Key Statistics (since opening in September 2023)

• 5600 outpatients seen
• 4000 laboratory tests
• 6200 received health education
• 84 pregnant women registered
• 72 prosthetic & orthotic devices provided
• 36 wheelchairs & trikes given
• 230 physiotherapy sessions provided

Highlights from New Hope Kajo-Keji

• Clean running water is now available in the clinic thanks to the addition of a pump, control unit, insulated water towers and sinks. This is a huge upgrade and will dramatically improve working conditions for our team and their patients.
• Electricity is now available onsite thanks to installation of generator, solar panels and battery storage.
• Prosthetic limbs, and wheelchair distributions taking place at the clinic thanks to outreach mobile clinics provided by our team from New Hope BidiBidi.  
• First baby born at New Hope Kajo-Keji! - although deliveries are usually referred to the government hospital, one baby girl decided to make an appearance quicker than expected. Our amazing midwife stepped in and delivered a healthy baby girl.

Story for New Hope Kajo-Keji: Rose and Solomon

Rose lives in Kajo-Keji with her son Solomon, having returned from BidiBidi refugee settlement in Uganda. Although she has to walk three hours to reach the clinic, Rose has been making use of the services available since the clinic opened in September 2023, and has returned three times with Solomon when he has been suffering from a fever and diahorrea.

Rose and Solomon visited the clinic again in March, when Solomon was diagnosed with Malaria through a rapid test and was given medication to combat the disease. Malaria is the most common case the team seen at the clinic.

Rose commented that the team have really helped and cared for her and she was grateful that HHA have empowered a local team. Our team provided Solomon with more than just medication – they also showed him love, and gave his mother hope in difficult circumstances. Ultimately, this is what HHA’s work is all about, and what we strive to achieve with every beneficiary that we see at New Hope Kajo-Keji.

Throughout May 2024, we are running our Matched May Appeal where all donations towards our global disability work will be doubled by a generous donor. This is an amazing opportunity for your donations to go twice as far. Get all the info here.

1. GLOBAL DISABILITY CARE

We continued to provide empowerment, dignity, and support to people with disabilities in Haiti, Uganda, and South Sudan. Last year, we provided over 1,450 wheelchairs, more than 300 prosthetic and orthotic devices, and thousands of rehabilitation sessions. We also opened a new rehab garden for patients with spinal cord injuries in Haiti, hosted another wonderful 'Night to Shine' for young people with special needs, and got a new vehicle in Uganda, enabling us to reach more people through mobile clinics.

HHA are taking part in this global day of charity where, for 24 hours, every donation will be worth more. The fundraising platform Global Giving is offering $1.2 million of ‘incentive funds’, and the more we raise on the day, the more of these funds we receive. This is an amazing opportunity for us, a great way to kick off our Christmas campaign, and can have a huge impact on our year-end fundraising (last year we received over $20,000 in incentive funds alone, just from this 24 hours of fundraising!)

If you are able to make a donation to HHA this Giving Tuesday, and increase the value of your gift at no extra cost to you, please make your donation directly through our Global Giving project today! 

We will be using this opportunity to raise vital funds for our maternal and infant health projects globally. Pregnancy and motherhood should be a time of joy and hope - something we are reminded of at Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. But for thousands of women and girls around the world, it is simply a time of fear: a girl in South Sudan is more likely to die in childbirth than finish secondary school; 1 in every 39 babies born in Haiti will not survive their first month. 

We provide maternal and infant healthcare in Haiti, South Sudan, and Uganda, to make pregnancy, birth and childhood safer, happier, and less scary. This includes community outreach to identify and refer high-risk pregnancies, expert maternal and neonatal care at our dedicated clinics, training and resource provision within communities to make home births safer, and nutritional support and vaccinations in early childhood. With our new clinic in South Sudan, rapidly expanding community outreach projects in Uganda, and growing awareness of, and demand for, our services in Haiti, we have more capacity than ever to improve outcomes for mothers and babies. But we desperately need funds to be able to do so. 

Giving Tuesday kicks off our period of festive fundraising, and is a great opportunity to make your Christmas donation go further. But don't worry if you can't donate  today - we'll be sharing other ways to support our maternal and infant health work very soon, so stay tuned!

As a result of these grants, the team of CHAs has increased from two to five and undertake regular household visits to these communities. Since May, the CHAs have carried out 1,217 antenatal and postnatal checks, 306 malnutrition consultations and have provided education on childbirth, breastfeeding and nutrition to 724 households - a key step towards increasing understanding and improving maternal and infant health. Lastly, the CHAs have provided 1,883 vaccinations for children and pregnant mothers.

We have also been able to recruit 20 Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) Traditionally, TBA’s are individuals within the community who possess knowledge and skills related to childbirth and maternal care, often passed down through generations. They provide assistance and support to pregnant women during childbirth and the postpartum period but are largely untrained, using traditional methods, cultural practices and their own accumulated wisdom, which is common in Haiti. Now, these 20 TBA’s have been trained to identify high risk pregnancies and refer them for hospital care and have been given safe birthing kits. These TBAs have so far helped 49 women to have safer, cleaner births.

The success of this project to date means that over the next year, we expect the Community Health Agents will support over 2,000 households through ante and postnatal checks, health and nutrition guidance and malnutrition screening and will provide over 6,000 infants with vital childhood vaccinations whilst the Traditional Birth Attendants are expected to assist over 200 vulnerable women and babies. 

We are so grateful to the two foundations that funded this work for their incredible support, which will have a lasting impact in these communities.  

Sunday 6th August

Hi Church Crawley, and those that supported us to be on mission here - greetings from Uganda.

We had a long but great journey via Doha. The immigration queues at Entebbe were epic in length, but God wastes nothing. As we queued we met an ICU nurse from Sheffield. He spoke of his catholic upbringing in Eritrea and its oppressive regime and how you cannot leave the country until you’re 55. He made the precarious journey 10 years ago to Ethiopia, then to Libya to the mercy ships in Italy, and then to the jungle in Calais and finally the Uk. After being sent to Liverpool he was accepted  to train at Sheffield as a nurse. He’s now married with two children. He was queuing waiting to meet his parents for the first time in ten years - unable to go home they were meeting in Kampala. He was full of Joy and was declaring that God is good.

Then an hour into queuing another flight arrived and we looked round and in the line was Tracey, one of Joshua’s guardians. We had travelled hundreds of miles to meet fellow Christian’s from Crawley! We had a wonderful couple of days in Jinja celebrating Liz and Joseph birthdays. Joseph was 12 but we can’t tell you how old Liz was!

 We are travelling through the Gospel of John as families during our time here. From John 1, Liz reminded us of our identity in Christ - that each of us are fearfully and wonderfully made and the security Jesus had in who he was. Then Reninca pointed out that Johns Gospel begins with water into wine but moves quickly to Jesus in the temple - dealing with injustice. It reminds us that our identity as beloved children of God leads us to fight for justice for others. She had just finished a book about Oscar Romero - the Catholic bishop that faced head on the injustices of Central America with the love of Christ . We are praying God will break our hearts for what breaks his and at the same time encounter his Joy. In difficult circumstances there is so much Joy.

Blessings from the Burstons and the Hills x

Monday 7th August

We woke up early packed up and travelled to the smallest airport in Jinja to get a MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) flight up North. We travelled up on a 12 seater plane landing in Arua it was super exciting. It was a long journey to new Hope centre but we were amazed at all we could see along the way.

We arrived at the Centre and were greeted by lots of smiling faces. It was incredible to meet the team and see the awesome work being done by all the staff at the New Hope rehab Centre. We had a lunch of rice, beans and greens then Steve and Carwyn went straight to work training the New hope team on leadership. This was greatly received by the team who were overjoyed. Steve and Liz cooked dinner over charcoal which was yummy.

 It is incredible to see all that God is doing through this small but mighty and passionate team changing lives. We are so grateful for Gods protection. Love Burstons and Hills x

Tuesday 8th August

 Wow, what an epic day beginning in the early hours with a torrential downpour which continued along our 1.5 hour journey along a dirt red road and over a rickety bridge to Amazing Grace school. We got stuck in, the moment we arrived; teacher training (Grace on her own for the 2nd session!); Pastors conference (Steve & Gareth); class lessons (well done Alice and Lily, you weren't expecting that!); sensory room (such hard work Abby, sweeping the floor too!).

 Throughout all this, around 100+ men, woman and children arrived looking for help for their children with disabilities. After Reninca did an impromptu session with them she and Alice carried out assessments, however with still 50 to go at 4pm it was all hands on deck...such heart breaking stories and humbling some had walked/cycled for 3 hours to come and be seen, such is there desperate need. Big thanks to Carwyn and Isaac for holding everything together!

 On a lighter note, Joseph being cycled around by Anthony our driver, chapatis for brunch, fresh (and i mean FRESH!) chicken for lunch cooked by Florence, Isaacs wife, on a charcoal fire, and the school children's fascination and delight with our activities was a sight to behold!

 We thank God for each other and for the community of New Hope and Amazing Grace. We pray for the sun to shine on the solar panels which will kick start the generator which will give us running water...the sun may even heat it up for a lovely warm shower!

 All your prayers so appreciated.

Much love, Hills & Burstons xx

Wednesday 9th August

 Day two at Amazing Grace school. We continued with the teacher training and Pastors conference. A broken plug socket, a hole drilled into the concrete floor later, and the Sensory Room was finished!

 We were hosted once again for lunch by Florence who cooked a delicious meal of beef, rice, beans, greens and maize. Sitting under the shade of a tree with a slight breeze was a welcome break in the hot hot hot day.

 We ended our time there with a football match between the HHA staff and the Amazing Grace staff with the school teachers winning 4-3...all down to some dubious refereeing of course, and a ridiculously unlevel pitch!

 What a joy to see the kids captivated by the game, and all running onto the pitch with screams of delight when their teachers won! Liz had the honour of presenting the trophy, it really was just as if they had won the world Cup final...what a scene!!!

 We thank God for His provision through generous donors for the Sensory Room (you know who you are...thank you!), for such joy, fun and laughter at the school and for keeping us all safe along the treacherous roads.

 We'd value prayers for Grace who has an ear infection, that she can get the right treatment, and general protection over the team, especially Joseph, Abby, Grace, Alice and Lily, for good health, deep sleeps and bountiful energy!

 Blessings from this beautiful country.

Burstons & Hills xx

Thursday 10th August

 A day at the base, New Hope Centre: - - - Morning devotions led by Steve

-HHA team day led by Carwyn and Steve

-Holiday club prep for Reninca, Liz & girls

-Prosthetic leg casting by Abby & Cynthia

-Paddling pool fun for Joseph

-IT training from Carwyn, Gareth and Liz

-Clothes washing by hand...quite therapeutic!

Praise God, thanks to the extremely efficient health centre next door, Grace was given some much needed antibiotics for her ear infection. Praise God also, for the 60 year old who we watched walking on his new prothetic leg for the first time having lost his leg 2 years ago!

We thank God for the opportunity to go out for dinner in the evening, it felt like a celebration at the end of a great day all round. The journey home, through yet more torrential rain was littered with lightning illuminating the whole sky!

 We pray for Carwyn, Steve, Isaac, Pastor Edward, Gareth and Phil as they travel to South Sudan for a few days, also for the ladies and Joseph remaining at the base... for everyone to be safe and to be aware of God's presence so tangibly.

 It’s so good to know people are praying for us...thank you.

Sending love, Hills & Burstons xx

Friday 11th August

 Have we really been here a week already?

 Early this morning Steve, Carwyn and the team left for South Sudan for a few days. The journey wasn't quite as straightforward as they had planned, with a trip to the hospital along the way for an xray on Gareth's leg due to a nasty fall. Praise the Lord it wasn't broken so they were all able to continue. They managed to have a productive team meeting when they arrived.

 Meanwhile, back at the base, the ladies and Joseph had a chilled time in the heat, continuing to plan for tomorrow's women's conference and children's holiday club, plus a bit more IT training.

 One highlight of the day was the achievement of cooking dinner on our home made coal fire, followed by home made Popcorn and jelly...Joseph was beyond excited...well actually, we all were!

 We thank God Grace is feeling a little better and that we all had showers today...yay! We also thank Him for His creation all around us, including all the weird and wonderful, and a little scary, creatures... especially at night time!

 Please be praying for the team in South Sudan, for safety and protection, and for the women's conference and children's holiday club tomorrow. That God will go before us and we will see the Holy Spirit move powerfully, both in the women and children and in ourselves.

Blessings,

Burstons & Hills xx

Saturday 12th August:

 Today, Reninca, Liz and the girls and Joseph lead a women and children’s conference in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement.  Steve and I are in Juba, South Sudan, but it was incredible to see the photos and see the obvious joy and hope the conference gave to so many!  Over 80% of refugees in Uganda are women and children, and with rations having been cut for so many, life is incredibly hard.  This week we’ve witnessed the heart-breaking stories of children who’ve been left unable to talk for years due to the trauma they’ve faced from the war.  One beautiful boy was found trying to breast feed from his dead mother, having lost both parents in the war.  To see hope being bought into the settlement, even for a few short hours was beautiful to see.  Please pray it’ll be an encouragement for all those who attended and they’ll leave knowing their loved and that in some way, it will help in their journey.

 Steve and Gareth have been leading a Pastors conference in Juba, a challenging place. Steve found it heart-warming to hear the stories of pastors who are returning back to South Sudan having been refugees, and others who have stuck it out in South Sudan over an incredibly tough time. With so many challenges, they were so happy to receive theological training and passionate to use it to bring transformation to the country they love so much.  The war has left much poverty in this country and it’s humbling passing through some of the communities as those taking us around share their memories of all this city has faced. Unimaginable stories hard to comprehend.

 Tomorrow, we’ll be at several churches in Uganda and South Sudan. Please pray for continued safety and that those we meet with tomorrow will be encouraged with hope and peace beyond human understanding.

 With love and thanks for all your support and prayers, the Burstons and Hills xxx

Monday 14th August:

Yesterday back at camp, after Reninca cooked us delicious pancakes on the coal fire, we were taken to a local church in BidiBidi where some of the HHA team worship. It was beautiful and one of the highlights so far...a young man led us through a Bible study, James 4:1-4 before the service started, very thought provoking. Then we had a whole mix of worship with drums and home made metal shakers, including songs and dancing led by children and youth, plus testimonies, prayer.

Liz gave her testimony and looked at the story of Hannah, finishing with choosing joy despite hardship. It was so humbling to be with such worshipful and committed  people. The building itself, mud walls; corrugated roof; wooden beams decorated with bunting; lectern; dirt floor laden with plastic chairs and wooden benches; had been built at such great cost to them.

Today we visited a church in Palorinya for a smaller kids club this time, only about 100! A few children with disabilities came, including a young lad in a wheelchair whose mum was going to leave at home but he insisted on not being left behind! A teenage boy with downs syndrome arrived early with his adoptive mum (his birth parents didn't want him due to his disability) and absolutely loved it, especially playing foot all with Joseph and the girls, it was so heart warming!

The women's conference kicked off with worship and was well received, we never quite know if what we're saying has 'landed' but then the women respond after and we realise it has!

Steve and Carwyn arrived home safely early evening laden with goodies from Juba - it was a great celebration, sharing with each other over the camp fire, all that had happened over the last few days. Steve or Carwyn will provide an update on their visit later in the week…

We thank God for Steve and Carwyns safe return. We pray for healing for Phil who has Malaria. Please also pray for all the kids we've seen so far, especially those with disabilities, that they all felt seen and loved and they learnt more of God's love for them no matter their ability. Also for those who run the local churches, for God to sustain them through all the challenges they face.

 Much love, Hills & Burstons xx

Tuesday 15th August:

 On our final full day at the centre, after devotions and breakfast, Steve, Liz, Reninca, Grace and Lily set off for another day leading a women’s conference and kids club at a church in Marobi.

Another day of insightful teaching pressing into community and identity, delivered to the women. We heard powerful testimonies, one woman recounted how, when she lost a baby at birth, she was blamed for killing her baby by being careless with pushing during contractions. This happened again with her second baby. The third baby she delivered in hospital successfully as she had the right support for the issues she had during the first two deliveries, however she was so affected by the first two losses and accusations that she turned to drink and lost a lot of weight. She then started going to church where she found a supportive and loving community and gave her life to Christ. Since then she has stopped drinking, put on weight and her life has been transformed! In the final session Graces bracelet making went down a treat…so much so that one women burst into song with joy!! At the end there was worship and prayer ministry during which a woman came to know Jesus…Praise God!

During the women’s conference the team led a lively session for the many wonderful children of all different abilities that came and joined us. We learnt about the Bible, played games and sang songs…some led by the new addition  of Steve who brought lots of fresh laughter to the room! 

Meanwhile back at New Hope Alice was given the opportunity to spend the day with the doctors and nurses in the on-site paediatric ward. This gave Alice a great insight into the workings of healthcare services in refugee camps and common conditions children present with. Alice was slightly shocked by the nurse to patient ratio with only a handful of nurses for about 30 child inpatients, most with malaria.  This was a valuable experience for Alice to take home and apply to her children’s nursing degree. 

Carwyn Joseph and Abi spent the day at the centre, Abi assisted the team in making prosthetics and was very pleased with a finger cast she made! Joseph was in his element in the wheelchair department, making the wheelchairs fit for purpose and can survive some wear and tear!

In the evening we were privileged to be invited to baby Bernice’s (daughter of Florence, the centres receptionist) 1st birthday party. We had a great time singing, praying and eating cake in celebration of her life. We ended the night with pasta and sauce (chef Liz’s speciality) and a bonfire.

 We praise God for our amazing time at New Hope and the wonderful people we have met.

Please pray for our next leg of our travels, as we help lead a conference for the Community Based Rehab workers in Moyo.

With love, the Burston’s and Hill’s xx

Wednesday 16th August:

 We woke up early having all had a fractured night sleep from the epic thunderstorms happening during the night. We packed up and went for a final morning devotion with the staff.  Steve shared which they found really moving. We then said a sad goodbye to the centre staff at New Hope.

 This centre is amazing and it has been incredible seeing the staff literally changing lives every day through physio, providing wheelchairs and making prosthetics and orthotics, though that is just what happens on the surface so much happens underneath to change lives everyday. It’s been a privilege to see the team working so hard, who all sacrifice living away from family and only seeing them periodically to work at the centre and help the last the least and the lost.

We packed up and drove with Anthony our incredible driver who was amazing considering many of the roads had been washed away and we had to turn multiple times as roads were inaccessible. We arrived in Moyo staying at the multipurpose guest house.

We walked into the market and bought some fruit for lunch, then Steve and Carwyn did some training for the Kajo Kejistaff team who arrived from South Sudan. We were delighted to see Phil and Issac back from Juba, after Phil’s time in hospital with Malaria. In the afternoon we prepared training for the Community Based Rehab team training and got unpacked.

Tomorrow starts a two day conference for the Community Based Rehabilitation team who are an incredible group of volunteers who support people with disabilities in the community. They are an inspiring group of people who love Jesus and seek to be his hands and feet.

The evening involved listening to a four hour worship rehearsal. It was simply beautiful.

Thursday 17th August:

 What a privilege to spend the day with about 30 of the HHA East Africa team for the Community Based Rehabilitation Conference.  Everyone is well and we’ll share more on that tomorrow, but for now a few reflections from our weekend visit to Juba…

To say it was an eventful trip is an under-statement. Leaving early in the dark, our friend Gareth fell badly, leaving him with a suspected broken leg which became more painful as we progressed on the road.  It had rained severely the night before with cars stuck in the dirt tracks, some blocking roads, one bridge broken by the rushing water. We managed to get Gareth an x-ray and fortunately no fracture, but very badly bruised.

We arrived in Juba and whilst all buildings are heavily fortified, it was encouraging that the significant military presence we witnessed in 2016 had reduced and the oppressive atmosphere we’d previously experienced was less so. The hope for South Sudan was perhaps most powerfully highlighted on the Sunday when we visited a small house church in an area with displaced South Sudanese families who’ve fled fighting from other regions.  It was incredibly moving as the pastor explained the house by the tree where we met, had been a location of systematic killing, in which the home owner had been indiscriminately killed due to his tribal race.  This had happened in 2016/17, at a time when there was intense fighting between the Nuer and Dinka in the city.  Despite this history and the poverty around, the congregation of maybe 20-30 included both Nuer and Dinka households who’d reconciled and now stood as ‘one family’, alongside other tribes, denominations, young and old, able and disabled.  It was a beautiful image of reconciliation and hope from what was once a scene of such senseless horror.  The other lasting thought was how many children in the congregation were clearly malnourished. South Sudan has many challenges, food insecurity is one.

Another is malaria, and on Sunday our good friend and HHA volunteer Phil who’d joined us in Juba, had to be admitted to hospital suffering badly from malaria.  With insurance in place we were incredibly grateful for the excellent care he received at a private hospital.  But, it was a humbling reminder of how critical malaria can be.  In fact, in Uganda, it’s the leading cause of death amongst children.  We have the privilege of mosquito nets and anti-malarial drugs on this trip.  The majority of families we work with do not, with malaria claiming a child (under 5) nearly every minute globally.

Despite the challenges we faced on the trip, it was a success, perhaps most significantly meeting the Director General of The Ministry of Health to sign an MOU between them an HHA.  With this MOU signed, HHA can now open their new clinic in Kajo Keji, South Sudan at end of August. On the way back to Uganda, it was amazing having the chance to stop by and see the new clinic under construction.  It’s certainly bright, but is going to be a life-saving facility in a community still trying to rebuild after the devastating war.  The dream of a new HHA health facility that started in 2016 is now a reality and a huge thanks to all those at Church Crawley and other friends/family/supporters who’ve contributed to that and made it a reality!

Saturday 19th August:

After an extremely successful CBR conference we said goodbye to Multi-Purpose and Moyo and set off for our next and final leg of our mission trip - Adjumani, another refugee camp.

The first leg of the journey was stunning - rolling hills, dotted with rugged rocks and mud hut villages, took us down to a ferry on which we crossed the beautiful Nile. We continued on to Adjumani via a pit stop in Gulu, plus a brief stop to purchase some tarpoline to cover the luggage on our roof before the heavens opened!

We arrived at our destination early afternoon in blazing heat...late 30s, the pool was a welcome sight and a real treat, especially for Joseph and Abi who made the most of it! We chilled for the rest of the day, though a little too chilled later at a nearby restaurant, having to wait nearly 4 hours for our dinner to be served ...some of us got eaten alive by the mozzies as we sat patiently outdoors, telling ourselves that surely it'll come in a minute?!

It was a great opportunity though, to reflect on all the things we had done, people we had met, stories we had heard, some heart breaking, some heart warming. It's been such an incredible privilege.

As we head towards our final day of mission tomorrow, visiting a church to deliver men's, womens and kids ministries, we pray for renewed energy (the forecast is HOT!) and a real expectancy for God to use us and for us to be just as blessed.

Much love, Hills & Burstons xx

In June, I had the privilege of visiting our work in both Haiti and Uganda. Both trips were filled with a mix of emotions, seeing the incredible work our local teams are doing, but also some of the incredible hardships the countries we operate in are facing.

In conjunction with National Superhero Day on Thursday 28th April 2022, we’re encouraging everyone to put on their superhero costumes and raise vital funds for vulnerable children across the world.

So grab your masks and get ready to release your superhero powers!

By taking part in this event, you will be raising vital funds to enable HHA to continue to deliver our mission, and give vulnerable children and their families a bright future. 

To register your interest, please click here. 

But what did they get up to on their latest visit?

1. Spent some time meeting the new Rehab centre team

We spent a few days with each member of staff getting to know them individually, conducting group training on company expectations and policy, running through practical process for how the centre will function, and
ideas for the future. We were impressed with the experience and attitude of the team and are hopeful we have the right group of people to start fulfilling our vision across northern Uganda with the new disability centre!

We are pleased to introduce the talented new team who will be staffing our centre! Check out this blog post to meet the team.

2. Spent some time meeting the CBR team

We met the CBR team and conducted a two-day training which was geared towards refreshing the original training, encouraging identification of people in the community who will benefit from the centre services, encouraging collaboration between the centre staff/departments and the CBR team, and hearing from their successes and challenges in the field. The CBR team play a critical role and we want to support them with further training to help their work.

It was very encouraging hearing the good work they have already been doing under this project. Despite the challenges of COVID we heard inspiring stories of many families being supported through the CBR team through HHA wheelchair provision and emergency food aid and different advocacy efforts. For instance, one CBR worker shared how they had recently managed to support some parents through a difficult period when their child was unexpectedly born with a disability.

3. Stakeholder Mapping and Collaboration

An important part of the trip was mapping out various healthcare stakeholders, visiting hospitals, meeting authorities and creating referral pathways for collaboration with the centre. During the trip we met and visited the In-patient Orthopaedic unit Health Centre 3 BidiBidi Zone 1- the inpatient unit. We visited the unit and met the orthopaedic technician. This is the site where the Miracle Feet club foot procedures take place. The inpatient unit is a temporary structure staffed by one technician (no physiotherapist/nurses) and is a referral centre for almost 30 clinics in northern Uganda.

4. Kalaji Community Visit- Food Security

We visited Kalaji Community which sits right on the South Sudanese border and is predominantly a displaced community. Recently, we supported 1,200 people with food and hygiene packages and we went to visit the people who received that help and understand better the challenges in the community surrounding nutrition and security.

This family pictured above received food from HHA during June 2021 when we provided 1,200 members of the Kalaji community with emergency food. This community is predominantly refugee (ca.60/70%). On top of the
challenges of living in an extremely poor/remote area, recently the Ugandan government has started trying to reclaim the land. This seems to be due to rumours that there are South Sudanese rebels living in the
forest and a desire by the government for the land to become a protected environmental area. In June 2021, soldiers suddenly came and violently dismantled everyone's houses in the area. This has made daily
living extremely difficult. He said HHA’s support helped his family a lot to eat twice a day. For the future he dreams of staying on his land.

One such place is in Mijale, a Ugandan town right on the border of South Sudan, a country with some of the worst education indicators in the world.  HHA have been working in Mijale for several years providing emergency food aid and agriculture training to tackle the significant food insecurity and providing wheelchairs and disability support for the most vulnerable.  Now, thanks to some incredible support from a number of Trusts & Foundations, we've received funding to build and equip 3 new classrooms at a local school hosting many refugees and tragically many orphans.  We're also going to be able to provide the school with solar power and clean water.  Photo below, building work well underway...

This project will ensure every child at this school can meet safely within a classroom in the dignified way they deserve. This is so important for a group of children still dealing with extreme trauma. 

One HHA volunteer (Emma, pictured above) who visited the area last year said,

'I overheard 2 boys proclaim, whilst waving a long stick at a group of children, “you cannot cross my border!”  A sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach began to emerge knowing the pain they'd faced crossing borders…these children have seen situations that are too unbearable to dwell on.  Whilst we're in the school, adult refugees  look across the landscape towards South Sudan just kilometres away.  Whilst kids sing and dance with us, the sound of shelling and gun fire can be heard across the border as a new wave of fighting threatens a group of IDP camps HHA has been trying to help.'  

Whilst health and disability care are the two main strands of HHAs work, this is not the first time we have responded in an emergency setting to an education project.  In disaster situations, again and again we see parents crying out for their children. Whilst they have lost their homes and communities, they are desperate their children don't loose their futures.  As just one example of the importance of education, a baby born to an educated mother has a 50% better chance of survival.  It's one of the many reasons why we've been delighted to see the new building work start in the last few weeks.  By the end of October 2019, these children (many refugees) will have a safe environment to process their past and an inspiring environment to transform their future.  

Picture here of students joining together to help the builders construct their new classrooms.

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WATCH THIS VLOG FROM OUR CEO IN 2018 ABOUT EDUCATION: