| Circular - March 2024: Community outreaches, partnership with Salama school for blind children, and stories of some children |
| I wrote in the last update about the community outreach at Nakasongola, when a number of children were assessed. Some were brought back to Acheru for treatment or referral, and now another six have been brought. It is proving to be a very worthwhile partnership; despite the area being served by several major hospitals we still find that disabled children, for various reasons, are not brought for treatment, and our task is to find them. |
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| Patients from Nakasongola |
| It's worth remembering that as well as treating the child we are dealing with a family who may have encountered serious difficulties through having a disabled child. For some children treatment can be lengthy and their carers, who may previously have been isolated, find themselves in the company of others and quickly feel part of the Acheru 'family'. |
| Patients and relatives in Acheru come from varied backgrounds, but lasting relationships are formed. Many will be from a Muslim background, but whatever their expectations they find they are welcomed, like all the others, into a Christian family where we treat everyone regardless of background. It's encouraging to see the level of participation in activities including worship and Bible study - we want everyone to understand why we are doing this work. But while trying to maintain a Christian ethos, we have to remember that the effectiveness of our witness depends on being able to provide a high standard of care and treatment - any failings will seriously undermine our witness. |
| I now want to look at a few of our more recent cases. As always, there are those needing lengthy and demanding treatment while others may be more easily dealt with but for all of them their time at Acheru can be life changing, opening up a new future. Sadly we still see a lot of burns victims. This is often the result of children in the villages falling into open cooking fires. Most of these should have been avoidable; we've seen the change resulting in areas where people were encouraged to build raised fires rather than burning wood on the ground. Simple to do - certainly much easier than dealing with a child who has fallen into the flames. |
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| Joyce at Nakyesa |
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| Ronald, orthopaedic officer |
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| Timothy, physiotherapist |
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| Patients waiting at Nakyesa |
| Buyinza Ronald, our Acheru orthopaedic officer writes: |
| Nakazibwe Angel is a 13 year old girl who was born on 17th June 2010. She was brought to Acheru on 30/7/2023 with a presenting complaint of an exposed dead bone with pus discharging sinus on the left forearm. |
| Angel was involved in a motorcycle accident 2 years ago and she sustained injuries on the left forearm. She was taken to traditional bone setter for two weeks and the condition instead worsened and thereafter she was abandoned and put on painkillers. |
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| Angel |
| She underwent massage by the aunt using hot water and banana leaves and she was also put on pain relievers and antibiotics. This was after a year when pus had started oozing out. Angel was then taken to Herona Hospital in Kisoga, Mukono district of Uganda where she had an x ray taken but the aunt could not afford fees for surgery. |
| When brought to Acheru, she was assessed, examined and diagnosed with chronic osteomyelitis of the left ulna. |
| She was taken to CoRSU hospital on 7th September, 2023 and was scheduled for surgery on 29th/9/2023. After surgery she was then discharged back to Acheru for post-operative care i.e. wound dressing and physiotherapy. She also had follow- up visits to the CoRSU orthopaedic surgeon. Angel healed very well and she is now a happy girl. |
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| Angel |
| Mukisa Elisha is a 3 year old boy who was brought to ACHERU on 28th march, 2022 complaining of very limited movement in his right elbow following burns. Medical attention had been sought from Kawolo Hospital where the burn wounds were managed until they healed with an elbow flexion deformity. |
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| Mukisa Elisha |
| At ACHERU, Elisha was assessed, examined and diagnosed with post burn contracture of the right elbow. He was taken to CoRSU hospital where he was booked for surgery, and this was done on 24/5/2022, discharged back to ACHERU for post-operative care. He was reviewed on 16/6/2022 by the plastic surgeon and advised to start physiotherapy which was done from ACHERU. |
| Elisha was again reviewed on 7/7/2022 and mother was advised on massaging of the scars and continued elbow physiotherapy, and he is now doing well. Cases like this are relatively straightforward for Acheru to treat compared to some of the conditions seen but can still make a big difference for the child. |
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| Mukisa Elisha |
| Rose, our Acheru social worker writes: |
| Apio Abigail, 2year old girl from Oyam district Loro village, she was identified by Community team during an outreach to Pabo. She came with a complaint of severe burn on the arm which she received when only 4 months. |
| Parents are not staying together, child under the care of mother who is not working. Mother says that "It was a big accident which happened when the girl was only 4 months, she was trying to crawl down and fell in a saucepan of very hot milk. She got a very big wound and we rushed her to a nearby clinic where the wounds were managed. Because of the pain, she couldn't raise her hand up and it healed like that. |
| We had no idea of what to do until people from ACHERU came to our village. They shared good news of how my daughter could be fine after treatment. We are so grateful that we came back with them to the center and they hosted us until the child was fine. We have received the best services from day one, the care and love showed to us was so calming. My girl is now fine, she can raise her hand well. |
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| Apio Abigail |
| I have a lot of stories to tell people from our village and encourage them not to neglect children with disabilities to grow like that, yet a lot can be done to change their lives when still young. My girl is going to grow so well without difficulties in doing her daily activities because it was my biggest worry. Also not to be laughed at when at schools and be given nicknames. Thank you so much Acheru, God bless you." |
| Acheru medical report: Apio Abigail is a 2 year old girl who was born on 11/10/2021. She was brought to Acheru on 18/8/2023 following our outreach which was conducted in northern Uganda, Oyam district. Apio had a presenting complaint of contractures and scars secondary to burn by hot milk which made her range of motion at the shoulder joint difficult. Abigail was assessed, examined and diagnosed by post burn contracture of the right axilla, she was taken to Corsu hospital, reviewed by our plastic surgeon and on 12/9/2023 she underwent surgery; releasing the contracture. |
| Abigail was discharged back to Acheru for post-operative care with wound dressing and physiotherapy alongside psycho-social support given to the carer. She was reviewed by the surgeon while healing well and advised to do shoulder abduction strengthening exercises alongside bracing with shoulder abduction brace. She is currently doing well and the carer is happy for the successful procedures done. |
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| Apio Abigail |
| Joyce continues to develop Acheru's link to Salama, and has been going there with other Acheru staff for fellowship with the blind children. They make a day of it, bringing snacks and refreshments too. It's clear that the children enjoy this (and not just for the treats!), participating fully. I have seen video of one of the meetings, and was impressed by the enthusiasm of the children reading from braille Bible passages - I saw for myself how skilled they were and it reinforced the need for braille reading materials. I hope this is just the beginning of a partnership which can benefit both Salama and Acheru, and we will be looking at possibilities for joint skills instruction. |
| Our first involvement, many years ago, was when groups of boys from Besaniya went there to help with practical work, repairs, planting in their garden, and it was a very positive experience for all who participated. We particularly want to look at how music instruction can be given, and hope to start buying some instruments soon. It's clear how the blind children benefit from the teaching at Salama, but I am concerned about what happens after they leave, so we want to find ways of maintaining a link to them, doing what we can to enable continuing spiritual development, and improved quality of life, as I am sure many of them will feel very isolated after the fellowship, company, and opportunities for learning they have enjoyed at Salama. |
| Joyce is looking at this with the school staff and our friend James Mulira. A lot of attention focused on the school after the tragic fire, but people have other priorities too, and we don't want the school to be forgotten, so I am waiting for reports which will help us plan the next stage. |
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| The above pictures show Joyce and Margaret with the blind children |
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| Francis, the headmaster who first sought my help, in front of the original Salama buildings |
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| It's a very different place now with good buildings and many more children. After the fire, attention focused on replacing the girls dormitory. That's all sorted now, and I want to see attention focused on the children, and preparations for their future |
