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Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Kikandwa Health Clinic
The Kikandwa Health Clinic was a project proposed by village elders in order to meet the medical needs of the Kikandwa community of approximately 100,000 residents. The non-profit clinic will serve common illnesses in the area such as maternity, prenatal care, malaria, diarrhea, and upper respiratory infections as well as providing other basic services. The opening of the health clinic will have the greatest impact on the people of Kikandwa due to increased health care accessibility. With this new clinic, the people of the Kikandwa community will no longer have to travel long distances or become discouraged from seeking medical care due to transportation. The clinic is expecting to serve between 50-100 patients per day and is striving to become an effective and sustainable business model. The facility will initially have a staff of three individuals which includes a midwife, registered nurse and an administrator with the hopes of expanding as project phases for the clinic are completed over time. This health clinic was made possible by donors such as Drake University, The Rotary Club of Kampala South, and the Shining City Foundation (SCF).
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What I found extremely rewarding and interesting at the Kikandwa Health Centre grand opening was the emphasis by the community on how it was now the community's responsibility to keep the clinic utilized and sustained. It was such an indescribable feeling to see how absolutely grateful the people of Kikandwa were to have this facility, and their determination to use it to the best of their ability and take full responsibility for its development and service was inspiring to say the least. Being able to interact with the villagers after the grand opening and having them celebrate so festively and gratefully was quite touching. I cannot wait to continue the effort of the Kikandwa Health Centre even after we return to Des Moines. It is obvious that the clinic is so needed in the area and that the people of Kikandwa appreciate it immensely.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was remarkable how grateful the villagers were. They really seemed to know how important and necessary this health clinic is to keeping them all healthy. It was an awesome experience to receive all the hugs and hand shakes from the women and men of the village. I also had a blast dancing with all the kids of the village before we left.
ReplyDeleteA main thing that I admired about the health clinic was that the community and donors are building it in stages so that sustainability is more achievable. Giving a community too much to handle in terms of staffing, utilizing, and sustaining would be too much to handle. The community would also have to wait much longer for the basic care they need now. Funding can be brought in over time to continue to expand the clinic and it is going to be much more beneficial to the community. The community also made it very clear their need for the clinic and how grateful they are for all the hard work that has and still will go into the clinic. It was an honor to see the opening of the clinic and I am proud to be apart of such a great vision in the workings that many Drake students and others have worked so hard to achieve.
ReplyDeleteIt was so incredible to share so much joy and happiness with these people during the grand opening of the clinic celebration! I don't think I have ever seen so many people be so thankful and happy to receive what is currently an empty building. The clinic will be an ongoing project for all of us in the 2014 class, past students who came on this trip as well as students who will get to come in the future. Making sure the clinic is consistent in providing quality care for their patients is going to be a challenge that will never end. Being at the grand opening it was very obvious how much of an impact we are having on Kikandwa. It was a very humbling experience and made most of us never want to stop giving to Uganda.
ReplyDeleteIt was wonderful to see the initiative the community took at the grand opening. They were so grateful for the clinic and what its impacts would do for them. A older man came up to me and said, "thank you so much, now I have a place for my wife to give birth to our twins". Hearing that made me realize so many things that we take for granted in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this clinic represents a lot to the people of Kikandwa, and I think that we can learn a lot from the whole experience. To the villagers, this health clinic represents hope- it gives them a chance to survive so many deadly diseases that are easily cured. Drake, along with all other donors and partners, provided not just a building for health, but a building for life. It was clear that everybody there recognized the importance of the project. I think we can learn a lesson from this and really appreciate all the amenities we have back in the US that are so often taken for granted.
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