Chilli Children work is going on everywhere, all the time; at the Project office and Rehabilitation Centre - life skills and physiotherapy clinics, club foot clinics and counselling; in hospitals countrywide - CORSU Hospital, Kisizi Hospital, Rugarama Hospital Rukungiri, Bethel SurgiCo Clinic Kabale and CURE Mbale; at educational institutions - Kitazigurukwa Special Needs Unit and Hornby Junior and High School; and in the field - outreach clinics, the Project Hostel, chilli growing programme and home visits.
This newsletter, we want to focus in on some of this work and what’s been happening in those areas over the past few months.
Work… at the Project Office
Club Foot treatment continues
We are thankful to Orthopedic Officer Kenneth, ably assisted by Physiotherapist Flavia, who have together successfully taken over the reins of the Club Foot Clinic following Jones’ retirement at the beginning of the year.
Here is just one example of the many successful treatments throughout the year so far.
We think the photos speak for themselves! Here is Kelvin before, during and after treatment. He has been given braces to maintain the feet in the correction phase. We hope that his Mum will adhere well to this final, and very important, stage of treatment, as he is supposed to wear the braces 24/7 for the next three months in order to maintain the correction. Well done Kenneth and Flavia!
Focus on Physiotherapy Clinics: by Project Physiotherapist Nakalanzi Flavia
Since the year began, the physiotherapy and life skills clinics have seen 73 new children and 65 repeat, regular clients attending.
Jayden
Jayden is a 1 year and 4 months old baby with a history of seizures and has delayed milestones. He was abandoned at his grandmother’s home by his mother when he was just 3 weeks old. Jayden and his grandmother visited our office in May when the child couldn’t sit, stand or play with his hands. He also had low attention and concentration span.
He was initiated on physiotherapy at the weekly clinics and also given home program exercises that were aimed at achieving the missed milestones. Now he is able to sit and play with objects around. His attention and concentration span has greatly improved.
Cheers to his grandmother who has done a great job for her grandson. She is a very serious and committed lady’ Flavia, June ‘24
Shalom
We first met Shalom, an 8 year-old girl with cerebral palsy, during a field survey in April. Her movements were restricted to tummy crawling, plus some involuntary movements which made playing and eating difficult, and sitting, standing and walking impossible.
But Shalom had a dream. She wanted to walk more than anything. So she came to us to do physiotherapy and rehabilitation for two months.
Since then, she can now sit independently, feed herself with ease, and transfer herself from high sitting to standing with minimal support. Best of all – Shalom has taken her first steps with the help of KAFOs and a walking frame. August ‘24
Below left, Shalom with her Mum and cousin; middle, doing some exercises with Flavia; right, excited to be walking with a frame for the first time EVER, on 30th July 2024)
Work… in Hospitals countrywide
Peter’s Story
Sometimes we find children during our field surveys who have already started some kind of treatment. In Peter’s case, his father was struggling with the funds needed to finish his treatment for neglected clubfoot.
That’s where we stepped in – bringing hope, healing and opportunity to their situation. Thanks to CORSU Hospital for their great work.
Work… in Education
Aggrey continues to progress in education
Aggrey may be a familiar face by now. He has been supported by the Project for many, many years. We are so proud of him and all he has accomplished.
We are proud of him for getting the A Level grades needed to attend Great Lakes Regional University to study for a National Certificate in Business Administration, which commenced in August. Good luck with this next stage in your life, Aggrey!
Maintenance and repair works at Kitazigurukwa Special Needs Unit
Thanks to a grant from Kitchen Table Charities Trust, we have been able to begin undertaking some much needed repairs and renovations at Kitazigurukwa Special Needs Unit.
These include repairing and renovation of water tanks, renovation of the school dining room and other general but necessary maintenance works. We are happy with the work of local tradesmen and contractors who are making it happen successfully. Here, one is repairing some broken windows.
Work… In the field
Our Project Hostel
Did you know that your support helps us to run a Project Hostel in Rukungiri town? Some children, like Shalom, live far from the Project office and can’t travel in everyday for intensive rehabilitation/physiotherapy. Therefore, the hostel gives children and their caregivers a chance to stay for longer periods so that they can regularly attend the Rehab Centre for better results.
Additionally, when children have to travel early to, or arrive late from, various hospitals around Uganda, they can stay at the Project Hostel for a night or two before onward travel.
The Project hostel costs 200,000 ugx per month to rent (around £42 a month) - well worth it for the benefit that it provides. Can you consider gifting us some or all of the £504 that it will cost to rent this property in 2025?
Chilli growing programme: Johnson’s family
Recently, Victory was able to give out some new chilli plants to one of our beneficiaries Johnson and his grandmother. She collected them after a visit to the Rehab clinic.
Later, Martin followed up with a home visit to check on the progress of her chilli growing project. She’s doing a great job!
Thank you for your fundraising efforts
Chilli Runners and Walkers
This year, the Chilli Runners and Walkers have been raising funds for Kitazigurukwa Special Needs Unit. It’s not easy to feed 30+ growing children 3 meals a day for around 40 weeks a year! We also have plans in 2025 of teaching the children more practical skills such as baking, handcrafts or sewing, better preparing them for a more independent life where possible.
They ran or walked 120 miles in the month of September - or 4 miles a day for the whole month. What a commitment! It’s not too late to donate to their efforts! www.stewardship.org.uk/pages/chilliwalkersandrunners2024
We look forward to hearing more about how they got on in the next newsletter.
Our very own trustee, Liz Joyce (80) has also taken part in Chilli Runners and Walkers 2024. She did 4 sets of 5 lateral pulls per day in her local park, during the month of September, and raised. Well done Liz!
Can you do some fundraising for us? The opportunities are endless and we would be so grateful, to enable all the work above to continue. Please get in touch with us if you’d like some ideas or support in organizing a fundraising event or talk for us.
