RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE QUATERLY REPORT (JAN-MARCH).

AREA OF OPERATION

Rural health initiative (RHI) is rendering services in two main Districts - Jinja and Kamuli in Kisozi sub-county.
However, people from various districts are served as well, although only the two are in the organizations catchment area.

The following were some of the major objectives during the quarter:

• Provide counselling to 1500 clients
• Provide HIV testing services to 1500 people.
• Maintain 30 bicycles to community resource persons (CORPs).
• Provide 150 home based care kits.
• Carry out 1300 Home visits by religious leaders and (CORPs).
• Provide treatment for opportunistic infections to our registered clients.
• Refer clients to other centres and hospitals for further management.

ACTIVITIES EXECUTED

HIV COUNSELING AND TESTING

A total of 1,829 Individual clients were counselled and tested in both Jinja and Kamuli Districts. This included both HCT and RCT methods.
Clients were mainly mobilised by trained counselling aides (AOET community representatives) (CORPS) and religious leaders. These two categories of people were trained to do this work and are always facilitated with lunch allowance and bicycles are provided to them to use.
This is AOET’s biggest Vehicle of HIV Counselling as they live in the different communities where our patients are.

During this time, Counselling was done by professional counselors but due to the limited number of staff, individual counselling was not done as frequently as should have. Group counselling was however provided on a regular.

The epidemiology of HIV among only those who visited our centres is shown below according to sex, age and marital status.

TABLE 1 SHOWING NUMBER OF CIENTS TESTED ACCORDING TO THEIR SEX

NUMBER TESTED
HIV POSITIVE    MALES TESTED    HIV POSITIVE    FEMALES TESTED    HIV POSITIVE

MARRIED
913
26

315
13
598
13

WIDOWS    223    16    25    4    198    12

DIVORCED    147    13    58    2    89    11

SINGLES    528    12    247    3    281    9

SEPARATED    33    3    15    2    18    1

TOTAL        70    660    24    1,184    46

TABLE II SHOWING PEOPLE TESTED BY AGE GROUP.

0-5YRS    221    2    106    2    115    0
6-10YRS    152    3    76    1    76    2
11- 15YRS    97    2    40    0    57    2
16- 20YRS    110    2    33    0    77    2
21-25YRS    161    9    52    3    109    6
26-30YRS    190    11    48    2    142    9
31-35YRS    155    9    43    3    112    6
36-40YRS    197    11    53    4    144    7
41-45YRS    119    9    39    3    80    6
46-50YRS    117    9    29    2    88    7
51YRS +    310    4    136    4    174    0
TOTAL    1,829    71    655    24    1,174    47

Treatment of opportunistic infections

A total number of 390 cases were seen during the quarter and these were of various sicknesses
(Diagnosis).
This was done both at the AOET Main clinic and the mobile clinics. Both our fulltime clinical officer and the doctor who comes once a week and on appointment did the consultation.
In addition to treatment of malaria, a prevention outreach was also done through the provision of Insect Treated Nets (ITNs) which were given to 300 clients both adults and children. Also 259 mosquito nets were re-treated and these included those for the clients who had received them eight months ago and the community around the AOET Main clinic.
The clients’ registration greatly increased during the quarter mainly due to the funding from USAID/ IRCU / PEPFA, which enabled the department to have adequate testing kits and drugs.
Other Drugs came from visiting Teams, Willamette Christian center and Grace Community Church.

CLINICAL ASSESSMENT

A total of 4,063 cases were seen during the quarter and these included our sponsored children, their parents/guardians plus the general community. AOET Rural Health Initiative (RHI) department since the last two years decided to open up the clinic to the general public instead of treating only the HIV/AIDS infected persons.
The department thought that this would in one way or the other fight stigma where the clients could freely come to the clinic since everyone would be coming. However most of the clinical assessments were done in Kamuli and this outlet centre had high numbers because the area does not have any other  health facilities.
As a result, when we take a mobile clinic there, almost every one that has been waiting comes, and that is in hundreds (for a single days’ work)!!

TABLE III SHOWING DISEASES PATTERN FROM JANUARY -MARCH 2008

HIV POSITIVE CLIENTS    SPONSORED CHILDREN    ORDINARY PATIENTS     TOTAL

FEMALE
398
38
1,062
1,498
MALE
158    35    435    628
CLINICAL MALARIA    51    25    371    447
SKIN INFECTIONS
143
16
174
333
OTHERS    359    16    585    960
GASTRO-INTESTINAL INFECTIONS    223    12    931    328
RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS    114    33    508    655
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
33
0
58
91
EYE INFECTIONS    11    4    24    39
EAR INFECTIONS    1    0    8    9

TB DIAGNOSIS

TB management was not done at the mobile clinic but diagnosis was done and only at the main clinic because it was not possible to be carried out in the village (0n mobile clinics) since they did not have electricity to operate the gargets used.
Almost all the HIV clients were screened especially those in HIV clinical staging 3 and 4 and those with TB clear clinical picture. Normally, we refer clients who have tested TB positive for TB treatment in hospitals and other TB centres.

The cotrimoxazole and multivitamins prophylaxis programme

This programme was intended as a way of protecting our patients from opportunistic infections that weaken them. A total of 390 clients were put on both multivitamin and cotrimoxazole. For the patients that are allergic to sulpha drugs, dapson is always prescribed as an alternative.

The following criteria during these three months was used in running of this programme;

1)    The patient must accept to be tested and registered at any of the AOET- Uganda service centres (for easy follow up).
2)    The Patient should be willing to be treated using septrin and multivitamin prophylaxis.
3)    Patients that do not have a history to reaction on using Sulpha as dapson is very rare.

Laboratory services

A total number of 2164 tests were done during the quarter and this happened because of the good machines that were provided by the project USAID/IRCU.

Tests done at the AOET (RHI) clinic lab

At AOET, a typical investigation in addition to HIV includes Malaria, Parasite slides, stool examinations, Sputum for TB, VDRL, Urinalysis and Haematology and widal tests for typhoid infections.
However, the clinic was able to take care of such a big number of people because of the sufficient supply of the reagents and all the consumables that were needed.

STI Management

The popular sexually transmitted infections in this quarter included;

1)    Candidiasis
2)    Genital ulcers
3)    Genital watts
4)    Urinary truct infections.

Most of the cases were managed by the medical staff  although a small number was referred to other health units with more facilities.

Quality Control.

During the quarter, the department head together with the lab technician found out that in order to provide quality services, there was need to take samples to other recognised centres for quality control. In March, Joint Clinical Research Center (JCRC) Kakira branch, was approached and AOET RHI clinic was allowed to be taking the samples for further testing and confirmatory.

Referrals to hospital and other organisations.

Clients were referred to hospitals plus other health care centres and service organisations.
This was especially for further specialised treatment and tests, which are not provided by the AOET RHI clinic.
Also referrals were done so that other clients can access care and treatment services within their neighbourhood. The other reason for referrals during the quarter was to maintain the collaborative strategy with other service organisations and health centres. However, there was a challenge in managing clients who fail to go for tests required like TB and CD4 count. During this quarter, it has been hard to continue monitoring them without such results.

Networks

ALL our patients have formed networks out of the past test groups with four of these in Jinja and their major role is to have patients support each other socially. Several activities like crafts making, music and dance, drama were done. Two drama groups performed six HIV sensitisation shows both in Kamuli and Jinja Districts. The drama shows and music are used as way of HIV prevention in the areas of operation. For purposes of sustainability, the network was advised by AOET and facilitated to register and it’s now recognised in the district as a Community Based Organisation.

Home based care

A total 180 clients were visited in the three months. Both people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAS), Religious leaders and AOET staff did this activity. The people that conducted these visits were trained by AOET specifically in HIV facts, counselling and general palliative care. Several activities like washing cloths, general home cleaning and psychosocial support, mobilising people and referring them for treatment were done. In enabling them to do this work, these community based workers whose major role is to visit clients have been given bicycles and are given lunch allowances by AOET. During this activity, palliative care packages like Soap, Jik, cotton wool and painkillers are provided in addition to the medical care given to some clients who need it at home especially IV lines.
However according to the reports of those visiting, clients need more than medical and psychosocial support. A big number of them need nutrition boosting which AOET is considering for the future but does not provide right now.

HIV/awareness.

Due to limited staff and funding, HIV awareness as an activity was only done  in one school.
It’s indeed a necessary activity but the current funding and staffing cannot enable the department to implement this activity.

Staff Training

One of the staff - a Counsellor, was sent for further training in palliative care and ART at mildmay in Kampala for two weeks.
However, more training is required as lack of sufficient knowledge let to many patients being referred to other centers when we could have handled them ourselves.
Also, 3 trainings were carried out during the quarter for District leaders, religious leaders, People living with HIV/AIDS and CORPs.
In all these trainings, this department hires facilitators from the District health services and other service organisations.

An update on local partnerships

AOET rural health initiative is currently collaborating with TASO, JCRC - the eastern branch in Kakira, Jinja network of AIDS service organisations, Jinja main referral hospital, Jinja DHS and the Uganda AIDS control program.

Funding.

Throughout the quarter, almost all the activities were funded by USAID through inter religious council of Uganda (IRCU). Also volunteer groups especially from the US brought in some items like assorted drugs and small clinical equipment. Grace community Church and Willemette Christian center were some of the contributors to the success of this quarter!
Nevertheless, there is still a HUGE funding gap for the activities done in the department.

While hundreds of people - although sick - are sometimes able to walk to our Main Clinic or Mobile clinics in the Villages, some are not, and so AOET looks for avenues for them to be taken care of as well!
One such person “was” Jesca!!!

Jesca’s Story:

Jesca is 39 years old and lives in Kagoma sub-county with five children. Two girls and 3 boys.
Jesca is disabled due to polio and she has never walked since she was born .
She was however married to a man who later abandoned her 11 years a go. For all this time, she has been struggling to meet her needs and those of her children.
Jesca told us that her biggest wish was to move and do some sort of small scale business so she and her Children can earn a living, however this has never been possible because she couldn’t walk.
When the AOET medical team began interacting with her, they found out that the entire family had no beddings and got Malaria frequently (am sure because they had no mosquito nets) and they REALLY needed help!!!
The Medical Team came back to the AOET Offices and recommended that Jesca be attended to with immediate effect!!!
With Wheel Chairs given to AOET by OGT,  Jesica was given a wheel chair that exited not only her, but the neighbours, her children….
You should have been there to see the Joy!!!
She is now able to move around the village and return visits neighbours and friends had paid her - one of her biggest wishes.
She is also able to go to the clinic when she is sick.
The entire family has been given beddings, and her Children have also been connected to the AOET Child sponsorship program where they will get sponsored (when we get sponsors for them)!!!.

Now that she can move around, Jesca is looking for funding to start a small business to support her family!!!
It is WONDERFUL when we meet cases like these that could not see beyond “today” and their lives are changed  -  taken to a level where they begin dreaming BIG!! Totally WONDERFUL!

VOLUNTEERS.

The department received two sets of volunteers from USA during this quarter and both groups participated in the activities that were being done at that time. One of these groups had time with the post test group and taught them how to make Jewry and provided them with relevant tools for this trade. These tools are kept by the department so that other groups too have access to them.
These volunteers also came with assorted medicines that were given to the clinic and this helped with the big gap of medicines that has been threatening the department.

CHALLENGES.
-Overwhelming number of clients at our centres
-In-adequate staffing.
-Delay of funding.
-Inadequate space especially for stabilising the weak clients.
-Inadequate knowledge on data management by the departmental members aggravated by lack of a data manager.

NEEDS:

- More skilled people on staff.
- Funding available is less, the needs are great! We need help!!
Our Clinic is too small. A proposal has been generated to Expand the existing structure / facilities, but we haven’t been able to get a partner/ donor that would help us build it!
- Capacity building in data management is urgently needed to be able to compile the lots of data collected.
-The laboratory needs at least two people.

Do you have the time and skills to come and work alongside AOET in the area of Data?
Or are you able to help us financially to hire an additional person that can handle our Data?

ACTIVITIES FOR THE NEXT QUARTER

1. HIV Counselling and testing
2. Provision o HCT, VCT and other lab investigation services
3. General palliative care.
4. Refer clients
5. Stabilization of patients
6. Medical support
7. Provision. Home Based Care
8. Review meeting with religious leaders and community resource persons.
9. Training of PHAs and religious leaders.

Compiled by.

ANNIE ALIMUWA
Manager,
AOET Rural health initiative.

Tabitha Noll

Hello, my name is Tabitha and I have had the amazing privilidge of visiting AOET for two weeks. While in Uganda, I became a sponge to soak in as much of their culture as possible in hopes that one day I may return. I believe there are a few things I observed that will help if you have never visited Uganda. I do not know everything about this culture and I am sure your visit will be a wonderful learning experience, but I do wish to pass on what I have learned in hope that your visit will go smoothly as I came to understand there are so many differences I was not aware. I sincerely hope this will help even one person in a small way when travelling to AOET. I trust that you will not only visit this place, but embrace and immerse yourself in the beautiful Ugandan culture as I have done. May God sincerely bless your journey as you help AOET save lives.

Health Tips:

*Bring Hand Sanitizer/ Baby wipes/ Toilet paper as bathrooms in Uganda do not supply these.
*Tuck mosquito nets completely around your mattress to keep them out of your sleeping area. Mosquitoes come at dawn/dusk mostly. Wear long sleeves at night if outside.
*Remember your DEET bug spray, but not higher than 50% DEET for skin and higher concentration is ok but only for your clothes to treat against mosquitoes.
*Remember sunscreen.
*Pharmacies in Uganda carry almost any prescription drug and you can purchase without an RX.
*Use bottled water for drinking or water that has been boiled for a while at rolling boil is ok.
*Use bottled water or boiled for brushing teeth also.
*Aspirin is a good idea to take on the plane journey to help prevent blood clots (81 mg. minimum dose)
*Do not eat vegetables/fruits without a skin or peel unless cooked.
*Make sure to get proper immunizations, but please research this to know which ones are necessary and which are not. (They did not even check our immunization cards even once throughout journey).
*Paper products like napkins are not always provided in restaruants
*Do not fear eating meat as long as it has been cooked it should be fine even though you will see it hanging.
*Do not hang wet clothes outside after dusk to dry. There is a bug that nests into clothes hung out after dusk that can only be killed by heat like by ironing with high heat. Make sure wet clothes are not drying after dusk in the open air outside.
*Do not touch a child’s head with white spots present. This discoloration is a contagious skin fungus that can be spread by skin contact.
*If you get food poisining, charcoal tablets are a good idea and can be purchased at any health food store in U.S. very inexpensive. Use as directed on bottle.

Cultural Tips:

*Ugandans do not make direct eye contact and if they try to, it for a brief moment as their culture is different and searching for eye contact with them can sometimes be offensive to them. They are the most loving people, but do not communicate the same as Americans due to their culture being so deeply a part of them.

*When waving to children or people in Uganda, keep an open hand wave. To fold one hand and wave is actually a summon to come here and children may run to your vehicle if you wave like this.
*Hand wash your own undergarments even if someone offers to wash your clothes for you. It is offensive to Ugandans to wash another person’s undergarments. (No explanation necessary).
*Little children will chase a white person and call you Mzungu. Do not let this bother you, it is even proper english to call a person with white skin Mzungu even among adults in Uganda.
*Do not give money to people on the street, even children. It is not helpful to missionaries who are permanently in Uganda and when children expect a Mzungu to give them money. They will come to expect it from everyone. It is better to give milk or bread to those who beg as it is much more useful.
*When visiting a restuarant, they will not always have food. Ask the restaurant before being seated, “Do you have any food? And what is ready?”
*Ugandans like a warm greeting and will hold your handshake for a long time to greet you.
They sincerely love visitors to come and will make you feel warmly welcomed!
*Do not promise anything. Make sure your yes is yes and no is no. Please be very direct with Ugandans.
*Many people will ask your phone number and email even strangers.
*Ugandans serve guests their food first and make sure you have eaten before them. Do not be offended by this. This is their cultural way of honoring a guest.

Safety Tips:

*Before leaving U.S., talk to your cell phone company and bank to let them know the countries you will be travelling so that they can maintain security of accounts and cell phone usage.
*Master Card/Visa can be used to make cash withdraw from Uganda at Stanbic Bank ATM’s.
*It is best to bring cash with $100’s with a date current nothing prior to 2001 series bills to exchange at exchange station in town.
*Bring electric converters in order to use any electrical equipment. Our plugs do not correspond without proper converters. (Can be purchased in U.S. at AAA travel store locations).
*Electricity/Hot water is not always available and can go out periodically throughout your stay.
*DO NOT TAKE PICTURES NEAR BRIDGES OR IN AFRICAN AIRPORTS OR AROUND ARMED GUARDS!!!!! You can be arrested and taken to jail for taking photos in certain areas. Always ask and be sure it is ok before snapping pictures! This is VERY SERIOUS!
*You are not free to speak or do anything you want in Uganda.
*BUT, you are free to share the gospel as the Lord leads. Freedom of speech is limited, but you will find that the gospel is a freedom you can speak about almost anytime or anywhere.
*Bring candles/matches if you go on a journey as some hotels will not have electricity. Candles can be purchased in Uganda.
*Liquids under 3oz. bottles need to be placed in quart size ziploc for airport security purposes. Only one ziploc allowed per traveller and all liquids for carry on must fit into this ziploc. If you want to pack liquid in larger bottles, they must go into checked luggage.
*Money belts are a good idea to keep under clothes to assure money is safely kept.
*You may not want to bring electrical equipment like Mp3, Ipod, laptop PC’s for safety reasons.
*Driving is on opposite side of road in Uganda/driver is on opposite side of vehicle than US.
*If you hit someone while driving, DO NOT STOP. Village people may try to kill you. Go immediately to nearest police station to report.
*Gas stations may not always have gas. Please keep close eye on tank to be sure you will have gas for your journey as stations are not always easily accessed especially the further you go from the Main cities.
*Do not walk outside alone at night. Be safe and keep aware that you are a target as a Mzungu.
*If police stop you, it may help to show remorse and say “YOU forgive me.”
*Security guards carry guns and may shoot if you steal something.
*Carry your passport on local journeys, but keep it safe and keep an extra copy of it in your checked luggage which will stay at your sleeping place in case lost or stolen.
*Speaking about Joseph Kony or LRA is not free like in America. We cannot exercise freedom to speak about things in Uganda like in U.S. openly on the street. Be careful in speaking openly about these things - especially as a foreigner.

Other helpful Tips:

*Young women and children will sometimes curtsy or bow when greeting a visitor or guest as a form of respect. (This is very humbling, but please graciously receive this form of their honor to a guest)
*Please be patient. Things move sometimes very slow in Ugandan culture. Allow time for everything as things are not fast paced in Uganda like in U.S.
*Make sure you know a price before a boda-boda ride or stay at internet cafe.

This is a Boda Boda. It is a Bicycle or Motor Bike Taxi.

You may be overcharged as an American if you are not careful to know the prices of things in Uganda.
*Ugandan meal times are a little different and around 8:30am for Breakfast, 1:00pm for Lunch, and 7:30 or 8:00pm for Dinner.
*Do not expect a restaurant to have everything on the menu. Be flexible and patient in all things.
*Remember the reason you are here is to serve and not to be served. This will help you in frustrating times.
*If going on an AOET mobile clinic, bring snacks and water as you will work through lunch on this day.
*Snacks are a good idea to bring with you. Ugandans will feed you and it is very offensive if you do not eat their meals, but snacks are a good idea to keep for travelling and between meals. (ie: protein bars, trail mix, dried fruits)
*Bringing candies is always a good idea to sweeten up police or little children you meet.
*E-mailing can be done at internet cafe’s (slow connection sometimes)
*Many internet cafe’s are closed on Sundays and some shops also close on Sunday.

God Bless your stay in Uganda, - and especially as you work with AOET!

As said in our earlier Blog entries, AOET is in 5 Different African Countries:

AOET Kenya
AOET Uganda
AOET Rwanda
AOET Zambia
AOET Botswana

Outside AOET Zambia Offices. Hundreds of Children are being Educated by AOET in Zambia 

AOET Zambia’s prime mandate is to provide an education to orphans and vulnerable children by helping them access good quality education.

Orphans Placement.

AOET Zambia believes in solving the orphans’ problem with an African strategy. Basically, orphans in Africa have not been institutionalized as tradition believes that every child belongs – not only to the immediate family, but to the community as well. Orphanages and all other forms of institutionalization have come over the past few decades.
So as we pick children from the streets, we identify extended families to take care of them. where this is not possible, we place children with foster families providing a mother and father figure who care for them responsibly.

Orphans Education

We support children with direct school sponsorship and school supplies. To answer the cry of the need to promote the girl child, we deliberately have 65% as girl children on the sponsorship. This reduces early marriages and levels of prostitution among the girl child.

Jacob Phiri; AOET Zambia Country Director

 

Feeding Program.

As a result of increased poverty in many households, children have been exposed to many vices including child labour, child neglect, child prostitution, defilement, child trafficking, early pregnancies and marriages and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS infections. No doubt poverty prevents children from enjoying their basic rights. They often do not have enough food available to them. Consequently they may suffer from malnutrition or other illness, which may hinder their full development.
Because of the above concerns, Action for Empowerment-Zambia runs a feeding program, which caters for our sponsored children.
When the children finish their community school lessons, the centre provides nutritious food for them.

Household supplementary food.

Action for Empowerment – Zambia having seen the poverty levels in the homes, has decided to provide basic food stuffs to several families. These homes have been attacked by adult malnutrion. Failure to supply these homes with supplementary food supplies will result in deaths.

A package normally includes;
• 1 bag X 25kg of maize meal
• 1 bag of Rice
• 1pkt X 2kg sugar
• 1 X 750ml of cooking oil
• And other products as they are availed.

Women Empowerment.

We provide life saving Vocational skills to widows. As a result we are seeing widows earning an income which enables them to look after their children and their families at large.

All this is possible ofcourse because we were able to purchase a large building that is our project center right now.
However, we are also looking at expansion.

Plans for 2008/2009.

AOET Zambia has just acquired a piece of land on which we plan to build a Health center and a School.
From time to time we provide mobile clinics to the most impoverished areas. In such places, government healthy facilities are not available or people have to walk about 15km to access a healthy facility.

Due to high levels of poverty, and many more children still not accessing quality education, AOET Zambia plans to open another center in place called Shimabala area. This will bring the total number of centers to 3.
Contacts have already been established and local leaders are willing to give us space in local council buildings to run a community school.

THANK YOU for supporting the Vision of AOET in the different African Countries!!

Jacob Phiri
Country Director
AOET ZAMBIA

 

This comes to thank all of you that prayed for us and sent us Emails to encourage us when we got involved in motor accidents.

After medical check-ups and realizing that we had no injuries at all, the next worry set in.
This was - how we were going to repair the vehicles!!!

Am glad to give a praise report that, today (Jan. 7th 2008) we’ve received the rest of the funds to take care of the vehicles.

Cindy and the Second Saturday Coffee House responded by giving some money, and a family called us today confirming that they had also already wired funds to take care of the rest of the cost (they knew how much the Lady had pledged to give).

Thank you all so, so much for all your text messages - from here in Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Botswana, Rwanda, Canada, USA…and for your care.

Please do not send any more funds towards this need. It has all been covered.

However, if you would like to give a gift or donation to AOET towards any of our programs, Please contact us through: stushabe@aoet.org
We would be VERY grateful.

Reviewed by Ann.

AOET - Uganda has started Construction of it’s next School - this time, A High School.
Assist International is sponsoring the whole construction!!!

Construction started the last week of December and has been progressing VERY well until the Uganda / Kenya Boarder was closed recently prompting a 150% increase in fuel prices as a result of ethnic clashes in Kenya started by Elections that didn’t go well.
We are hoping that this will be a temporary situation and the Boarder (which actually serves a whole region) will be reopened soon and business will go back to Normal.
Here are a few pictures of the progress.

The School will have several Hundred Students, Class/Lecture rooms, Laboratories, A properly Stocked Library and reading room, Administration Section, art Laboratory,…

Map of the High School when finally completed!

During the final days of December 2007, AOET Kenya Officially Launched it’s OVC program.
The function was a VERY colorful one!!!

The Guest of Honor was the District Commissioner, Bungoma East (Equivalent to a Governor).
Together with her were MANY Government officials, Chiefs, stake holders, A good representation of Big, International organizations, …

Getting ready to cut the Ribbon. The local people put those traditional ornaments on Sam and the other Officials as a sign of gratitude. This practice has been going on for centuries

At about 3:00 pm, the District Commissioner cut the Ribbon, and the program was officially launched.

The District Commissioner (Governer) Cutting the Ribbon

Program Officially Launched

Although not present at the function, “GRACE” was the Church behind this part of AOET Kenya’s growth into another realm of operation!
Jon and Jen Long, Patti Hewatt, Angella, Nick and Becky Ramsing and many others coordinated ALL the initial Child sponsorships when a Team from AOET Uganda Visited “GRACE” in Baltimore, Maryland.
Jen carried Child profiles almost everywhere - talking about the program to every and anyone that cared to listen.
She matched willing donors with Kenyan Children that needed sponsorship, … A lot of work was done during that time (Fall of 2007).
Jon Long helped a great deal doing the same thing, but mostly Driving the Ugandan Team. Other Drivers also got involved - it was Team work.
GRACE Hosted the Team with Individuals like Ms. Susan and others taking part - practically Housing and feeding the Ugandan Team.

Through Jen, Patti, Becky and many other volunteers’ help, and support, 100 Children had been picked up by willing Donors for sponsorship by the time the Ugandan Team was ready to go home - the biggest number of sponsors being from GRACE!!!.
It is on this 100 that the AOET Kenya Program is Kick starting it’s Child Sponsorship program in addition to the rest of the programs it is running.

AOET Kenya NEEDS more Child Sponsors.
They are hoping to have 250 Children sponsored by the end of 2008!

Christine’s Story:

Mrs. Christine Wafula is a mother of 10.
Most of the 10 Children were in School, but have now dropped out!. Christine is a peasant and earns a living from selling small fish and growing some vegetables that she grows in a tiny plot behind her little house. She lives in a small temporary wattle tin roofed house with two grown up girls and eight younger children. Her elder son was imprisoned and left behind a wife and one child who by default Christine had to take on!. Her grown up daughter who is 13 years old has dropped out of school due to lack of school fees and other necessities.
The social worker that Visits Christine on this particular day remembers getting emotionally envolved with the family. “There was no way anyone could not feel compassionate after listening to Christine” she said!!!
This is what Christine had to say - , “The family does not have any support for the grown up children. My daughter dropped out of school after completing her primary School level; and feeding them is a problem”. Now in tears, she continued, “ We only have one meal in a day, and also not adequate… we let the small one’s eat first…I will be happy to see my daughter back to school like other little girls; it will comfort me a great deal”.

Will you help?

It costs $30 a month to sponsor any of Christine’s Children or any other in a similar situation through AOET Kenya.

This $30 Helps as follows:

- Pays the Child’s School fees
- Buys books for the Child
- Provides Healthcare for the Child
- Buys School Uniform for the Child (2 sets of Uniform a year).
- Provides Lunch for the Child at School.

University Students pay more.
Their programs are divided in two sections a year - first and Second Semesters - 6 months each.
Each Semester costs $800.

To sponsor a Child, Please contact Jen Long at: sniperjen@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting us again.
Please come back again soon.

Ann Alimuwa / Sam Tushabe

Since the start of November 2007, our Rural Health initiative team has been moving from Village to Village doing HIV/AIDS Education, Patient Visitation and Treatment.

Meeting smaller - ’same gender’ groups has been a VERY successful way of getting the most contribution out of women especially. During this one month and a half, we’ve discovered that Rural Women are EXTREMELY resourceful, yet have not been given a PROPER platform to make their contribution in the fight against HIV/AIDS!!!.

Our Team has visited hundreds of families, organized and spoken at different gatherings, treated several thousand people in many different villages and also done a lot of Home based care for our registered clients (patients).
If you would like to have a detailed report of what has been done over the past one month and a half, please get back to us right away requesting for the report and we will be happy to send it on to you either my Email or hard copy (by snail mail).

The Bicycle Ambulances have done wonders during this time!!!
Many patients were brought to our Mobile clinics on these Ambulances and others transferred to other Health centers!!!
Looking at the Magnitude of the work the Team has covered over the past one month and a half, I just can’t bring my small mind around the challenge of how these people would have survived during this time without the AOET Team there!!
God provides in VERY miraculous ways!!! - He did just that for the people the Team was able to reach in November and December!!!

During the planning stages for this outreach, the target was to help atleast 20,000 people!!!
The Team however superseded this target and reached a recorded number of those reached and helped at 27,421 people (in the one month and a half)!!! Incredible!!!!

We are VERY grateful to you all who were behind us in your prayers, those who supported the Team financially to buy Drugs, more Bicycles, to USAID and IRCU who donated Bicycles and supported our Rural Health initiative in general, and to the AOET RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE Team!!
This has been a very good description of the word “SUCCESS”.

However, we still have our registered patients to take care of, we have the AOET community based workers to keep engaged, and continued HIV/AIDS Education to the communities!!
The struggle continues, but as for this period, we feel fulfilled that we went beyond the set target!

The Staff have all gone for their Christmas Holidays and will be coming back on the 7th of January 2008.

As we begin the New Year, here are some of our needs for the Rural Health initiative and Bugembe Health center in Particular:

1. A constant supply of drugs for our Main Pharmacy (This is our biggest Challenge since we have over 1000 registered AIDS patients consistently depending on this Pharmacy and an added several thousand patients that we take care of on a monthly basis through Mobile Clinics!

2. We would like to expand our Bugembe Health center adding more counseling rooms, expanding the patient waiting area, adding Office space and adding room for 10 more Beds to stabilize patients on medication at the center.

3. We desperately need training materials.
We’ve received some from the Ministry of Health and made some ourselves, but need a lot more over the next 1 year.

4. We also need Medical equipment for the Health Center!

Medical Equipment from OGT arrive

We were so blessed in the middle of this (ending) year 2007 by OGT who sent us a big supply of Medical equipment Hospital Beds,… but as we expand the Health center, we are finding more and more need for ALL kinds of Medical equipment.!!
If you have leeds to how we can get more new or used Medical equipment, PLEASE let us know!

5. And Finally, a 4X4 off roader truck that would brave the mud and literally impossible / none existent roads in the rural communities - a HUGE Challenge.
PLEASE share these with your friends!
We need a lot of support to make a much bigger impact and difference!!

Would you like to help with any of the above or with something different?
PLEASE let us know.

You can contact us at: stushabe@aoet.org.

Thank you for being our friend, and for visiting again.

Please come more often and ask your friends to visit.
We will be posting more information consistently.

Ann Alimuwa
AOET Rural Health Initiative Manager

“HOPE never dies”, … they say.

If you’ve never been close to a people that are trapped in Absolute poverty, disease, and traditional customs, then seen someone work in that environment to change that situation and finally seen people take advantage of that opportunity to get out of their circumstances, it would be hard to comprehend what that Statement means!!

AOET’s OVC (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) project is bringing hope to orphans and vulnerable children in northern Uganda.
Nothern Uganda has faced war for OVER 20 years, Children have been born in concentrated camps, and are now Adults,children as young as 8 are abducted and sold as slaves…
With funding from USAID given under the Inter Religious Council of Uganda, AOET begun supporting 500 ovc in Adekokwok sub county with formal education and vocational skills training

Please Meet Molly !

Molly is 17
She is one of the beneficiaries of this project.
Her mother died when she was six (6) years old due to the war!.
At 17, she already has two children.
Her father sent her away from home because she refused to get married to an army man who would provide bride wealth for her father!
She however did not do this out of disobedience to her father: Before you judge her, you probably need to know a few things:

1. Molly was only 15 at the time
2. You also need to know that her Mother had been killed by soldiers!! Because of this, even if she had decided to “close her eyes” and get married at 15, she could not handle the thought of getting married to a Soldier!!!

Molly in front of her house now.
She might not be in the best house ever, but she has big dreams!!

Sent away by her father with nothing, - not even a pair of shoes on her feet, Molly says, “… I knew I would end up dead somewhere”!!!

By the time AOET arrived in that region, Molly had found her way to her uncle in another camp far from the camp her father lived in still in the Northern Uganda.

Molly came to the AOET Office to ask if she could get help.
When she came, she had NEVER been educated - even with basic reading…since she had never been to school.
Vocational training was the best option suggested by the AOET Social worker, and Molly did not waste any time.
She got on a sewing Machine, and in just a few days Molly could make beautiful patterns on a sewing machine, then later begun working with cloth with so much ease that she surprised everyone!!
Right now she is on her way to becoming a WONDERFUL tailor (without formal Education!!!!.
According to one of AOET’s Social workers working with Molly, “the girl is EXTREMELY intelligent… she could easily become an engeneer”!!
Such are Children that have been affected by the war in Northern Uganda and yearn for an opportunity to be empowered and especially through formal Schooling or vocational training!

In addition to Vocational Training, AOET has helped Molly understand her rights - which skills will prove of GREAT value for her in the near future!!!.

Molly talks about her changed life with a HUGE smile!!! Something she could not have dreamt 10 months ago!!!

The morning we visited her, she said with tears on her small cheeks “…thank you for bringing this project to Adekokwok! Now I am sure that after this training I will be able to send my two children to school”.
(How she got the Two Children is another incredible story for next time)!!

Now I know that this is what whoever said ” Hope never dies” meant!!
I had no clue!!!

We are Grateful to USAID and IRCU together with a host others for the support you give us that enables us to support Thousands of young people like Molly in the different countries AOET is operating in!!!

If you need to know more about Molly, Please let us know and we will give you all the information you need.

You can contact us concerning ALL other issues concerning the work we do at:

stushabe@aoet.org

= Submitted by =

Sam Tushabe
Director

Some of AOET Staff

This week our rural Health initiative staff just kicked off a month of HIV/AIDS Education in rural areas.
The target is to give enough information about HIV/AIDS to a minimum of 20,000 people.

We kicked the project off with our Drama group.
(The Drama group is a group of Ladies that tested positive for HIV here at the AOET Clinic, have lost their husbands to AIDS and decided to form a Drama group in form of a SUPPORT group for themselves, but also to educate others about the REALITY of AIDS).

This group has grown from just a few to over 70 women, but because of transportation and other logistical challenges,… the ones that travel with the AOET staff and perform often are about 15, although the whole support group meets regularly.

Together with Education, the AOET HBC (Home based Care) group will be working with ALL our registered patients.
AOET has developed a host of Community based workers who work hand in hand with the mainstream AOET Rural Health Staff.
After 6 - 11 months of training, Community based workers are ready to go back to their communities and work.
They help AOET in transporting patients on Bicycle Ambulances to AOET Mobile clinics or closest Health centers if it is not an AOET Mobile Clinic day!

A bicycle Ambulance has become one of the biggest life saving tools that AOET has ever used!!!
The first few days have already gone VERY well!!!

Since 2005, we’ve registered OVER 2,000 AIDS patients, but we have just a little over 1,000 that come regularly to the AOET Clinic for medication.
The AOET HBC (Home based care) team will be visiting EVERYONE in our database during this month before Christmas since for about two weeks during the Christmas Holiday the Heath care team will be away.

The Team has already done several Schools, taught in Villages under trees, during the traditional village meetings… and still has 3 weeks to continue doing this.
Ann Alimuwa - the Manager of the AOET Rural Health Initiative said “the idea of doing this before the Christmas break is good because people are very “active” (I think she meant socially) during that time and so need this information just before”.

The other part besides Education and Home based care, the Team is continuing to do Mobile Clinics in the Villages.
On mobile Clinics, Patients with all sorts of ailments come for treatment. On one Mobile clinic, it is not uncommon for the Team to see at least 100 patients !! (sometimes more, other times a bit less)!!! Many of these will be done over the next few weeks!
They still use the same transportation they’ve been using over the past outreaches, and it’s still the same staff going on these outreaches to the Village and so it’s not terribly more expensive than it’s been, yet with almost twice as much work than before!

Do you know how we can get more “Off the counter” and “Prescription” Drugs for our Clinic?
Would you like to help purchase a Staff transportation van for $9,200?
Our Staff van that transports both volunteers and Staff has been on the road for many years, and is now turning into a liability.
Every week it has to be repaired twice or more times, and needless to say, is taking so much money!,
Or would you like to help buy Gasoline for a whole month for the rural Health initiative Team to go everywhere and anywhere for about $1000?
We would love to hear from you!!

Please contact us at:

stushabe@aoet.org

Thank you again so much for visiting.
Please come more often.
We will be posting what is happening here at AOET regularly!!!

You should have been here 3 days ago (November 10th 2007) when 4 young people sponsored by AOET graduated from 2 of the Best Universities in UGANDA!

Bakasule Daudi Graduated from Kampala International University with a Bachelors Degree in SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL ADMINISTRATION,

Sentema Edward Graduated from Kampala International University with a Bachelors Degree in PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION,

Nakisige Jackie Graduated from Makerere University with a Bachelor’s Degree in COMPUTER ENGENEERING, and

Alivitsa Doreen graduated from Kampala International University with a Bachelors Degree in SOCIAL SCIENCE.

It was by far the happiest moment for Sam and Nancy as they saw kids that have grown up not just under their care, but under their roof over a VERY long period of time graduate!!!
Doreen already has a Job waiting for her in Northern Uganda, Edward is working for AOET in Kenya, Jackie is still looking for a permanent job, and Daudi is moving to work with AOET in Botswana.

Time flys by so quickly.

Their Graduation was followed by a group party (for the four of them! Traditionally in Uganda, each student has got to have a party following the University graduation ceremony, but the idea of a group party was by far the best.

Family and friends they had not seen in years came to the party, and it was also a “networking time” for everyone that came!!


By the end of the party, none of the staff or graduands knew everyone there, yet it was like one big family!!!

Reminds me of the old African saying “a child belongs to the community” !!!

Each of them had a Cake made for them in the shape of a BOOK, and as they cut the cake, graffiti went flying in the air and everywhere until both Cake and graduands got covered in it!

$800 sponsors a young person to go to University.
It covers the Student’s Tuition, Books, rent, and food for 6 months.

Thank you for helping us be able to educate these 4.
Their lives will for ever be changed!!!!

Thank you for visiting us. Please come more often as we will be updating this page regularly!!
Also, Please explore other pages on this site whose links are on your right above.

= AOET Uganda Child Welfare Coordinator =