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| Circular -
September 2014 |
| When planning
Acheru, we had to consider the most suitable location. By
staying in the Mukono area we continued to serve the catchment
area we had dealt with when Cherub was based at Besaniya –
although almost from the start children have been brought from
far beyond the immediate area, and even from adjoining countries
as the reputation of the work spread. We also needed access to
surgical services, with CoRSU serving as our referral centre for
orthopaedic and plastic surgery. It’s all a compromise,
with CoRSU advising on location, and taking into account cost
and availability of land. Unfortunately although we are not far
from CoRSU, they are near Entebbe meaning we have to travel
through Kampala to get there – and traffic conditions mean
it’s a nightmare journey, needing to be undertaken several
times each week. Hours of fumes and dust for a relatively short
journey. |
| Despite this,
it does seem that we have found the right site at Kabembe, but
of course we’re a long way from northern Uganda, which has
become the focus for much of our work. In the north we are based
at Minakulu, 42km south of Gulu, with local staff and a small
outpatient unit. We’ve avoided trying to replicate Acheru
in the north, as surgical patients still need to be brought to
CoRSU, although we are considering a compromise with ‘hostel’
accommodation to enable children for whom distance is a problem
to stay for what would normally be outpatient treatment. |
| Northern Uganda
covers a huge area up to Southern Sudan and we cannot hope to
cover it all – but our catchment area is growing. From
Minakulu our staff operate clinics which cover much of Oyam
district – at Anyike, 17km to the south east, Zambia 22km
SW, Apac 75km S, and Otwal 52km NE. This helps us to cover an
area of around 3000 square kilometres – although we depend
on local health services, churches and others to bring children
to the clinics. There is a problem with locating disabled
children, persuading families to bring them for treatment, and
also ensuring they are brought back if booked for surgery.
Meetings are under way with other organisations with workers in
the community who might be able to help if we cover the expenses
– much more cost effective than trying to employ more
community workers ourselves. |
| Acheru has been
treating an increasing number of children but there must be so
many more who could benefit from our help. We are already doing
much more than we could ever have envisaged when the work was
started, but there has been so much blessing, and donors have
responded so generously. It does now seem though that all the
Acheru services at Kabembe and in the north are working to
capacity, and resources are stretched – staff, facilities,
and finances. We are keeping everything under review; there are
always problems to face, but we want to maintain standards of
care, having seen the life changing effect for children, their
families, and communities. |
| Brian Dorman |
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