Transaid is an international development organisation that has been a vital part of the road transport landscape for many years and is strongly supported by the wider industry.
Founded by Save the Children, The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), and its Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, the charity works with communities, partners, and governments to improve road safety and access to health throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
The organisation raises funds in a variety of ways, a key one being corporate memberships that have helped it develop longstanding HGV and PSV driver training programmes across the continent.
For example, Transaid corporate partners recently donated three HGVs to the Industrial Training Centre (ITC) in Lusaka, that will be used to train hundreds of new and existing professional drivers in Zambia.
Previously operated in the UK, the vehicles comprise two Scania R450 tractor units donated by longstanding corporate partner The Malcolm Group.
In addition, Asset Alliance Group, which became a corporate partner in January 2024, supplied a DAF CF rigid, and covered the cost of shipping.
It contributes to an ongoing partnership between Transaid and the ITC which was formed in 2008 and has together trained more than 25,000 drivers during the 17-year period.
The trucks were fully serviced prior to transportation, and Transaid corporate partner Brigade Electronics installed two analogue high-definition side cameras, along with a seven-inch colour monitor in each vehicle’s cab.
These cameras activate when the indicators are switched on and are designed to eliminate blind spots and improve a driver’s view of both sides of the vehicle.
Another corporate partner, Microlise, supplied access to its fleet performance and driver safety software solutions, together with telematics equipment.
“Transaid is an organisation very close to our hearts and we take a huge sense of pride in knowing that these two vehicles, which have worked so hard for our business, can now enjoy a second life helping to make the roads safer in Zambia alongside our previously donated vehicles,” said Andrew Malcolm, Chief Executive of The Malcolm Group.
Willie Paterson, Chief Executive of Asset Alliance Group, added: “Hearing that new duties on imported vehicles would cause a potential problem for donations, we saw an opportunity to step up and help.
“The work Transaid does is incredible and shouldn’t be limited by shipping costs.”
One of the exclusive benefits open to corporate supporters is the opportunity to volunteer colleagues to work on structured secondments with Transaid for anything from a week to more than a year.
Earlier this year, Kemi Ojo-Osagie, a graduate at logistics firm GXO, took part in a six-month placement in Ghana, supporting the nationwide rollout of a newly developed standard for training of HGV drivers.
She was the fourth graduate from GXO to take up such a Transaid secondment, with a new graduate invited to apply every six months.
The project she was involved in primarily focused on advocacy and outreach work, speaking to commercial vehicle drivers and stakeholders involved in the Driving Safety Across Ghana project.
Priorities included the development of fact sheets for drivers, as well as supporting the sensitisation of drivers at truck parks close to coastal ports.
With funding from the Puma Energy Foundation, Transaid began driver training programmes in Ghana in 2021.
Over the course of three years, more than 2,000 drivers have received refresher training from 19 HGV driver trainers, and four master trainers.
Training has been carried out to new standards crafted specifically for Ghana’s road transport sector, developed by more than 30 stakeholders with input from Transaid’s partners and experts in France, Tanzania, Uganda and the UK.
Thelma Ayisi, Project Manager for Transaid in Ghana, said: “The secondees who join us every year are a testament to GXO as an organisation.
“They are always excellent additions to our team and offer impressive levels of expertise and professionalism.”
Logistics solutions provider DP World recently signed a three-year agreement with Transaid to become its latest corporate partner, joining more than 30 companies from across the industry in pledging its support to the organisation.
DP World operates across 78 countries offering supply chain solutions within the automotive, chemicals, healthcare, perishables, retail and technology sectors.
In the UK it operates two deep water ports and rail freight terminals at London Gateway and Southampton, a logistics park and an advanced software business providing online links to customers and border control.
Ernst Schulze, Chief Executive Officer for Ports and Terminals at DP World in the UK, said: “DP World has a firm commitment to supporting communities and leaving a positive legacy in the areas which we operate.
“We have been closely following Transaid’s projects for some time, and we are excited to get behind an organisation which does such fantastic work around road safety and access to healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa.”
Meanwhile, Transaid has partnered with fellow nonprofit organisation American International Health Alliance (AIHA) on a 12-month supply chain strengthening project, funded by The Gates Foundation, with Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Services (EPSS).
The project will see Transaid work to build human resources capacity and support staff development within the EPSS.
This Addis Ababa-based agency procures nearly $1 billion worth of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies each year, for delivery to more than 4,000 health facilities across the country.
The project has so far included the development of a tailored implementation plan to guide the rollout of actions identified in the initial analysis, with clear responsibilities for all project partners and a tracking tool to measure inputs.
Setting up in-person and remote workshops to support knowledge exchange will also form an important part of the plan.
Sam Clark, Head of Programmes for Transaid, said: “The wealth of knowledge we can unlock through our corporate partners is second to none.
“Combined with everything we already know as an organisation about transport, logistics, and access to healthcare from three decades working across sub-Saharan Africa, it makes Transaid the perfect delivery partner for a project like this.”
For more information and to find out how you can support the organisation visit www.transaid.org
