At the Hospitainer Foundation, we believe that access to safe and dignified maternal care should never depend on geography. That’s why we are proud to support the efforts of Stichting Steengoed voor Afrika with the donation of a delivery bed for their new hospital in Cabante, Guinea Bissau.

Guinea Bissau is one of the world’s poorest countries, where access to essential healthcare remains a major challenge, particularly in rural areas. Medical infrastructure is limited, distances between villages and hospitals are vast, and reliable transport is often unavailable.

For many people living outside the capital, accessing urgent medical care can mean travelling up to nine hours by car, if a car is available at all. This has serious consequences for maternal and neonatal health, where timely access to skilled birth assistance can be the difference between life and death.

Improving access to safe childbirth facilities is therefore a crucial step in reducing preventable maternal and infant mortality.

Since 2017/2018, Stichting Steengoed has been working in Guinea Bissau in close collaboration with missionary Americo, who has been active in the country for over 22 years and lives in Jemberem. In 2023, the foundation launched the construction of a much needed community hospital in the village of Cabante, located approximately one hour from Jemberem. Once completed, this facility will provide accessible medical care to an estimated 55,000 to 60,000 people in the surrounding region.

Construction of the hospital began in November 2024 with the help of eight volunteers from the Netherlands, working alongside many local community members. The building is now in its final stages of completion, and preparations are underway to equip it with essential medical supplies, including an ambulance currently en route from the Netherlands.

To help ensure safe childbirth services from day one, the Hospitainer Foundation has donated a professional delivery bed to the new hospital. This vital piece of equipment will support healthcare workers in providing safer, more hygienic, and more effective maternity care for women in the region.

The hospital is scheduled to officially open in mid May and is expected to have a transformative impact on healthcare accessibility in Cabante and its surrounding communities.

We are honoured to contribute to this important initiative and look forward to seeing how this new facility will improve the lives of thousands of families in rural Guinea Bissau.