Policy Plan for 2024 – 2026
Mission
Doctors for Mozambique helps talented, low-income students become doctors by paying their tuition and/or contributing to their living expenses. In this way, it contributes to a structural solution to the dire shortage of doctors in this African country.
Vision
Doctors for Mozambique consciously chooses to provide structural aid to the country. It does so by ensuring that more young, talented Mozambicans can be trained as doctors, so that they themselves can heal their people. Because, as a Japanese proverb says, you can give fish to someone hungry, but it is better to teach them to fish.
Methodology
Doctors for Mozambique, in close cooperation with the faculty and high schools, aims to select students who not only achieve high grades but are also maximally motivated to pursue the seven-year degree program in medicine. Tuition is transferred directly to the university each year. In addition to tuition, Doctors for Mozambique pays a monthly contribution toward living expenses and study materials.
To qualify for a scholarship, students must meet the following conditions:
The student must have high grades in high school.
The student must be motivated to complete the study of medicine.
The student (or parents/caregivers) are unable to pay for the study themselves;
The student must show good annual progress.
The student is contractually obligated to repay half of the tuition paid by the foundation after graduation, spread over several years.
Selection and Guidance
To maximise the chances of graduation, extra attention is paid to the intake and hiring of prospective students. Prospective students are tested for a weekend with the support of professional tutors. Based on the results, the decision to hire is made or not. Such a selection weekend gives, in addition to insight into intelligence, a better and more complete picture of the candidate regarding motivation, perseverance and private circumstances. It is also well explained to the candidate students what the foundation expects of them during, but also after, completion of the study.
The guidance during the study consists, among other things, of several days where the students are obliged to come together to see where they stand in their study, but also especially in their social development. In addition, of course, study results and progress are closely monitored.
Organization
The organisation of Doctors for Mozambique can be represented as follows:
The Board
The Board consists of five members with different areas of responsibility. The board members have complementary competencies and work voluntarily.
Chairman Winny Muller
Secretary Thia de Jong
Treasurer Perry van Bekhoven
Member of the Board (communication) Mariët Jonkhout
Member of the Board (activities) vacant
Representatives
Gitta and Harrie van der Meeren, the liaison-
Gitta and Harrie van der Meeren from Nuenen volunteered for several periods of several weeks a year at the medical faculty of the university in Beira until 2020 to teach the subjects of microbiology and dermatology. Two doctors have been trained to take over this work from them.
Gitta and Harrie, on behalf of the Foundation, are also directly involved in selecting students and assessing and reporting on progress
There are representatives on the ground to support Gitta and Harrie when they are in Beira, and to represent the Foundation when they are not in Mozambique.
Apesmo
To ensure the desired continuity of the foundation’s activities, a “subsidiary organisation” was established in Beira in March 2019, called Apesmo (Associação de Apoio a Profissionais e Estudantes de Saúde em Moçambique), translated Association for Professionals and Students in Care in Mozambique. This association is recognised by the state. Apesmo helps with some executive tasks in Beira. They take over the activities of the foundation in stages to ensure continuity.
Sources of income and use of funds
Doctors for Mozambique receives its income from individuals, companies and organisations and service clubs. The foundation invests a lot of time in fundraising. The funds generated are used for tuition and living expenses of our students.
The cost of tuition and living expenses is approximately € 3,000 per year per student. So, for the total study duration of 7 years (preparatory year plus 6 years of medicine), that is just over € 21,000 per student
In addition to these costs, there are costs for the selection weekend and guidance meetings.
Reserves
Doctors for Mozambique wants to have sufficient resources so that once a student has started, he or she can complete the entire study.
Number of students to be hired
Growth in the number of students depends on the financial situation of the foundation.
Remuneration policy
The board members and the liaison receive no remuneration for their work. The Mozambican representatives on site receive an expense allowance.
Accountability
The financial accountability and translation of the policy take place via the annual accounts, which are also made public in their entirety via the website.
The board adopts an annual operating budget.
Adoption
This policy plan is calibrated annually and updated as needed.
The 2024-2026 policy plan was adopted at the May 13, 2024, board meeting.
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