“Simba health has been dedicated to provide medical care for the poor and most marginalized groups in Africa, regardless their race, religion or political preference.”
MISSION & VISION
Access to safe surgical and anesthesia should be available for all people. SIMBA Health is committed to help accelerate the present development to make specialist surgical care more available for the underprivileged in the Region where it is active. SIMBA Health wants to be(come) a stable partner for hospitals, NGO’s and governments in the Lake Region, to invest in options, that help improve the availability of specialist surgical care. This answers to the local demands in the region, by strengthening internal Tanzanian resources with external facilities: both medical and organizational.
“Injury kills more people every year than HIV, TB and malaria combined, and the overwhelming majority of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries”
HISTORY
1989: Erik Staal and Harry Kamstra ✝︎
The SIMBA Health Foundation is an association of Dutch medical professionals who have been delivering medical services in the Tanzania Lake zone intermittently since the 1990’s. Our organization is involved in several health related projects in Tanzania, from essential equipment to education and specialist visits. Some of the founders (Erik and Jiska Staal) are the second generation of medical volunteers. Jiska's parents Jantine and Harry Kamstra have been working in Africa since 1971. In 1990 Harry Kamstra died in a plane crash during a broadcast for Memisa. From 1990 to 2003 Jantine Kamstra worked in mother and child care on islands on the edge of Lake Victoria. Erik and Jiska's relationship with Sengerema goes back a long way. Inspired by their parents, Erik, Jiska and their 3 children went to Tanzania to continue their work as a doctor and nurse. To support their initiative, Simbahealth was founded. After working for 5 years in Sengerema, the Staal family went back to The Netherlands where Erik specialized to become a surgeon. Meanwhile Simbahealth continued to support medical initiatives in Africa. Since 2010 specialist team visits to Sengerema Hospital are being organized by Simbahealth with the support of the surgeons of Slingeland Hospital, The Netherlands.
GOVERNANCE
Collaboration within Simbahealth
Good control
The board manages Simbahealth based on the interests of the foundation, both in the short and long term, based on the objectives and ambitions as formulated in the articles of association and the strategic plan.
The board ensures that the statutes of the board are public.
The formal annual reports and policy documents are made public through the appropriate channels.
Accountability
Board members of Simbahealth have no interests or partial interests outside of Simbahealth's primary objectives.
Board members do not have activities outside of Simbahealth that could conflict with Simbahealth's interests.
The resources of Simbahealth that are used by board members for direct Simbahealth activities are accounted for annually in the annual report, including substantiation.
Dialogue and reflection
Board members are accountable on all subjects that matter, be it substantive, procedural or relational; Questioning each other critically is a value that benefits transparency and honesty within the board. We think about what we do, why we do it and how we do it.
Remuneration policy
The board members do not receive any remuneration for the activities. Only expenses can be claimed. Volunteers on specialist team visits pay their own travel and accommodation costs. Occasionally it is deviated from and only when the board has decided unanimously for a specific goal.
Reports:
Find our most recent reports by klicking the following links:
Vision, Mission, Strategy & Directors (PDF)
Policy document (PDF)
Annual report 2022 (PDF)
Annual report 2021 (PDF)
Annual report 2020 (PDF)
Financial-Report-2017-2019 (PDF)
Financial-Report-2021 (PDF)
THE TEAM
Bart Boll
Chairman. As a resident I visited Sengerema hospital for the first time in 1985. After training for Tropical Medicine I specialized in general surgery and subsequently a subspecialisation in vascular surgery. Since 2005 I have been part of 4 outreach visits with Erik Staal to Sengerema Hospital as a general surgeon and more to come.
Erik Staal
Advisory Board and Volunteer Consultant Surgeon: Co-founder of Simbahealth. From 1999 - 2004 Medical Officer in Sengerema mission Hospital, Tanzania. From 2004 – 2020 Chairperson of the Simba Health board. Over 20 years of experience in different hospitals in both The Netherlands and Tanzania. Former board member of the Dutch Training Institute for International doctors. For 12 years working as General -and trauma surgeon and supervisor of the doctors, specializing in Tropical Medicine and International Health. Since 2022 working as Consultant Surgeon in the Lake Zone, Tanzania
Jiska Staal-Kamstra
Advisory Board and Volunteer Nurse and Project Coordinator: Co-founder of Simbahealth. Jiska has 22 years of work experience in different hospitals in both the Netherlands and Tanzania, and as a community health nurse. Bachelor in Nursing 1991 specialized in neonatology, primary healthcare, care of the multiple disabled, terminal care. Right now stationed in Tanzania and working in two faith based Hospitals
Gerrit Staal
Marketing and Logistics. Owner and director of a forklift company since 1995. Broad experience in Logistics. Over the years involved in the development of a music studio and a startup company for computers and networking. Coördinator of many multimedia projects over time.
Edwin Laagland Winder
Finances. Recently the new treasurer of the Simba Foundation. In daily life running his own financial advisory firm on accounting and tax matters.
I have always appreciated non-profit work in general and specifically the work of the Simba Foundation with practical medical care in Africa. Therefore I consider it a privilege to be involved in the management of Simba as board member.
Marjo Stoter
Secretary. In April 2021 I was able to join the board of Simbahealth. I hereby took on the secretary's duties. It is special to be part of a foundation which I have been following closely for a number of years now. Together with the rest of the board I hope to offer good support to thee projects and medical visits. In my daily life I work in education.
Susan Lemon
I have been working as a general and vascular surgeon at the Slingeland hospital since 2006, and from 2009 to 2022 together with Erik Staal. In 2012, I went with my family to Sengerema for the first time, lost my heart and found warmth there. Since then I have regularly been able to help build better health care for the poorest in the Lake Zone. In the Slingeland Hospital we train tropical doctors (AIGT) and I was given the task of deputy trainer in 2014 and of trainer OIGT in 2022.
By joining the board of SimbaHealth in 2022, I hope to keep the connection between Slingeland Hospital and Sengerema Hospital strong, and to facilitate the broadcasts with practical and moral support.