A lot has happened – Kawempe Home Care marks 14 years of service to the community on July 27, 2021.
‘The Covid19 pandemic has reached many corners of people’s lives and we have all seen the impact on our own lives and businesses. To date it has caused worldwide, over 4 million deaths. However, this number does not reflect the actual pain and grief experienced by families who have lost loved ones to this disease.
For charities, it has also been particularly challenging times as support from individuals and organisations has reduced dramatically as they deal with their own challenges. In our years of service to our clients, this has been the most challenging time for us and our initial concern is to ensure our patients continue to receive their treatment and that the New Hope Children’s hostel continues to help children with cancer from remote communities, support and access to treatment.
It would be nice if we could put a lockdown on cancer!
Most of our staff have had their first vaccine jab and I would like to thank our front line staff for being there for our patients. KHC like many organisations has had to make some difficult decisions and recently we had to reduce some of the services we provide patients and make staff cuts.
How you can help.
If you have any contacts, individuals or organisations that may be interested in helping us with:
- Funding some of the key items for the hostel, such as fuel to transport the children to their treatment, or food.
- Our generator is on its last legs and it important that we have it on standby for the medical facility and the hostel for when the electricity is off.
- Also, our faithful 2nd hand 4 wheel drive vehicle is slowly coming to a halt and it needs to be replaced. The transport provides a vital link for our home visits and palliative care patients; emergency call outs; collecting medical and pharmaceutical supplies; transferring clinical staff and files to medical facility; and transfer community volunteers and medical staff for testing programs in the community.
If so, I would be grateful if you could email me and I can then make an approach with a written proposal. Or, if anyone wants to make a donation directly to the hostel you can do so at:
Help Poor Children with Cancer to Access Treatment – GlobalGiving
Thank you for your love and support.’ Dr. Sam Guma (Co Founder Executive Director) sguma@kawempehomecare.org
What we have achieved.
KHC during the worst of the current pandemic (March 2020- March 2021), continued to provide services even though for the most part of the time, the country was and currently is in lockdown.
This is what our teams have been able to achieve:
- 4500 people were counselled and tested for HIV of which 132 (2.9%) were positive and enrolled into care.
- 2358 active clients of whom 94% are adults and 6% are children under 19 years.
- 2358 clients are receiving Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) and 71 clients are currently on TB treatment.
- 200 Home Based Care visits were made of which 29 were emergency cases.
- 27 clients who have cancer, are receiving palliative care.
- 25 female clients were screened for cervical cancer.
- Family Planning project with the cooperation of Sustain Health Partnership (UK), has strengthen the program to increase Family Planning access to 2670 disadvantaged girls and women.
- 46 women are on our Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission program.
- 76 Orphan & Vulnerable Children (OVC) participate in our OVC programs of which 71 children are receiving education support. During the lockdown as the children were unable to go to school, KHC provided the children with school materials and support.
New Covid19 Testing Service
KHC identified a need for people to be able to access promptly Covid19 testing and get their results the same day. In fact our medical facility is ideal to provide this service. It is simple, if you reside in Kampala and want to have a test just contact us and book an appointment.
Thank you to our staff, Partners and friends for continuing to support us especially during this difficult time.
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Interesting Facts: Our world has experienced many epidemics and history records that the worst epidemic for deaths was the Plague of Justinian in 541-542AD which killed 100 million people, which at that time, was half the world’s population. Since 1980’s HIV/AIDS has caused 32 million deaths and currently there is no cure for this disease. However, with treatment it is now considered a ‘manageable disease’. |
New Look for KHC Website
The KHC website has gone through a refresh and we would like to thank our colleagues in Australia for the new look.
Helping Hand
In May this year KHC was very pleased to welcome Vadim from Germany who spent 4 weeks as a volunteer with us. He is currently studying for a Bachelor’s degree in psychology.
This was Vadim’s first trip to Africa and he found out about KHC through our website. The time that he spent with KHC he worked with the medical teams at the children’s hostel and home visits to palliative care patients. Even though language with the children is difficult as most volunteers don’t speak Luganda, it is amazing how facial expressions and mime can get the message across.
‘Working with Kawempe Home Care in Kampala was an incredible experience. The team was very warm and made me feel welcome form the moment I entered the facility. Having such a skilled and diverse team was truly enriching. From palliative pharmacology and psychosocial support to health care of HIV and cancer patients. I gained major insights in the medical field but also learned a lot about myself. I was impressed about how much KHC does for the community. Home visits of patients who are not able to come to the clinic by themselves and even providing for them and their families or simply driving every Wednesday to another outreach to support suffering families from that area. All these actions and KHC letting me participate in each and every part of it showed me how they really are MOVED BY LOVE. I am extremely grateful for this experience and will never forget it’ says Vadim.
The children enjoyed your love and attention and will miss you.
Our thoughts and prayers go to the people of western Germany and Belgium who are experiencing severe flooding and loss of lives.
GlobalGiving Photography Competition
Each year GlobalGiving has a photography competition for its partners with US$1000 for the winning entry. This is our entry for this competition.
Caption. Everyone Needs A Helping Hand
This little girl is determined to master riding a bike and with a little help from her friend, she can do it. This determination is matched by these children’s determination to beat their cancer and go back home to their families. We can all lend a hand and help them to enjoy being children again.
We are grateful to Brian Amanya (Kalaz Media), for capturing this lovely moment at the New Hope Children’s hostel.
If we all work together to keep our communities safe we will get through this.
Until next time stay safe.
Shalom, this comes to appreciate you for the great work you’re doing in these children, we are forever grateful. May God continue to keep you safe especially from this covid epidemic and increase and expand you.
I was fortunate enough to get a chance to intern with Kawempe Home Care. The staff was quite welcoming, which helped me to mingle with everyone so easily. I would like you all to know that your smiles meant so much. I was amazed at your different works, handled by the team with such outstanding persistence. Am however saddened by the current happenings at the agency mostly the laying off of some of your staff due to the effects of covid19. My prayer is that God opens more doors for the cause of his work through you.
Happy 14th anniversary KHC. I know things are tough at the moment but our thoughts and love to all the amazing staff. Keep up the great work you are doing.
Many blessings to kawempe home care