About Kupona Foundation

Kupona means ‘to heal’ in Kiswahili. Kupona Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to delivering high quality healthcare to those who need it most. We focus on Tanzania, a country rich in potential but severely impacted by extreme poverty, a challenge compounded by one of the highest population growth rates in the world.

Our partner, CCBRT (Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania), is a leading healthcare provider specializing in disability, rehabilitation and maternal and newborn healthcare. A linchpin in the Tanzanian healthcare system, CCBRT has over two decades of service to the Tanzanian community and partnership with the Government of Tanzania.

Letter from the Leadership

Dear Friends,

As we prepare to celebrate our 10th Anniversary in 2019, we pause to reflect on the things you, our community, have accomplished. We are filled with gratitude. Over the past decade, your partnership, passion, and support have unlocked accessible, high quality healthcare for some of the most vulnerable groups in Tanzania. Asanteni sana (thank you very much). 

Some of our biggest victories this year include:

• Over 30,700 Disability Adjusted Life Years (years lost due to disability) averted through high quality surgical and rehabilitative interventions

• Over 10,000 life changing surgeries performed

• The soft launch of the CCBRT Private Clinic and the CCBRT Academy

• More than 900 maternal and newborn healthcare workers trained by CCBRT’s expert teams

These victories would not have been possible without the Kupona community. You mobilized over $1.1 million in financial and in-kind resources. Beyond financial support, you contributed your time, expertise, and resources as diligent and enthusiastic partners. We don’t take one bit of it for granted.

This year saw many changes for both Kupona and CCBRT. In December, we said farewell to Erwin Telemans after nearly 13 years of dedicated service as CCBRT’s CEO, and welcomed Brenda Msangi into that critical role (you can ‘Meet Brenda’ below!) My colleagues Alexandra Cairns and Samantha Bossalini concluded their official tenure with Kupona - Alex to return to graduate school, and Sami to launch her own business. Kupona Directors Dr. John Brothers and James Mann stepped down from the Board after an incredibly committed 4 years and 9 years of service, respectively. I would be remiss not to thank each of them for their dedication to CCBRT and Kupona. They have left an indelible mark on our organizations, and it has been an honor to work with them. Many of you may be part of our community because of one of these amazing individuals. I encourage you to stay; the powerful work they supported continues, and we need your support. In the first half of 2018, we were thrilled to have Bob Schwed step into the Board President role, and to welcome Betsy Zink to our Board of Directors. You can read more about Bob and Betsy’s October trip to Tanzania below. 

The victories we celebrate in the pages of this report are part of your story too. This narrative will only continue as CCBRT sinks their roots deeper into the community they serve, implementing new programs to make this life changing work sustainable for generations to come. In 2018, CCBRT embarked on a new 5-year strategy, and we were thrilled to work with our colleagues at CCBRT to deliver innovation, progress, and improvements across our transformative programs. We cannot stress enough how critical CCBRT’s programs are to the people they serve, and it is with that in mind that we set our intentions for the future. There is still much work to be done, and we are committed to doing it together.

We are abundantly grateful for all you have contributed to our past and present.  

Thank you,

Abbey Kocan
Executive Director, Kupona Foundation

Meet Brenda Msangi, CEO of CCBRT

Brenda has been a vital member of the team at CCBRT since 2009, most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer, and previously as the Director of the Disability Hospital. She was appointed CEO in December. This transition was part of the long-term vision for CCBRT’s leadership succession. Brenda is a great colleague and friend to Kupona, and we look forward to continuing to work productively with her in support of Kupona and CCBRT’s missions.

Finances

Governance

Celebrating Our Community

In 2018, the Kupona community mobilized over $1.1 million in financial and in-kind resources to enable the continuation and sustainable growth of our life changing programs.

Thank you to every member of our community who supported our work this year. In 2018, you made donations of time, dollars, and even photos through Johnson & Johnson’s Donate A Photo app. You joined us for cocktail receptions, meetings, and golf outings. You brought a piece of Tanzania home with you while supporting the holistic recovery of women who have lived with obstetric fistula through your purchases of handmade items from The Mabinti Centre. And you shared our story by raising awareness on your social media platforms and among the members of your own community.

By sharing your passion and support for our work, you became an integral part of Kupona’s story. You significantly changed the lives of thousands of women, children and people living with disabilities.

We are in awe of your generosity and compassion. Thank you.

Our special thanks goes to:

The Challenge

Estimates suggest that 4.2 million people in Tanzania live with a disability, and over 20 million people are directly affected by disability in their family.

Tanzania has one of the highest population growth rates globally. As a result, the number of people affected by disability in Tanzania will continue to increase. People living with disabilities experience disproportionate levels of poverty and exclusion from social and economic activities, and children with disabilities are particularly vulnerable. More than half of children with disabilities do not attend school due to the stigma and challenges surrounding their condition. Illiteracy among Tanzanians with a disability is 48%. Compounding this struggle is a shortage of high quality surgical and rehabilitative care providers. As a result, even if a person knew that their condition could be treated and sought out treatment, the availability of specialist healthcare is limited.

The Solution

In 2018, the Kupona community rose to meet these challenges.

You invested in comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation for adults and children with disabilities. Your support trained healthcare providers in specialist fields, and made improvements to the existing healthcare infrastructure, enhancing the quality and sustainability of healthcare in Tanzania.

CCBRT is the largest provider of disability and rehabilitation services in Tanzania, providing comprehensive, specialist care that is accessible for every patient regardless of their ability to pay. As a specialist in disability and rehabilitation, CCBRT is committed to sharing its expertise and strengthening the network of quality care available to people with disabilities in Tanzania. Their capacity building efforts target every level of the healthcare system, starting in the home and community and ending with regional hospitals.

In 2018

Our partner CCBRT saw great change and expansion beginning with the soft launch of their new Private Clinic in July. The Private Clinic offers the same high quality rehabilitation services as the Disability Hospital, but also offers ear, nose and throat (ENT) and gynecological services, and some extra conveniences for patients who are able to pay more for their treatment. Revenue from The Private Clinic helps subsidize the cost of care provided to patients who cannot afford crucial health services. In 2018, Private Clinic revenue funded treatment for 20% of patients who could not afford to pay themselves.

The Challenge

Tanzania is one of ten countries in the world that collectively contribute to 61% of global maternal deaths and 66% of global neonatal deaths. It is estimated that over 80% of these deaths could be prevented if expectant mothers had access to comprehensive antenatal care, skilled birth attendants during delivery, and emergency obstetric care.

Improvements to maternal and newborn healthcare save lives and are also the most effective way to prevent disability. For every woman that dies in childbirth in Tanzania, 20 more will develop an injury, infection or debilitating impairment. Each year, thousands of children in Tanzania are born with birth defects like cleft lip/palate and clubfoot. When these impairments aren't properly diagnosed and referred for treatment at birth, they can develop into long-term disabilities, compounding the complexity of treatment and adversely affecting a child's development.

Tanzania's largest urban center, Dar es Salaam, is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Dar es Salaam is on track to become a megacity (with a population greater than 10 million) by 2025, yet the city's healthcare infrastructure was built to serve only 750,000 people. Healthcare facilities are stretched beyond their capacity as more people move into the region. Despite the best efforts of frontline heath workers, shortages of skilled staff, critical gaps in equipment and supplies, and broken referral systems put the lives and welfare of women and newborns at serious risk.

The Solution

As global citizens, our team is proud to participate in international, multi-sector discussions in pursuit of real solutions to the challenges facing our international community.

By participating in conferences and events throughout the year we have opportunities to build partnerships with organizations and individuals who share our passion for global health. We also use storytelling to mobilize our growing community of Kupona supporters. From digital activations and speaking engagements, to golf tournaments and cocktail receptions, our activities in the United States and abroad take on many forms. However, we have one underlying goal: to shine a spotlight on the causes we champion, and to show individuals and institutions how they can empower people and communities living in poverty to realize their full potential.

Celebrating 3 Years of ‘A Night for Health & Hope’

On August 23rd, we were thrilled to host our third annual Night for Health & Hope at Saratoga National Golf Club in upstate New York.

Members of Kupona’s network of supporters and the local Saratoga Springs community came together to golf for good. In the evening’s remarks, our Executive Director Abbey Kocan shared how disability can be a life sentence to poverty in Tanzania, and how for children like Lita, accessing free treatment for a condition like clubfoot is life-changing. Because of the generosity of our community, Lita received the treatment she needed and is now able to walk, play and go to school. Abbey also provided an update on the importance of sustainability and the measures we are taking to ensure that high quality care remains available for generations to come. The generous support of Kupona’s sponsors and the Saratoga Springs community raised over $47,000 to provide life saving and life changing healthcare services to mothers, newborns and children living with disabilities in Tanzania. You can read more about the event on our blog.

Bringing Our Story to New Audiences

In 2018, our team leveraged several global platforms to share Kupona’s story with new audiences.

In early September, Abbey joined an esteemed group of speakers and panelists at the Diaspora Council of Tanzanians in America (DICOTA) 2018 Convention in Bellevue, Washington. Abbey was delighted to address DICOTA for the first time. In her remarks, she highlighted Kupona’s commitment to providing high quality healthcare to those who need it most. She shared CCBRT’s comprehensive approach to healthcare, and important recent and upcoming milestones, including the opening of the CCBRT Private Clinic - a critical achievement in CCBRT’s journey toward social enterprise - and the anticipated completion of the new Maternity & Newborn Hospital in mid-2020.

In September, Abbey spoke on CCBRT’s behalf at the 2018 Concordia Annual Summit in New York City. She shared our joint vision for the future of a new, life-changing project being executed by CCBRT as part of the Creating Hope in Conflict Humanitarian Grand Challenge. Speaking to an audience that included U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator (USAID) Mark Green and Secretary of State for the UK Department for International Development Penny Mordaunt, M.P., Abbey explained how CCBRT will use 3D printing technology to make high quality lower limb prostheses for people with disabilities living in refugee camps in western Tanzania. Ultimately, the project aims to strengthen rehabilitation services in the region and demonstrate the potential to scale this innovative approach in similarly remote and marginalized regions.

Seeing the Impact First Hand

To fully grasp the scale, impact and comprehensive nature of our work in Tanzania, there is nothing like seeing it in person.

In October 2018, two members of our Board of Directors – Bob Schwed and Betsy Zink – traveled to CCBRT to meet with our Tanzanian colleagues in person, share their own expertise and gain a deeper understanding of the priorities in the communities we serve. In addition to taking tours of the new Private Clinic and Maternity Hospital facilities and practicing their screen printing skills at The Mabinti Center, Betsy brainstormed potential areas for future programming with the CCBRT Maternal Health Capacity Building team, calling on her own experience as a doula.     

Read more in Betsy’s beautifully written blog post in which she captured her reflections from the trip, including an explanation of how she became known as ‘the Fistula Lady.”

Global is Local

Part of the beauty of CCBRT’s model and method is their focus on serving and empowering the community in which they work through community-based support.

Likewise, Kupona has experienced the support and generosity of local community in our hometown - Saratoga Springs, NY - as we raise funds and awareness for CCBRT’s life changing work.

In November, our team was proud to announce a new partnership with Fingerpaint Marketing and Saratoga Hospital that will help reach more mothers and newborns with high quality care over the next three years. After pledging their support for quality maternal and newborn care on both a local and global level in 2019, Fingerpaint made a generous three-year commitment to support our maternal health efforts in Tanzania. You can read more about our partnership in The Saratogian.