Blog Feb 2025
This coming Saturday (1st of March) I am travelling to Uganda. Usually HUGS Trustees visit projects every 18 months to check on progress to give assurance that UK donors money is spent wisely and as intended. This trip, however, will be different.
I’m traveling solo, for 6 weeks. For three weeks I have a volunteer placement as a doctor working in the Komamboga Health Centre III, in Kampala. For those of you who don’t know my back ground, I have worked as an NHS General practitioner for 27 years. Komamboga is a government run facility; people turn up in the morning, register and then wait under a large gazebo until they are called in for assessment. The Director, Dr Daphine, told me that some days up to 4000 people may attend. Let’s hope I’m not the only doctor on site.
I will be sharing the realities of life for families in Uganda, through this experience. For those of you who use social media, I’ll be posting on the HUGS Facebook and Instagram accounts. If you’d like more of a personal insight I’m happy if you would like to follow me on my own Instagram #richardbircher or My Facebook
During the trip I will be travelling to 4 of the HUGS projects.
The most exciting is the SEVA school. This has been the largest HUGS school developed to date, thanks to the generous support of the Mulchand Foundation. Ninety Children from a Kampala slum, who usually have extraordinarily tough lives, blighted by illness, malnutrition and violence, are now safe, in a beautiful school in the countryside. None of the children had ever been out of the slum, and now have acres to run and play in. For the first times in their lives they will have a guaranteed three meals a day. Like all new school recruits, we will see them rapidly grow, in stature and confidence. It’s such a moving story. The school will eventually care for 300 of the most disadvantaged children.
I’ll also be calling in at St Francis de Sales school, our latest Special Needs School, caring for 100 children, who mostly have hearing or sight disabilities. We are hoping to host volunteer teachers there in the future, and as there is nothing like first-hand experience, I’ll be staying there with the staff and helping with the children. I wonder what they will make of my Manchester accent.
Also on route will be Father John Kyazze, and St Zoe’s school. This was the first HUGS school we developed. It is so well run by Headmistress Sister Agnes. The school has a compassionate culture. It has been financially sustainable for over 10 years and spends its profits on a bursary scheme which identifies children, often who have just one subsistence farmer parent, to bringing the most marginalised into quality education. HUGS uses some of our your donations to support this programme. Father John and I have an invite to visit the home of Patrick Ssekyanzi (one of our first HUGS sponsored students, who started school aged 12). Thanks to the power of education he runs an animal husbandry business, owns a house, breeds chickens and goats, and has a beautiful family living in security.
I will end my trip at Good Shepherd school. The beautiful, safe, lively and fun special needs school in Fort Portal. I will share the progress of the vocational student programme. Not every child is able to achieve academically. Take Brian, who the school, Director, Sr Theresa found 10 years ago, eating out of bins, because he had been disowned by his family. He is now a grown man, in his last year at Good Shepherd School, learning the skills of carpentry.
If anyone would like any particular updates, please message me.
Suncream, malaria pills, anti-worming medicine at the ready… oh and of course my travel guitar. Thanks for all your support.
Richard Bircher. Chair HUGS