“PaLM is an open channel…”
PaLM in London is a group of health professionals, educators, IT specialists, activists and others, who come together to support sexual health education and sustainable development in Southern Tanzania.
PaLM partners in Tanzania are centred at the Clinical Officers Training College (COTC), Mtwara, which is also a Zonal Health Resource Centre (ZHRC).
PaLM works with senior management, tutors, IT staff and students to support the evolution of the college as a Centre of Excellence for Sexual and Reproductive Health and a Hub for Learning.
On one hand, PaLM supports linking the COTC community into online networks for health learning; on the other, we support expanded and strengthened links with local communities, via community based study and outreach.
Funders
PaLM is gratefully reliant on the support of:
• Many private anonymous donors;
• VSO TZ and VSO UK
• Tropical Health Education Trust
• The British Council
• BMJ 4 LIFE
PaLM in London is run by a board of Trustees bringing wide ranging experience of health management, community based development, legal, financial and technical expertise from North, South and borderless settings.
PaLM Aims
1. Develop effective UK ↔ Tanzania partnership that identifies local need and shapes a response jointly
2. Improve the knowledge, skills and capacity of our partners in Tanzania by offer appropriate programmes and support
3. Draw out and share the learning for UK based professionals about our development model
These translate into more specific medium term commitments to strengthening the link with our Tanzanian partners to improve sexual health learning in health training institutions and sexual health in the community. PaLM aims to ensure all of its projects are environmentally sustainable.
PaLM values
Our approach to this work is one of the defining features of the organization. Our values include:
· Investment in the link as a ‘relationship’ between organizations in London and Mtwara.
· Understanding this relationship is a long term investment essential to support collaboration between the organizations involved
· Valuing the role of personal interactions as the direct expression of North-South solidarities
· Commitment to institutional innovation, building new networks, etc in response to jointly agreed priorities and ambitions (a wide, institution based approach to supporting health training)
· Cross-organisational, whole systems approach to problem solving, with joined up working from grassroots to policy making communities
· Commitment to consider the environmental consequences and contexts of interventions
