ONG ASSOCIAZIONE GRUPPI “INSIEME SI PUO’…” ONLUS NGO “ISP UGANDA”

DISABILITY IS NOT INABILITY PROJECT REPORT

Implementing

Organization: ISP UGANDA

Project Title :

DISABILITY IS NOT INABILITY

Enhancing the quality of life for

PWDs through increasing access to

social services

Country: Uganda - East Africa

Project Period

(January 2016 – January 2017)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Approximately 500,000 people in Uganda have disabilities of some sort and the

number keep growing owing to diseases such as polio, malaria and bone

infections. Other causes include amputation due to land mines, road traffic

accidents, cerebral palsy and birth injuries.

Also poverty being at the root of much of ill-health in Africa, majority of the PWDs

are found in poor homes. Most disabled people come from disadvantaged homes

and they generally lack education, skills and training. At community level, a few

programs are helping to provide PWDs with appropriate low cost skills such as

craft making. It is estimated that only 2% of the people with movement

disabilities receive formal education or are able to access PWD assistive programs

that could be beneficial to them both in terms of fighting stigma and acquiring

skills that could help them, both in terms of fighting stigma and acquiring skills

that could help them uplift their standards of living despite their impediments.

This project therefore was aimed at supporting People Living with Disabilities

(PWDs) to access rehabilitative and corrective treatment, get access to specialized

medical care and rehabilitative therapy, distribution of assistive/mobility devices

to 20 PWDs to enable them to increase their level of independence as well as

empowering 13 PWDs and/or their families to meet socio-economic needs

sustainably through skills acquisition and start-up capital for home based income

generating activities.

o 36 PWDs were supported to access corrective surgery and rehabilitation

therapy (3 adults and 33 children).

o 7 persons for specialized medical care and Drugs.

o 12 persons for medical examinations in the form of lab tests and scans.

o 31 PWDs with specific assistive devices ranging from orthotic, rehabilitative

and mobility devices for individual use. A few items were given to

institutions for collective use such as adjustable posterior walkers, standing

frames and exercise mats.

o 9 PWDs were supported to acquire vocational skills (8 with speech

impairment and one with physical disability). This intervention is aimed at

giving them marketable skills for self sustenance and independence.

o 5 families with PWDs were supported to start IGAs to enable them meet

the day to day needs of the people in their care and to encourage them to

stay at home and provide care for their own. 2 caregivers are trading in

clothes, 1 in foodstuffs, 1 in drinks and the other in shoes.

The intervention was also targeting building the capacity of Institutions that

provide care and support for PWDs. This was targeting Mubende Rehabilitation

Center, a unit that takes care of disabled soldiers, Kireka Home for Children with

Disabilities as well as Daughters of Charity Home, Kiwanga.

In October 2012, ISP UGANDA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding

with CoRSU REHABILITATION HOSPITAL, Kisubi. Comprehensive Rehabilitation

Services in Uganda (CoRSU) for people with disability was established in 2006 as a

private non profit, non-governmental organisation. It is a Ugandan initiative

encouraged by CBM (Christian Blind Mission) to support services of people with

disability. CoRSU provides orthopaedic surgery, plastic surgery and rehabilitation.

The hospital also has a Community Based Rehabilitation program which identifies,

refers and follows up children with physical disability in Kampala and Wakiso

districts. Based upon this profile, ISP partnered with CoRSU hospital to tap into

their expertise especially on the surgical or correction therapy cases.

PHYSI-TECH REHABILITATION CENTRE located on Gayaza road, locally fabricates assistive mobility and rehabilitative devices and most of which was started by Professional physiotherapists formerly working with Katalemwa Cheshire Homes. The team comprises of 3 Orthopaedic technologists, 2 psychiatrists, 2 occupational therapists and an orthopaedic surgeon. The project activities were on a small number of isolated cases in need of corrective and rehabilitative therapy, specialized education and skills training for PWDs and IGA support for those families with recurrent therapeutic needs. However, we are still amazed by the number of cases that flocked our office for support. By the time the project started and the identification/tracing of

beneficiaries for skills training was done, some of them had missed the 1st term of 2016 or it was getting close to the end. Some of our PWD trainees enrolled in 2nd term thus the extension of payment of school fees to 1st term 2017 especially for those who had 2 year courses. Since it’s our intention to alleviate pain and improve or save lives, we decided to concentrate on the rehabilitation part first. We hope that we can be able to help those cases that weren’t supported this time (on our waiting list) in future in another project. We at ISP are so pleasantly surprised by the number of lives this project has positively impacted, both directly and indirectly coupled with the amount of attention that it has received from the PWDs in Kampala and surrounding districts. The quality of lives of the PWDs we managed to reach with this project has greatly improved.

CORRECTIVE AND REHABILITATIVE SURGERY

Mariam Naluyima, 9 years from Wakiso District was referred to hospital with a

painful left knee just at the epicondlyes from a bilateral tibia varum deformity. A

bilateral hemi epiphysiodesis was done and the hardware removed. She later

underwent de-rotation corrective osteotomies and external fixation. Thereafter

she was reviewed twice for quadriceps strengthening exercises to give a range of

movement for the knee and ankle. She was also issued with foot pumps and a pair

of crutches and trained on the usage.

Arionga David, 10 years from Tororo District had chronic osteomyelitis of the left

tibia at the time of admission, following a fall off a tree from which he sustained a

fracture at the left distal ¼ of leg (medial aspect). First a debridement was done,

and then a sequestrectomy followed by a biopsy. He was reviewed four times also

given a pair of wooden clutches to get full body weight off the healing leg.

Twahire Ian, 16 years from Mpigi District has cerebral palsy with microcephaly in

autism. Ian was also malnourished at the time of admission and he spent 3 weeks

in hospital. An activity assessment was done. He has been going for occupational

therapy, speech and language therapy as well as physiotherapy. He was also given

a wheel chair to relieve the mother from carrying him.

Kaizirege Siraje, 15 years from Kampala District has lower limb discrepancy

secondary to osteoarthritis of the left hip. He was fitted with a shoe raise and

given ambulation exercises.

Lubwama Aaron, 3 years from Mutungo – Wakiso District has a genu varum

deformity. He underwent a hemi epiphysiodesis followed by and another

operations for hardware removal.

Prossy Besigye , 53 years from Wakiso District sustained a shoulder injury

following an motor accident. Traditional physiotherapists but the pain just got

worse. When she was referred to CoRSU, an x-ray revealed that the

physiotherapy administered was not fit for this kind of injury and had in fact tore

some muscle tissues. Thera band exercises and physiotherapy were

recommended. She had 5 review sessions and 7 of physiotherapy.

Innocent Wandera, 2 years from Wakiso District had a left genu valgum

deformity. A hemi epiphysiodesis and another operation for hardware removal. 2

operations

Okuga Jeremiah, 8 years from Tororo District has celebral palsy with spastic

quadriplegia. He was reassessed by Occupational therapy and found to have good

control of trunk and neck. He has benefitted from Achilles Tendon Lengthening to

walk better and physiotherapy sessions both at the hospital and a clinic back

home. He was also fitted with a rubber tyre and a KAFO and has had 4 post

operative reviews since the surgery in April.

Nakaayi Esther, 17 years from Kawanda – Wakiso District had post burn

contracture secondary to epilepsy. This project supported Esther to get a soft

tissue release to undo the contracture.

Mukasa Wilberforce, 16 years from Wakiso District had a lower limb discrepancy

secondary to arthritis. He was fitted with an orthopedic shoe raise.

Kasumba Shivan, 6 years from Wakiso District had a knee flexion contracture. He

underwent a contracture release He was admitted to CoRSU for a contracture

release, pending the straightening of the knee.

Abdu Shakur Nakibinge, 2 years with a genu varum deformity at both knees.

CoRSU Hospital carried out a hemi epiphysiodesis followed by and another

operation for hardware removal.

Carson Solomon Muwanguzi, 2 years from Mubende District had a genu varum

deformity of both knees. He had a hemi epiphysiodesis and external fixator. He

too had another operation for hardware removal.

Nziza Asheli is a 2 year old boy from Mukono

District with Down syndrome and also

presents difficulties in breathing. He is also

unable to see well or support his head. Asheli

was supported to do get medical attention

which allowed him to access physiotherapy,

occupational and nutritional therapy at

Katalemwa Cheshire Home. She was

thereafter supported to get an Echo

examination with the Uganda Heart Institute

and was diagnosed with a large PFO. The

project also enabled Asheli to acquire a

standing frame and a CP chair to help in

weight bearing and improving muscle

strength.

Nampijja Grace, 13 years from Nkanaga village in Mubende District. She had

congenital agenesia on the right leg ( was born without the right leg). Grace had

been using an improvised prosthetics since her childhood which brought her

injuries on the stamp. She had since outgrown it and it was partly broken. She

was admitted to refashion the stamp and thereafter fitted with a prosthesis.

Nalwanga Grace, 14 years from Mubende District had indications of a congenital

micrognathia – bilateral ankylosis. She was having difficulty chewing her food and

opening her mouth. The doctors recommended an brain CT/MRI scan – non

contrasted helical and coronal axial scans at slice thickness of 2mm in the TMJ.

The findings were that she had an expansile sclerotic lesion with lytic areas

involving the articular margins of the left temporal fossa and condylar process of

the mandible. It revealed that the joint space was narrowed and a small deformed

mandible noted suggestive of fibrous dysplasia. A TMJ ankylosis and mandibular

hypoplasia was confirmed and a coronoidectomy done at CoRSU to release it.

Gumaho Emmanuel, 3 years from Nakaseke District. He was diagnosed with a

genu valgum deformity with painful bilateral knock knees. His bones were profiled

and Renal function tests perfomed. He was supported to get distal pins to

facilitate the surgical procedure in Nakaseke Hospital.

Sempala Brian, 30 years from Mpigi District has been getting repeated seizures

for about a year with left occipital hypodensity, yet he has not such history. By the

time he came to our office for assistance, the seizures were so frequent that he

could not work. He was required to do a Brain MRI scan which the project

supported him to do as he didn’t have the money to do it. Non-contrasted and

contrasted multi planner MRI scans of the brain and pituitary gland were

performed and revealed a T1W hypo-intense but T2W hyper-sensitive mass lesion

in the middle and inferior temporal gyrii of the left temporal lobe associated with

brain oedema. A mass measuring 55.1x37.5x32.6mm was seen compressing the

occipital horn of the lateral ventricle. It was concluded that he had an intra-

cerebral tumor in the left temporal lobe. The doctors advised that he undergoes a

brain surgery, but Mulago referral hospital being under renovation he could not

do it there. IHK Hospital a private entity gave us a bill of 18million/= which we

could not afford. The brain surgeon recommended that he benefits from a

surgical camp which was scheduled in November at Mbarara Hospital. However, 2

days before the surgery he had a severe seizure which led to a bad fall. He lost 2

teeth and a deep wound on his upper lip. His face and left side of his head were

swollen and he could not proceed with the surgery as scheduled. Brian is still

waiting for the next surgical camp to get an operation. He is currently under

routine medication to minimize the seizures.

Nabongo Yokana, 10 years from Mbale District with Post injection paralysis with

equinovarus. He had an Archilles Tendon Lengthening procedure done at CoRSU

Hospital.

Nabakiibi Mellisa, 8 years from Kayunga District was diagnosed with right Post

injection Paralysis and a right fractional percutaneous Archilles Tendon

Lengthening was done on the right ankle. She has also had 3 post operative

reviews for therapy, manipulation and casting. Melissa’s foot is almost flat and

she is able to walk short distances without the crutches.

Bona Arthur, 14 years from Wakiso District fell off a tree and sustained a fracture

in the right tibia. His leg was casted for 6 months, but he ended up with a

malunited shatsker VI. An osteotomy to reconstruct the bone and an external

fixation were performed. He was fitted with a shoe raise and crutches thereafter

started on the process of bone lengthening.

Najjuuko Hilda, had a post burn contracture in the

elbow joint secondary to epileptic seizures. She was

refered at CoRSU for a contracture release and

thereafter for straightening the joint.

Kagere Rose, 8 years from Wakiso District with a recurrent left genu valgum

deformity. She had a corrective osteotomy in 2014 but the deformity recurred

Nsubuga David, 16 years from Buikwe District has spina bifida and a syndromic

left side club foot. The project supported him to get a corrective osteotomy, an

AFO and nutritional therapy.

Janat Nambogga has osteogenesis imperfect condition, whereby she can easily

get fractures. She has had 6 fractures in the year and 3 operations to fix the

fractures. The last happened in December when a wall on their house in Kasubi

collapsed. She was hit by the bricks and she sustained 2 fractures. She is currently

admitted in Mulago Hospital, has been in coma twice since because of an internal

bleeding in the head. The fractures have been immobilized but she cannot be

discharged for orthopedic attention because of her condition.

Bumpenje Simon Peter, 5 years from Kampala District was

diagnosed with left knee synovitis. An arthrotomy

procedure and a biopsy were done. The leg was then put

under manipulation and casting for thereafter subjected to

physiotherapy.

Nsimbi Pius, 7 years from Kampala District had post injection paralysis in the right

foot. A tibialis posterior tendon transfer procedure was done and he was fitted

with none weight bearing on crutches. He was also put under manipulation and

casting fitted with a KAFO on discharge.

Hamza Nsubuga, 17 years from Wakiso District was diagnosed with coxa vara /

bilateral varus femur. A bilateral femoral osteotomy procedure with an external

fixation was conducted. He was also put under physiotherapy.

Kimbugwe Derrick, 17 years from Kampala District had a healed clavicle from

2015 but was experiencing pain. Xrays revealed a radiculary union but didn’t

require any surgical procedure. The Doctors prescribed thera band exercises and

physiotherapy both at CoRSU and back home.

Nakazzi Jasmine, 13years from Mukono District with chronic osteomyelitis of the

left tibia. Past medical history showed that the child fell off a bicycle and

sustained a fracture of the left tibia; she was first taken to traditional bone setters

and thereafter to Mulago Hospital. The management of the fracture was not

successful. We refered her to CoRSU for debridgement and an external fixator to

immobilize the weak bone. Much of the remaining tibia was removed because of

the infection, and she underwent a bone graft/ bone transport to fill the gap.

Eddy Kusaba, 15 years from Rakai District had rickets and he underwent a

bilateral hemi epiphysiodesis in 2015. This project supported Eddy for hardware

removal operation.

Mirembe John Mark, 4 years from Rakai District bow legs secondary to rickets

medications. He was admitted for 5 weeks for nutrition therapy and discharged

with medication.

Walugembe Rashid, 3 years from Buikwe District had bow legs and he

underwent a bilateral hemi epiphysiodesis at CoRSU Hospital.

Nsonyi Swabula, 8 years from Wakiso District. She

was diagnosed with spina bifida and a syndromic club

foot with chronic ulcer. A debridement was done in

2015 while this project supported her to undergo a

corrective osteotomy. She also got a short leg

posterior shell and an AFO.

Okiria Michael, 49 years from Bukedea District had a

fracture in the femur and tibia following a motorcycle

accident in 2015. He had his first operation in Mulago

Hospital but when he came to our office, he had

unbearable pain resulting from a mal-united tibia and a

floating knee. He was refered to CoRSU Hospital for

Illizarov bone reconstruction in 2015. This project

supported Michael to get an osteotomy and external

fixation.

Thereafter he was fitted with a shoe raise. He had 4

sessions of ambulation training and ankle mobilization

exercises

Ogwapit Simon Moen, 4 years from Kampala sustained

burns from hot water on the lower limbs. His father who

was unemployed at the time could not pay the medical

bills. Simon was supported to meet part of the medical

expenses following the clinic where he was admitted

holding on to the child pending clearance of the bill.

MEDICAL CARE

Walusimbi David, 8 months had a kidney upset that led to the failure of his

kidneys. He was on dialysis for 2 months in a private hospital because the major

referral hospital has been under renovation. The dialysis/ICU bill had sky rocketed

and the hospital was threatening to get the child off dialysis. So a contribution

was made from the project as commitment to the hospital, awaiting the sale of

his family’s house to meet the hospital bills of their child.

Emmanuel Buwule from Kyengera, Wakiso District had osteomyelitis in 2015.

The project supported Emma to complete his treatment by paying for drugs and

the Medical consultants fees.

Joshua Musasizi from Namuwongo, Kampala District was supported to access

Post surgery care and treatment. He underwent 3 piles operations earlier in the

year and he developed hepatomegaly (enlargement of the liver) and adhesions.

He was also passing out blood with his stool. The project supported Joshua to get

medical treatment for the condition at Kampala Medical Chambers.

Butera Peter formerly in Kireka Home (was let out because he had way passed

the age limit) had a painful neck and shoulder blade. We referred him to

physitech where the physiotherapist recommended an xray. The X-rays revealed

that he had reduced joint spaces between some cervical bones and it showed that

he had cervical spondylosis which was causing the referred pain in the left

shoulder area. He had some physiotherapy sessions and was fitted with a cervical

collar.

Kagimu Badiru was visited by the Pysitech team for a review for assistive device

usage (devices given to him in 2015). He was found to be having very severe

pressure sores which needed immediate attention. He was reviewed by a team of

orthopedic doctors and nurses and it was decided that he gets a surgical toileting

and suturing. There after he underwent close nursing care for the wounds to heal

well. He was also given an air ring to be used as a cushion to relieve pressure on

the contact areas. Unfortunately, Kagimu died in November.

Kajubi Meddy from Masaka District was supported to access physiotherapy

services after an operation in a separate

project.

Msuri Mariam 19 years from Kampala

District was supported by the project to get

prescription drugs for a hyperthyroidism

condition, where her thyroid gland was

producing too much thyroid hormone. This

was manifested by a severe loss of weight

and fevers. The Doctros recommended

Carbimazole 5mg and Inderal 40mg drugs

which the mother could not afford.

ASSISTIVE DEVICES

During our interactions with Mapeera Bakateyamba on another project, the

Administrator revealed to us that the number of disabled children that was

abandoned at their gate was alarming. The home specializes in the care of old

people with terminal illnesses and no relatives to take care of them.

They raised the issue of feeding costs of the children together with the adults.

That notwithstanding the care for PWDs is very expensive. They requested for

assistive devices for the children under their care. The project supported 6 out of

the 19 children with disabilities in the home. (Details below)

No Name Description of Problem Recommendation

1. Namatovu Maria

Cerebral palsy with a lot of fluctuation tone. She tries to hold onto objects and stands and also able to take a few steps.

- Physiotherapy to train functional activities.

- Posterior walker modified with an abductor

- KAFOs

2. Junior Mapeera Left Hemiplegia with a left wrist flexion - Physiotherapy train functional activities

contracture, he has good cognition and poor Activities of daily living

- Standing Frame - Posterior Walker - KAFOs

3. Brian Mapeera Cerebral Palsy with spasticity in both upper and lower limbs.

- Physiotherapy to encourage function after contracture release.

- KAFOs - Standing Frame - C.P Seat

4. Ibra Mapeera Right side Hemiplegia with lack of speech. He doesn’t stand or walk because of the moderate contractures in the right upper and lower limbs

- Physiotherapy to loosen contractures and train ambulation

- Hand Splint - KAFOs - Posterior Walker

5. Aine Alloni Severe contractures of the whole body. - Intensive physiotherapy to loosen contractures

- Hand Splints - Hip Abductors - AFOs

6. Muwonge William

He has spinal cord injury with loss of function of the upper and lower limbs

- Physiotherapy to strengthen and improve muscle bulk

- Standing Frame

Left: Peter after fitting his cervical collar. Right: Caroline showing off her

prosthetic limbs.

The number of children who needed a Posterior walker and/or a standing frame

was big. So Physitech fabricated a piece of each that is adjustable so that all those

who needed them would gate a chance at them. Physitech also provided free

physiotherapy services to these children for one month (three times a week),

during which time their care giver was also trained.

NO NAME SEX/AGE DIAGNOSIS

RECOMMENDATIONS

1 Tumwesigye Sarah

Female /Adult Mpereerwe

Multiple Disability

Foldable Wheel Chair

2 Muzamilu Gavamukulya

Male /14yrs Jinja

Celebral Palsy Three Wheeler

3. Kisoona Yasi Male /10yrs Bubanda – Iganga

Celebral Palsy Three Wheeler

4. Tenywa Faisal

Male /14yrs Ruuka

Not able to sit and stand. Wrist flexion contractures. Weak trunk.

Three Wheeler

5. Nabirye Patience

Female /13yrs Iganga

Child with generalized and progressive body weakness

Three Wheeler

6. Usaana Eriya

Male /14yrs Iganga

Known epileptic and C.P child with inability to walk

Foldable wheel chair

7. Nabirye Jamila

Female /14yrs Ruuka

Known HIV with Quadriparesis

Wheelchair with push rims

8. Mugenyi Ronald Male /17yrs Bukomansimbi

Known hydrocephalus with visual challenge and generalized body floppyness.

Three Wheeler

9. Kanabi Jackson Male /8yrs Rwengo

Child is not able to sit upright. He has extension contractures at both lower limbs with flexion contractures at the elbows.

Huckle Step

10. Nanjego Twaibu Female /7yrs Hydrocephalus with less Three Wheeler

Kayunga mobility and cerebral palsy

11. Lutaya Simon Peter Male /Adult Kampala

Cerebral Palsy Three Wheeler

12. Segirinya Yusuf Male /Adult Bukomansimbi

Moderate cerebral palsy with very good cognition and hand function.

Tri-Cycle

13. Mangeni Jonathan Male / 13 yrs Tororo

Cerebral Palsy Head gear KAFO Posterior Walker

14. Namwenge Caroline

Female / Adult Jinja

2 above knee prostheses

15. Nabuuma Grace Female/Adult Kalerwe

Above knee Prosthesis

16. Namuli Tracy Female / 13yrs Kayunga

Post osteomylitis amputee secondary to motorcycle accident

Below knee prosthesis

17. Okiria Joshua Male / Kiwanga Cerebral Palsy and Spasticity in the lower limbs

KAFO and repair of his broken wheelchair

18. Anita Nakyoge Female / Kiwanga

Cerebral palsy KAFOs, Standing Frame and Posterior walker

19. Biva Kutesa Male / Kiwanga Cerebral Palsy Posterior Walker

20. Nampijja Grace Female/ 7 years Mubende

Congenital agenesia (born without the right leg)

Above knee prosthesis

21. Kato Hussein Male/ Adult Kampala

Amputee Above knee prosthesis

22. Kakooza Lawrence Male / Adult Masaka

Deaf & Blind White cane

23. Nakato Nakajiri Jenifer

Female / 10 years

Cerebral Palsy arthetosis Tricycle

24. Mapeera Bakateyamba Home

Facilitate collective physiotherapy

Exercise Mat

25. Kagimu Badru Male / Adult Air Ring

The project also supported the repair of 4 wheel chairs in Kiwanga Home. The

total number of beneficiaries for the assistive devices was 39 persons.

SKILLS ACQUISITION

9 PWDs were supported for 3 terms. 7 of these have hearing impairments and

they trained in vocational skills. Twaha Kyambadde Sendege had dropped out of

school because the family could not meet his medical and care requirements as

well as school fees. But he continued to press the family to take him back to

school. Twaha was supported to go back to school to learn how to read and write,

even if his pencil grip had greatly retarded when he dropped out of school. He

loves books and he says would like to be able to read them.

Uganda does not have a secondary school for the deaf, so all those who finish

their primary schools are destined to go for vocational skills training if they have

the opportunity to continue. The following students were identified from Ntinda

School of the Deaf, as those that had failed to continue their education but would

become self sufficient if they learnt a vocational skill.

Nantale Rita, 15 years from Masaka District was formerly with Ntinda School for

the Deaf where she sat her Primary Leaving Examinations (Primary 7). We

contacted St. Mark VII Unit for the Deaf, Bwanda who took her on to pursue a

course in tailoring.

Mbeiza Maliza, 18 years old from Jinja district, completed Primary School from

Buckley High school Iganga in 2013 and joined Uganda Society for the Deaf.

However, she dropped out at the end of the first year (2014), leaving behind an

outstanding school fees bill. We contacted Maliza and got her back to school to

complete her course in Food Processing. Her mother (single) was advised to clear

the outstanding bill as the project supported her to complete her course. She has

since been able to clear the outstanding dues.

Kirabo Arthur had dropped out of school before completing Primary Seven. He

has a learning disability and could not proceed beyond Primary Five. But he was

very keen on learning a vocational skill. He was enrolled into St. Padre Pio Skills

Training Centre for a Carpentry course.

Beverly Nantale – 18 years, had dropped out of school for a term. She had been enrolled in YOPDIDA Special Vocational Training Institute for a Tailoring & Knitting course. However, she was unable to attend school in third term for failure to get the school fees. We managed to trace Beverly and we took her back to school to finish her course. She has since graduated and is employed in Mukono with a company that makes school uniforms. She also does some knitting to save up for a sewing machine. (Beverly at the extreme left - at her graduation).

In a related intervention, Beverly lives with her step mother whose merchandise was confiscated by the Kampala City Council Authority after she was found selling her stuff by the roadside, a practice that had been banned.She has 4 children of her own, one of whom is physically disabled. The little money that her stepmother had, she paid Beverly’s training fees for the 2 terms at the expense of her own children. Her children had been out of school for a year. Beverly’s mother was supported to start an Income generating activity selling shoes at the Owino market front yard to enable her meet the costs of care of her disabled son. Namukose Patricia has partial sight but she is fully deaf. She has ocular hypertension and has been on medication for 6 years. However, the condition has left her sight greatly compromised. Her mother was having a hard time meeting her medical care and school fees requirements.

At the time she was traced, she had been left at school through the holiday by her mother (single) because the mother didn’t have a home to stay and was living in a temporary shelter at a construction site in Bukasa. For fear of exposing her child to all the men that were working on the construction, she asked the school to allow her to stay on during the holidays so that she would fetch water for the construction to pay her outstanding school dues as well as the fees for the new term. Patricia is enrolled at the

Uganda Society for the Deaf pursuing a 2 year course in Cookery/Bakery Course.

Nakasirye Fiona from Luwero District was enrolled at Uganda Society for the Deaf pursuing a Tailoring, Knitting and Art craft course. She completed the course in December and moved back to Luwero where she is already employed by a tailoring business in Kasana town. Support for Luyombya Henry- 17 years started in 2nd term following a failure to

start at the beginning of the year despite having secured placement at YOPDIDA

in Kayunga, due to lack of school fees. He finished his course in Tailoring, Knitting

and Book binding and graduated in December 2016.

YOPDIDA training school forwarded a specific case of a child to us – Sherina

Namugga 16 years, whose parents had failed to pay her fees. There are 3 children

in her family with speech impairment (deaf) out of 5. She had been enrolled in

YOPDIDA but the parents failed to pay her fees. The project supported her with

Term 1, 2017 school fees hoping that the parents will be able to pay the rest of

the year.

MUBENDE REHABILITATION CENTRE (MRC)

MRC was supported with 100 pairs of Auxiliary crutches and 20 pairs of Elbow

crutches. A leather machine with a motor were bought and handed over to the

orthopedic workshop together with materials to make and repair orthopedic

shoes. The materials were bought with the assistance of the orthopedic

technician, who knew the places and the quality that was fit for use.

2 weeks after the materials/machines were delivered to Mubende, their

orthopedic technician was sent to Somalia for a 6 month. It took them 3 months

for the Ministry of Defence to transfer another to the unit in Mubende. So this

activity was delayed, but as soon as the replacement came the works resumed

straight away.

With the materials given the workshop team made 58 new pairs and repaired 11

old pairs. A few prosthetic limbs were also repaired using the padding that was

left over from the shoes.

Most of the crutches on the market in Kampala are imported and the caps are not

suitable for our terrain. The caps therefore wear easily and once they wear away.

The crutch begins to wear away too. We bought a few samples of locally made

caps that are very durable. These are cut out of old tractor tires.

5 white canes were also given on request MRC.

KIREKA HOME FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.

Our intervention didn’t not only improve the health and hygiene in the home, but

also contributed to the reduction in budgetary expenditure on fuel by 30%. The

energy saving stoves installed use between ½ and 2/3 of the fire wood used.

Secondly, all the smoke is diverted or channeled away from the kitchen/dining

area making it safe for occupation.

When the renovation started, it was noted that the ceiling of the dining/kitchen

area was leaking and that the floor was badly cracked. The total works would

have cost us much more but our long partnership with Friends of Wealthy

Environment (FOWE) fetched us a discount on the energy saving stoves. With this

saving, we were able to get the floor and roof repaired as well as cleaning the

walls (to remove the soot) and give the place a fresh coat of paint.

DAUGHTERS OF CHARITY HOME - KIWANGA

Salaries of the care givers are a very crucial element of the home’s budget. Given

the nature of the people in the home (PWDs), they need a lot of care thus the

need to have caregivers who have timely salaries. The project supported the

home to pay salaries as follows:

Matron 400,950 House Father 192,995

Cook 120,000 Nurse (Part time) 110,000

Guard 160,000

Palliative Care 281,830 TOTAL Ugx. 1,265,775

The project also made a contribution of 281,830/= per month towards palliative

care and routine drugs. However, the range of ailments of the people in the home

is stretching the homes medical care budgets. As the members grow up, which

most of them have, they develop a lot of healthy problems namely Rheumatic

pains and they are progressively worsening as far as their mental problems are

concerned.

The food prices in the past year have been generally high that the budgeted

amount of UGX.1,500,000/= was not enough. But the home got a few donations

of food in the year to supplement this.