This reflection captures just 24 hours of my recent visit to Uganda – a day that held both sobering challenges and surprising moments of hope. It was a powerful reminder of the complexity of the context we work in, and the difference that even small seeds of support can make.

Crippled Systems, Growing Desperation

This was my first trip back to Uganda since the latest round of global aid cuts began to severely disrupt services for refugees. Uganda remains home to Africa’s largest refugee population, with over 1.8 million people seeking safety here. But the international response is faltering.

In May, the UN Refugee Agency announced that food rations for around 1 million refugees would be cut entirely. The rest have seen their monthly rations slashed to unmanageable levels. We arrived in Palorinya Refugee Settlement – home to many South Sudanese refugees – where we were met by Robert, our Nutrition Officer. Normally an unshakably positive presence, Robert didn’t mince his words. “The health system is crippled. Education is crippled. Nutrition is crippled,” he said as we travelled along the dusty tracks towards our HHA projects.

What does this mean in practice? It means services that once offered a lifeline are now reducing or in some cases gone. NGOs and UN agencies have made huge staffing cuts. Essential, life-saving supplies are running desperately low.

Take Plumpy’Nut – a therapeutic food used to treat severe acute malnutrition. Since 2018, HHA has partnered with Edesia (a US supplier of Plumpy’Nut) and UNHCR to help plug supply gaps, shipping this life-saving product to frontline clinics. But the pipeline is now critically strained. One aid worker told us plainly: without extra support, they soon won’t be able to treat malnourished children at all.

The result? Children who could be saved will die.

I struggle to write that sentence. Many of you know our personal story – my wife and I lost one of our sons, Noah. Yet amidst that grief, we carry the comfort that Noah received the very best care possible. The very best support, the very best love. That’s a gift every parent should have. But it’s no longer the reality for thousands of families across the world – families who watch helplessly as health centres run out of the basics they need to save their child’s life. To then face the prospect of losing your child inside a health facility, not because the treatment doesn’t exist, but because it’s simply not there – that leaves me speechless, and angry.

Hope amongst the cabbages

And then, on the same day, against this harrowing backdrop, we stepped into a field of cabbages – more cabbages than I’ve ever seen.

Walking through maize fields to one of our agricultural sites, we found ourselves in what felt like an oasis of peace. A refugee father welcomed us, proudly overlooking his crops. “Before I was introduced to HHA, it felt like I was walking through a desert,” he said. “Living in the dark, with nothing to show for my efforts.” Now, he’s harvesting over 800 cabbages – enough to generate over £475 for his family and others, a huge amount when many families in the settlements live on less than $1 a day. Beyond that field, over 100 acres of HHA-sponsored farmland stretched to the horizon.

Further along, we found 100 wheelbarrows, each filled with tools and seeds funded by one of our amazing donors. These will support 100 new families – most of them including a person with a disability – to join this growing movement of hope. It was a joy to see each family walk away smiling, carrying not just equipment but renewed purpose.

A powerful reminder of the ongoing need

At the edge of the crowd of this distribution, we noticed a mother and her beautiful daughter, who has Down syndrome – much like my eldest son. They arrived in recent months, having fled the war in Khartoum, Sudan, with seven children. As she shared her story, I was struck by the familiarity of her expression. It mirrored the faces of South Sudanese mothers I met in 2017 when this settlement first opened – a mixture of grief, confusion and quiet resilience. A kind of dignified calm in the midst of deep upheaval. They’re not yet enrolled on our programme, but our team took their details to ensure follow-up support through our Community-Based Rehabilitation team. Meeting this family was a sobering reminder that this refugee crisis is ongoing; that, just like when I first visited in 2017, new people are arriving every day and are in desperate need of support.

Extraordinary News – and an Urgent Need

And to add to this extraordinary 24 hours, we also received a message from our partners at Edesia. Not one, but two containers of Plumpy’Nut had been secured for our joint efforts. Over 3,400 cartons. Each one representing a child who can now be saved from malnutrition. It’s extraordinary. An answer to prayer.

But here’s the challenge. We’d only budgeted to ship one container this year. The second wasn’t planned – and isn’t funded. We’ve taken the decision to say yes anyway. Because how could we not? We’re now urgently working to raise the additional £7,500 needed to ship both containers and get them to Uganda as soon as possible.

This was one day. One glimpse. But it says so much. It tells the story of why your support – your prayers, your donations, your advocacy – matters so deeply. In a world of overwhelming need, your generosity is changing lives.

If you’re moved to respond, we’d love you to consider helping us fund the second Plumpy’Nut container. We have the product. We have the team. We have the need. We just need the means to deliver it.

Donate Now – and help us bring hope and healing, one carton at a time.

With deep gratitude,
Carwyn

It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through the year! As we reflect on the past six months, we are so grateful for the incredible progress happening across our projects – all made possible through your prayers, generosity, and partnership.

It’s been a while since we shared a big update, so this news item is a little longer as we celebrate some of the most joyful highlights from recent months.

This World Health Day’s theme is "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures" – a commitment to providing a strong, healthy start in life for every mother and baby. For me, this theme could not be more relevant: I have just got back from a trip to Haiti, where I spent time visiting our maternal and infant healthcare projects. While it was a trip filled with joy, it was also a sobering reminder of the immense need, and of the critical importance of helping mothers and babies to thrive in regions where pregnancy and childbirth are still hugely dangerous.

At Fort Saint Michel, a small but vital health clinic in one of Cap-Haïtien’s poorest neighbourhoods, I met the health workers delivering our community healthcare programme for mothers and babies. This initiative provides antenatal consultations, postnatal home visits, 'Mothers' Clubs' for education, and training for Traditional Birth Attendants to support safer home births. It is a lifeline for women who would otherwise have no access to healthcare during pregnancy.

However, the programme is at risk. Recently, the clinic lost a major international funding source, leaving Community Health Workers unpaid for over a month. Despite this, many continue to work voluntarily, driven by their commitment to protecting mothers and newborns. As we walked through the community, women - having heard about the funding cuts - stopped us in the street to desperately share how much this programme means to them and their families. It was a sobering reminder of the critical need to keep this work going. We are now working with our local partners to ensure that support continues, because without it, too many women and babies will be left without care.

At Justinien University Hospital (JUH), the largest government hospital in the north, it was a joy to see firsthand how our support is saving lives. We have seconded an expert pediatrician, donated five mOm incubators, and are providing medical-grade oxygen and financial support for vulnerable families.

It was here that I met Baby Justinien, who was born prematurely on the street. His mother, who has learning disabilities, was unable to care for him, so a kind stranger brought him to JUH. He was extremely premature and in a critical condition, but, thanks to the incubators and oxygen your support has helped provide, the doctors and nurses were able to stabilize him. They named him Justinien - after the hospital - and in an extraordinary display of compassion, they are now taking turns caring for him as if he were their own.

This World Health Day, as we celebrate "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures," we are reminded that hope begins with access to healthcare. Without it, too many mothers and babies face unimaginable risks. With it, futures can be transformed.

We want to thank every single person that is joining us on this mission, with a special mention to J&K Wonderland Foundation, whose ongoing support of this work is making incredible things possible, and to Konbit Sante, whose partnership locally is truly invaluable. Thank you for helping us to ensure healthy beginnings – so that more mothers and babies have the future they deserve.

This major global acknowledgment is a true testament to the team’s dedication in making a real difference in the lives of vulnerable households and communities. With this incredible honour, HHA EA is empowered to expand the impact of the winning project, providing critical agriculture and livelihood support to further 100 vulnerable refugee-households in 2024/25.

By strengthening food security and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for the most vulnerable, the project is not only combating hunger, but also breaking down barriers and stigma against people with disabilities. It’s absolutely wonderful to see this holistic approach recognised for its innovation and celebrated by the global community!

Our heartfelt thanks to the prestigious awards jury for recognising the exceptional efforts and impact of the HHA EA Nutrition team. This acknowledgment will inspire us all to continue our commitment to creating positive change.

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.

• We’re delighted to have established a new partnership with a local medical university (which we’ve been working alongside for many years to offer training opportunities to their students). This new partnership will be mutually beneficial, providing us with an incredible space that will be the new home for some of our projects, as well as enabling the university to take the first step towards becoming a teaching hospital.
• Our disability rehabilitation unit will be moved to this new location, and will include a men’s ward, women’s ward, physiotherapy room and vocational training room. This will enable us to continue providing life-saving and life-changing care to patients with spinal cord injuries, who otherwise have very few options in this part of the country.
• This new home will also house our Wheelchair Distribution Center, from which we will continue providing custom-fitted chairs with our in-country team and network of local partners. Our program continues to transform lives every week, providing dignity, mobility and independence to people across the country, many of whom have never had a wheelchair before.
• Of course, we also visited Maison de Benediction, our respite home for children with disabilities, where the kids were all doing great (we were met with the usual barrage of hugs as we walked in!). We visited a number of possible new locations for MdB this week, and are committed to choosing a new home that will enable us to continue giving the children the level of care and support they need, as well as including areas for education, therapy and play - stay tuned!

After a week on the ground, we are so excited for this next chapter and all God's going to do  – but we’re also aware that this new beginning is going to require significant energy, momentum and funds. It is a time when we need the support of our amazing HHA community, perhaps more than ever before, which is why we’re incredibly excited about a huge opportunity that we will be launching next week: one of our biggest ever global fundraising campaigns, Matched May.

For the whole of May, thanks to match funds from a generous donor, all donations up to the value of $6,000 will be doubled until we reach our goal of $37,500. That means we have the potential to raise a massive $75,000 for our global disability projects, including those that we are currently transitioning in Haiti. During this massive month of fundraising, we’re asking our supporters from across the world to come together in a movement of faith, hope and generosity to support our work, at a time when it is truly needed – and we hope that you’ll join us.

A few more of the things we’ve bought that have made a real difference…

Battery chargers - enabling us to keep vital equipment (like blood pressure machines, thermometers and calculators) working, even with limited access to electricity

Zip ties - helping our technicians to make specialised adaptations to wheelchairs, to make sure that beneficiaries are comfortable and well-seated, and most importantly to help avoid pressure sores 

Footballs and coloured chalks - for students at Amazing Grace School

LED light strips - used for our sensory classroom at Amazing Grace and in New Hope Rehabilitation Center BidiBidi - to create safe, inclusive and educational spaces for children and adults with disabilities

Post-partum maternity pads - to provide dignity to new mothers at our clinic in South Sudan

Coloured chopping boards - to help improve food hygiene standards in our staff kitchens in both BidiBidi and Kajo-Keji

Safety glasses and ‘quality’ power tools for our workshop, where we custom-make prosthetics and orthotics

Brackets and wallplugs (particularly difficult to buy in-country) that enabled us to construct shelves in our pharmacy in Kajo-Keji - keeping the space organized and tidy!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this campaign making the purchase of these small, but hugely important, items possible.

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.  

The next phase of the project began with food distributions for all of the households, to address immediate food insecurity (particularly acute at the moment following recent ration cuts in the settlements) and ensure participant households are physically able and strong enough to participate in the project. We also distributed seeds to all the households, which have now been planted. When these crops are harvested, they will provide a sustainable source of food, as well as livelihood opportunities for some families that are able to sell their extra produce.

On top of the provision of resources and land, a key part of this project is training - crucial to making a lasting impact. As well as education sessions on planting, cultivation, business skills and income generation for the 1,100 households involved in the project, we have also recently begun nutrition training for the beneficiaries at New Hope Rehabilitation Center. This means that while they wait for treatment - whether that’s a wheelchair, physiotherapy or fitting for a prosthetic - they are provided with information about basic nutrition and food groups, empowering them with knowledge to improve their own health.

Stay tuned for updates on this life-changing project!