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.

Celebrating 2024: A Year of Challenges, Opportunities, and Impact

With the end of 2024, we at Hope Health Action (HHA) reflected on a year filled with incredible opportunities and significant challenges. From launching new projects in East Africa to beginning a new chapter in Haiti, the journey has been a rollercoaster—but we’re so grateful to have shared it with you.

Thanks to your generosity and God’s amazing faithfulness, we’ve been able to change thousands of lives this year. Now, we’re excited to share 10 of our top highlights from 2024—moments that wouldn’t have been possible without your support.

2024 Top 10 Achievements

Grace Rehabilitation Centre Opens in Haiti

One of the biggest milestone moments of the year was in July, when we opened Grace Rehabilitation Centre in Haiti – which offers specialised care, physiotherapy, and vocational training to people with spinal cord injuries and other neurological disabilities. Opening this centre in less than 6 months was a huge feat, and is now enabling us to offer continued compassionate care to people that otherwise risked being left behind. 

Night to Shine

In February, we were thrilled to host our third Night to Shine event in Haiti, celebrating children with special needs. We had over 70 children in attendance with their parents or caregivers and over 150 volunteer staff to make it the most memorable night! This unforgettable evening brought joy, inclusion, and fun as the children were crowned kings and queens and walked the red carpet to cheers and applause!

Empowering with skills for life

Continuing and improving our holistic approach to disability care, our Vocational Training Programmes in Haiti and East Africa made significant strides this past year, focusing on equipping individuals with income-generation skills to create sustainable and independent futures. Beneficiaries are learning skills such as donut making, IT, and soap creation. We also offer training in sewing, shoemaking, and much more. By combining physical mobility support with these empowerment opportunities, the programmes foster independence, and deliver lasting change.

Special Education at Amazing Grace

In 2024, HHA partnered with Amazing Grace School in Uganda to launch a much needed Special Education Programme for children with disabilities, giving them the chance to learn and grow alongside their peers. In refugee contexts, children with disabilities are among the most vulnerable, often left isolated at home as parents work to survive. Our programme provides a tuk-tuk ‘school bus’ for safe transport and access to a Special Needs Teacher, fostering an inclusive environment where every child can thrive.

New Hope Kajo-Keji Turns One

In South Sudan, our New Hope Clinic continued delivering essential care, treating over 20.000 people since the start of the year. Following the outbreak of malaria in the region, a key highlight has been the start of our malaria prevention programme, supplying mosquito nets and the ground-breaking University of Oxford vaccine. Since launching in August, this programme has vaccinated over 300 children, having a major impact on so many preventable premature deaths.

Award-Winning Agriculture in Uganda

In May, we were proud to see our agriculture project in Uganda recognised through the Global Development Network’s award for ‘Most Innovative Development Project’. This year alone, this project reached an incredible 420 households across two refugee settlements with seeds, tools, land and training – empowering hundreds of vulnerable families to grow their own sustainable source of food and income. By empowering vulnerable individuals - particularly people with disabilities - and making them visible as able, active members of their communities, his project is not only combating hunger, but also promoting understanding and reducing stigma.

Mobility Through Innovation

In collaboration with our amazing global partners, we continued the distribution of wheelchairs in Haiti, Uganda, and South Sudan, providing over 1500 wheelchairs for life-changing mobility.  In addition, we launched an innovative Wheelchair Repurpose and Repairs programme in Uganda, transforming old, unused chairs into fully tailored solutions for individuals in need. The program is a wonderful leap towards more sustainable operations, transforming discarded or old wheelchairs into fully functional mobility aids, maximising resource efficiency and minimising waste. Over the past year, HHA’s amazing local team repaired and repurposed 570 wheelchairs - an enormous achievement that will enable even more beneficiaries to use chairs functionally and safely!

A new home for the Maison

In September, we proudly opened Maison de Grâce, our independent respite care centre in Haiti, dedicated to children with disabilities and their families. Currently supporting 23 children three days a week, the centre provides a holistic programme of care, including education, physical, music, and play therapy, as well as nutritious meals. Parents also receive invaluable support, advice, and the crucial respite they need. Maison de Grâce is more than just a centre, it’s a place of hope, empowerment, and renewal.

Partnering to treat malnutrition

With the help of our partner Edesia, we shipped over 1,500 cartons of Plumpy’Nut to refugee settlements in Uganda, delivering life-saving support to children facing severe malnutrition. Plumpy’Nut is a therapeutic, ready-to-use food designed to treat acute malnutrition. Packed with essential nutrients, it’s a transformative solution: a single course of treatment can take a child from the brink of starvation to a healthy weight in just 8 weeks. By bridging critical supply gaps, this vital intervention truly demonstrates the power of targeted nutrition to save lives and create a healthier future for vulnerable children.

Transforming care for mothers and babies

2024 marked the beginning of a transformative maternal and infant health programme in Haiti – an urgent need in a country with the worst maternal mortality rates in the western hemisphere. A recent highlight was the delivery of five life-saving ‘mOm’ incubators to Justinien University Hospital (JUH), the largest public hospital in northern Haiti, which previously had no working incubators. This milestone is just the start of a broader initiative, supported by an incredible partnership with J&K Wonderland. Alongside the incubators, we're also building clinical capacity, and launching a large-scale community-based maternal and infant health programme, with the goal of transforming maternal and infant health outcomes for years to come. We look forward to seeing this initiative flourish in 2025!

CENTRE DE RÉADAPTATION DE GRÂCE 

On July 26th, we inaugurated our brand new Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center! Our local team was joined by the Director of the Ministry of Health for the North of Haiti, as well as some of our UK and US team and trustees, to celebrate this exciting milestone.

It was incredibly poignant to stand alongside Dr Toussaint and Pastor Gideon –  with whom we first dreamed our Haiti dream, standing in a field back in 2005 – as we took this exciting step together. This new centre feels like a true answer to prayer, and our special thanks go to our amazing partners, the Swiss Paraplegic Foundation, Haiti Rehab Schweiz, Walkabout Foundation and Free Wheelchair Mission, whose continuous support has made this - and everything still to come - possible. 

MAISON DE GRÂCE

After many months of searching, we were delighted to find a location for our respite home for children with disabilities, which will be called ‘Maison de Grâce’ - in memory of one of our earliest Maison children whose life was a testament to the transformation that care, love and hope can make possible. The next steps will be to make the building accessible (including adding ramps and railings) – and we hope to start providing respite care for up to 20 children, three and a half days a week, in August!

A GROWING TEAM

After months of recruitment, our HHA Haiti Hub team now includes 30 permanent members of staff, including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, administration staff, a vocational therapist, psychologist, cleaners, laundry staff and security guards. In addition we are delighted to have secured the services of a visiting Urologist; a much-needed skill sadly in very short supply in Haiti. Over the past few weeks, we’ve run several workshops with this new team, including not only role-specific training, but also sessions on leadership, teamwork, and HHA culture. This team will grow to almost 50 when we open the Maison de Grâce. We can’t wait to see what they will accomplish!

Thank you for joining us on this journey. Your support, encouragement and prayers are truly invaluable as we build our nest in Haiti, little by little. Piti piti zwazo fè nich li!

• Enabling us to provide wheelchairs, custom-made prosthetics and orthotics, and rehabilitation to people with disabilities in South Sudan and the refugee settlements of northern Uganda.
• Providing health and nutrition education from our centers in Uganda and South Sudan, with the aim of empowering beneficiaries to improve their wellbeing in the long term.
• Supporting the children, staff and carers at our respite home for children with disabilities in Haiti – providing care, education, and rehabilitation, especially as we move the center to a new home.
• Reaching more people with disabilities with our agriculture projects in the Ugandan refugee settlements – providing seeds, tools, land, and farming & business training, to give them a sustainable source of not only food, but also income.
• Supporting the setup of our spinal cord injury rehabilitation center at our new Haiti Hub, where we’ll provide specialized care that is extremely difficult to access in this part of the country.
• Providing wheelchairs and training across Haiti through our amazing network of local partners, giving mobility and dignity to people with disabilities – the majority of whom have never had a wheelchair before.

Your generosity will enable us to do all of this and more – and we can’t wait to update you on the impact of your support. In the meantime, on behalf of all the people that will be touched by what you came together to achieve in May, thank you.

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.

Here is an update from our Haiti Director, Michael Goldsmith:

Many of you have reached out to us in the past few days. As you may have heard, Haiti is experiencing heightened instability and gang activity, casting a shadow of fear and uncertainty over the country we hold dear. Thankfully, we have not experienced any violence at our partner hospital, HCBH, and services are operating as normal. Yet, even in the midst of turmoil, we stand firm in our commitment to serving those in need, guided by the unwavering light of our faith.

We recognise that our work is more vital than ever, providing hope to those affected by the chaos surrounding them. Our team on the ground remains steadfast in their dedication, facing each day with courage and resilience, fuelled by the love and support from all of you. We can assure you that their safety and well-being remain one of our top priorities.

In times such as these, we humbly ask for your continued prayers for our staff, volunteers, and the vulnerable communities we serve. Your ongoing support sustains us through these trials, giving us hope in the darkest of times. Where our faith remains, love triumphs over fear. We will keep you updated on any developments and how they may impact our work. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our mission and the people of Haiti.

Michael and the HHA Team

Follow our social channels for up-to-date news as this situation develops. 

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.