate was 89%," MacGregor said.
Mentors also measure the impact of graduates in the workplace, through communications with hospital management and supervisors. Umthombo's success can also be attributed to its close relationship with the rural communities it serves. Its launch was eased when the community linked to Mosvold Hospital — where the organisation launched — donated R15 000 towards its first year of operation.
Four local students were accepted as Umthombo's inaugural university students and they graduated four years later. Rural residents appoint members to sit on the interview committee that selects students for the programme. Umthombo has also strengthened ties with local institutions.
"We work in partnership with rural hospitals, which share our vision and commit time and resources such as holding hospital open days for school learners. "These hospitals allow our students to do holiday work. Graduates come from the community and they give feedback to the community on the progress of the programme," said MacGregor.
The judges were unanimous in their selection of Umthombo as the winner in this category. They praised the project's youth focus, its local content, sustainability and mentorship, saying it should be replicated in other parts of the country.