Kikandwa Health Centre III, located about 50 kilometers along the Gayaza-Kayunga road, was constructed by the Rotary Club of Kampala South, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Des Moines AM, Drake University and Shining City foundation. The health facility has been in existence for seven years and boasts of an outpatient, maternity and pediatric blocks. On 21 August 2021, the Rotary Club (RC) of Kampala South had a project visit to the facility, led by Change maker President Charles Odaga. The club members were joined by the President of the Rotary Club of Kayunga, guests and the community members.
During this visit, a training was conducted for health workers in attendance, as a way of preparing them to conduct community medical outreach. This shall be supported by the club and is intended to identify pregnant mothers, malnourished children, and persons with non-communicable diseases such as cancer, hypertension, and diabetes, among others. It will ensure that such people are linked to care. The outreaches shall also promote routine immunizations.
As part of the medical interventions, Mama Kits were donated to over ten mothers who had come for their routine antenatal care clinic.
Sauda, a 24-year-old pregnant woman, was on her third antenatal visit to the health facility. “I love the quality of service and care provided to the expectant mothers by the doctor and midwife.” She added that, “this is the facility I intend to give birth at, having witnessed how well my friend was taken care of when she gave birth recently.”
Kikandwa is also home to a Rotary Community Corps (RCC), which is a group of selfless community members, who commit to supporting the community and making their own lives better through regular savings. They are involved in reaching out to the needy and less privileged through impactful community service activities.
The RCC has been in existence for four years and has a membership of 30 men and women. As a group, they have helped the disabled and elderly, as well as provided food to the hungry to the community members is need. The Club members had an engagement with the RCC, to understand their achievements, challenges, and aspirations, in order to know how best to support them.
Florence has been a member of the RCC since its inception in 2018. She says, “having an RCC in the community has built the members’ capacity in financial knowledge and discipline. It has enabled some of us to borrow and startup businesses. Personally, I started a piggery project which is doing very well. I have paid back the loan and supplemented on my household’s income.”
Florence is very grateful to the members of RC Kampala South and its partners, for the support they have provided to the health centre and close-by primary school. The primary school, where she is the Head Teacher, was renovated by PKF Uganda, one of RC Kampala South’s partners.
The Rotarians and friends of Kampala South had an engagement with the members of the RCC to understand their achievements, challenges, and aspirations. Presentations were made by the Treasurer and Chairperson of the RCC to clear outline the same.
RC Kampala South will be embarking on a global grant application process, to find funds for growth of the RCC and economic empowerment of its members. The funds will be made available for members to borrow and have the RCC implement a project within their community. This will be in addition to UGX 3 million (three million), donated by members of RC Kampala South as seed capital.
Environmental protection is also incorporated into the activities at Kikandwa Health Centre III. On this visit, 70 trees (50 indigenous and 20 fruit) were planted around the health centre and in the nearby school premises. The trees were coded using GPS RC Kampala South which will be used to monitor their growth from anywhere in the world!
As a wrap-up, President Charles Odaga said, “after a very long period of not being able to come together, it is good to see the old, new, aspiring club members and the Kikandwa Community. I am impressed by the medical team and the services they are providing, as testified by the patients we have found. I would also like to encourage the RCC to continue with their savings scheme, and we will be back to empower them with more financial literacy.”
He finalized by saying that “The Rotary Club of Kampala South still has a lot of work to do in Kikandwa so, we are not going anywhere yet!”
