In 2017, when three Rotarians from Bainbridge Island Rotary Club visited the Kumi area of Northern Uganda and met with the Kumi Rotary Club members, our relationship with this club began. At this meeting, the Bainbridge Island Rotarians learned about the need for girls’ menstrual products, for education using these, and for the need to provide and support basic family health day clinics. Since 2018, the two clubs have worked together to resolve these needs.
Community Grant Project (DCG#2319) was implemented in 2 stages:
- Family Health days were held January 19 & 20th 2024.
- The Girls Project, titled Girls with Dignity, was held February 15, 2024.
The girls’ Health Project was held at 5 schools & included:
3,125 students, 1,000 AfriPad kits, 2,024 bars of soap, 2,466 boxers and 4,656 girls’ panties.
AfriPad distribution was held at 5 schools on February 15, 2024. Distribution and training were performed by Rotarian Elizabeth Asige and others from the Kumi Rotary Club.
- Each one of the 1,5842 girls received 1 AfriPad reusable kit, 3 panties, 1 bar of soap
- Each one of the 1,420 boys received 2 boxers and ½ bar of soap
Family Health Days – held January 19 & 20, 2024
During the 2-Day Family Health Days Clinic, 8 Kumi Rotarians participated beside 1 Rotarian from Ngora Rotary Club & 16 volunteers from Kumi Hospital, 10 from Ngora Freda Carr Hospital, 12 from Omatenga Health Center III & 2 guests. 1,670 people were served. Their ages ranged from 1 month to 91 & above.
Kumi Rotarians organized the 2 1/2-day event. These Rotarians coordinated and recruited 55 medical staff to provide care & diagnosis for people normally unable to reach effective medical care.
Services included:
- Cervical cancer screening
- A teenage antenatal clinic
- An eye care service
- Dental services
- Physiotherapy
- General child medical services
- HIV counselling & testing
- Hepatitis B screening
- Malaria Rapid diagnostic tests
- Urinalysis
- Helicobacter Pylori test
- Random blood sugar tests
- Prostate specific antigen testing
- Typhoid testing
- and general medical services
- Elderly individuals were given a bar of soap
Instructions about the dangers of early pregnancy were given to girls to enable them to remain in school.
The Rotary Family Health Days provided a rare opportunity for men 40 years and older to have free prostate cancer screening. This service normally has a fee charged at government and other facilities.
Several activities were included such as:
- Nutrition instruction regarding a healthy diet for the young and elderly
- Cancer screening and early detection and treatment for young and elderly
- Benefits of enrolling the girl child in school and keeping her at school, and the dangers of early pregnancy
###
By Vicki Evans