Project Updates - Status And Newsletters
(Follow this link to download our newsletters, which often have the most up to date information).
What has happened so far?
- Land has been purchased and a clinic building with four rooms put up. Guttering has been placed round the building, and a water storage tank provided to collect rainwater.
- Pit latrines and a washroom have been constructed on site.
- Regular clinics are being run daily.
- A shallow well and pump have been constructed to provide clean water for both the clinic and local community.
- Medication and support for HIV/AIDS victims are being provided.
- Funds are being raised to provide a maternity unit.
- A small number of families have been enrolled on a livelihood project.
Spring 2009
Clinics
We have been encouraged by the involvement of the nearby Saint Camillus Hospital which work with us to help people suffering with HIV/AIDS. They have assessed a number of sufferers and have now registered over 60 people, who will receive medication and care for the rest of their lives. When they visit they carry out all of their work from the clinic building. Through their willingness to be involved we have begun to address the huge problem of HIV/AIDS and can begin to help improve peoples' quality of life.
A Clinical Officer (equivalent to our junior or registrar doctors) is employed full time at the clinic assisted by a nurse aid and community helath workers. A small, basic home has been built to allow the Clinical Officer to live on site.
Two of Liz Anderson's friends/midwifery colleagues visited the clinic late in 2008 to begin investigate and report back on maternioty services in the area. They also held seminars for loacl traditional midwives.
We are hoping that after this initial visit further visits can be made to lay foundations for higher quality maternity care. This would enable us to begin addressing a number of issues relating to womens health in general and young children. In a community where infant mortality rates are high this is an exciting new area to explore and develop.
Future developments...
We are aware that this project is growing. If you are interested in taking a more active role in the work please get in touch. The needs are still very great and we are acutely aware that we are a small charity, though we have been amazed at what has been achieved with our supporters help.
We have begun a small project on the side to help the local people generate income and address some of the poverty issues that then directly impact on their health. 20 families have been trained by some of OGRA's team to keep and rear chickens. We have provided each family with 5 chickens for them to begin a small business. They are reviewed regularly and those who show diligence and enterprise are rewarded and helped further to market their products. Those who are not are dropped from the programme and others are recruited. We hope this will help with diet in small children and help families provide for their dependants more effectively. Thank you to all who support us financially and otherwise. We are delighted that the people are beginning to benefit from receiving good medical care and attention.
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