| August 2024 report: News of some Acheru patients |
| Our Acheru community team has a broad remit. The primary aim is work with disability but when problems are found on community visits, we will try to help in whatever way we can, often working in cooperation with other agencies. Our intervention can help prevent much more serious problems developing. The following is from one of Rose Nakabugo's community reports: |
| Meet KIYINGI MALCOLM a 1 year old boy with severe malnutrition. He was referred by a village member and ACHERU CBR TEAM did community investigations because of the story shared by the mother. |
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| He stays with a single mother of 2 children who is pregnant with different man who refused to take her in because she has 2 children. |
| Mother narrates that "my son was ok when I left him with the father and the grandmother. Me and the father had misunderstandings and I decided to leave with my children but I was stopped. Both children were healthy but the boy was still a baby of 7 months who needed a mother to continue with breastfeeding. My mother in-law insisted that she will take good care of them in my absence as long as I leave his son's home. |
| I had nothing to do because I had no job or money. I went back to my grandparent's old house in the village. After some months I was called by village people who visited the home during mosquito nets distribution. They went to police and made a report, they told me I will find my children dead if I don't go for them. They told me Malcolm was being locked up in the house all day and not looked after well. My mother in-law is a drunkard who doesn't have time for young babies. |
| The struggle didn't end there, when I reached home I was told to take the kids back that no one was going to take care of them. My Malcolm was very ill, I cried for days as I was figuring out what to do next. I picked them from a very far district, Mityana, and I was in Mukono. I moved to a friend's house but I didn't stay long when her husband who was away returned. He couldn't manage to take care of his family plus me a pregnant woman with two children and one was very ill. |
| I didn't blame him because it was scaring to everyone who is also trying for his family. I cried as I was moving back to family home unfortunately I found the padlocks of the house were changed. In that village there is a shrine 'local traditional healer's place.' I went there to see whether they can host me with my babies. They have a big shrine but has no door and they needed someone to sleep there as they were looking for money to close it. There was only mats in it and the things they used to perform their traditional rituals. |
| I agreed to stay because it was my last resort. For the time I was there they helped with food sometimes but most days I had not enough. The weather used to get cold in the nights and I would just cover my babies with mats to get warm. Life hasn't been easy on my side but I don't lose hope. I'm so grateful that we found out about ACHERU". The mother and her 2 children were taken to a nutrition center for more care and we are glad life changed. The boy is still on treatment but there is great improvement. |
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| Malcolm |
| Wabuyere Alex Kisakye |
| Alex is a 15 year old boy who was brought to ACHERU with a complaint of a bulgy hanging outgrowth posterior to right ear and this was secondary to the cut the boy had 3 years back before coming to ACHERU. |
| The mother reported that medical attention was sought but the outgrowth kept on increasing in size as the child grew. |
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| At ACHERU, Alex was assessed, examined and diagnosed with a right posterior auricular keloid; he was taken to Children Surgical Hospital where surgery was done (keloid excision and posterior auricular plasty with a skin graft) and discharged back to ACHERU where he had post-operative care. |
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| Alex had different reviews by the plastic surgeon until he got well. Alex healed well and he is now a happy boy. |
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| Alex |
| July 2022 report from Rose: |
| This is Tomijo Jonathan and the mother. He was born as a fine baby but developed a big head at 2 month and it never went back. Mother says that "life hasn't been easy ever since my child became disabled. He has never been a normal baby, I took him to the hospital to manage the head but it did not reduce much. Because of him many people turned their back on me, his father's family doesn't like me at all, and they say it is me with problem. He can sit on his own, feed himself and he can talk, he is a very clever boy and those who understand him cannot walk away without a smile on their faces. He loves singing so much and this warms my heart so much. Ever since I met people from ACHERU my life changed, I was so stressed but now they lifted some of the load off my shoulder. |
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| Tomijo Jonathan |
| I have received the best counselling through continuous visits. Jonathan was heavy for me to carry, I had developed chest pain before, and I prayed to God that I get a wheelchair to help me with movements and I was so happy that HE answered my prayers ACHERU blessed with a beautiful wheelchair. Jonathan is so happy, he started school and we can go to church every Sunday" THANK YOU GOD, THANK YOU ACHERU. |
| It's not possible to keep in touch with all our former patients, so it's always pleasing to hear from someone we haven't seen for a while. We recently heard from a boy we treated nearly ten years ago who suffered from severe osteomyelitis and had been ill for seven years. His treatment was lengthy but he made a good recovery, going back to school and passing a number of A levels, followed by a BSc. He now has a professional career as well as doing voluntary work and has asked if there's anything he can do to help Acheru. |
