With its staff of community nurses, dentists, opticians, counsellors and medical students, the train travels throughout the country treating people whose health needs were wilfully neglected under apartheid.

'Phelophepa' means 'good clean health' and the train's 16 carriages have covered nearly 90,000 miles and reached more than 500,000 people since its launch in 1993. The train travels for 9 months of the year, spending a week at each stop. An average of 1,000 people are seen at each stop, some of them walking more than 18 miles to reach the train. None are deterred by bad weather and will queue patiently in thunderstorms and searing heat.

The train's itinerary is carefully researched and runs like clockwork. Transnet (the South African Railway system) staff visit the areas ahead of the train's arrival meeting teachers, community leaders, clinic staff and others so that when the train pulls into the station everyone is waiting.

As well as treating individuals, train staff visit schools to screen and teach basic health care to children. At each stop 25 community volunteers are selected to be trained in health care, so that expertise is left behind and a body of health care knowledge is built up in the rural communities. These are called 'Edu-clinics'.

Patients pay a nominal fee for treatment and the project is largely funded by Transnet, in conjunction with the business and private sectors. Dr. Lillian Cingo, the train's energetic and charismatic manager is South African born and has a formidable record of experience in professional health care. A highly trained neurological nurse, she has several qualifications in counselling and has recently been awarded an honorary doctorate from London's prestigious Tavistock Centre where she once worked. She also speaks four African languages and feels that her job is 'the logical culmination to her life and work experience'.

We are very proud that, in the years of the struggle against apartheid, Lillian Cingo was one of the many students who benefited from the generosity of the Canon Collins Educational Trust for Southern Africa (CCETSA), one of the main fundraisers for the Phelophepa.

Donations are needed to keep the project on track. Cheques should be made payable to 'ACTSA Scotland' and sent to

South Africa has seen nothing like it - a train that brings health care to the people.