April 2025 report: Opportunities to reach new areas, and meeting a former patient
Mayuge - I've received the following from Joyce:
Yesterday we went to Mayuge District, we met the technical team, showed what we do and our intentions to partner with the district to reach the children with disabilities in 16 sub counties. This followed getting many children from the same district with Cerebral Palsy. Research from Makerere University indicates CP as the leading disability in the area and many children die before the age of 10.
We emphasise prevention and early intervention as being key to saving lives of many children.
Mayuge
Nakasongola:
The pictures show some of the children recently brought to Acheru following a community outreach to Nakasongola. Our work in that area results from an invitation from a charity there to give a talk on health. Instead of going just to talk, the Acheru community team went resulting in a number of children being brought back for treatment, with others assessed to be brought later. The conditions seen aren't unusual for Acheru, and no difficulties are anticipated in the treatment of these most recent admissions - but it should make a big difference for the children.
Nakasongola
Tom and Magala Joel from Nakasongola
Nakasongola
What I think notable is that the Nakasongola area is served by a number of major government and charitable hospitals, but these children had not been brought in for treatment. It illustrates the problems still encountered in the community with disabled children, for whatever reasons, living for years with disabilities which can profoundly affect their lives - suffering pain, dropping out of school. So many of the conditions could have been dealt with much more easily when the child was younger.
This is why community work must remain at the core of our work, even in comparatively 'developed' areas with good health services. Accessibility to treatment means nothing unless we can convince parents of what can be done for their children.
Jemmimah:
News of another former patient recently visited by the community team. She has done remarkably well, despite the severity of her injuries. The lengthy treatment she underwent says much about her determination and resilience, and the skills and efforts of those who cared for her.
Jemmimah
Christmas party:
Better late than never! I've been sent some photos of the Acheru Christmas party. Smaller than usual, coming after our big Cerebral Palsy Day celebration, and there was another party in the north. These events are valuable in keeping up the connection with former patients and their families, making the needs of the disabled more widely known, and making more people aware of what can be done to help them.
Party
Cake cutting at party
Acheru choir
Staff
We also have a very short film of the party on the website, which you can watch below, or via this link:
