Mobility 4 Life NPC

What Mobility 4 Life NPC offers as a PBO provider of Prosthetic solutions:

Presently within SA the deployment of Prosthetic Technology takes place via either Public and Private Hospitals and their respective Prosthetic departments/wards or through private Prosthetic Practices.

In many cases due to a multitude of differentiating factors the successful deployment of Prosthetic solutions to the previously disadvantaged and poorer community patients ends up being a time consuming process where long waiting periods and backlogs are common place leaving the disabled patient with very restrictive mobility.

M4L in taking cognisance of these facts and in many cases the added expense required for amputee patients to get to hospitals, clinics or private practices, sought out a Prosthetic technology that would negate the need for traveling great distances beyond the patients rural community clinic, drastically reduce the onsite fabrication and fitting time while in addition simplify and reduce the maintenance of the Prosthetic supplied.

The Modular Socket Technology (MSS) provides a comprehensive solution directly addressing these unique requirements delivering prosthetic solutions and mobility to the poorest of the poor amputee patients living in remote areas of SA. When deployed through M4L’s ‘community based project model’ a quality and sustainable product becomes available to rural amputees. 

How Mobility 4 Life will provide quarterly interventions within its 12 month support program:

After an initial patient group assessment (intervention: 1) conducted by the contracted Prosthetic specialist, a two day onsite (depending on patient numbers) deployment is initiated (this is day 1/intervention 2 of the 12 month project) consisting of the following protocols:

• Fabrication
• Fitment
• Alignment
• basic rehabilitation  (offered by a participating Physiotherapist in collaboration with the Prosthetic specialist)
• gait training (offered by a participating Physiotherapist)
• hygiene training

Once concluded the patient is then informed that at the end of each quarter (dates and venue to be supplied to the patient) a day support program as part of the 12 month maintenance program will be run by the contracted Prosthetist focusing on the following protocols:

• End of First quarter: (Intervention: 3) Technical assessment focusing on alignment, socket fitting and gait training 
• End of Second quarter: (Intervention: 4) Socket fitting (possible socket re-fit should it be required), general wear and tear evaluation
• End of Third quarter: (Intervention: 5) Socket alignment, general wear and tear evaluation
• End of Fourth quarter: (Intervention: 6) Socket re-fit, liner re-fit, final gait and hygiene training, final Prosthetic adjustments

What is the funding model for such projects and how will M4L deploy these funds once sourced:

For M4L to deliver on its intent ‘to directly change lives’, it not only requires a superior technology and all the attributes that accompany its abilities, in addition it requires a suitable mechanism or vehicle within the SA context to not only identify, create and deploy ‘life changing’ projects but to effectively solicit funds from various sources to fund these projects.  

Once a project has been established a consolidated budget encompassing the entire project deployment is presented to prospective funders to fund. (Presently the overall cost per patient prosthetic intervention and 12 month support program is ZAR: 55 000.00, approx $ 5 000.00, with a minimum project size of 15 patients). Once funding is secured and accessible the project is initiated.

Funding is sourced by two channels; firstly through a number of individual donors accumulating contributions into a project fund (budget) and secondly by companies, foundations, philanthropists and church groups individually funding an entire project.

By being a PBO NPC, M4L has created an effective mechanism through which Corporate Companies, Individuals, Foundations and various other donors can:

• Fund a sum of money to M4L to be deployed among various projects across SA as a Tax Deduction 
• Fund a specific project under a CSI initiative and gain Socio Economic Development (SED) accreditation

The community based project model provides a detailed, measurable and accountable structure from which projects are planned, budgeted, managed, delivered and assessed in accordance with targets and deliverable set. Projects are run onsite within rural communities requiring only basic infrastructure to support the deployment.

M4L estimates that there are between 25 000 – 35 000 rural amputees across South Africa. Through structured, transparent, measurable and accountable interventions M4L is confident it will make a significant impact over the next five years working with local Prosthetists and rural community leaders in the deployment of Prosthetics among rural amputees.